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This photojournal consists of image groups taken in January and February in our Maine winter. And no, it’s not about photographing all aspects of a Maine
winter - we live in a large state, but documents the places I visited with my lenses as I was out and about seeking birds or in my travels. Having been raised primarily in the south, I’m
not a winter sports person and don’t ski or snowmobile, but I’m always interested in getting out and would comment that if you’re a photographer in Maine there are
times when one really does ‘suffer for art’. This winter so far had been quite normal for cold and snowfall, but after the last few years, everyone became a bit spoiled - this winter managed to snap us all back to reality…
Going into 2011 was a bit unusual in that I didn’t have much work travel or field time planned. Other than,
A Quick Trip through Georgia and South Carolina over
Thanksgiving - not exactly in wintertime, I’d been in state for most of it. I like to get south for a week or more with my cameras in winter, and although I considered the
idea of taking the month of February for field time this year, never put a plan into action. I may yet take a few weeks off before summer in Maine arrives.
View from the Ice - Seven Vertical Exposure Composite
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January 2011...
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It has been an unusual winter for birds in our area. One species I’m always on the look-out for is the Bohemian Waxwing. These can be found mixed in small numbers with Cedar Waxwings at times, but this year brought in entire groups with higher numbers than is normal. A report was posted to the Maine birders list-serve by a friend, Rob Spiers, of a flock of two-hundred plus Bohemians feeding in an apple orchard in Cumberland. I contacted Rob to learn more about this and one chilly Saturday morning Linda and I drove over to see what we could find. Before this morning was done I went from having a mediocre to no archive of Bohemian images to a rather significant group. They are beautiful birds, even more so than Cedar Waxwings I believe - which are quite stunning, and well worth the effort to locate if possible. I was in the orchard just over an hour and took over four-hundred exposures on nothing but Bohemian Waxwings. It took a bit of time to figure out their escape flight path and where they were hanging out for imaging opportunities, but once I did, I managed to work my way through the snow behind them, selected an advantageous spot to place and level my tripod and waited. After a time they recognized I didn’t present a threat and were going about their business - eating leftover apples that remained on the trees – before long I had them all around including inside the minimum focus range of my 600mm lens - it was great! Bohemian Waxwings - Cumberland, MaineCanon 1Ds Mark III/EF 600mm F/4L + 1.4X, 1/800 second @ f/8, ISO 640 with extended flash. |
The Bohemian Waxwing Files...
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Our Maine birding community owes Robert and Erin Pierce of Orchard Hill Farm in Cumberland a heartfelt ‘thank-you’ for being so accommodating and allowing birders to observe the flock in and around their orchard. I later stopped by to
express my thanks in person and dropped off a few prints. The store they run at their facility is quite nice and Erin offered me a loaf of homemade bread that I learned later was a real treat. I have every intention of being a regular
customer and if you live in the area you should be as well…
Bohemian Waxwing - Cumberland, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/800 second at f/8, ISO 640, EF 600mm + 1.4X with flash |
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A few days later I crossed the Casco Bay Bridge into South Portland to check out an area where some Northern Pintails had been reported. This is best when timed with high tide, so it put me there in mid-afternoon, the warmest part of the day - but it was far from balmy. The inlet was behind a car wash so I drove in to take a look and found some ducks in residence, including a pair of Hooded Mergansers. The fellow working at the facility was familiar with birders coming around and didn’t seem to mind. However, when I pulled the tripod mounted 600mm lens out of my truck it did garner some attention… I didn’t stay long but didn’t need to. Once I’d taken some insurance shots – the lighting was harsh, beating on the water and quite a challenge, I checked out the downward slope to see if I could get in closer. I’d have to climb over the snow and ice and try not to roll down the cut, but figured it was worth a go. One thing I didn’t expect was these ducks would be skittish – well they were and by the time I got into the wetness of the bottom it spooked everything in the area. There wasn’t much to be done at that point – wait to see if/when they returned or get out of the cold. I climbed out, re-packed and was soon on my way… Northern Pintail, South Portland, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF 600mm F/4L + 1.4X, 1/400 second @ f/8, ISO 640 with extended flash. |
A few Duck Images - January 10th...
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While I was photographing the pintails, Corey Hamilton, the Animal Control Officer for the City stopped by and we engaged in conversation. I learned
that Corey is a falconer – I knew about this pursuit of course, but didn’t know people in our area practiced this ancient sport. We discussed what
raptors were employed in this pursuit and I gathered Corey was always looking for new birds and potential locations to find them. This appears to be a strictly
regulated hobby with rigid guidelines to become involved. Corey asked if I’d observed the hybrid Mallard hanging around with the other
Mallards at nearby Mill Creek Park. I replied
I had not, so we took our vehicles over to learn if the bird were around – which it was…
Mallard Hybrid - South Portland, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/60 second at f/16, ISO 640, EF 600mm + 1.4X with extended flash |
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Nobody could tell what the other half of this hybrid may be. I noticed the sun peeking through illuminating feathers on Mallard heads as they walked about. I don’t photograph these birds often where they’re so common, but viewed this as a fine opportunity… Mallard, South Portland, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF 600mm F/4L + 1.4X, 1/320 second @ f/8, ISO 640. |
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Rob Spiers, always the diligent birder, posted a report of white-winged gulls in the Mill Creek area of South Portland. I contacted him and we developed a
plan to meet at the site around high tide on Friday January 14th, to learn what we could find.
It had been cold and the water approaches closest to the shoreline were frozen over. This precluded finding much of interest close in. We did observe many gulls at distance, where the water opened up. Rob’s rangefinder estimated this distance as just less than two-hundred yards – a long way distant and there was a lot of haze in the air. However, we were there so I pulled out my tripod and Rob set up his spotting scope to have a look. We were hoping to find Glaucous and Iceland Gulls. The Glaucous would be new to my Bird Photography Index, always a good thing in my estimation. Many thanks to Eric Hynes of Maine Audubon in Falmouth for checking these image identifications... Glaucous Gull at 200 Yards - South Portland, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/640 second at f/10, ISO 640, EF 600mm + 1.4X |
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And Some Iceland Gulls...
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We checked the time and decided to look around the Marine Trade Center across the bridge in Portland harbor. This location has potential provided the fishing boats aren’t docked and fueling up, making a good deal of noise. There are multiple piers that go into the harbor and you never know what may be in the area. This day we were fortunate as there was activity reasonably close in. Included in the group were Long-tailed Ducks, Common Loons, Common Eiders, a plethora of Herring and Great-Black backed Gulls and Red-breasted Mergansers. This turned out to be an auspicious stop... Herring Gull - Portland, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF 600mm F/4L + 1.4X, 1/500 second @ f/10, ISO 640. |
Around Portland Harbor...
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Long-tailed Duck Flight Sequence...
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In mid-January a rare bird sighting was made in Brunswick generating a good deal of interest. A Varied Thrush had been hanging around the backyard of Leonard &
Elizabeth Andrews. Elizabeth isn’t a birder but she recognized this was something different and made some inquiries, prompting a considerable response. It didn’t take long for this sighting information
to travel far and wide and people came from all over Maine and multiple states to check it out. I’d photographed this species a year or two ago in Cape Elizabeth, where one was hanging
around in the winter and hoped to have another opportunity. As a courtesy, I emailed Elizabeth to ascertain her agreement with my visit. She had many visitors tramping
through her back yard, and some she even had in the house to observe the bird through her back-deck sliders. She invited us in to do the same, but I indicated there were
several reasons why I couldn’t (or wouldn’t) attempt a photograph through a sliding door. On Saturday morning, January 15th, Linda and I found the spot and I set up my
600mm system. There was one significant issue – it was bitterly cold… at 0800 hours it was minus two degrees and not expected to warm much. Plus if the wind came through
it was indeed a challenge. This had the advantage of fewer people around the yard – many wouldn’t venture out in these temperatures, but there were a few hardy souls who stopped by...
Varied Thrush - Brunswick, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/250 second at f/8, ISO 800, EF 600mm + 1.4X with extended flash |
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I was pleased to have observed the thrush and afterwards Linda and I spent some time in the house speaking with Elizabeth. I had few unobstructed images after review on the computer and was hoping to pick a better day, hopefully with not too many people around to try again. While waiting I photographed some other backyard birds and was particularly pleased to see Common Redpolls, which we don’t get often around our yard. Others in the template below include the Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch and Black-capped Chickadee… Varied Thrush - Brunswick, Maine...Canon 1Ds Mark III/EF 600mm F/4L + 1.4X, 1/500 second @ f/7.1, ISO 800 with extended flash. |
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Varied Thrush Revisited - Brunswick, Maine...
The Following Monday, January 17th, was Martin Luther King Day. After evaluating the thrush image group I knew that I didn’t have the shot I was seeking – yes, I'd have to try again. And why wait… The bird was still reported in the area and
Elizabeth indicated between 0900 and 1000 hours he was generally around. This time I packed all my cold weather gear and was prepared to stay as long as was necessary. As it turned out, it was balmy eight degrees this morning but I can state
unequivocally, this did make a difference. It was cold but not unbearable. I set up in the same location as the few days before, but this time I dropped the tripod and sat or kneeled in the snow. Once I took a few test shots to get the exposure
compensation and shutter speed adjusted I was ready. I guess you can say that today was my day – the Varied Thrush flew in almost immediately and remained in the open as I shot multiple frames. Some of the best images of the morning were taken in
first ten minutes of so. I was pleased with the images from this morning and will post some here…
Varied Thrush - Brunswick, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/250 second at f/18, ISO 1000, EF 600mm + 1.4X with extended flash |
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On January 20th, J. Dwight in Wilton posted to the list-serve that he’d had regular Hoary Redpoll sightings at his place in Wilton. I contacted J and made arrangements to make the drive to his home two days later, a Saturday. This turned out to be an interesting trip in multiple regards as during the day we discussed various topics. I’ve done a significant amount of photography in the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia and South Carolina, and know this facility better than any other I frequent with my cameras. As we talked about these endeavors J asked if I’d ever been to Wassaw Island, a part of the Savannah Coastal Islands NW Refuge. I replied I had and felt privileged to have been allowed on the island - not many have the opportunity. This island was owned by a Maine family since the American Civil War era and later it was deeded over to the refuge. However, the family retained a compound on the island consisting of four homes, the only private residences on Wassaw. I was amazed when J indicated it was his family that had turned over the island to the refuge. I knew the history somewhat but it never occurred to me I’d ever meet one of the Mainers involved with this… After this discovery it was like old home week as we knew many of the same people and places on Wassaw Island. J invited me to meet them in Savannah sometime when they plan to visit – an invitation I may just take him up on if the opportunity presents. I could already view in my mind’s eye what possibilities awaited getting to the island for multiple days and nights. My website, Writings and Articles section has multiple photojournals posted from my endeavors in this facility should anyone care to learn more. SNWR and the staff employed there has made this facility dear to me. Oh, and yes – we located a Hoary Redpoll to add to my Bird Photography Index… J Dwight, Wilton, Maine...Canon 5d/EF 400mm F/5.6L, 1/640 second @ f/9, ISO 640. |
J had a good deal of activity around his yard included a Sharp-shinned Hawk that showed up from time to time, although I had no chance for an exposure. I concentrated on following the Hoary Redpolls mixed in with flock coming and going, aptly spotted by J while my eye remained in the
viewfinder. All together I had a large archive from the two hours or so we stayed out in the cold. Later at the computer evaluating the images it occurred to me what a character this bird was – quite a personality. Other birds I photographed included many species one would expect to
find – Common Redpolls, Black-capped Chickadees, a Hairy Woodpecker,
Red-breasted Nuthatch and a group of Rock Doves that was flying around occasionally. It was a good morning…
Hoary Redpoll - Wilton, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/250 second at f/18, ISO 1000, EF 600mm + 1.4X with extended flash |
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The Hoary Redpoll Files...
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A Few of J's Yardbirds - Wilton, Maine...
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There’s one last image group from January to be added here. Rob Spiers had located some Horned Larks around Seavey Landing in Scarborough and taken a
few exposures. I have a few, not really usable shots of this species taken at distance in Colorado, and was intrigued to learn we had some locally. I
contacted Rob and, always the gentleman, he indicated we should meet and try to re-locate the flock. So we planned to meet mid-day on a Monday for a quick
in and out session. Again this would be best at high tide but in this case it could not be accommodated. We met on Route 1 in Scarborough
and I followed Rob to the site. Before we left only one Horned Lark was spotted - it flew by us like it had just escaped Hades - this was our only lark sighting.
Rob Spiers Walking the Shoreline - Scarborough, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/320 second at f/8, ISO 400, EF 600mm + 1.4X with extended flash |
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It was a cold day exacerbated by a twenty-knot wind blowing across the water. One thing is certain about our Maine winter – if you’re out doing things of this nature you must really want to because it can get miserable quick. I’m generally good for up to four hours or so depending, but this was a shorter session and the first time this year I went out to seek a particular species unsuccessfully. This doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of other activity around though. There was a strong haze in the air – I could see it through the long lens but didn’t realize how intense this was until later at the computer. I deleted many shots as unusable because of this, including a series of Bufflehead images. We also quickly realized this was a good spot for birds flying into Scarborough Marsh, so I took some exposures on whatever came by as the wind buffeted my lens. Other sightings included American Black Ducks, Mallards, Common Goldeneye, Canada Goose, an immature and adult Bald Eagle and the usual Herring Gulls. Common Goldeneye Flyby - Scarborough, Maine...Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1/1000 second at f/8, ISO 400, EF 600mm + 1.4X = 840mm |
Views Around Seavey Landing - Scarborough, Maine...
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This concluded my field time for January as the month ended. However, I felt like I was on a roll and wished to get out with my cameras whenever I could as February commenced...
Kiro
March 2011
March 2011