Posts in Category: OM-1Mkii with ED100-400IS
Maine! Bobolink
Bobolink: York County, Maine, USA, May 2025 — It is Bobolink season again here in southern Maine. They seem to be nesting across the road from where they nested last year, as the farmer cut the field very short last fall and the grasses are just coming back now. I was wondering if they would return to these fields at all. They still like to sing from the tops of the trees along the road. These were taken from the seat of my eTrike. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 1600mm equivalent (2x digital tele-extender). Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Cape May
Cape May Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Crane Creek State Park, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — One of the more attractive, and the more present, warblers this year at Magee. There was at least one showing well each day I visited during the Biggest Week in American Birding, and generally several. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding: Parula Again
Northern Parula: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Crane Creek State Park, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — As I may have mentioned, there were lots and lots of Parulas along the boardwalk at Magee…almost as many as Yellow Warblers. Actually the numbers might have been “normal” but compared to other species, which were sparse, they seemed high. I came away with one of almost every possible pose. 🙂 (Exaggeration) OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding: Full on Prothonotary
Prothonotary Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Crane Creek State Park, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — As I have said before, sometimes the Prothonotary Warblers are too close for comfort at Magee. It seems each year at least one pair builds a nest in one or another of the uprights that hold up the boardwalk rail. A gap tends to form between the upright and the rail where insects gather, and where woodpeckers come to get them, and, in digging them out, enlarge the gap until there is a hole big enough for a Prothonotary nest. The rangers come and put hazard tape either side of the nest to give the birds some space, but they seem totally unconcerned about the passing humans, and may, in fact, get some extra protection from their real predators by building so close to human traffic. While building the nest and feeding young they are busy within in feet of the boardwalk and often perch on the rails right in front of astonished birders and tourists. Fun! And it does not seem to any harm to the birds. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400mmIS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Upstanding Parula
Northern Parula: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — I like the delicate leaves and catkins framing this bird, and the subtle hues of the bird itself. I think the out of focus branch crossing just makes the bird look sharper. I might, in another mood, edit it out, but for now it stays as part of the natural composition. There were lots of Parulas this year at Magee. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Tell me it isn’t Monday already!
Monday monday. Just for humor’s sake. But Red Squirrels are always super expressive, and an easy canvas to project almost any emotion. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and TouchRetouch (to remove a feeder pole across the tail).
Maine! Red again
Red Squirrel: Back deck, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2024 — we had a rainy day visit from the neighborhood Red-Squirrel yesterday. Sometime it runs off as soon as I open the back deck door to take its photo, but sometimes it is bold as brass and just dares me to do something about it. It spent a good hour, coming and going on the deck, and I got the door open far enough for photos a couple of times. Once I had to shoo it off when it was in danger of coming inside. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 246mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications (no need to switch to animal for a squirrel :). Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding: singing loud
House Wren: Estuary Trail, Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — I took my first group of Point and Shoot for Warblers group out the beginning of the trail around the back of the marsh, on the other side of the channel from the boardwalk. We did not see a lot of warblers…just enough to practice on…but we had a couple of good wrens singing. A bit far away, and not quite out in the open, but still good. Gotta love the wren attitude. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent (pretty severe crop). Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Song too big for the frame
Yellow Warbler: Estuary Trail, Crane Creek State Park/Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — The frame cannot really contain the song. Yellow Warblers, of course, were everywhere at Magee, on and off the boardwalk…singing somewhere nearby just about whenever you stopped to listen. They are nesting birds at the marsh and well into the cycle. This one was along the trail that loops around the back of the marsh on the far side of the channel from the boardwalk. Singing away! OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Cross purposes
Barn Swallows: Howard Marsh, Beno, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — There is more to the Biggest Week in American Birding than Magee Marsh of course. This is from Howard Marsh, a metro-park development half way between Maumee Bay and Magee. Howard Marsh is always worth a visit while in the area. These two Barn Swallows were working on plumage on the same little twig. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.