Monthly Archives: April 2024
Maine! Crows
American Crow: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — It might be just my imagination, or my age related memory changes, but I don’t ever remember seeing so many crows in York County as there are this year. At least not in our neighborhood. There is something in the yard kitty-corner to us that has been attracting them over the past few days, and they are in the trees around us much of the day. And you cannot step outside without hearing them calling. While they are common and abundant, and not pretty by most any standard, I actually enjoy Crows. I always think they have a sense of humor and play (I might say mischief) that is uncommon among birds. They always appear to laughing at each other, and at me. With the tree branches still bare it is a good time to photograph them too. None of these were super close, but close enough for decent photos. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! More Egrets Posturing
Great Egret: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, January 2024 — With Snowy Egrets it is all about dancing on water. With Great Egrets it is all about the spread wings. Or at least it was on this day at Merritt Island. And I had lots to choose from. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at from 246 to 420mm equivalents. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. -0.3EV Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Wet Bluebird
Eastern bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — The tail end of the April Nor’easter brought a pretty constant cold drizzle all day yesterday, but that does not fully account for how wet this Bluebird is. I suspect it was bathing somewhere. I can only hope it found some warmer water. It also appears to have been half blow-dried, but that might just have been the fitful wind and its own attempts at preening. I would, of course, have preferred not to have the foreground branch, but does not quite spoil the shots for me and perhaps adds context to the distinctive attitude of the bird. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! White-throated Mountain Gem
White-throated Mountain Gem: Feathers Garden, Savegre Mountain Hotel and Spa, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — There are three Mountain-gems in Costa Rica. The females of the White-throated (common at higher elevations) and the Purple-throated (more common at foothill and mid elevations) are almost identical, with rufous breasts, green upper side, and a bold white eye-stripe, but the males are distinctive, one with a white gorget and the other, as you might guess, with a purple gorget. Both male and female White-bellied Mountain-gem would not be confused with the other two. They are all smallish hummingbirds with active, feisty personalities, and though always smaller in number, they keep up with the Lesser Violet-ears and Talamanca where they occur together. This is the White-throated Mountain-gem, both male and female, from two consecutive days at Feathers Garden at Savegre Hotel. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Crocus
Our Crocus only got to bloom for two days before being buried in the April Nor’easter’s six inches of snow and ice. We will see if there is anything left by the time the snow melts. I doubt it. These are all hand-held focus stacks with the OM System OM-1 and the M. Zuiko 12-45 f4 zoom at 90mm equivalent. The last 2 closer shots also use the built in digital tel-converter for an equivalent focal length of 180mm and a 1:1 image ratio. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Great Egrets dominate
Great Egrets: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — After spending fifteen minutes with the dancing Snowy Egrets, busy feeding on the shrimp hatch, I switched my attention to the Great Egrets sharing the same pool, and presumably the same bounty. Great Egrets behavior is different though. While Snowys feed in a dancing frenzy, paying little attention to each other except to avoid collisions, each Great Egret seems to feel the need to dominate the pool. Greats seem to spend most of their energy facing off with other Greats. In the process, very little actual feeding seems to get done. ?? It must somehow work for them. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 246mm equivalent. (I had to zoom out for the considerably larger birds.) Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. -0.3EV. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Bluebirds in spring
Eastern Bluebird: York County, Maine, USA, April 2024 — Our backyard bluebirds (male and female) are getting brighter as the days lengthen into April and the sun climbs higher in the sky. Of course that was before our 4 inches of snow and ice over the past 24 plus hours…but that won’t slow them down for long. The storm did inspire many of the other backyard birds to use the mealworm feeders…and drew in a couple of Starlings (not happy to see them eating the bluebirds’ mealworms). It will all work out. The bluebirds are singing now…sweet and faint…and that is always a good sign. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! the angle is everything
Talamanca Hummingbird: Feathers Garden, Savegre Mountain Hotel and Spa, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — Most of the most colorful feathers on the throat (gorget) and head (helmet) on most hummingbirds are actually black until the light refracts at just the right angle…and then you see the colors flash. This Talamanca Hummingbird from Feathers Garden at Savegre is a good example. This might be the only photo I have that shows the gold that you can sometimes see in the gorget. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Red-bellied peak-a-boo
Red-bellied Woodpecker: York County, Maine, USA, March 2024 — Just barely in March, on the last day, this Red-bellied Woodpecker came to visit while I was sitting out in my ghillie suit waiting for birds. We occasionally see it at the suet on the deck, but rarely under the pines. This one was only showing me pieces of itself. OM System OM-1Mkii with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Florida! Spoonbilling
Roseate Spoonbill: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, January 2024 — After enough time trying for water-dancing Snowy Egrets, I turned my attention to the few Roseate Spoonbills who were in the same pool behind the entrance sign at Blackpoint. Always a great bird, in January the Spoonbills at Merritt Island are just coming into breeding plumage. This male was busy doing its spoony thing, harvesting shrimp much more efficiently than the Snowy Egrets, but without the spectacular show. OM System OM-1 with M. Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 400mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.