Posts in Category: action
Maine! Little Green Metallic Bee visits Wood Lily
Green Metallic Bee on Wood Lily: Two of my favorites in one shot (well, two shots for variety). A tiny Green Metallic Bee visiting one of the few blooming Wood Lilies I have found so far this year…out on the Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy. It was only about 5 years ago that I saw my first Green Metallic Bee in our front yard, but I am on the lookout for them now, and see them often. You have to look close! And of course I look for the Wood Lilies every year in July. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 770mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Snowy Egret fun
Snowy Egret: York County, Maine, USA, July 2023 — Just for fun. There were at least a dozen Egrets, Snowy and Great, on a sand bar where a tidal creek comes into our local river just inland from the mouth. These two were apparently trying to decide whether to go airborne or not for a short hop down the sandbar. The photos were taken from across the river with my OM Systems OM-1 and the 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.
Maine! Young and Downy
Downy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2023 — Our pair of Downy Woodpeckers has successfully fledged, or semi-fledged at least, one chick this year. It is coming to the feeders with both the male and female downy in attendance. Though it is feeding itself already, and I have already seen it in the suet cage on its own, both parents are still feeding it on demand. It is a most curious bird, never still a moment, always with its head on swivel trying to take in its new world. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 3200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! More Least Terns
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — More Least Terns in flight at the mouth of our local river. I got so dizzy following these birds with the long lens on my camera that I came perilously close to a falling down faint once I stopped and started walking back. Worth it though! OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving Birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 640 @ f6.3 @ 1/4000th. +.7EV for backlight.
Maine! Hunting Least Tern
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — There were at least a half-dozen Least Terns hunting over the mouth of our local river. This is, as I have mentioned, a new colony this year I think…as the Least Terns reclaim more of their territory, moving up the coast from the main colony at the river mouth south of us. Terns are graceful hunters, and the Least Tern is among the most graceful. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/4000th.
Maine! Willet on approach…
Willet: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — Another composite of three shots of an approaching Willet. It came in from many hundreds of yards out in the marsh, and I followed it all the way at 25 frames per second. These are the three shots I saved out of several hundred. 🙂 I had no idea when I started shooting that it was coming to me. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight modifications. Processed and composited in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 640 @ f6.3 @ 1/3200th. Plus .7EV for the bird against the sky.
India! More Lagur Monkey business
Langur Monkey, Rathambore Tiger Reserve, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — Along the stream below the temple within Rathambore National Park and the Tiger Reserve, there was a large troop of Grey Langur monkeys, going about their business. This large female was after a drink from the stream. Sony Rx10iv at 266 and 467mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 320, 250, and 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine! Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — Along the reaches of the lower Mousam River, way out in the marsh. This Snowy Egret was leap hunting along the edge of a pool. Two shots going up, and two coming down 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 200 @ f8 @ 1/1250th. -1EV to save the highlights.
Biggest Week in American Birding: Mission Accomplished
Green Heron: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2023 — For the second year in a row a pair of Green Herons is nesting at the end of the pond across from the boardwalk at Magee. They were busy building and repairing the nest while we were there for the Biggest Week in American Birding in May and this gentleman had obviously been sent out for a stick…which he chose to forage within a few feet of the boardwalk rail. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 372mm equivalent. Program mode with an early version of my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 320-500 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. -.7EV.
Maine! Discovering its wings
Piping Plover: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — This Piping Plover chick is 2 to 3 weeks old. It will not fly for at least another week, maybe more, but it is beginning to stretch its wings. This same day there were maybe 2 day old chicks at other end of the beach (they were well away from the nest and that does not happen generally for the first day or so), and they were only half this size…that is the body was half this size, the legs do not grow much after hatching. Piping Plovers grow into their legs 🙂 Notice the fine fringe of down feathers still on the wing. And let me remind you that this photo was taken from at least 30 feet with a long lens and cropped in for scale. I would never get as close to the chick as it looks here, and neither should you. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f8 @ 1/1250th.