Very worn Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

I find it somewhat amazing that this very worn, perhaps injured, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is still on the wing and busy in the Dogbane. It looks like it may have survived a bird attack…or at least a long rough life among the plants on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area here in Southern Maine. It was still very busy gathering nectar from the last flowers of the Dogbane. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

Blue Dasher, SMHC drainage ponds, Kennebunk Maine

The little Blue Dasher is one of the most attractive of dragonflies, and one of the most common in summer here in Southern Maine. This year in particular it seems to dominate the drainage ponds at the Southern Maine Health Care campus here in Kennebunk. I am not sure there are more Blue Dashers…perhaps just fewer of other species. And, of course, the other thing about Blue Dashers is that they pose for pictures so nicely…unlike many of the other species flying right now. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. -3EV. 1/500th @ f4 @ ISO 200. Processed in Polarr.

Snowy Egrets, Laudholm Farms, Wells Maine

On my photoprowl the other day around the outer loop of trails at Laudholm Farms (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve) by the time I got to the deck overlooking the Little River Marsh the fog was coming in. I almost missed these 4 Snowy Egrets on the drift wood snag out at the edge of the fog. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. 1/1000th @ f5 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

White Admiral, Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine

I took a little photoprowl around the outer loop at Laudholm Farms (Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve) yesterday. One of the treats was this pretty fresh looking White Admiral. We get both White Admiral and Red Spotted Purple here at the northern edge of the overlap zone…and undoubtedly some hybrids as well. Here, White Admiral is by far the more common of the two. I am not sure I have ever gotten a good look at the underside wings. Pretty impressive. Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/1000th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr and assembled in FrameMagic.

Wood Lily, Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

While it is still Wood Lily season, another shot of a lily at the edge of Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area, this time with some context. Sony RX10iv in-camera HDR at 24mm equivalent. Program Shift for greater depth of field. I moved the focus spot using the touch screen to put it over the lily in this composition.

Bumble Bee in Rugosa Rose, Kennebunk Maine

Yesterday was a day of diffused light and light fog along the coast, and the light added intensity to the greens and pinks of this shot of a Beach Rose (Rugosa Rose) along the edge of Rt 9 where it crosses the Mousam River. I had stopped for the landscape, but I could not resist the bee in the rose. Sony RX10iv at the 600mm. 1/640th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.

Day Lily, the yard, Kennebunk, Maine

Our Day Lilies bloom at least two weeks later than the lilies just a quarter mile up the street, and a week later than the lilies just down the street. I think we sit right in a cold pocket, and certainly our yard is more shaded than most. On the other hand, along our driveway, we have double lilies…lilies that produce complex blossoms that have at least twice the number of flower parts they need…one flower nestled inside the other. In other parts of the yard our lilies are normal. ?? This is one of the doubles. Sony RX10iv at 465mm. Program mode with Program Shift for greater depth of field. 1/100th @ f9 @ ISO 500, in late afternoon shade. Processed in Polarr.

Tree Swallow, Day Brook Pond, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

They put up two new Wood Duck boxes at Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area last fall, in addition to the one that was already there, and, of course, this year all three have Tree Swallows nesting in them. I am not sure they appreciate the effort that went into their new homes…but as the Wood Ducks apparently don’t either, better Tree Swallows than nothing at all. 🙂 Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. 1/200th @ f8 @ ISO 100. (I was using program shift for Wood Lilies and did not reset it for the swallow 🙂 Processed in Polarr.

Round hay bales, Kennebunk Maine

It is that time of year here in Southern Maine. They are rolling up the fields of hay into round bales. Round bales were rare in upstate New York in the 50’s and 60’s when I sometimes helped my cousins to bale hay. They are efficient if you leave the hay in the field. If you move it to barns then rectangular bales make a whole lot more sense. Here in Southern Maine, round bales are the rule. I don’t think I have ever seen a rectangular bale. I will admit, I like round bales. And I like this time of year, in part, because of them. Sony RX10iv at 24mm. In-camera HDR. Nominal exposure: 1/1000th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr.