Monthly Archives: January 2021
With skirts a-flutter
American Robin: Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wells, Maine, USA — the folks in Washington at the inaugural celebrations did not have a lock on fashion statements on Inauguration Day. This Robin at Laudholm Farms was rocking a skirt to set any fashionista’s heart a-flutter. I saw several Robins doing this, perhaps as a defense against a chilly wind. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Significant crop. ISO 100 @ f5 @ 1/1000th.
In the bleak midwinter…
I am not sure this is what the author had in mind when he wrote “in the bleak mid-winter” (in fact the “snow on snow” line convinces me it is not), but this is the bleak mid-winter we are having in southern Maine. While I can no longer say I am a fan of cold temperatures…if we are going to have cold, even the relatively mild temperatures we have had in January, I would prefer to have a snowy landscape under blue skies…thank you very much. Of course my weather preferences hardly matter in the big scheme of things. 🙂 There is still a bleak beauty in this landscape…though more like the bleakness of early spring than mid-winter. This is the Mousam River marsh from the Kennebunk Land Trust Mousam River Santuary in Kennebunk. Sony Rx10iv at 24mm equivalent. Program mode with auto HDR. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. Nominal exposure: ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/640th.
alternative nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Of course, when the Red-breasted Nuthatch shows up at our back deck feeding station, I never take just one photo, or even one pose. You can never have too many Red-breasted Nuthatch photos. 🙂 And their antics are certainly fun to watch…and fun to try to catch. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
the under-appreciated Crow
American Crow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I often under-appreciate our local Crows. They are with us all year, and even on the slowest bird day you can generally find a crow somewhere in the neighborhood. And, of course, they are among the most intelligent of birds…one of the few birds with a sense of humor similar to our own…and one of the few that so obviously indulges in “play.” Watch them in the air on a blustery day and you will see what I mean. And they are, relatively speaking, good neighbors. They clean up any bite sized trash…or any shiny thing they can carry away…and help with carcass removal for the smaller mammals and other birds. If I were another bird, of a smaller species, I might not love a Crow, as they are nest predators…but as a human I can admire their sturdy beauty. There were a group of them in a yard up the street when I walked by, very busy with what appeared to be scattered popcorn, and they let me take some photos. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Eagles in the air…
Bald Eagle: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — Something a bit different than my perched backyard birds. I walked to Roger’s Pond the other day, checking to see if there were Eagles on the river there. None. However, on the way back, crossing the bridge over the Mousam, I looked up-river just as these two cleared the tree-line. Thankfully I had the presence of mind to get my camera up and press my “birds in flight” button for a series of shots as they spiraled up and away. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent (cropped significantly). Program mode with my Birds in Flight modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5 @ 1/1000th. +1 EV exposure compensation.
The RBNH is back again!
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — As I have probably said before, any day with a Red-breasted Nuthatch in it is a good day! I only catch them at the feeders every once in while, though they likely come sometime every day. This one showed up in relatively good light for a change as well. 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.
and a big girl too…
Hairy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — to accompany yesterday’s shot of a large male Hairy Woodpecker…they come in jumbo size in southern Maine…here is his mate at the same feeder…though from a slightly better angle. The female is, if anything, a bit larger than the male. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Who’s the big boy?
Hairy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — We have very large Hairy Woodpeckers here in Maine…perhaps topping out the scale of relative Hairy Woodpecker sizes, which vary regionally. They are not generally as frequent at our feeders as the smaller Downy Woodpeckers, but during very active feeding days, which we get periodically, they can be at the suet once an hour. They are more skittish than the very tame Downies, so I am always happy to get a photo of one…even like this one with the obstructing branch. The photo does give you a good impression of just how massive that beak is. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Winter chipper
The chipmunks are all sound asleep in our yard, or at least I have not seen them in a month or more, but on my walks through deeper forest, I have seen several chipmunks moving around recently, despite the cold. I caught this one scampering back to its borrow. It stopped on what appears to be its own doorstep to assess my intentions. I took a few photos and then moved on so it could finish whatever business brought it out on a January afternoon. Sony Rx10iv at 1200mm equivalent (600mm optical and 2x Clear Image Zoom). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Titmouse at the park
Tufted Titmouse: Roger’s Pond Park, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — it is always nice to see my backyard birds away from my backyard. I say it is “nice” but this time of year they are about the only birds I am likely to see on my walks around town, since my backyard gets a good representation of the birds that winter in Southern Maine. At least in York County. This Tufted Titmouse was with a mixed feeding flock that works the river on both sides a mile upstream from our house, maybe a quarter of a mile downstream from the Route 1 bridge. The gentle light, the framing branches, and the interesting bokeh give this shot some visual integrity. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.