Posts in Category: Maine
Maine spring edition: Immature Red-tailed Hawk??
Immature Red-tailed Hawk (I think): Arundel, Maine, USA, April 2022 — I think! This is one of those birds, or one of those birding situations, where I can not be 100% confident of my naming. I saw it fly over the road while out on my eTrike. My first impression was just a raptor with big wide wings…and then when I got off to the side of the road and got my camera out…all it would give me is this back view…and the angle of the shot, and the way the bird was perched, makes it hard to judge the body proportions and especially the length of the tail. For what it is worth, the several photo based AI birding assistants I have access to give Red-tailed Hawk about a 70% chance of being right. And Red-tailed Hawk is certainly the most likely as we have more of them than any other hawk…which is probably why I wanted it to be something else…something more exciting. Still, any perched hawk is a good bird. 🙂 And I did do my due-diligence…checked every field guide I own…and studied several of the photos I took. I have blurry shot of the underside of one wing which mostly supports Red-tailed, but that is as good as I can say. Anyone who know better, feel free to correct me. Always willing to be corrected. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed and enlarged in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine spring edition: Downy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2022 — Of course we have had Downy Woodpeckers all winter, coming to the suet and sunflower seeds on the deck…but there is nothing like a shot that was not taken through thermal-pane double glazing 🙂 From my back-yard photo blind in late afternoon light, with the sun just about on the horizon behind me. Sony Rx10iv at 580mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/640th.
Maine spring edition: Red-winged Blackbird (female)
Red-winged Blackbird (female): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2022 — This is clearly a Red-winged Blackbird, and I am pretty sure it is a female, and not a first-year male, because I see no patch at all on the shoulder. The eyebrow is a bit bold for a female, but still. What really surprised me is the feet…take a close look at those feet. I have added a heavy crop from another photo to show the detail. Now there is foot made for wrapping around cat-tail reeds. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine Spring edition: Pine Warbler
Pine Warbler: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2022 — last year we only had glimpses of the Pine Warbler as it passed through, stocking up before finding more suitable nesting habitat. The year before it was here for a week or more, visiting the feeders under the pine, and a few times on the deck. This year both a full adult (probably a male) and a first year bird (probably a female, but it could, of course, be the other way around…or they might both be males or females???) have been on the deck several times a day for the past few days. The bright bird visits the suet feeder and the first year bird sticks to the deck and rail under the feeder, picking up crumbs. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. (Taken through the double pane thermal glass doors in the kitchen on a deeply overcast day.) ISO 1600 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine Spring edition: White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2022 — I still have lots of Costa Rican birds and wildlife to share but spring in southern Maine is definitely happening right now…so this is a special edition of Pic for today. Yesterday at dawn the first White-throated Sparrow scouts arrived out under our backyard pines, and by late afternoon the leaf litter under the pines was host to at least two dozen White-throated Sparrows. I say at least, because I have no idea if this was a coherent flock or individual birds from a stream passing through. There is nothing more “perky” than a White-throated Sparrow in fresh spring plumage. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Purple Finches
Purple Finch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I got out the photo blind for the first time this spring yesterday, as we are getting enough action to make it worth my time. I am thinking this at least a potential pair of Purple Finches. It is hard to tell if the “female” is actually a female or just (just?) an first year male…I see a hint of wash under the chin…if it stays around I will keep my eye on this bird. The male is unmistakable…and this one was in display mode…not full mating display with the fluttering wings…but he certainly wanted to be noticed. Note the erect crest and the puffed out chin…as well as the aggressive posture. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 and 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Turtle talk…
Eastern Painted Turtle: Never fear, I still have lots of photos from our trips to Costa Rica in December to share. However, it is spring in Maine and the turtles are out sunning themselves on rocks and logs in any pond with enough water to hold them. These were in mostly dry oxbow off the Kennebunk River along the Eastern Trail between Kennebunk and Arundel. Turtles are hard to photograph. You just have to learn to live with the blown-out highlights where sun reflects off the shell, or clone in shell from either side. I decided to leave them in this photo. We do see them with our naked eye…they just are never as glaring as they are in a photograph. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Hermit Thrushes are back!
Hermit Thrush: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — taking another break from the birds and wildlife of Costa Rica to visit spring in Southern Maine. I took a short walk on the new hiking trail off the Eastern Trail bike path between Kennebunk and Arundel Road, and found at least 2 Hermit Thrushes hopping around back there. These are not great photos, but anyone who has attempted to photograph a Hermit Thrush in dense woodland will appreciate the effort 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 and 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Mr Mallard
Mallard: Spring Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains Preserve, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Keeping local again today, with this very cooperative Mallard duck from the pond on the Kennebunk Plains. He was not bothered by my presence at all, and both he and his mate came up on the bank while I was standing there. They saw me…they could hardly miss me in my bright yellow triking togs…but they just did not care. This is pretty much a full frame shot at 600mm. The sun was in and out…in here…so the green sheen on the head is not quite as bright. I like the little peak of blue on the wing. Sony Rx10iv. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Red-throated Loon
Red-throated Loon: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I still have lots of photos from Costa Rica to share, but with better weather I am out on my eTrike most days and seeing more of note in the backyard. This Red-throated Loon was hunting mussels on the very altered bed of Back Creek where flows under the bridge on its way to the Mousam River. Red-throated is not as common as, well Common Loon here, but it might just be a matter of overall numbers of the two species. I am always happy to see one…but I do check each one, since we had a Pacific one long ago Christmas Bird Count. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed and considerably enlarged in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4.5 @ 1/1000th.