Birdwatching on Granite Point
August 12, 2007 · Print This Article
A chill in the air greeted Sharon and I on Granite Point near Biddeford Pool, Maine Saturday morning. Temperatures were in the upper 40’s under crystal clear skies and calm winds. Sunday morning was a little milder, but still picture perfect. The birdwatching was spectacular!
Passerine migration seems to be beginning as Tree, Cliff and Barn Swallows are staging in flocks of over one hundred. Several of these “over one hundred flocks” were seen, at times the flocks would rest on high tension lines or an exposed sand bar, while others would make a trip over the marsh for some food.
Snowy and Great Egrets seem to be in large flocks also. A flock of over 30 Snowies were seen flying above the Little River Saturday morning, with flocks of 8 to 12 common on Sunday. Peeps flying over the river varied in number from a handful to over 40 individuals.
Little Blue Herons were common in the pannes, fighting with Snowies over food. A pair of juvenile Glossy Ibis were in a panne along Granite Point Road, near to the sharp curve that goes to the right before the tennis court. A lone juvenile Northern Harrier glided over the marsh in search of prey, and then again just over our heads as we stood at the boat launch on the Little River.
Great Blue Herons seem to be more numerous than in the past few weeks. Several were seen feeding at low tide in the Little River and a flock of 9 flew across the northwestern end of the marsh. These enormous birds are a sight to see when gliding in for a landing. Looking like an awkward stick figure of a bird, when those wings fill with air on descent, they have the grace and agility of a bird many times smaller.
Enjoy the photos of our bird watching adventures from this weekend. Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated!
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The next set of photos are of a fight between two seagulls on the Little River that we watched Sunday morning. Notice how one of the gulls has the neck of the other in its bill. The gull swung the poor soul around by the neck like it was a rag doll. After a few minutes of fighting, the dominate gull took off. As seen in the last photo, the other flew away none the worse for wear.
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Happy birding!
Technorati Tags: Biddeford Pool, Maine, birdwatching, birds, bird, photos, bird watching, birding
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Once again you have shown pictures that are so beautiful, it makes me feel as if I am there with you.
Keep up the good work!
Some really nice shots. I just stumbled on this blog and will definitely be checking back to enjoy your great camera work (and perhaps to pick up tips on places to go). I am just getting into this hobby/passion and have spent most of the Spring and Summer exploring places to photograph birds.
Norman;
Thank you for you comments and for visiting the site!
Dave;
Thanks for stopping by and for your comments!
Feel free to email me if you will be in the area and want to hook up, or need some pointers in the wonderful world of bird photography.
BTW, I love the shots on your Flickr site of the Great Falls Balloon Fest. For those interested, click on Dave’s name above his comment to go to his site.
John Briggs