Posts in Category: action

Maine! Stand and deliver!

Common Loon: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — This is a common behavior for Common Loons. This one did it 3 times while I was watching and the 3rd time I was ready for him. It is a whole production with the bird rising slowly out of the water and extending its wings several times before settling back. I am not sure what purpose it serves. It does not appear to be any kind of display, as this bird was all alone in the creek. Unless it was just practicing. I suspect though it has more to do with shaking the water out of the wings, or warming itself between dives. OM Systems OM-1 Mkii with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! See what I got!

Common Loons: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — The loons were having a productive morning. As I watched one or another of the 4 working within sight took a crab from the bottom of the inlet every 5 minutes or so. This one seemed proud of his catch…though it was not the biggest one I saw that morning. Maybe it is a he and a she and she hoped he was in a sharing mood? OM Systems OM-1 Mkii with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Show-off

Red-breasted Merganser: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — There have been female or immature Red-breasted Mergansers in the tidal creek near the mouth of our local river since the beginning of winter, but this might be the first male I have seen, and he was putting on a good show for the female that was with him. Such a handsome bird! OM Systems OM-1Mkii with ED 100-400mm IS zoom. First two Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Third Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.

Costa Rica! Hybrid incoming

Hybrid Scarlet and Great Green Macaw: Macaw Ranch, Sarapiqui Valley, Costa Rica, December 2023 — One of the results of the dominance of the male Great Green Macaw in the flock of Scarets, this hybrid bird was coming in fast and just swerved at the last moment to avoid a collision. Right place at the right time! OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 200mm equivalent. (This bird was close!) Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Florida! A Pelican Squad

American White Pelican: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — My first days at Merritt Island during the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival I saw the Pelicans in the air several times, but never found the flock at rest and feeding. Eventually they settled down near enough to Blackpoint Drive and the main refuge road so I got some photos on the water. This is from my first day, and is just one squad of a large platoon going over. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Merganser action

Red-breasted Mergansers: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — a little Red-breasted Merganser action from the tidal creek near us. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.

Costa Rica! Great Green

Great Green Macaw: Macaw Ranch, Sarapiqui Valley, Costa Rica, December 2023 — There is at least one full adult male Great Green Macaw that has attached itself to the free flying flock of Macaws at the Macaw Ranch…but his influence is all out of proportion. He appears to be the dominant male in the flock, as many of the younger birds are obvious hybrids. Again, mixed feelings. I am not sure this degree of hybridization is good for either species…and a lot of effort has gone into the attempt to restore Great Greens to their previous habitat in Costa Rica. Still, to see one in flight, coming on at eye-level was a real treat. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Costa Rica! Incoming Macaw

Scarlet Macaw: Macaw Ranch, Sarapiqui Valley, Costa Rica, December 2024 — More by chance than by design, the spot I chose to stand in the pasture where the Macaws fly gave me views as they passed at eye-level, but also as they circled out and up a little rise toward my vantage point…so I could photograph them as they came head-on and slightly below me. The OM-1 was simply magical when faced with the challenge. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Costa Rica! Air show

Scarlet Macaw: Macaw Ranch, Sarapiqui Valley, Costa Rica, December 2023 — One of the highlights of any visit to the Macaw Ranch in Costa Rica is the chance to photograph Macaws in flight as they move back and forth between two peanut feeding stations. They fly by at eye-level and no more than 30 feet away. It is a show they put on regularly for tourists and birders who visit…and apparently the peanuts are highly motivating. Again, these are free flying birds, but certainly semi-tame, well habituated to human presence…so I have mixed feelings about the whole thing…but it certainly was an opportunity for some amazing flight shots. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 300mm equivalent. Processed in Photomator.

Maine! Air show

Bald Eagles: York County, Maine, USA, February 2024 — I have seen this action in photos, and in a video or two on YouTube, but I never expected to see it through my viewfinder. I was taking photos from a great distance of this interaction between 3 immature or sub-adult Bald Eagles squabbling over a perch in the dead top of a tall pine when Eagle number 3 was doing a close pass, when Eagle number 2 suddenly flipped over in mid-air and they did the “show me your talons” thing. From the size difference in the two birds I am thinking this is a male and s female…the female below and the male above. I know it looks so unlikely that you might suspect photoshop or some kind of AI generated image…but I assure you these are real Eagles acting like real Eagles. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent (cropped considerably). Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomatic and assembled in FrameMagic.