Posts in Category: river
Maine! Heron strike…
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — Along the Mousam River rapids here in town…more shots of the hunting Heron. This time a sequence of an unsuccessful strike. As I watched the Heron was averaging about 1 in 5, and the crayfish or whatever it was taking were not large. Heron hunting is lots of work. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 488mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 6400 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine! Great Blue hunting
Great Blue Heron: York County, Maine, USA, October 2023 — I found this Great Blue Heron hunting the first rapids past the high tide line on the Mousam River. We spent a good hour together as we moved up-stream slowly, he taking some kind of crustacean from the river-bed, and me taking photos. Way too many photos…though I doubt he would say the same of crustaceans. This shot has a little of everything. Action, detail, dark water, fall foliage. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro.
Maine! Sunday Supplement
High waters in the Mousam above Old Falls Pond. From the bridge. OM Systems OMD EM5Mkiii with the 12-45mm Pro at 24mm equivalent. In-camera HDR. Nominal exposure: ISO 200 @ f8 @ 1/250th.
Mousam River in the snow…
Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2023 — It is very rare indeed for the snow to stay on the trees in southern Maine for more than a few hours. We are into our third day of this winter wonderland now…and it looks good to hold until we get some “wintery mix” late this evening into tomorrow. There are downed trees and branches all over town, and there will be more by morning tomorrow. Still, it is undeniably beautiful. This is two more iPhone 13 shots. One with the ultra-wide lens and, of course, a panorama. The computing power of the phone makes these kinds of photos possible and even easy.
Laughing Falcon
Laughing Falcon: Rio Rincon near Corcovado Lodge and National Park, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — We were getting pretty far up the Rincon toward the border of Corcovado National Park by the time we encountered this Laughing Falcon. I have actually never heard the “laughing” call, which the bird apparently only makes when it is upset. We certainly were not close enough to be a threat. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/1000th. + 1 EV exposure compensation for detail in the backlit bird.
Ringed Kingfisher
Ringed Kingfisher: Rio Rincon near Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula), Costa Rica — Not a great shot, but a pretty good bird. The biggest of the Kingfishers with a range from just over the border in the US, through Central America, and all of South America. This bird was distant…this is a heavy crop of a 600mm shot, and totally back-lighted, +2EV exposure compensation and even then it took some post processing to show any green at all. Still, I will take it. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv as above. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications and the exposure compensation. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/640th.
Amazon Kingfishers
Amazon Kingfishers (pair): Rio Rincon near Danta Corcovado Lodge, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica — As we traveled up the bed of the Rincon in our wagon behind the tractor on our way into Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula, we came up on this pair of Amazon Kingfishers facing off on a branch above the water. We were far enough away so that I could get both in the same frame at 600mm equivalent. The Amazon Kingfisher lives all through the Amazon Basin in South America, and up through Central American and into Mexico. I have even seen one in South Texas, just on the border, but that was big deal, and happened during the Rio Grande Birding and Nature Festival, which meant that several hundred other birders saw it too. Sony Rx10iv as above. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
American Dipper
American Dipper: Savegre River, Savegre Mountain Hotel, Reserve, and Spa, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica — I mentioned the American Dipper yesterday, as a bird that shares habitat and habits with the Torrent Flycatcher. It is also another plain grey bird you see on the rocks of rushing streams in the mountains of Central America. The Dipper (sometimes called the Water Ouzel) is a wide ranging bird, found at higher elevations from Alaska to Panama, wherever there are rapid clean rivers and streams. It is, of course, famous as the only aquatic song-bird, and actually walks underwater to forage on stream bottoms. It does not swim, but uses its wings to help navigate the currents. I look for the Dipper every time I visit San Geraldo de Dota as the Savegre river is ideal habitat…it is always there, I am sure, but I see about 1 out of 5 years during my short visit, during which I only spend a few hours along the river itself. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent (cropped to about 1800mm equivalent). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 800 and 1600 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Torrent Tyrannulet
Torrent Tyrannulet: Savegre River below Savegre Mountain Hotel, Reserve, and Spa, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica — There are 11 species of Tyrannulets in Costa Rica…Tyrannulet is apparently just the name for any small bird in Tyrant Flycatcher family…which runs to 9 pages in the Birds of Costa Rica field guide. The Torrent, is, of course, the only one that feeds on the rocks and margins of rushing mountain streams, as you might guess from its name. You might mistake it for an American Dipper, the only other bird that shares this particular habit, or for a Black Phoebe with you sometimes see on the rocks of a stream like the Savegre, but it is unique enough so that it is easily recognized. We followed this one up the stream a ways before I got decent shots of it. Sony Rx10iv at 595 and 600mm. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 640 and 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th. + 1EV exposure compensation. Stream shot: iPhone SE.
Fasciated Tiger-Heron
Fasciated Tiger-Heron: Rio Sucio, Costa Rica — On our way from Selva Verde back to San Jose and eventually on to the Savegre Valley we always stop in the foothills of the Central Mountains where a bridge crosses the Rio Sucio to look for Sun Bittern, and generally find a Fasciated Tiger-Heron and some Kingfishers…but never, so far, a Sun Bittern. It is ideal water for both Bittern and the Fasciated Tiger-Heron…fast flowing and clean with lots of rocks and rapids. The Fasciated is just slightly smaller than the Bare-throated, and the extensive black barring on the feathers in the adult is distinctive. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.