Category: Uncategorized

Great Blue Heron: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — I always say if you want to get a kid hooked on birding, take them to see a Great Blue Heron. Better yet, give them a close-up view of a Great Blue Heron through a spotting scope. Great Blues stand very still for a long time, so the kids can get an eyeful, and the intricate plumage and patterns certainly give them something to see. And when they do move, it is also something to see, and unless they take flight, slow enough to see it. Sony a7CR with the FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OS zoom at 400mm. Cropped to 19mp so about 700mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator. This was just as the sun was rising, still in the shade, so ISO 8000 with some noise reduction.

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — Just a few of the many hundreds of photos of our Eastern Bluebirds over the past month. One of the reasons to love bluebirds is their pretty amazing range of expression—or maybe the range of emotions we can project on them. Either way, pretty amazing! Take a moment to take in the variety. Mostly Sony a7CR with the Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OS lens at 400mm and cropped for framing. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.

Chipping Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — Another bird with seasonal color. We have Chipping Sparrows from early spring to late fall coming to the mixed seed feeder and around the yard. I caught this one against the fall foliage for another “pretty picture” of the bird. Not a portrait. More about the photo than the bird. Sony a7CR with the FE 100–400 f5.6–f8 at 400mm. Cropped to 20 mp so about 700mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator from HEIF.

Mushrooms: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — I think, guided by Gemini, that these might be what are called Honey Mushrooms. I love to photograph mushrooms, but I am not tempted to eat them (unless I buy them in the store) as I simply do not know enough to feel safe. The unlikely forms and textures, however, have always fascinated me. This cluster has a lot to offer visually. And, just as a bonus, there is a tiny bonnet mushroom in among them. It is more common to see the little bonnet mushrooms growing out of the moss at the base of a tree. Sony a6700 with the old 16-50mm kit lens at 55mm equivalent. My macro mode. f18 for depth of field, at 1/10th second from my tiny carbon fiber tripod. Processed in Photomator.

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — Sometimes it is more about the picture than the subject. This Eastern Bluebird was too far away by far for a satisfying portrait, but who could resist the picture? The reds and yellows of fall. The blue and brown of the bird. The ripe crabapples. The slant of the sun making even the twigs dance. And the over-the-shoulder pose, as though expecting an arrival at any moment. All kinds of harmonics at play. More music than a photo generally manages to capture. So, yes, this one is all about the picture. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-F8 at 400mm. Cropped to 3mp, so about an 1800mm equivalent field of view (and pretty amazing at that distance). My birds and wildlife mode. Processed from HEIF in Photomator.

Autumn Meadowhawk Dragonflies: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — The Yellow-rumped Warblers may have already passed through, but along the same trail where they were thick a few days ago, there are now just as many Autumn Meadowhawks. They are everywhere. Of course, being considerably smaller than a warbler, they are not as present, perhaps, unless you are attuned to them. I am. This late in the fall, they seem to be smaller than the early flights and to have more color in their wings, but maybe that is just a reflection of the fall. (All and every pun intended. 🙂 Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 at 400mm. Cropped to 11, 9, and 10mp so right around 1000mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode (which includes insects). Processed from HEIF in Photomator.

Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — We have a few more Song Sparrows passing through—or our resident Song Sparrows are becoming more active and visible as migration approaches—hard to tell which—but I am seeing them again along the berm trail in the marsh where they have been shy the second half of summer. They are still playing hard to get. This one was right beside me, but stayed well on the backside of the bush so that the camera faced the almost impossible task of finding and focusing on the eye through the obstructions and with distracting elements behind. And yet it did just that. Pretty amazing. And of course an amazing bird at any time, in any setting. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 at 400mm. Cropped to 14mp so somewhat over 800mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode with expandable spot focus area. Processed in Photomator.

Yellow-rumped Warbler: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — Apparently, the horde of Yellow-rumped Warblers cleared out ahead of the storms of the past few days. I found only a bird here and there today where there were dozens, maybe hundreds, a few days before. This is a shot from a few days ago. I was further from the bird than you might think. This is an 8mp crop, but if the detail survives upload, it is a feast for the eyes. Sony a6700 with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 OS at 600mm equivalent. Cropped to about 1100mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Harlequin Ladybug (or Ladybird Beetle): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — I stopped to take a photo of the lichen on a downed branch in the forest and discovered this tiny ladybug (or ladybird beetle as it is sometimes called) foraging. The contrast between bug and lichen was too good to pass up. This is a very small bug: no more than 10mm, and this one was smaller than that. Sony a6700. Sony FE 100–400 at 600mm equivalent. Cropped to 7mp so about 1100mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode, with insect recognition. Processed in Photomator.

Black-capped Chickadee: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — Sometimes life conspires to beauty, and your breath catches. Sometimes you are ready to catch it. Sometimes you actually do. I think this is one of those moments. Sony a6700 with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 at 600mm equivalent. Cropped to about 900mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.