While hunting dragonflies at the Southern Maine Medical Center drainage ponds in Kennebunk, I spotted this medium sized Bull Frog taking his ease in the water about 15 feet from shore. The clarity of the water makes for a unique view. 

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/50th @ f9 @ ISO 100. (I had been taking close-ups of a Dragonhunter dragonfly and had the Program Shift shifted for depth of field.) Processed in Polarr with extra Haze control to clear the water even more. 🙂

The Meadowsweet is one of the few flowering plants in bloom right now at Laudholm Farms (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve in Wells Maine), and is attracting a lot of big Carpenter Bees. Yesterday was not the best day for bee photography as there was enough wind to bounce the blossoms and make getting the bee in frame and in focus just a tad difficult…but I managed a few good shots.

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my Action memory settings. 1/1000th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr. 

Our day lilies have just come into bloom over the past week. We have collected a variety over the years and have replanted a few of our favorites. We have several of this one. 

Sony Rx10iii at 380mm equivalent. Program mode. -.3EV. Program shift for greater depth of field. f11 @ 1/250th @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr. 

There is a pile of timber left over from building bridges and boardwalks at the Secret Garden Preserve here in Kennebunk. It sits off the trial just as you enter. I planed to use it to prop my legs up while applying insect repellent, but as I came up to it, I heard a scuttle and caught a glimpse of something small and furry. Chipmunk. It sat at the edge of the pile and considered its options for long enough for me to get a few shots. It was very aware of me, but uncertain of my intentions. You can see it in its face 🙂

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. 1/250th @ f4 @ ISO 100. -.3 EV. Processed in Polarr. 

The Eastern Amberwings have finally come out to play in Southern Maine. This specimen was at Roger’s Pond Park in the skating pond along the Mousam River. It was cooperative enough to sit for me. Whatever screen you are looking at this on, even your phone, the bug on your screen is likely to be larger than life size. This is a small dragonfly…one of the smallest…no bigger than a large bee or wasp. 

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. 1/250th @ f4 @ ISO 100. -.3 EV. Processed in Polarr. I cropped the image to keep the clover flower in for aesthetic reasons 🙂

The forest mushrooms are out in force here in Southern Maine. These were all found along the trail at the Secret Garden Preserve in Kennebunk Maine (part of the Kennebunk Land Trust). I am fascinated by the variety of shapes and colors. I have a mushroom app on my tablet that is pretty good for ID, but I have not worked through this set to put names to them. 🙂

Sony Rx10iii at various focal lengths. Program mode. Processed in Polarr and assembled in FrameMagic. 

At Emmon’s Preserve on the Bascom River the Ebony Jewelwings are always in the shade where the stream runs down over rocks under the tall pines and hemlocks. At the Secret Garden Preserve the trail crosses the same stream (nameless on every map I have checked) several times where the canopy is open and the Ebony Jewelwings are right out in the sun. It makes for a very different experience. For one thing you can catch both colors of the Jewelwing. All Ebony Jewelwings are the same color of course, but depending on the angle of the light, you get very different views. The first shot is the normal view, with the metallic green thorax and abdomen…and the second is the same, or an identical bug, with the angle of the light such that it reflects blued-steel blue. You might think that the blue bug is a different species, or at least a different color variation, but they inevitably move and when they settle again in differnt light they are just another metallic green specimen. 🙂

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. -.7 EV. 1/320th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr. 

When I got home from a hike at the Secret Garden Preserve in Kennebunk the other day, there was a Monarch Butterfly, the first I have seen this season, in our yard to greet me. It was hovering around the single Galardia flower that survived the winter in our front garden. I have a full, wings open, shot, but the butterfly completely covers the flower, and I like the contrast in both color and shape. 

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/250th @ f4 @ ISO 100. -.3 EV. Processed in Polarr and TouchRetouch (removed another flower stalk, minus flower, at the left edge of the frame). 

When I first saw this Spreadwing it was in a mating wheel with its female. They broke apart before I could get a pic and I had to track each one down separately. 🙂 To say that this fellow has an impressive abdomen is an understatement. Incredibly flexible too. And considerably longer than its mate’s. It was in the weeds at the edge of a forest, still in shade, which contributes to the clarity of the shot. Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport Maine. 

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. -1 EV. Processed in Polarr. 

I went looking for Ebony Jewelwings at Emmon’s Preserve the other day, and found this specimen (not an Ebony Jewelwing) chowing down what appears to be a large Robber Fly. I believe it is an Ashy Clubtail, but I can not completely rule out Dusky from the images I got. Still we will say Ashy until someone more knowledgeable corrects me. 🙂 I am not up on my Robber Flies but I know there are several species in Maine. 

Sony RX10III at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/250th @ ISO 100 @ f4. -1 EV. Processed and heavily cropped in Polarr.