Birding in Maine» Birding Videos

Juvenile Ospreys – Ready to Face The World

John Briggs — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:28:59 +0000

This post will probably be the final update on the three juvenile Ospreys that I been watching all summer long. To refresh your memory, back in the spring, an adult pair of Osprey moved into the platform nest in the harbor just off Fort Road, on the campus of the Southern Maine Community College. Three eggs were laid and all successfully hatched.

Young Osprey grow very rapidly and are ready to fledge when they are about 50 days old. They continue to stay near the parents for another 50 days while they learn the hunting and flying skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. The family will go their separate ways just prior to fall migration. While Osprey nesting success is quite high, it’s after the young leave the nest when they will begin facing bigger problems. Major causes of post-fledgling mortality are electrocution, emaciation, gunshot wounds, and poisoning.

The Osprey migration is not due to the fact that these birds cannot survive Maine’s cold and snowy weather. They migrate because the cold winter weather freezes the rivers, creeks, lakes and ponds, making their food supply, fresh fish, inaccessible. Because these fish provide 98% of the Osprey’s diet, its unavailability would likely cause the Osprey to starve to death. To survive, the Osprey migrate south to Florida and South America.

The juvenile Ospreys that I have been watching leave their nest for short excursions around the harbor. I’ve spotted them on the rock jetty that leads to the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse and on masts of sailboats at Spring Point Marina. The adult Ospreys still bring fish for the juveniles, as evident in one of the photos below. It seems that flounder is the food of choice for these growing birds.

It won’t be long until these birds leave the nest permanently. Some will migrate to Florida, where fish are abundant and the waters don’t freeze. Others will migrate to South America, a journey of over 4,000 miles. These young birds are ready to face the world and all of the dangers that lie in wait. If they survive, some of them may return to Maine in the spring, and possibly back to the nest they were raised in to raise a family of their own. I will miss them and wish them luck in their journey.

Bird Photography: Juvenile Ospreys

Enjoy these photos and an HD video of this Osprey family. They will soon be leaving for a warmer climate and all we will be left with is an empty nest and fond memories.

The following photos were taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click one of the thumbnails below for a full-sized view, and then use your arrow key to navigate through the rest of the photos. ©2011 John Briggs Photography | All Rights Reserved

Dimension: 560×480 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | length: 50 seconds
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Video: Juvenile Osprey eating Flounder | ©2011 John Briggs Photography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZq1ka4G0As

Happy birding!

World Bird Wednesday

Fight of the Hummingbirds

John Briggs — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:31:11 +0000

While most of the birds that visit our backyards only defend a breeding territory, Hummingbirds are one of the few birds that will defend a food source. Just about anywhere that a Hummingbird finds food, it will fight to defend it even along its migration route to Central America.

The long drawn-out territorial fights can sometimes lead to injury or death, either from exhaustion or from the fighting techniques used by the aggressor. These delicate little birds will sometimes attack larger birds, such as Cardinals and even Crows.

Bird Photography: Hummingbirds Fighting

Wednesday was a beautiful day featuring bright blue skies and cool temperatures. I cleaned and refilled our ten Hummingbird nectar feeders and took them outside to hang them back up. Once back inside the house, I watched the Hummers fill themselves with fresh nectar. All seemed to be happy with four female and five male Hummingbirds divvying up the feeders among themselves.

Suddenly, a male came streaking through the air and knocked another male from its perch on one of the feeders. The aggressor then made himself comfortable on the feeder hanger and began to preen. I quickly grabbed my camera and went to my favorite spot for photographing Hummingbirds, our bedroom window.

It wasn’t long and another male came by the feeder and the fight was on! Twirling, chattering and tumbling end-over-end in mid air, the pair fell to the ground. As they lay there in the grass, the male Hummingbirds used their bills just like they were swords. It wasn’t long until the dominant male had the other male flat on the ground, standing on top of it and stomping and clawing at the poor soul.

I couldn’t believe that this was happening within a few feet of where I stood and well within range to get photos of the altercation, and even video footage. I snapped away as if there were no tomorrow, hoping that my camera setting were close enough for at least half decent captures.

There were two separate fights between these two Hummingbirds. The first lasted about 30 seconds, and once the aggressor finished stomping the crap out of the other bird, they both flew away. The second fight lasted much longer. This time, the aggressor stomped and clawed at the other for about a minute and a half. I began to worry as the Hummingbird that was laying flat on its back stopped moving.

I thought about intervening, but just left nature take its course. Finally, the aggressor flew away, but the poor bird laying on the ground looked like it was dead. I slowly walked toward the motionless bird, quietly asking “Are you okay little fella?” When I was about six feet away, I noticed some movement and I stopped and watched the Hummingbird. Suddenly, with a chatter, the bird flew up into a nearby maple tree where it began preening its ruffled feathers.

I’ve watched Hummingbirds fight in mid air and tumble around on the feeders, but I have never witnessed these birds driving each other into the ground. I was completely awe stricken, with emotions ranging from wonder to worry thrown into the mix. I just couldn’t grasp the fact that these little jewels could be so violent.

Enjoy the photos and video from this incredible encounter, which I call the Fight of the Hummingbirds.

The following video shows the aggressive Hummingbird giving the other a good stomping and then both flying away. I have other video clips showing the stomping and clawing in greater detail, which I will post on my Google+ page sometime this weekend.

Dimension: 560×480 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | length: 17 seconds
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Video: Fight of the Hummingbirds | ©2011 John Briggs Photography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4j9f7bbFe4

Happy birding!

World Bird Wednesday

Baltimore Oriole Fledgling

John Briggs — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:03:45 +0000

UPDATE: It’s been brought to my attention that this bird is not a fledgling but a first year male. Although I watched this bird begging and being fed by an adult male, I assumed it was a fledgling. My bad! You all know what assuming does. Many thanks to @_CabinGirl Tami Vogel for bringing this to my attention. Has anyone ever seen this behavior, where an adult feeds a begging 1st year Oriole? Let me know in the comments.

What a day for a bird to fledge! Today’s weather features on and off heavy rain, gusty winds and very cool temperatures, a day not fit for man nor beast. It would seem that a bird would rethink about leaving the comfort of its nest on a day like today.

For the past two weeks, adult Baltimore Orioles have been taking mouthfuls of grape jelly and suet back to the nests to feed their hungry nestlings. The Orioles and Catbirds are going through a jar of grape jelly every 2 to 3 days, so I have no doubt that their are many young mouths being fed. It will probably only be a matter of a day or two before our feeders are overrun with fledglings.

Bird Photography: Baltimore Oriole Fledgling

This male Baltimore Oriole fledgling is soaking wet, probably chilled and its feathers are matted. It picked a brutal day to begin exploring the world and all it has to offer. As you can see in the following video, it’s eating well and knows enough to shake the rain from its feathers. It’s a big world out there for a young bird out on its own for the first time. If this Oriole can avoid the dangers that every birds faces, such as windows, cats, Hawks, weather, etc., then it may return to our yard one day to raise its own young.

Male Baltimore Oriole fledgling

Dimension: 560×480 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | length: 37 seconds
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Video: Baltimore Oriole Fledgling | ©2011 John Briggs Photography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUTYj7Zdgcg

Happy birding!

Baltimore Oriole

John Briggs — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:37:46 +0000

Baltimore Oriole – Icterus galbula

The Baltimore Oriole, with its flute-like song, is a bird we eagerly anticipate every Spring. We place orange halves and grape jelly feeders throughout the yard hoping to attract these beautiful birds. The Baltimore Oriole was late arriving in our part of Maine this year. Cold, wet weather with unfavorable winds delayed the northward migration until conditions improved during the mid-May time period.

Over the last six years, we’ve had five seasons of nesting Baltimore Orioles in our yard, with last year being a banner year. The summer of 2010 brought three nesting pairs to our property, with 10 successfully fledged young visiting our feeders. This Spring, I’ve counted 4 males and 3 females, one of the males being a first year juvenile. The pairing has already begun, with one pair in our crabapple tree near the edge of the cove and another pair in a mighty oak tree on the opposite side of our property. The remaining individuals mostly hang out in our neighbors pear trees.

The possible reasons for our success in attracting and keeping the Baltimore Oriole could be that we have the only Oriole feeders in the area. I did a survey last summer that showed the closest feeding station for Orioles was three miles from our home, which was located in the north end of Bath. Another reason I believe this bird is attracted to the area may be because there are many fruit trees in the vicinity that are in bloom during the time period that the Baltimore Oriole migrates.

Bird Photography: Baltimore Oriole

I captured photos of the first Baltimore Orioles to arrive on May 17th. I hope you enjoy the following photos and video of this beautiful bird.

HD Video: Female Baltimore Oriole

Dimension: 560×480 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | length: 54 seconds
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
HD Video: Female Baltimore Oriole | ©2011 John Briggs Photography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvgjuyV4JzI

Happy birding!

World Bird Wednesday

Video of the Day: Singing Gray Catbird

John Briggs — Fri, 13 May 2011 23:13:53 +0000

Gray Catbird Singing | Click for full-sized view

While working in the backyard this afternoon, I heard Gray Catbirds singing in the sumacs that are at the edge of the cove. I grabbed my camera and slowly worked my way down to where the choir was performing.

Taking cover behind a highbush blueberry, I captured several photos and video of this beautiful bird. The Gray Catbird’s most common call is a cat-like “meow”. It is a mimic, which means it copies the songs and calls of other birds.

The complicated syrinx (song box) of the Gray Catbird allows them to sing two notes simultaneously. The unusual structure of the syrinx allows them to make mewing sounds like that of a cat but also allows them to imitate other birds, tree frogs, and even mechanical sounds that they hear.

The male and female Catbird in this particular patch are keeping other Catbirds away. This leads me to believe that they will once again nest in the dense brush under the sumacs. Last year, our yard hosted two breeding pair who successfully raised young and brought them to our feeders.

Enjoy the following video of the Gray Catbird singing to its heart’s content.

Dimension: 560×480 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | length: 34 seconds
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Video: Gray Catbird Singing | ©2011 John Briggs Photography

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6-8AKEaTTs

Happy birding!