Posts in Category: action
Egrets
Great Egrets: Kennebunk Bridle Path, Kennebunk, Maine, USA July 2015 — I thought these egrets were too far away but, hey, it is only bound electrons, so nothing ventured, nothing gained. And then they did this. I love spread wing shot and none so much as the Great Egret wings. So these two shots, offered as one, just or more fun. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent (and heavily cropped). Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in FrameMagic.
Seaside Dragons in love
Seaside Dragonlet mating wheels. Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — Down by the Bridle Path through the tidal marsh the Seaside Dragonlets were bush mating and ovipositing. There must have been a dozen pairs in the one small pool I observed. Busy busy. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my insect and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Ho hum…just another singing Song
Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — down by the beach on the inside of dunes, and singing…ho hum, just another Song singing…but he is putting his whole heart into it, and maybe that makes it special enough. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Swallows
Barn Swallows: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — You never now what is in store. On an uncomfortably hot day in Southern Maine I went out along the marsh path and found a tree just full of fledgling swallows, mostly barn, but a few tree as well. I took lots of individual shots and then switched to my action modifications and zoomed wider to see what I could catch. 1/4000th of a second. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 198mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in FrameMagic.
Chick
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — I knew the Least Tern chicks had to be in there somewhere (there being the posted and marked off section of beach up against the top off the dune), but they hide so well that I could not find them. So yesterday I made it my mission to find one. I found not one but two dozen 🙂 And I had my stool with me so I sat and watched them for a while, getting anointed several times for my effort…but the parents settled and I got to see several interactions, both between parents and chicks and chicks and chicks. They are so fast on their tiny feet! Here we have a parent apparently scolding offspring. That is both what it looked and sounded like. The chick is several weeks old and will be flying, short hops down the beach, any day now. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Heavily cropped and upscaled. (I was a lot further away than this looks). Program with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Tree Swallows
Tree Swallows: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — There were 4 swallow on the branch when I lifted the camera, and then this happened 🙂 Thankfully the Program choose a shutter speed of 1/1000th so I got the shot. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Fish from heaven!
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — The Least Terns are apparently feeding chicks now. They hide really well so I have not seen one yet…but I have not gotten close enough to really look. I could not figure out was all the “courting” behavior meant…males offering fish…until I looked it up this morning. The chicks are fed on regurgitated fish, so the only way for a male to feed is offspring is to offer the fish to his mate…or do the job himself. I think maybe the hope, among the males, that they might get lucky again has something to do with it too…and that, as they say, is how the species survives. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Ready or not!
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — If you walk by the areas where the Least Terns are nesting on the beach, this is going to happen. Even if you are well away from the protective strings that set off the nesting area from the rest of the beach. I am not sure, but I suspect the Terns actually enjoy buzzing humans as though we were gulls or foxes…I think they know we are not after their eggs, but they really enjoy seeing us duck and flinch. Besides, I was sitting on my stool with no treat to them at all. But what do I know? Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Landing flaps
Great Blue Heron: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — There are not many Great Blues around yet this summer. Seems like there were more last year by this time. ?? Sometimes though you are just in the right place at the right time. All landing flaps down! Spilling air from the wings. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Happy tern (not so happy fish)
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — Continuing to experiment with the dot-sight for photographing terns in flight, I finally found some fishing yesterday at the mouth of the river. It will take more practice than I have had so far but I am happy with this shot of the tern rising with its catch. The dot sight makes it just a bit easier, but, in the long run I don’t think it is increasing the number of keeper I get…just maybe cutting down the time it takes to get one. I still throw away a 100 shots for every one I keep. But it is a lot of fun trying 🙂 I will go back at least one more time before the terns disperse and leave the dot sight at home. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Dot-sight. Processed in Photomator.