Posts in Category: animals
Trouble
Eastern Grey Squirrel. Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2025 — I wrote about these adolescent squirrels we have coming to the deck. They have not yet learned deck etiquette. They can have all the spilled seed they want, but they cannot get on the feeders to spill seed (or in the flowering pants to bury seeds). These are the rules! And you can see what this one thinks of that. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
White-tail doe
White-tailed Deer, doe: Rachel Carson NWR, Headlands Trail, Wells, Maine, USA, August 2025 — dropping back a few days to visit the White-tail doe that I encountered at Rachel Carson last week. Her she is finally crossing the path in the open. One of the fawns was right behind her. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 222mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
there she blows!
Humpback Whales: Off Kennebunk/Kennebunkport, Maine, USA, August 2025 — We went looking for Whales with FirstChance Whale Watching yesterday. A glorious day on the water but we did not find whales until we had already turned back and were almost out of time. Whale watches from Kennebunk/port do not get as far as Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and rely on the few whales that feed closer to shore. We were blessed to find this mother Humpback and her calf within sight of the boat, and were able to turn and approach. Humpbacks do not play with boats as some whales do, but we got to see both mother and calf breach many times as they came up to breathe. I needed another day at least to get my hand in for whale photos, but these are a few of the more memorable. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at various focal lengths for framing. Program mode with my action modifications. Processed in Photomator. In the second photo you can see both mother and calf as the breached together. 🙂
Going away
White-tailed Deer fawn: Rachel Carson NWR, headquarters headland trail, Wells, Maine, USA, August 2025 — another shot from my White-tail encounter on Friday. Going away shot. My friend Paul would find this point of view amusing, but I say take what you can get. It is all about the eyes anyway. I think she might have been looking for her twin, not at me, but it makes a good shot anyway. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 340mm equivalent (they were not far away). Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Chipper
Chipmunk: Kennebunk Bridle Path, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 7/25 — While out looking for forest fungi, this little chipper ran along a log straight toward me. I thought he was coming over to say hi, but once he actually saw me he scurried down a hole at the base of a tree between the root. He did not stay down for long. Love his fat cheeks. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and TouchRetouch (to remove the obtrusive stalk that crossed his face).
Sika
Sika Deer, Dorchester County, Maryland, July 2025 — The eastern shore in Maryland is now home to a large population of the marsh-dwelling Sika deer. They are originally from Japan but were introduced in Maryland in the early 1900s, and have thrived. Though there was some concern about competition for resources with the native White-tail, it turns out that they prefer different habitats and can coexist just fine. This is a female. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Porcupine!
Porcupine: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — Shortly after seeing the deer in the milkweed (yesterday’s post) at my in-laws 4th of July cookout, a hawk flew across the back of the meadow and landed in a tallish tree at the edge of the woods. I did not get a good look, so, of course I kept my eye on that tree 🙂 That is how I noticed the dark blob moving through the foliage. Could only be a porcupine so I took the camera and again worked closer…this time right out into the meadow, almost to the edge of the woods. Again, the porcupine was aware of me, but I was no threat. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
I see you!
White-tailed Deer: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2025 — As we sat down to a late 4th of July cookout lunch at my in-laws, someone spotted this deer grazing in the wild meadow at the edge of their property. Of course I hustled right over to the car to get my camera (I do not run anymore, hustle is as good as it gets). I worked my way around the house to get closer, stopping every 15 yards or so to take photos. She watched me coming, fully aware but not, apparently, much bothered. She actually let me come right up the mowed edge of meadow, maybe 30 yards away. After taking way too many photos, I disappeared back around the house, and she went on grazing there behind the milkweed until she had her full. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Sunny Woodchuck
Groundhog sunning. It seems to be woodchuck season in southern Maine. This is my second encounter in less than a week. This specimen was obviously sunning itself on a log in an overgrown damp pasture on a warm June day in Kennebunk, Maine. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator. Assembled in VDIT.
Groundhog in a tree
Groundhog (Woodchuck): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2025 — Not something you see every day, but I have now seen this twice this spring…once in Ohio at Magee Marsh, and now here along the Bridle Path near Route 9. I actually probably walked right by this Woodchuck in the tree, just above eye-level, right beside the path, because I was too busy looking for possible hawks higher in the trees, At any rate I would have missed it if the couple behind me had not chased me down in the parking lot as I was readying my trike to ride home, to ask it was possible they had actually seen a “beaver” in a tree. They had a phone photo and I did not have the heart to tell them it did not look exactly like a beaver to me, but I was truly thankful for the alert, and took my camera back to see if it would still be there. Google AI provided the information that tree climbing is at least a well known habit of Groundhogs, along with some speculation as to why they might do it. Predator avoidance, tender spring leaves and fruit later in the season, but the one I like best is “just for fun”…or to get a better look at their territory. This Woodchuck was not at all disturbed by my attention, and was still comfortable there in the little fork in the branches when I decided I already had way too many exposures and went back to my tike and home. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at various focal lengths for framing. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.