Posts in Category: Maine
Maine! Are you looking at me!
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — Another from the series of shots of the Red-tailed Hawk circling me the other day. He was definitely aware of me as much as I was aware of him. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and Photo Quality.
Maine! Red-tail close overhead
Red-tailed Hawk: York County, Maine, USA — I have seen this Red-tailed Hawk in our neighborhood three times now, enough to think it might have a nest somewhere close-by. On Google Earth our neighborhood looks like pretty much unbroken forest so it could be anywhere. This hawk was circling close overhead, and apparently circling me, so I got good looks at it…but only saw the mouse when processing the photos. I don’t know what its interest in me was. It already had its breakfast. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and Photo quality.
Maine! More of that bluebird attitude
Eastern Bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — The male Bluebirds are getting bright and a bit feisty as breeding season starts here in Southern Maine. They are a bird that always shows a lot of attitude. This one is pretty obviously full of itself and all puffed up. OM Systems OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Song Sparrow Season
Song Sparrow: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — When the Song Sparrows return to the back side of dunes at our local beach it is a sure sign of the advancing spring. You hear their songs as soon as you get out of the car and they are not hard to track down for a portrait. This one popped up and sang right beside me as I was watching one further off the other direction. Nice bird. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Pioneer
Piping Plover: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — I went down to the beach yesterday specifically to check to see if there were any Piping Plovers yet. A Maine Audubon post said they were back and reminded folks to give them space, but it seemed very early to me. On a long stretch of beach with two breeding areas I found only this one Piping Plover…maybe a pioneer or a forward scout. He will find the beach much changed since the winter and spring storms, but hopefully it will not impact the breeding sites. They are not taped off yet, and indeed, with the beach so changed, it is hard to determine exactly where the plovers might nest. As always these shot were taken at 800mm equivalent and cropped in to at least 1600mm equivalent. I was not nearly as close to this bird as it looks, and I did not walk through the area where it was feeding. Give them space. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Still early morning light. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Nutty
White-breasted Nuthatch: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — We see the White-breasted Nuthatch on our back deck under and on the feeders every day…but I like to catch them away from the feeders when I can. This one flew in and landed on the bittersweet vine (the biggest bittersweet vine I have ever seen) that grows up the pine at the edge of our lot while I was sitting in my camp chair waiting on the birds. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Titmouse attitudes
Tufted Titmouse: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — The Tufted Titmouse is at our feeders every day, all year long. There is a pair nesting somewhere close by. They are particularly perky birds, with their little crest, and show a lot of attitude. Always fun to watch, and if I sit still enough they will come quite close. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! More Red-bellied
Red-bellied Woodpecker: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — When you shoot at 15 frames per second you get a lot of different looks at even as active a bird as the Red-bellied Woodpecker. Here are 4 more, after yesterday’s tippy-toe pose. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! Always on his toes
Red-bellied Woodpecker: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — The Red-bellied Woodpeckers are around our yard much more often this spring than in past years or past seasons. I am pretty sure they have established a primary territory just across the road from us in a little patch of forest. I hear them calling from there a lot. That is okay by me. I enjoy every encounter. This one came back to the old pines three times while I sat out in my camp chair waiting for birds, and just this once came down low enough for some good photos. And great afternoon light too. It was super active of course, as they always are, and I like the tiptoe pose here as it moved rapidly up the branch…but then Red-bellieds are always on their toes. OM System OM-1MKii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! My eclipse photos :)
Dark-eyed Junco, American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee, Eastern Bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — We were just outside the path of totality here on the southern Maine coast…95% and I did not invest in the filters needed to view or photograph the eclipse itself, nor was I compelled to drive inland an hour and half to get to full totality. I figured Facebook would be flooded with eclipse photos this morning, and I was right. I did go out to the backyard during what passed for totality here to photograph some birds in the strange afternoon twilight. It never got dark, even at 95% total…it was just more like the light was softened and diminished…indeed like an early twilight but with the sun still high in the sky. The birds did not seem to notice. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.