Posts in Category: action
Maine! Common in name only
Common Tern: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — There was a large flock of Terns actively feeding at the junction of creek and river behind the beach the other day…mostly Common Terns. A thing of beauty to watch and a challenge to photograph. Such grace. Such power. Such a mastery of the air. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my action and flight modifications. Animal/bird recognition auto focus. Auto ISO set to faster for higher shutter speeds (1/2000th). Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Surprise!
Common Tern and Monarch Butterfly: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Imagine my surprise when processing my photos from the actively feeding Common Terns at the mouth of the river to find this interloper in the frame. I certainly did not see the Monarch while panning to follow the tern…though the Monarchs must be passing through down the coast as I saw several yesterday, and those are the first of the season. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Florida comes to Maine!
Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Willet (Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron): York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Yesterday was one of those rare Florida like days in Southern Maine. Hot. Humid. Too hot. Too humid. And in the marsh along the river there was a very Florida like concentration of wading birds: A couple of Great Blue Herons, some Willits (probably more than I knew as they don’t show much above the marsh grass), at least one white phase Little Blue Heron, and lots of Great and Snowy Egrets. In the top right wide view there are over 50 birds and that was not half of what was there. I crept through the underbrush to get to the edge of the marsh and sat down to shoot under the overhanging tree branches. It was amazing to watch the interactions. I have only seen this kind of concentration of waders in Florida…never before in Maine. So here we have the wide view, a treble of waders (Great and Snowy Egret and Willet), a Great Egret stretching its wing, and a Snowy Egret in flight. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. Highlight protection metering. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Showing off those semi-palms
Semi-palmated Plover: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Ever wonder why it is semi-palmated? Take a look at the raised left leg. See the webbing? Semi-palmed. 🙂 Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. A dull over cast day at the beach. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! In its element
Common Tern: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — there was a flock of Common Terns avidly feeding where the fresh and salt water’s mix in a tidal creek as the tide went out. They were swooping and circling over the water, diving down to hover and then strike. Beauty in motion. Birds totally in their element. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/bird subject recognition and auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Yellowthroat youngster
Common Yellowthroat (fledgling): York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — Walking along the edge of a meadow, this little bird was chattering in the bushes. It is fledgling Common Yellowthroat. You can just see a bit of the gape still there at the back of the beak. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird subject recognition and auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Hungry
Barn Swallows: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — There was a whole flock of fledgling Barn Swallows along a path through the river-side marsh that I take a few times a week. They seemed determined to all land on this fragile dead rose branch along the way, while the adults flew around them with food. That is an adult bird coming in out of focus in the foreground. It was obviously not a sustainable situation and after a few seconds they all took off in search of a more stable perch. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Chance encounter
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — So I don’t really believe in chance, but I am always surprised to find a hummingbird away from our back-deck feeder…in the wild, so to speak. I forget that hummingbirds got along just fine before humans began to feed them. This female Ruby-throated Hummingbird was harvesting nectar from the jewelweed along a trail I visit on occasion, and it cooperated for a few photos. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Out on the sandbar
Great Egret, Snowy Egret, imm. Herring Gull: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — The Egrets are beginning to gather again, populating the sandbars at low tide. Always mixed company, with both egrets, lots of gulls, and the occasional Great Blue Heron. A lively crowd generally, with lots of interaction and not a little showing off. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection and focus. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! White in Flight
Great Egret: York County, Maine, USA, July 2024 — A Great Egret winging its way upriver to the sand bars. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/Bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.