Monthly Archives: November 2020

Never enough bluebirds…

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — “Free as a bird” as they say…which is why we are always so thankful when the bluebirds frequent our feeders. I think is is the 4th year we have had them regularly, spring through mid to late summer, and then again in winter. This year they are early. They often don’t appear, after their fall sabbatical, on a daily basis until December and they have been with us several weeks already. We are appropriately thankful. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Success!

White-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I have written before about the likelihood that nuthatches and chickadees expend more energy opening a black-oil sunflower seed than they can possibly get from the kernel. It must be a close run thing. Still they persist in prying the seeds open, so either they really like the taste or they do get more out of the effort than they put in. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Me and my sunflower seed…

White-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I introduced the subject of how birds deal with food yesterday, specifically the differences between chickadees and nuthatches. Chickadees use their feet like hands to hold their seeds, etc. while working on them. This is the other method. The White-breasted Nuthatch carries the seeds off and finds a crack…in the wood of our deck rail here, but often in the bark of a tree…where it can wedge the seed in to hold it like a vice while it deals with getting it open and the kernel out. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wild Turkey: Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA — We have had unusually large flocks of Wild Turkeys this year, all fall, out in yards and fields, feeding. Maybe they feel more secure with the limits on human activity imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Certainly their domestic brethren are getting a break this year, as the traditional 20 pound turkey on the table to feed 20 is just not happening…or should not be happening…in the middle of this most recent and most severe outbreak of the virus. Still we have much to be thankful for, and the opportunity to observe wild birds is high on my list. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos.

Me and my mealworm…

Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I have been observing the different ways birds deal with food they take from our feeders. Specifically the clear difference between nuthatches and chickadees. Both chickadees and nuthatches carry the food away in their beaks, but chickadees use their feet like we use hands…to hold the food, while balanced on the other leg…as they dissect it. Nuthatches do not use their feet at all…they wedge the food in a crack to do their dissecting. It does not matter what kind of food. The chickadee here has a mealworm, but they deal with sunflower seeds the same way. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th. And a very happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Contemplating Blue

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Another of the blue attitudes…this time the contemplative look. No one does it better! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Mallards on gold…

Mallard Ducks: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — The golden hour comes earlier and earlier as fall moves on toward winter in southern Maine. This group of Mallards in the marshy area behind Roger’s Pond Park in Kennebunk seem to float on molten gold…and have a touch of gold in the plumage. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Stick your tongue out!

Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I honestly do not ever get tired of watching chickadees. And they are always reliable photo subjects…often up to something interesting. I caught this one with its tongue out as it foraged among the spilled mealworms. It is easy to forget that birds have tongues. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Mealworms: not just for birds :)

Our Chipmunks are evidently busy elsewhere, putting in supplies for the winter, as we are not seeing them on the deck much. This youngster, one of this year’s second brood, came yesterday, drawn by the spilled mealworms we put out for the Bluebirds. Of course he was hovering up all the spilled seed as well. The original handy-vac, cleaning up our deck. We appreciate his efforts, and the opportunity to watch him…just as long as he does not go for the feeders themselves. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Chickadee at the mealworms

Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We put the mealworms out for the bluebirds, but, of course, most of our feeder birds enjoy them. The chickadees are always right there, often before the bluebirds, when I put out a fresh serving. The light and the background on this shot provide visual interest. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.