Birding in Maine» Blog

Chipping Sparrow Feeding Young

John Briggs — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:40:58 +0000

While most of the fledged Chipping Sparrows are eating on their own now, their is one particular youngster who is still begging for food. The adult, under the duties vested in her, continues to feed the youngster even though it’s standing in the very food being fed to it.

Throughout the summer, “Chippers” from the area have congregated on our platform feeders, eating such delicacies as white millet, sunflower chips, cracked corn and safflower. Although I have never observed any member of the sparrow family eating safflower seed, the chippers relish it. Quite often, we see chippers feeding along side Northern Cardinals in a Cardinal dedicated feeder that contains only safflower seed.

Enjoys these adorable photos of an adult Chipping Sparrow feeding its young.

All photos taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized view.

Happy birding!

Photo of the Day: Hummingbird in Flight

John Briggs — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:47:53 +0000

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are on the move here in Maine, beginning their long trek southward. This year was an odd year for Hummingbirds. After arriving very late, only two pair made our property their residence this year. Compared to past years when 10 – 15 hummers kept us on our toes filling feeders nearly everyday, this year we had to look long and hard to find them.

I am happy to report that both pairs of Hummingbirds fledged two youngsters each, doubling our population. Over the last several days, hummers from afar are stopping by and filling themselves with nectar, while our resident hummers are defending “their” feeders. On Saturday, while filling feeders, I was surprised to see hummers zipping around everywhere bringing back memories of seasons past.

All too soon, these beautiful jewels will be gone. We will have to wait through a long and cold winter, and much of the spring, before their beauty will grace our yards and feeding stations again. As I found the time between my studies, I photographed the Hummingbirds that called our home their home for a brief period of time. It will be sad to see them go, but I know they will return one day bringing a smile to our faces once again with their antics and aerial acrobatics.

All photos taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized view.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female) in flight

Happy birding!

Photo of the Day: Juvenile Cardinal Portrait

John Briggs — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:05:02 +0000

Northern Cardinal (female) Juvenile

She’s a beauty, isn’t she? I love her funky tri-colored beak.

This juvenile Northern Cardinal was visiting one of our bird feeding stations that is situated just outside our bedroom window. I needed a break from studying for finals, so I grabbed my camera. I quietly lowered the upper window in our bedroom and captured these images. The photos are in portrait because I was so close to the bird that I could not get all of her into the frame.

Here are two more photos of this lovely juvenile Northern Cardinal.

All photos taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized view.

Northen Cardinal (female) Juvenile

Happy birding!

Photo of the Day: Mallard Duckling

John Briggs — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:35:00 +0000

Mallard Duckling - Sucking Mud

Several weeks ago, I was standing coveside in our backyard watching a pair of Osprey fishing out in the cove. After half an hour of watching, the Osprey did not get close enough to photograph and I thought about going back to the house. Just as I was turning to leave, I saw some movement in the marsh grass to my left. Several seconds later, a family of Mallards came out of the marsh grass. They had no idea that I was standing there and I snapped a few photos.

Momma Mallard kept a watchful eye as the ducklings sucked mud. And it is exactly what it sounds like too! That’s what I call it when a duck sifts the mud to catch insects, crustaceans and seeds. During the fall, and if our windows are open, we can hear several hundred ducks of all types feeding in the cove at low tide. They collectively sift the mud making the sucking sound than can be heard up to 100 yards away if conditions are favorable.

Here are two photos of the proud momma and her ducklings.

All photos taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized view.

Mallard family

Happy birding!

BPW: Maine Shorebirds

John Briggs — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:32:36 +0000

In the previous post, I wrote about our trip to Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunk, Maine. As promised, I present this photo series of a few of the shorebirds we encountered during the first week or so of fall shorebird migration in Maine. The action will intensify in the coming weeks, and we plan to make another trip during late August.

We were happy to see the endangered Piping Plover chicks feeding on thier own, as evident in photos below of a chick pulling an annelid worm from the sand. These chicks are flightless for 26 to 35 days and are extremely vulnerable to predators and human disturbance. There are many very sensitive species losing their coastal habitat, including Least Terns, who also nest on the beach.

For those who might question how close I was when I photographed these birds, rest assured, I was far enough away as to not be a threat to the birds. I hid among some large rocks and used a long lens to capture the photos. I received some nasty comments in the previous post which claimed I was too close to the chicks. How this could be deduced by looking at a single photo is beyond me, and I just chalk it up as ignorance on the part of the commenter. As further proof that I was no threat to the birds, you will see in the following photographs that the chicks were actively feeding, something they would NOT be doing if I was a threat to them.

I practice responsible bird photography. I have been doing this long enough that I know what I am doing. I have seen others who approach birds dangerously close. I don’t judge how close a person is by the photo they took. I judge how close a person is to a bird when I am there, in person, and see with my own eyes how close they are. And if I see they are too close, I am not afraid to tell the photographer that he or she is too close. In a nutshell, if you were not there to see where I was in relation to where the bird was, then keep your nescient comments to yourself!

All photos taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized view.

Happy birding!