Monthly Archives: June 2023
Biggest Week in American Birding: Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2023 — There are always a few Rose-breasted Grosbeaks coming through Magee Marsh in May while the Biggest Week in American Birding is going on, and they are always a delight to see. This year my only encounters were with birds high up in the canopy…or what canopy is left at Magee after the storms. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. -.7EV.
Maine! Willet
Willet: York County, Maine, USA — A pair of Willets decided to nest right beside the parking area at one of our local beaches. What can you do? I took lots of photos of this Willet reminding me not to step too close to the nest. I did not even attempt to find the nest and gave the Willet as much space as it would allow, but it’s nest was evidently quite close to the only path back to the road. I have much closer shots but I like the angles and textures in this environmental shot. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1000th.
India! Yellow-wattled Lapwing
Yellow-wattled Lapwing: Uttar Pradesh, India, May 2023 — From another road-side stop on the way back from the Chambal Sarus Crane Conservation Area. We saw Red-wattled Lapwing pretty much everywhere we went near water in India, but one a few Yellow-wattled, and all of them well away from water. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine! Arrowhead Spiketail
Arrowhead Spiketail: Forever Wild Preserve, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2023 — This gorgeous creature is the Arrowhead Spiketail. It may be 5 years between emergences, and, indeed, I have only ever seen one other here in Southern Maine…yet its population is “stable.” It was very cooperative, returning to the same perch time after time until I had “enough” photos of it. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom. One at 800mm equivalent. Two at 1600mm (with 2x digital extender). Three at 614mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications (works well for dragonflies as well). Processed in Pixelmator Pro. The first shot is at ISO 2500 @ f22 (for greatest depth of field to get both the head and tail in focus) @ 1/640th. Second is ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/540th and third is ISO 200 @ f9 @ 1/6400th (again for depth of field).
Biggest Week in American Birding! Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron: Maumee Bay Nature Center, Oregon, Ohio, USA, May 2023 — This Great Blue was guarding the upper pond at the Nature Center at Maumee Bay when I was there to do a presentation at the lodge and the Biggest Week headquarters. I got there early enough for a walk around the short loop of boardwalk at the Nature Center. OM-Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800 and 420mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 200 @ f6.3 and 7.1 @ 1/640th. -.7EV.
Maine! Snapper
Snapping Turtle: Roger’s Pond, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I posted a Day Poem about this encounter yesterday. Always happy to see a Snapper…from a distance. This is maybe only my 4th sighting as an adult, if I can claim to be one yet at 75. A big one! The underwater shot gives a better impression of just how big. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800 equivalent for the close-ups, 472 for the whole turtle and 200mm for the underwater shot. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications (bird worked better on the turtle than animal…I tried them both.) Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 for the land shots, ISO 400 underwater @ f6.3 (f5 underwater) @ 1/640th.
India! Egyptian Vulture
Egyptian Vulture: Uttar Pradesh, India, March 2023 — We did a U turn at the edge of a small town on our way back from the Sarus Crane Conservation Area because the driver spotted activity and smelled the unmistakable aroma of a carcass. It was a cow, probably roadkill, and it had attracted the attentions of a group of Egyptian Vultures. Okay, birders are not ashamed, but it did take may long road miles with the windows open to rid us of the smell. Not to mention a shower when we got back to the lodge. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine! Tern in flight…
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — Another composited image of a Least Tern in flight at the mouth of one of our local rivers…entering hunting mode. Three shots at 25 frames per second, clipped out and arranged and processed in Pixelmator Pro. Program mode with my evolving birds-in-flight modifications. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. ISO 320 @ f6.3 @ 1/3200th. +.3EV.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Landing!
Trumpeter Swan: Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, Beno, Ohio, USA, May 2023 — Landing gear fully down. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 800 @ f6.3 @ 1/4000th.
Maine! Piping Plover chick
Piping Plover: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — One more from my brief encounter with the Piping Plovers. It is hard to say how old this chick is. They are up and running the beach within hours of hatching. I know it is at least a day old because my wife saw them the day before. There were 3 chicks from this nest, and each chick, if it survives to flight stage, is a success story. Maybe next year this chick will nest one beach further north, or at the north end of this beach, and that will be a bit more Piping Plover territory reclaimed! OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1600th. -.3EV