Posts in Category: Maine
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.
Fishing the hard way
Great Egret: Kennebunk Bridle Path, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — The Snowy and Great Egrets are finally arriving at the mouths of our rivers, in the marshes, and on the beaches. I thought they might not come this year, strange after the unusually high numbers the past two years. But I see hope now. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine Cedar
Cedar Waxwing: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — I posted a Cedar Waxwing from Maryland recently and was delighted to find this one as I rode my trike along a local road here in Southern Maine yesterday. I am pretty sure this is also a young bird, from this summer’s brood, just coming into full adult plumage. Note the limited red on the wing tips, and the general roughness of the plumage. It was also a solitary bird, and you generally see Cedar Waxwings it small flocks. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 @ 600mm (from the seat of my trike). Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Great Blue
Great Blue Heron: St. Anthony’s Monastery, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025: The friars at St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery maintain a pond between two arms of the river, which is frequented by herons, ducks, geese, kingfishers and dragonflies…not to mention deer coming for a drink. This hunting heron was very intent on its next meal. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Still feeding
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — Least Tern chicks are still being fed even after they are flight born and making short hops up and down the beach. This one is not quite ready to fly, but any day now. I spotted the chick in an open area and put my stool down and sat at a respectful distance and waited until the terns settled and then about 20 minutes more before a parent came to feed. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
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.
Voice
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — I generally get terns in flight just about figured out just about in time for them to disperse after nesting, and I might not see another tern this close until next year. 🙁 Still. This one was voicing its appreciation (or displeasure). Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Eastern Amberwing
Eastern Amberwing Dragonfly: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — The dragonflies are becoming more numerous as the hot summer weather comes upon us. I have been waiting, and this is one I am always delighted to see. Not much bigger than large bumblebee, its deep amber wings can be seen flashing in the sun half way across the pond. It is in fact the second smallest dragonfly in North America, just ahead of the Elfin Skimmer (which I have never seen). Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with Insect subject recognition. Processed in Photomator.