Birding in Maine» Weekend Birding

BwBTC: Birding With Friends

John Briggs — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:30:13 +0000

Several months ago, Dawn Fine from Dawn’s Bloggy Blog started a group on Facebook called Birders Who Blog, Tweet and Chirp. It’s like one stop shopping to find birders who own a blog, use Twitter and or ChirpTracker. This past Saturday, thanks to the efforts of Dawn and Christopher from Picus Blog, New England Birders who Blog, Tweet and Chirp had an outing at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island in Massachusetts.

New England BwBTC | Click for photo larger view

Everyone met at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. After introductions and several group photos, we car pooled and headed out to the refuge at 8:30 a.m. That is everyone except Andy who had some car trouble. You may read his story at Nature Potpourri. Our leader was Christopher Ciccone, who I must say done an excellent job of leading our group.

The morning was beautiful with clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures. Our first stop was the parking area just after the entrance gate. Nesting Purple Martins were seen and photographed and then it was off to the beach. Sections of the beach are closed this time of the year to protect nesting Piping Plovers.

We wanted to meet with Janet Egan of Plover Warden Diaries at Sandy Point Reservation but the parking areas were full because of a fishing derby. Janet joined us later at the Hellcat Swamp.

I did not keep track of the birds that I saw on this outing. We did see Brown Thrashers, Snowy and Great Egrets, several Warbler species, a Marsh Wren (life bird for my wife Sharon!), Red-winged Blackbirds everywhere, Kingbirds, several Sparrow species, Swallows, Kingbirds, Flycatchers, Cedar Waxwings, Mute Swans, Orioles, Hummingbirds, Bobolinks and much more.

Beach closed for nesting Piping Plovers | Click photo for larger view

Around one o’clock, we headed off the refuge and went into Newburyport for lunch. We stopped at Courtyard Roast Beef and Sub and I had one of the best roast beef sandwiches that I have ever had. A sesame seed bun with piles of roast beef and just a touch of horseradish sauce… YUMMY!

After the meal, we all headed to Newmarket, NH to check out the nesting site of a Mississippi Kite. Although a female was on the nest, it was very hard to see. The male never showed up. I did see the eye and part of the head and tail of the female. Sharon and I added this bird to our life list!

We hated to do it, but late afternoon was upon us and we had a long ride home. After being on the road and birding for nearly 14 hours, Sharon and I were tired. We wished everyone safe travels and made promises to do another outing next year.

Sharon and I had an excellent time with fellow birders during this outing. We will surely miss everyone and will be counting the days until we can meet up with our birding friends once again. Everyone was so kind and helpful. We will always cherish the time we spent with these folks and wish them all all the best!

Dawn and Jeff from Dawn’s Bloggy Blog
Christopher from Picusblog
Laura and Mark from Interstitial Spaces
Bev from Behind the Bins
Catie from A Birding Girl
Janet Egan from Plover Warden Diaries
Andy from Natures Potpourri
Sharon from A New England Life
Lauren from A Worn Field Guide
Dan from Nature Observances
Steve from Shooting My Universe
Amanda from The Fledgling Birder
Mark from strack16
Thanks Dawn for the list!

Now onto the pictures! As always, clicking a thumbnail will bring up a larger view.

The Birds and The Birders

Favorite Life Birds 2000-2009

BPW: Osprey Catching Fish

John Briggs — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:12:05 +0000

Osprey with fish - Damariscotta Mills, Maine | Click photo for larger view

Saturday dawned with mostly cloudy skies and threatened to ruin our plans to go to Damariscotta Mills, Maine for the annual Alewife run and the opportunity to photograph Osprey catching the fish.

I called fellow birding friend Bob Malbon at 5:15 a.m. and told him the skies did not look good for photography. As I live only 18 miles from Damariscotta Mills, I was the point man on the weather. Bob had an hour and twenty minutes traveling time. Satellite views showed the hope for brief periods of sunshine during the first few hours after sunrise. We decided to go for it.

The decision was an excellent one! Shortly after arriving, the skies cleared and the action was just beginning. The tide was falling and we could see the fish stirring on the surface of the pond that leads to the fish ladder.

We set up in the lower parking area and waited for Osprey to dive into the pond to catch Alewives. A few photographers were on the small bridge above us. Bald Eagles soared high above us, and a Great Blue Heron landed in a spruce tree along the road.

Damariscotta Mills, Maine | Click photo for larger view

Each year, it is a Womerlippi tradition to visit the alewives during their run in late May at Damariscotta Mills. Alewives, also known as river herring or sawbellies, are anadromous. They spend their life primarily at sea but return to freshwater en masse to spawn.

The photo on the right shows the pond where the fish congregate before heading up to Damariscotta Lake via the fish ladders. I photograph the Osprey from the concrete pad on this side of my car, at the corner. The entry way to the fish ladders is just behind the building. To help make the 42 foot vertical ascent from the Great Salt Bay to Damariscotta Lake as easy as possible for the alewives, members of the Friends of the Alewives, Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association and the Damariscotta River Association joined together to restore the fish ladder. The original fish ladder was built in 1807.

I can not even begin to convey to you the exhilaration from being up close and personal with the Osprey and their fishing techniques! We were fortunate to be in a location where the Osprey would dive, catch a fish or two and head straight for us. Once the Osprey had a fish and cleared the water, the bird would seemingly pause in mid-air, shake water from its feathers and then continue on.

Photographers - Damariscotta Mill, Maine | Click photo for larger view

All in all, it was a spectacular morning! I nearly filled two 8 gigabyte CF cards. Photographers from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts were present, with 35 in all. There were a lot of smiling faces Saturday morning!

The action will more than likely last through Memorial Day weekend. Bob and I planned to go again this morning, but the skies were very uncooperative. Tomorrow promises to be sunny and we will give it a try then.

Even if you are not a photographer, this is an event you don’t want to miss. Please remember to obey the posted signs and only park in designated areas. If anyone needs directions, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment on this post.

There is other bird activity at Damariscotta Mills. We watched a Baltimore Oriole chase an Orchard Oriole. Barn and Tree Swallows were numerous, along with Warblers, Kingbirds, Cormorants, Herons and Egrets, Bald Eagles and common birds.

Enjoy the photos of the Osprey!

Before you view these photos: Press the f11 key to open your browser window to its fullest size. Some of the photos that were cropped long will not show full size if you do not do this. If using IE 8, click the broken page icon on the right side of your address bar before clicking photos.

Osprey carrying fish | Click photo for larger view

Osprey with fish closeup | Click photo for larger view

Osprey coming at you | Click photo for larger view

Osprey overhead | Click photo for larger view

Osprey clutching two fish | Click photo for larger view

Happy birding!

Wildbird Weekend Meme

John Briggs — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:00:10 +0000

I have been participating in several birding related memes for quite sometime. It’s an enjoyable experience and I have made quite a few online friends who have some wonderful blogs. Another aspect of participating is the visitors that memes bring to your blog. I don’t submit my links to raise my “hits”, but since my first meme participation my visitor base has nearly doubled. Not just from Maine, but from all over the world!

The research I have done on the birding related memes has led me to a few conclusions: (not scientific in any sense, but I have been asking questions)

Most birders only have time to bird on weekends and holidays and post about their outing on Saturday, Sunday or the first one or two days of the week.
Viewership on this blog and some others that I have surveyed spike between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
From those surveyed, bloggers post most frequently on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

So where am I going with this? It’s simple. If most birders can only get out to bird watch on weekends and or holidays, then why not have a meme for these weekenders? You may already post to several memes. There’s no rule that says you can’t post a link to various memes.

Beginning this Saturday May 9th, 2009, Wildbird Weekend will be launched. Every Saturday, I will put up the Wildbird Weekend post which will always include a Mr. Linky for all the participants’ links. Note: You’ll have until Wednesday to get your link in. After Wednesday, I close the Linky in order to prevent spam. Please keep the links to posts that are about birding or birding related activities only.

I will host this meme on a trial basis for one month. If after this period of time participation seems to be going well, I will make it permanent. If it’s a disaster, I will take it down for good.

If you get anything out of this, it will be greater visibility for your blog. Leave me a comment if you like this idea and if you may be participating.

Happy birding!

No related posts.

Beautiful weather, many birds

John Briggs — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:47:02 +0000

After being couped up most of the winter, Mainers took to the woods, beaches and shops to celebrate a very fine Spring day. Here along the midcoast, temperatures reached 65° F. Further south and inland, the mercury soared into the 80′s. Blue skies and light winds made for a day that we have longed for all winter long. I can see large buds finally forming on our trees!

Tufted Titmouse clinging to a nestbox

Yard wise, there’s plenty of activity. Two of our nest boxes have Tufted Titmice going back and forth with nesting material. A pair of White-breasted Nuthatches are doing the same with another nest box. Today, Tree Sparrows began bringing material to one of our nest boxes we have set up along the cove.

Eastern Phoebes have begun setting up shop somewhere in the vicinity, we just aren’t sure where yet. Everyday now we see them hawking insects throughout the yard. A pair of Blue Jays have taken over our old crab apple tree near the edge of the cove. The heavy growth in the top of the tree assures a great place for a nest.

White-throated Sparrows and a few Palm Warblers have shown up recently, along with a pair of Roufus-sided Towhees. Chipping and Song Sparrows are everywhere and the dreaded Brown-headed Cowbird has made its presence known. Four Pine Siskins and three Dark-eyed Juncos are still hanging around the feeders, and the male American Goldfinches have transformed into their bright yellow plumage.

Up close and personal: Osprey

Yesterday, Sharon and I had a full day of birdwatching. Our journey began mid morning at Small Point and Popham Beach. The highlight of the morning was a feeding frenzy that included Osprey, Double-crested Cormorants and Harbor Seals.

Along a private road that we have permission to enter, we came across the spectacle as the tide was nearing dead low and Alewives were being concentrated in an area approximately half the size of a football field. Osprey dove into the water and came out with their catch (see yesterday’s post), Cormorants seemed to have big smiles on their faces as they surfaced with fish in their bills. Four Harbor Seals were added to the mix, one nearly beaching itself going after the Alewives.

The “best of the best” was soon to happen. We have heard of this happening but have never witnessed it. An Osprey had just snatched a fish and began to fly off with it. Out of nowhere comes an adult Bald Eagle, hot on the Osprey’s tail. Passing within 20 yards of where we stood the Eagle slams into the Osprey, forcing it to drop the fish. The Eagle banks hard to the right and dives toward the waters surface, grabbing the fish and flying to a nearby spruce to eat its bounty.

I snapped photos of the action, but being toward the sun they are all washed out. I will try to work on some of the photos in Photoshop to make them half decent and will post them in a few days. Needless to say, I was ecstatic that we got to see this happen, but disappointed that the photos turned out awful.

But as I always say, one missed opportunity leads to another opportunity that hopefully won’t be missed. Later in the afternoon, Sharon and I headed across the cove from our home to watch a pair of Bald Eagles that have a nest in the area. On the way to the location, we came across four Red Fox kits and an adult.

As our car rounded a curve, the adult took off with two of the kits behind her. The other two kits stayed behind. One layed down near an old shed and fell asleep. The other gave us the opportunity to photograph it from the car. Remember folks, please do not approach wild animals. The photos below were taken from our car and then we left, all of this taking less than 30 seconds.

Bald Eagle pair

Reaching our destination, we spied a pair of adult Bald Eagles on a islet just off Arrowsic Island. The area is basically off our backyard and we see the pair nearly everyday.

It was not long until the pair flew toward us and to their nest which was not more than 50 yards away. We had no idea were the nest was until the Eagles landed. We stayed away and did not disturb the pair.

The action was not over. Another pair and a first year Bald Eagle came from over Arrowsic Island and landed in the marsh on a high spot. That brought the total to five Bald Eagles in the area we stood. The other pair did not like the proximately of these new arrivals and the chase was on.

Screaming just over our heads, the nesting pair gave chase to the three Eagles. Calls and screeches were exchanged and was not long until the invaders were well out of sight. Sharon and I just stood there in awe, our eyes wide in excitement and our jaws to the ground. I did get an exquisite photo!

The photo showcases an adult Bald Eagle (which I believe to be male), mouth agape screaming at the invaders. It is one of the best shots of an in-flight Bald Eagle I have ever taken. You will have to wait until tomorrow to see it. It will be my submission for the April 27th edition of Bird Photography Weekly.

We soon ran out of light and had to call it quits. I don’t know about you, but I considered this day of in your face Bald Eagles and Ospreys a truly breath-taking experience that we won’t soon forget.

Enjoy the photos from our day in the field. Some of these images are “tall”. Please press f11 on your keyboard to make your browser window larger. Then click the image for a larger view.

Happy birding!

Osprey fishing photos

John Briggs — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:11:28 +0000

Just a quick post today to show a few photos of Osprey fishing near Small Point, Maine. When Sharon and I arrived at the location late this morning during low tide, the sun was already fairly high in the sky. We plan to return for an early Sunday morning photo shoot. The light won’t be as harsh and the lower sun angle should add excellent light to the undercarriage of the Osprey.

These images are “tall”. Please press f11 on your keyboard to make your browser window larger. Then click the image for a larger view.

I have a lot to write about and many photos to show, but little time right now. Rest assured, I will be posting regularly once again beginning tomorrow (Sunday). We are having an absolutely beautiful day (64° F.!) and it’s time to head out for an evening photo shoot.

Happy birding!

Osprey’s Return to Maine