Snowy Egrets: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — I found a group of more than dozen Great and Snowy Egrets feeding in the marsh quite close to a trail I use, and was able to work my way through the woods to the edge of the marsh to watch them as they actively hunted a small pool for 30 minutes or so. If I had had a chair I would have watched longer 🙂 There was a lot of interaction as they squabbled for fishing rights. As I have mentioned in recent Egret posts, these kinds of concentrations of Egrets are, I think, new to our area marshes in the past few years. Previously I would see an Egret here or there, always a special treat. The past two years they have been here in large numbers and often congregated in mixed feeding groups like the one I saw yesterday, the second half of summer and through early fall. I can’t testify to anything beyond the past 20 years, or to any other marshes in Maine (if memory serves there have always been larger numbers in the bigger marshes north of us). These two Snowys were playing dominance games. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator and framed in FrameMagic.

Greater Yellowlegs: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — We only see the Yellowlegs during migration in Maine…mostly in the late summer and fall when they are on their way south from the Canadian nesting grounds. We see way more Greater than Lessor for some reason. In my experience, they like the marshes along the tidal rivers well behind the dunes. This is my first of the season. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-75 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Snowy Egret: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — We have a lot of smoke from the wildfires to the west of us in the air right now, and it makes everything sort of soft…at least when photographing (not to mention making it a bit hard to breathe). It does not seem to be bothering the birds, though it is hard to tell. This Snowy Egret was in the marsh quite close to the path. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Animal/bird recognition auto focus. Highlight metering mode. Processed in Photomator.

Great Egret: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — This was just a passing mood…the Egret was in fine form…it just had a moment of frump, such as comes to us all in the course of a day in the marsh. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VDX zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Animal/Bird detection auto focus. Highlight metering. Processed in Photomator.

Cedar Waxwing: York County Maine, USA, August 2024 — Cedar Waxwings are, in my opinion, one of our most beautiful birds here in Maine. I don’t see them often. They come in quickly as a small flock to cherry pick (and I do realize that might be taken as a pun) the ripe fruit from any tree or bush, and then, just as quickly they are gone…off to another tree or bush with fruit ready…maybe a mile away. I was in the right place at the right time yesterday when half a dozen Cedar Waxwings raided a couple of bushes either side of the trail I was standing on. They are super active and fast, and their ultra-fine plumage and crayon bright wax wing and tail tips, as well as the large black eye in the black mask, make them beautiful, but also difficult to photograph well. They make an excellent test for any camera and lens combo. The Sony a6700 and Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom pass with flying colors. The camera rarely missed focus even when the birds would not sit still, and I am really pleased with the way the feather detail and colors are rendered. Sharp, but still realistic. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.