Posts in Category: action
Maine! See my wings!
Great Blue Heron (and Snowy Egret): York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — The Heron flew 50 yards from one spot in the marsh to another and landed just about on top of the Snowy Egret. Massive wings to lift a relatively massive bird. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my action and flight modifications. Animal/bird recognition auto focus. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Cross purposes
Great Blue Heron and Great Egret (Snowy in the foreground): York County, Maine, USA, September 2024 — It is odd here in Southern Maine to see Heron’s and Egrets hunting together. Egrets tend to hunt communally with a mix of Great and Snowy being common…but I think of Herons as being solitary birds. The past week or so though, numbers of Great Blue Herons have been congregating with the mixed Egret hunting groups, perhaps getting ready for migration. These two were apparently not bothered at all by their proximity. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Knot what it looks like
Great Egrets: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — I spent over an hour sitting at the edge of the marsh a mile inland from the mouth of the river, observing a mixed feeding flock of Egrets and Herons and took several sequences of these two as they hunted close together. They struck this pose a few times. You will have to study the image closely to see that their necks are not, in fact, entwined. It is not a knot…just a trick of perspective and the way the foreground grasses frame the birds. Still, it makes for an interesting photo. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Great Blue Airways
Great Blue Heron: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — There seem to be a lot of Great Blue Herons, compared to this time in past years, still hanging out in the marshes at the mouth of the river. There were 3 three together yesterday, with 3 Great Egrets and close to a dozen Snowy Egrets, all feeding in the same area of the marsh. The Herons were more mobile, moving from place to place in full flight and I had a chance to get some decent flight shots of them skimming the grasses and landing. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my action and flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Turtlehead and bumblebees
We have good sized stands of Turtlehead in our yard, all descended from a few plants donated by one of my wife’s friends. They are in bloom right now and being tended by a host of bumblebees. I find it interesting that I have only ever seen this particular species of bumblebee around the Turtleheads. They are just the right size, and apparently have enough strength (and determination) to force their way into the open mouths of the blossoms to gather the pollen inside, and to pollinate other flowers as they gather. It is not easy. It sometimes takes them several tries before they find just the right angle to wriggle inside…where they completely disappear for severe seconds before managing to get back out to move on to another flower. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 105mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird and wildlife modifications. Insect recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! caught tail up
Red-tailed Hawk: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — The Red-tailed Hawk that hunts the edge of the marsh along the coastal road is very comfortable with passing traffic and, since there is a popular dog walking/jogging trail just there, also with people on foot. Comfortable enough to do some tail preening even though it clearly knew I was watching it. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Squabble on the beach
Semi-palmated Sandpipers: York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — The beach confrontations among Semi-palmated Sandpipers can get pretty vigorous, with lots of high jumps and leg action and flapping wings. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Another face off
Semi-palmated Sandpipers: York County, Maine, USA, September 2024 — Last time I checked the beach, two days ago, all the Semi-palmated Sandpipers and Plovers were gone…headed on south on a favorable wind…and I never did figure out what these beach standoffs were all about. Interesting behavior. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. My action and flight Recorded Settings (programed to the AF-On button: 1/2500 with wide tracking, Animal/bird auto focus). Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Plover posturing
Semipalmated Plover: York County Maine, September 2024 — While the Semipalmated Sandpiper interactions this past week or so have seemed more like territorial disputes, the Semipalmated Plover interactions seem more like the kind of mock courting that goes on in the fall among many species, perhaps even forming pair bonds before the birds head south, or at least picking travel and wintering buddies. There was a lot of this tail up and flaring, head cocked action going on. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! the prize
Herring Gull (perhaps going into 1st winter plumage): York County Maine, USA, September 2024 — I am not at all sure what this young Herring Gull has fond, but it was certainly busy with it…picking it up and turning it and then repeatedly washing it a few steps into the surf. It does not look all that edible to me, but it seemed to be a prize for the gull. The gull was so busy with it that it let me get quite close. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.