Downstream from the dam in Kennebunk, Maine, at 5° above zero. Crossing the bridge in the car, I saw that the supercooled mist from the dam had decorated every branch and twig along the river with a delicate coating of rime. I parked at the Chamber of Commerce and walked back across the bridge for a few photos. Then I continued on to the pond to look for eagles (without success). The sun came out while I was there. By the time I got back to the bridge, the rime was completely gone, even though it was still only 8°. Delicate indeed. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 66mm equivalent field of view. Auto (Landscape Scene Mode). Processed in Photomator.

Red-shouldered Hawk: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — No, this is not any kind of winter hawk in southern Maine. It should not be here, and it should not be here in the middle of a cold snap…when it is 5 degrees above zero (and colder when the sun is not up). And yet, here it is, sitting out in the sun above a little frozen cattail pond near the river. I saw it first from the river side and photographed it with its back to me, and then drove around to the sunny side for this view. It did not seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere, even in the frigid temperatures. You just never know what the birds will get up to. (And that is part of the fun of birding.) Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view (cropped to about 900mm). Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

European Starling: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — Of course, we do not like Starlings. They eat more mealworms than they need (they will continue to eat until there are no more mealworms), they take good nesting sites, they are noisy and messy, and aggressive toward other birds…but in the right light, there is no question that they are beautiful (in their own way). Stars of their own show. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — Our Bluebirds are certainly winter hardy…they have been with us for the past 7 or 8 years, and the adults have seen their share of snow…but that does not mean they are happy about it! (Of course, that is purely a projection. I actually have no idea how they feel about snow, or if they “feel” anything at all about snow.) Still, it is hard not to read some comment on snow into these selected Bluebird portraits. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view. (And not through double-glazed glass doors for a change…I was actually out in the frigid temps waiting on the birds yesterday. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.

Hairy Woodpecker and Carolina Wren: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — Temperatures in the single digits all day and 16 inches of new snow on the ground make for lots of activity at the feeders. And a bit of unusual activity. Neither of these birds is frequent at the mealworms (though the wren loves to pick up the crumbs under the feeder), and to have both at the feeder at the same time is very rare. I took lots of photos, in an attempt to catch both birds in attractive poses in a single frame, but most of the time one or the other had its beak buried in the mealworm port. This is, in the end, two shots composited in Pixomatic. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and Pixomatic.

Red-bellied Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — The neighborhood Red-bellied Woodpecker has been coming to our suet feeder much more often this year than in years past, especially this winter. However, the suet feeder is way over on the far corner of the deck, in a position where I have to shoot through the glass at an oblique angle, which “softens” the image more than shooting straight through the double-glazed deck doors. So I am happy that the Red-bellied has discovered the mealworm feeder we keep full for the bluebirds and now, on occasion, comes over right in front of the doors so that I can shoot straight through the glass. (It does not take much to make me happy 🙂 Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Looking out across the frozen marsh, over the river to the sea (and into the sun). We are expecting up to 20 inches of snow on this landscape by tomorrow night as the storm passes over and stalls along the coast. We are two miles inland, so we will see what that amounts to in our yard. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 24mm equivalent field of view. Auto Landscape Mode. Processed in Photomator. 2 images stitched together in Bimostitch for the panoramic effect.

Immature Bald Eagle: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — I took a photoprowl down along the path through the marsh beside the river. It is deep January now, so there was not much happening other than a large flock of Canada Geese and some ducks, but just as I turned back to the car, a raptor came sailing in over the marsh, low. My immediate impression was Northern Harrier. I lost it as it flew low against the trees out near the road, but then picked up what I thought was the same bird in the air coming back. Now I was doubting myself though. It no longer looked like a Harrier, though it was behaving like one…flying low and buzzing the ducks. Eventually it soared right over me. By then, of course, I was under the pines that line the trail just before it reaches the road again, but I managed a few shots as it passed through openings in the canopy. Definitely not a Harrier. I was eager to get home and look at the images more closely to see what I had seen. This image is, unmistakably, an immature Bald Eagle (first year according to Gemini AI), but I did also get one shot of the Northern Harrier (against the light and only just good enough to make out what the bird is), so I did indeed see two different raptors behaving like a Harrier. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view (cropped to something like 800mm). Program with my action modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Horned Grebe: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — I went down to the local beach access where it crosses a tidal creek to see if there were any ducks (eiders, buffleheads, mergansers, golden-eyes) or loons or grebes. It was, as I remember it, a good spot for all three, but the numbers seem (to me) to have fallen off in recent years. I did find a couple of Horned Grebes feeding fairly near the bridge. Sony a7RC. Tamron 150-500 at 500mm on a tripod (cropped to at least 800mm equivalent field of view). Processed in Photomator.

Red-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, January 2026 — We get White-breasted Nuthatches every day, many times a day…but their close cousins, the Red-breasted, only visit our deck much more rarely. Some months we do not see them at all. So when they do show up I am always happy to see them. All is right with the world once more! Silly, I know, to hang so much on one little bird…but there you have it! They are little too, even compared to the White-breasted, which is in no way big. Yesterday was a particularly cold, but bright, January day, but I have not been able to figure out any pattern to when the Red-breasted Nuthatch will show itself. Sony a6700. Sigma 16-300 at 450mm equivalent field of view (cropped to something like 600mm). Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.