Posts in Category: action
Maine! Getting bigger
Piping Plover: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2024 — The Piping Plover chicks, at lest this one family, are getting bigger and their feathers are developing from pin to full plumage rapidly. This chick is about 3 weeks old now. They are fully functional at birth…capable of feeding themselves and running around to considerable distances from the nest, but now they are going all the way down across the open beach to the serf line. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko ED 150-600IS zoom at 1200mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Willet in the surf
Willet: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — On one of our hot days last week, this Willet spend a lot of time in the surf, perhaps cooling off. It did not appear to be actively hunting…at least I did not see it try for any prey while I was watching. It just stood there and let the surf run around it. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Air defense
Least Tern (with Rock Dove): York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I had never thought of the Rock Dove (pigeon) as a potential predator of Least Tern eggs, but this pigeon was showing way too much interest in one particular Least Tern nest on the beach. I had also never realized just how big a Rock Dove is compared to a Least Tern. The Terns made a valiant attempt to dive the pigeon off, dive bombing it on the beach and harassing it in the air, but when it landed near the nest and showed every intention of raiding it, they went into full air defense mode with one of most amazing shows of aerial dexterity I have ever seen. Every Tern on the beach joined in, and for several moments the Dove had their full attention…until it finally decided two tern eggs were not worth the hassle and got up and flew off into the distance. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 338mm (Dove and Tern) and 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Nothing like being close: grey edition
Grey Catbird: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Yet another bird from my session waiting for the hummingbirds to return to the feeder on the back deck. The Grey Catbirds have learned to hover up under the suet feeder and take suet. They stand on the deck rail under the feeder and then launch themselves up…and they are completely unafraid of me in my camp chair as long as I don’t move too fast. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent from about 10 feet. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! More arty terns
Least Terns: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — A few more arty terns. They really show off against the green backdrop of the distant vegetation (and they are already show-offs in flight). OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 454mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Flying fish
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — It is the abundant supply of Sand Eels at the mouth of our tidal rivers that attract the breeding colonies of Least Terns, and, in my experience, about 1 in 10 close ups of a Tern in flight right now will show it carrying a Sand Eel. Sand Eels are part of the courtship ritual of Least Terns in Maine and the mate still brings eels to the sitting bird on the nest. When the eggs hatch both birds will bring eels to the young. So it is, literally, flying fish that keep the Least Terns on our beaches. And yes, the Sand Eel or sandeel is actually a fish, not an eel. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 454mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Downy away
Downy Woodpecker: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Another shot from the “waiting for the hummer’s” series. Sitting on my back deck this Downy Woodpecker, one of the most frequent birds at our feeders year round, settled in the big maple above me, so I grabbed a few shots and was still on the bird when it decided to move on. So, not quite an accidental photo, but close to it. 🙂 Low light on a cloudy afternoon. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Snowy
Snowy Egret: We are not yet getting the big crowds of Egrets we got last summer. Perhaps they are still coming, but last year was unusual in the sheer numbers of both Snowy and Great Egrets at the mouths of our tidal rivers. This Snowy Egret was working the marsh pools along a favorite walking path…pretty far out. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Not so Ruby-throat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I sat in the open doorway out onto our back deck for two hours yesterday afternoon, waiting on the hummingbirds to come to the feeder. They are much less dependent on feeders this time of year, with lots of flowers in bloom, but they do come often enough to keep my 8 ounce feeder full…though I have to replace the juice before they drink it all. They come about once every 15 to 45 minutes depending on the time of day…never staying more than a minute…long enough for a hit on the feeder and then away back to wherever they are nesting, or to feeding on the flowers. As you see here, even 1/2500th of second is not fast enough to freeze the wing tips, but even in full sun at f6.3 that puts the ISO at 2000. I will try 1/4000th today. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom. Program mode with my birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! It is not easy being green
Green Heron: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I went by one of our local parking lot drainage ponds to check for dragonflies. Not much yet. There was, however, a nice Green Heron (not uncommon at this pond). It was in the reeds on my side, but flushed as I approached before I saw it and landed on the far side of the small pond. This shot is at 1600mm equivalent (and cropped) using the OM System OM-1Mkii with the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom and the in-camera 2x digital teleconverter. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.