Monthly Archives: May 2020
Portrait of Mrs. Squirrel
I think squirrels are cute…but that does not mean I give them a free pass when it comes to raiding my bird feeders. I have invested in a set of “squirrel proof” feeders and suet cages that, for the most part, defeat the squirrels’ attempts at criminal trespass. That does not mean they don’t try, several times a day, sometimes once an hour. The idea of all that food, right there in easy view, is evidently just too much for them, even when past experience has proven that they can’t get at it. It is entertaining to watch them, and I don’t mind anything they take from the ground under the feeders, even when I scatter seed for the sparrows. If it is on the ground it is fair game. This mother squirrel is one of the pack of 3 or 4 who come to our yard every day. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
First-year Male Purple Finch
Purple Finch, Kennebunk, Maine, USA. — In the past we have had a few Purple Finches visit our feeders on their way through to somewhere else, but this year we have 3 individuals coming to the feeders every day, and have had for more than a month now. It is possible the mixed seed I have had to resort to during the pandemic is just that much more attractive to them than the Black-oil Sunflower I have fed in past years, or it could be that there are just more Purple Finches this year in Maine. At any rate we are enjoying them. I have been watching this bird every day, semi-convinced that it is a first year male, while our other two are definitely females. Yesterday, for the first time, I was able to see the growing purple coming in the plumage. It is subtitle but it is definitely there. 🙂 And just for fun, I will include a “personality” shot as well. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Mr Cardinal
Northern Cardinal, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I went out to my backyard photo blind early again yesterday, working the early morning commute crowd at the feeders. The sun comes in strongly from the right and behind the birds, and it is not much above eye-level, with the birds still primarily in shadow under the trees, so it took me four tries to find a post-processing that I was satisfied with. None of my existing presets worked for this bird, in this light. The red is just so red, and the lighting, coming around from the front side like that, is a challenge to keep in balance. The result is pretty striking, I think, and I can testify that it is very like what I saw with my naked eye. This is just one very red Cardinal. Shockingly red 🙂 Note the little grey patch under the wing. I don’t know what that amounts to, but it is interesting. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Mrs Cardinal
Northern Cardinal, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Both the male and female cardinals are coming to the feeder station by the blind several times a day now…of course they generally come when I am not in the blind…but occasionally I am out there to see them. This is the kind of view you can only get from a blind. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
House Wren
House Wren, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I went out early to my backyard blind, hoping for a repeat of the morning feeding frenzy from the day before when we had all the usual suspects plus the local Cardinal pair. It did not happen, but as I was patiently waiting for the Cardinals to arrive, this tiny House Wren made a brief appearance at the feeder. It perched but did not feed, and then made one pass, more wren-like, through the under-growth and leaf litter under the feeders before it moved on. If memory serves it is my first House Wren for the the yard, and only one a very few I have seen in Maine. I have not seen it again, but I am going out early again this morning. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Snowberry Clearwing Moth
Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy. Kennebunk, Maine. — We had biking weather (above 60 degrees) over the weekend and I went out to the Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy. It has been the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area for several years, owned by the Nature Conservancy and managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, but evidently the Nature Conservancy has taken back the management duties this year, or so the new signs and gates would indicate. It is one of the few places where I often see Clearwing Moths. Last year I photographed the Hummingbird Clearwing on the Plains, and this weekend this Snowberry Clearwing was flying inches over the ground. At first I took it for one of those big ground bees, wood bees, bumble bees we get in spring but when I looked closer the clearwings were obvious. It appeared to laying eggs on the short stubble left form last September’s prescribed burn. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Nuthatch‘s grappling hooks
White-breasted Nuthatch, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The Nuthatches are always fun to watch. They are very active birds and highly acrobatic. In this series you can see the “grappling hook” toes that allow them to scamper around on the bark of trees. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Trout Lily
There is a poem that goes with this:
I went out for Trout Lily today.
Lily season in the Maine woods,
and I was inspired by photos
posted by other stay-at-home
friend photographers around
the country. I braved the Black
Flies (that’s me risking, truth to
be told, a severe allergic reaction),
pedaled almost 10 miles to the
trail head in Emmon’s Preserve,
hiked in and there they were,
right where I expected them…
clusters of bright yellow flowers,
nodding, showing the red-orange
on the backs of their petals, over
dark green brown-dappled leaves.
Perfection. I took, as you might
expect, a lot of photos, and made
it down to the river to check the falls,
then walked back to the bike and
peddled the 10 miles home.
That’s it. Trout Lily mission
accomplished for 2020, despite
the pandemic’s best efforts.
There have been a few years where I missed the Trout Lilies altogether, because they always bloom so much earlier than I expect. I was happy to be prompted by friends in Concord, New Hampshire, inland and slightly south of us, where the lilies were in bloom a week ago, and by photos from other parts of the country. And, as a bonus, we had temps in the 60s and on and off sun yesterday. Perfect to get out on the ebike. Sony Rx10iv at 24mm equivalent. HDR mode. Nominal exposure ISO 100 @ 1/250th. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Mourning Doves spend a lot of time feeding on the ground, and most of my photos are of doves on the ground. This one came a perched nicely in front of the blind up just above eye-level. I like the tones in this photo. The dove looks like it might be cast in brass, while the feather detail against the smooth bokeh of the tree in the background adds a dimension to the photo. Right time, right place, and ready! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.
Ma Cardinal takes a seed.
Northern Cardinal (female), Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I mentioned the skulking habits of our neighborhood Cardinals yesterday when posting a photo of the male. This is his mate working the ground under the feeders yesterday. She perches only a moment on her way in and way out, but spends the rest of her time on the ground in the leaf litter. A beautiful bird but a photographic challenge. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.