Ruby
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — I sat in the open deck doorway for an hour yesterday afternoon to see if the Ruby-throated Hummingbird was in a mood to cooperate. I wanted the adult male with his gorget showing, of course. For the first half hour the young male and the adult spent a lot of time keeping each other way from the feeder, but as afternoon drew on, and the need to fill the tanks before night became more urgent, they begin to be better at taking turns. The adult posed nicely right in front of me, and then the young bird came in to try to drive him from his perch. This is part of the interaction. The adult was not in the mood to move. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Downy intent.
Downy Woodpecker: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — While waiting on the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I could not resist the Downy Woodpecker who comes to the deck no matter what I am doing. Here is a Downy very intent on something. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 489mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Not so Ruby-throat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — We still have Ruby-throats coming to the feeder. This appears to be a young male, probably this year’s brood. The adult and this bird are having a grand old time keeping eachother from the feeder. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Ring-bill
Ring-billed Gull: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — Another handsome gull from the beach on Tuesday. This one is a Ring-billed Gull. I asked Google AI to give me its age or plumage status from the photo, but it told me it could not do that, and I certainly do not know myself. Gulls! Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 493mm equivalent. Program with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Gull
Herring Gull: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — I keep going down to the beach to see if the shorebirds have arrived on their way south yet. Last year they were already here two weeks ago. I begin to wonder if they hopped over us this year. I hope not. I look forward to them on the beach. Oh well, there are always gulls, and yesterday more than usual. Maybe it is a sign. I have mixed feeling about Herring Gulls, but his big bird was certainly handsome. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 313mm equivalent. Program mode with bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Terns again
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — The Least Terns who are still on the beach here in late August are way too habituated to humans. This one landed only maybe 15 feet from me. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Practice
Least Tern: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — It looks like the only Least Terns still hanging out at the end of the beach were they nested are this year’s young. There are a few who have not reached full adult plumage, but most already have. There is still some feeding behavior going on, but I suspect this is the more developed youngsters just “trying it on for size” so to speak. They come down among the other terns with a fish, but do not seem to know what to do with it…so maybe a combination of what they saw their parents do, and an instinctive introduction to the mating ritual. ?? Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm equivalent. Program with birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
wave
With hurricane Erin (my daughter’s name by the way) coming up the coast and riling our waters, I have been down to the beaches a few time over the past days, mostly checking to see if the shorebirds are dropping out here yet, but who can resist a good wave? I like the energy in this shot…not only in motion, but in the way the light plays with the water. The relatively narrow pallet also appeals…and gives a sense of transformation…the blue of the fatter water and the green inside the wave. It would make a good wall print for a doctor’s office. Maybe I will frame it and give it to my cardiologist. 🙂 Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 at 600mm. Program mode with my action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Black and white, light and shadow
I may have mentioned that I am taking a course in Mindfulness and Photography, not really sure why, but yesterday’s assignment was to increase my awareness of light and shadow by photographing in black and white (something I almost never do). So this is one of the shots I took. Sony a5100. Program mode with HDR. Processed in Photomator.
Great Egret in a tree
Great Egret: Kennebunk Bridle Path, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2025 — What a treat! One of my favorite clusters of trees out in the marsh…and two Great Egrets busy preening in the branches. The top one was difficult to photograph, against the sky and among the twigs, but the lower one posed so nicely. Sony a6700. Tamron 50-400 @ 600mm equivalent. Program with bird and wildlife modifications. Highlight metering to hold feather detail. Processed in Photomator.