Point & Shoot Nature Photographer

Garter Snake: Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA — By far the most common snake in the Northeast, and in Maine. Very likely the most common snake in North America, with a wider range than any snake but the Black Racer, but with broods of 50–100 young a year, and a generalist diet that brings them into almost every habitat (including neighborhood yards) they are much more likely to be encountered. This one was sunning itself beside the boardwalk and could not be bothered to move as I came up, and stayed where it was for a whole series of photos. Sony a7CR with the Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 at 300 and 400mm. Close shot cropped to about 750mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Great Blue Heron: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — It sometimes seems a Great Blue Heron can stand still for longer than any other bird. I watched this one for over a half hour, and about all it did was blink occasionally. It did, at one point, dip its head, and I thought it might be thinking about preening, but no. I left it to its meditations and walked on around the pond. I saw what I took to be another heron out on the far side of the marsh on my way around, but when I got back to where I could see down the length of the pond, my heron was gone—so I suspect it was the same heron. It was doing the same little or nothing, only in a new place. Sony a7CR with the Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-8 at 400mm. Cropped to 7mp so about 1000mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Highlight metering for the whites in the bird. Processed in Photomator.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — The Yellow-rumped Warblers are coming through Southern Maine in numbers right now. We have nesting YRW but not anything like the horde now passing. They are not easy to catch in the fall. Very flighty. Very busy. And rarely perching out in the open. Still, fun to try. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100–400 f5.6–f8 at 400mm. 18mp crop so about 750mm effective field of view. My bird and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Black-throated Blue (immature): Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — There are large numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers coming through Southern Maine right now. They are skitterish, mostly up high, and generally uncooperative for photography, but it is fun to try. And, of course, you never know what other warblers might be traveling with them. This is, apparently, a young male Black-throated Blue Warbler, still filling in its black bib, but with the unmistakable wing patch and overall look of the adult bird. I say apparently because eBird says it is highly unlikely in Kennebunk in October, but there it is, right there in the photo. It was deep in the shadows, and I did not even realize that I had photographed it until I was processing the photos. My first ever for Maine. 🙂 Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-f8 at 400mm. Cropped to 4mp or a 1500mm effective field of view. My custom birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator (including some noise reduction).

Eastern Bluebird: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — Gotta love the fall in Southern Maine. Crisp days. Trees coloring up nicely. Lots of birds at the feeder, and more passing through along the forest edges and windrows in the marsh. This is either the adult male just coming out of molt, or a male from the first brood of this season just coming into full adult plumage. Hard to tell. And doing one of its bluebird things—looking right at me and highly suspicious of my intentions. Still, they pose nicely in the late afternoon October light, against the colors of autumn. Can’t ask for anything better. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100–400 f5.6–8 at 400mm. Cropped to 20mp so about 700mm effective field of view. My custom bird and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Red Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, October 2026 — I was standing on the bank of the river taking a scenic landscape of the fall color and the tumbling water when this Red Squirrel ran down the edge of the embankment and literally hopped right over my foot on its way. I followed it, but it kept well ahead of me until it disappeared in the band of trees lining the small tidal creek that comes into the river just there. I kept expecting it to get up on a branch and chatter at me, the way they generally do, but no. So I continued on around the pond and was taking another landscape of fall foliage over the marsh, when I glanced up and saw the squirrel sitting on a horizontal branch right above me. I can only assume it was the same squirrel. It did not chatter at me even then, though it sat there on the branch until I got enough photos already! from all the angles I could comfortably get to. I really like the hint of fall foliage behind it. I guess in the end it did not want to disappoint me. Sony a7CR. Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-8 at 400mm. 26mp crops so about 600mm effective field of view. My custom birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator with some shadow recovery against the bright sky.

American Herring Gull: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — I went down to the beach yesterday to see if the mounds of seaweed washed up by the Nor’easter were attracting any Sanderlings. They must have overflown us this year again. All I found were a few Herring Gulls. This juvenile posed nicely for me. The original here is 50mp at 400mm, so I was close. And as you can see, the gull did not seem to mind. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-8. My bird and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Eastern Grey Squirrel: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — Dark and dreary days here at the end of September, but I try to get out a little every day. When I came back from a neighborhood walk, this fellow, my young buddy whom I am trying to deck train, was there in the tree to sass at me. He has no respect! And little fear. So I took his picture. Several times. 🙂 Sony a7CR. Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-8. My custom bird and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Palm Warbler: Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, York County, Maine, USA, September 2026 — lots of warblers came through ahead of the nor’easter of last weekend. I found this Palm out by the pond on the plains. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-8 at 400mm. Cropped to about 1500mm effective field of view. My birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.

Spring Peeper, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, September 2026 — With sun and in shade. And yes, I looked it up, and Spring Peepers are active all summer and into the fall. They just are not singing much. This one was just randomly in our backyard when I went out to take photos of bejeweled spider webs. Who could resist? I thought it was an American Toad when I saw it. We have lots of those. But no. Sony a7CR with Sony FE 100-400 f5.6-8 at 400mm. Cropped to about 1000mm effective field of view. My custom birds and wildlife mode. Processed in Photomator.