Willets, Egrets and foxes oh my

Continuing from the previous article.

Late Sunday morning, my wife and I went to the Fuller Farm which is west of Scarborough, Maine. We walked the trails looking for birds and other wildlife. The Bobolinks were absent, but a Chestnut-Sided Warbler was seen and others heard throughout the woods. The time of day kept our species count down, but we recorded a Pileated Woodpecker and an Indigo Bunting. We are going to revisit the farm this weekend and will start as soon as the sunrises, which should allow for more birds to be seen.

On First Avenue in Biddeford Pool Saturday morning, we saw Tree Swallows exhibiting breeding behavior on a powerline. (photos below) A cooperative Eastern Willet allowed a few photographs at Granite Point later in the day.

This is the final installment of the series of articles which highlighted our birding adventures this past weekend. The photos below are also highlights mentioned in this and the other two articles. Simply click a thumbnail for a larger view. Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Happy birding!

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Terns and Gulls

Continuing from the previous article, Sunday morning brought a pleasant surprise when we arrived at Vines Landing in Biddeford Pool.

At slack tide, hundreds of fish were surfacing in the Gut and Common Terns along with Bonaparte Gulls were having their fill of the tasty treats. We stood in amazement as the Terns hovered and then dove to capture their prey. The Gulls were no less acrobatic, plunging into the water and re-emerging with a mouth full of fish.

Double-Crested Cormorants and Snowy Egrets also participated in the feeding frenzy. A lone Black-Crowned Night Heron made his way along the opposite shore, becoming angered when seagulls and Egrets came near.

It is quite difficult to photograph the action when these birds are swooping and diving, especially with a background that includes rocks and a grassy hillside. Gaining focus was troublesome, but it was fun none-the-less.

Please enjoy the action as we saw it Sunday morning at the Gut.

Tomorrow: Egrets and the rest of the action.

Happy birding!

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A Sunday to remember

I am going to do things a little different this week. Because of the spectacular birding adventure we had today, I am going to post several articles daily so I don’t overwhelm this site with a bunch of bird pictures in one article.

This first installment will focus on the very cooperative Semipalmated Sandpipers we encountered on Curtis Cove near Biddeford Pool.

Saturday was a dreary and a very cool day that was good for nothing but sleeping, and maybe shopping if that is your forte. We did bird our regular loop early in the morning, but nothing much was going on. (Those who knows us can attest to the fact that we have not missed a Saturday or Sunday morning of birding in over a year.)

Watching the news Saturday evening, we anxiously waited for the weatherman to give us a sliver of hope that the sun may shine on Sunday. He said it would, but as always, we doubted him.

Sunday morning rolls around and I roll out of bed at 5:15 a.m. Slipping on my glasses, I looked out the stairway window. BLUE SKIES!! Honey, let’s go, the sun is up and shinning!

Grabbing a quick coffee at a local haunt, we then headed to Granite Point. Upon arriving at our favorite birding site, we were greeted with multitudes of Tree and Barn Swallows. Looking across the marsh, Canada Geese, Great and Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons and Willets busied themselves with their prey. Song Sparrows sang from perches. Red-Winged Blackbirds blessed our ears with their melodious tunes. Goldfinches flitted about the trees and shrubs. A Red Fox scurried across the marsh with an unidentified animal in its mouth, soon disappearing into the woods to consume its bounty.

Arriving at Curtis Cove, we spied a large group of Semipalmated Sandpipers on the beach. Carefully and slowly I approached the group to within 50 yards, and waited for what I knew would be little time before they would come my way. And come my way they did!

The following series of pictures are the Semipalmated Sandpiper. A beautiful and delicate creature that flies with grace and cadence, and also can be comical while feeding along the surf line. Simply click a thumbnail for a larger view. Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated!

Tomorrows installment: Terns and Bonaparte Gulls.

Happy birding!

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Birding in Pennsylvania

Maybe the heading of this article is misleading, as the weather played a role in the lack of birds we saw while in Pennsylvania over the Memorial Day weekend. The weather was hot, with a high of 92 F. and humidity in the 70 percent range on both Saturday and Sunday. Mornings started out foggy, and by afternoon, heavy thunderstorms pounded the area.

We stayed in Mifflintown, PA. with my brother and his family. Situated along the Juniata River in central Pennsylvania, the area is normally a birding hot spot. But with the weather conditions, birds were keeping to the deep woods to stay cool. The photo below of a Tree Swallow shows how hot the weather was. This little fella was not scolding me for being near, but actually panting to keep cool, such a dog does.

Trying to stay cool ourselves and dodging thunderstorms, we stayed indoors most of the time. Maybe when we visit again in the fall, the weather will be more inviting. The first few pictures below are from our trip to the Keystone State.

Locally, this weekend featured some heavy thunderstorms, haze and fog. But the birds did not seem to mind. At least it was not sweltering!

Sharon and I recorded and photographed two life birds this weekend in the Biddeford Pool area. A male Black-Bellied Plover and a male and female Ruddy Turnstone. And yet another life bird at the Kennebunk Plains: a male Prairie Warbler. Other birds seen this weekend:

• Black-Bellied Plover*
• Ruddy Turnstone* 
• Prairie Warbler*
• Double-Crested Cormorant
• Least Terns
• Willets
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Common Eider
• Eastern Kingbirds
• Yellow  Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• Red-Winged Blackbirds
• Turkey Vultures
• Blue Herons
• Great Egrets
• Snowy Egrets
• Canada Geese
• Mallards
• Black Ducks
• Song Sparrows
• Tree Sparrows
• American Goldfinch
• House Finch
• European Starlings
• House Sparrows
• American Robins
• Cedar Waxwings

A note about the Blue Herons. After several weeks of not seeing Blue Herons in the area, a flight of 5 flew over Etherington Pond in Biddeford Pool Saturday morning. Another 2 were seen on Granite Point. A large group of Eastern Kingbirds also arrived on Granite point this weekend. They seemed to be everywhere.

Enjoy the photos of birds and other creatures we photographed during the last two weeks. Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized view. Comments and criticisms are appreciated.

Hoping for blue skies. Happy birding!

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Rainy day activity

Despite the gloomy weekend, birds were still numerous if you were there to see them. Conditions for photography were terrible, but that did not stop the birds from flitting about the area.

My wife and I decided to forgo Evergreen this weekend and instead, birded our regular loop. From Granite Point to Biddeford Pool, the birding was not disappointing. Black-Bellied Plovers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Dunlins in full breeding color populated the beach at Curtis Cove. A lone pair of Common Terns were on the beach as seen from Bay Street in Biddeford Pool. Warblers flitted around the bushes along Etherington Pond near Fortunes Rock Beach.

A few opportunities did present themselves for a couple of photos, including a few shots of a Wilson’s Warbler near Fortunes Rock Beach. Enjoy these photos by simply clicking a thumbnail for a larger view. Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Happy birding!

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