How Birds Stay Cool in the Summer

July 7, 2011

I watched several Tree Swallows recently and noticed that when they stuck their head out of the hole in the nest box, it looked as if they were panting. After a little research, I found that an open mouth is one sign that a bird might be overheating and working to lower its body temperature.

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Birding in Maine 5 Year Anniversary

July 3, 2011

Five years ago today, on July 3rd, 2006, my first blog entry was posted on the Birding in Maine web site. At the time, I had a point and shoot camera and little knowledge of where to bird in Maine. Blogging was new to me and I was not even sure that any one would visit. The [...]

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Hairy Woodpecker Fledgling

July 1, 2011

They are clumsy, curious, and fly with the grace of a wet rag. Waiting in a tree near the feeders, the fledged Hairy Woodpecker vocalizes loudly while waiting for one of its parents to bring it food. Occasionally, it will swoop at the suet feeder, only to miss and tumble to the ground. After a [...]

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Photo of the Day: Flaming Gorget

June 29, 2011

The right time, right place, right angle, right exposure and a lot of patience are all required to capture the full brilliance of a Hummingbird’s gorget. The gorget is the brilliantly colored area on the throat of a male Hummingbird and is a result of iridescence and not color pigments. *The throat feathers on a [...]

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Baltimore Oriole Fledgling

June 24, 2011

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 [...]

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Saltmarsh Sparrow

June 21, 2011

Saltmarsh Sparrow – Ammodramus caudacutus The Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows were once thought to be the same species and were known as the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Upon discovery, through DNA analysis, that the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow has two distinct populations, each merited status as a full species. Therefore, Ammodramus caudacutus was split into A. caudacutus and A. [...]

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Photo of the Day: Hovering Hummingbird

June 17, 2011

I am hoping that you are not getting tired of the Hummingbird photos. There are so many around this year, and because of this, it gives me a chance to hone in on my in-flight photos. The female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been more or less absent from the nectar feeders, leading me to believe they are on [...]

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