Porcupine. Emmon’s Preserve, Kennebunkport, Maine, USA — While out looking for the first Trout Lily’s (Adder’s Tongue) of the season (there were none yet) I encountered a creature in the woods. I could not, for any amount of trying, figure out what it was, but I managed a few photos and came home to study them. My first instinct was Porcupine, but the almost total lack of quills had me baffled. There is nothing else it can be though, and I found some other photos on the web showing porcupines in a similar state. Perhaps it had just survived an attack of some sort…or perhaps it was its first venture out of the winter borrow, and it had lost most of its quills rubbing on the rocks all winter. It seemed heathy enough otherwise, and not overly upset at the encounter. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Photomator.
Golden-crowned Kinglet: York County, Maine, USA, April 2025 — Mild sunny days have been rare as spring comes on here in Southern Maine. Yesterday inspired me to get out for a photoprowl. I went looking for Trout Lily (not even any leaves showing yet) and then along the path by the river to see what I could see. Again, not much. But I met a fellow photographer/birder on the trail who told me that there were Kinglets up ahead. Otherwise I might have turned around early, and never known what I was missing. It is kind of miracle that they were still there when I got there, and hung around just long enough for a few photos. I am pretty sure these are my first Golden-crowns for York County, though I have seen lots of Ruby-crowned. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.