Eastern Bluebird, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2023 — Another shot from the open door of our deck. Our faithful male bluebird posing nicely on a stick…so, yes, your classic bird-on-a-stick shot. Still learning the Olympus OM-1 and 100-400mm zoom. 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications (under development). Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/500th. Minus .3EV.

Red-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2023 — I put out the blind and filled the feeders under the pines yesterday, but the birds have not found the seed yet. I did manage to get my first shot with the new Olympus OM-1 and the 400mm zoom that was not taken through a sheet of double pane glass 🙂 by opening the deck door for a half hour or so late in the day yesterday. I am happy to have it be the Red-breasted Nuthatch, one of my favorite feeder birds. The light was okay…full daylight but no sun so this is also my first shot in “normal ISO” range…normal for the OM-1 and the f6.3 lens. I am happy with the new rig so far. Still tweaking the settings for Point and Shoot nature photography, but I can already tell that I am going to like it. I will try to keep it about the birds and the wildlife and the flowers and landscapes…the wonders of creation! That is my promise to myself. And the Red-breasted Nuthatch is a good place to start. Olympus OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.

Female Hairy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2023 — I picked up a new camera yesterday afternoon, the Olympus OM-1 and their 100-400mm zoom, and got the battery charged for some first shots after supper as the light was failing. It will take me some time to get everything set up for the true point and shoot experience with this camera, but first results are promising, and this is truly, once set up, the ultimate point and shoot camera. You can even tell it what you are photographing, and it will even find the bird (or bear, or the motorcycle) in the frame and track focus on it. It is totally amazing to watch as it puts a box around the bird and follows it through the frame, maintaining focus all the way. And all the other bits I preset on my cameras for point and shoot nature photography are all there in the menus…it is just a matter of finding them, and getting the right settings. 🙂 This shot is at ISO 12800 through the double glazed glass deck doors at 7PM. Not bad for a first attempt. Equivalent focal length 552mm. Program mode. f6.3 @ 1/800th.