Birding in Maine» bird photos

Pictorial: Birds of Summer 2009

John Briggs — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:35:52 +0000

I have been battling a nasty cold since the weekend and now have thoughts of H1N1. Attending classes are out of the question for the time being. With the free time on my hands, I have been catching up on course work and selecting photos for my birds of summer review. Coughing and sneezing my way through the photos, I have picked some of my favorites.

We hope you enjoy these bird photographs. Some of you may have already seen most of them, but it’s fun remembering the photos taken during the warm summer months. It won’t be long until the breath of winter will be upon us. Cold, snow, and ice… bringing along the birds of winter.

Note: Some of the photos are “tall”. Hitting the f11 key before viewing full-sized photos will open your browser to its fullest top to bottom size.

Happy birding!

Great Blue Heron Fishing

John Briggs — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:16:19 +0000

I was going through photos on one of my hard drives today and came across an immature Great Blue Heron fishing in a small pool of water. I don’t recall ever posting them on this site, so I thought I would share a few with you.

Taken September of 2008 at Biddeford Pool, Maine. I remember it being cold that day, and I crawled down a drainage ditch to get a better perspective. At one point, a car stopped and a child got out and started throwing rocks into the water. With me wearing camo, the occupants of the car didn’t know I was there until a rock whizzed by my head and I let out a “Watch it!” They left and the Heron and I were alone. Here’s the results.

Click on image for larger view.

Immature Great Blue Heron

Happy birding!

The Majestic Bald Eagle

John Briggs — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:13:03 +0000

Being in the right place at the right time makes a world of difference when bird watching.

Take this morning for example. Doing my morning ritual of filling the bird feeders, I saw a third year Bald Eagle soaring over the cove off our back yard. It was making passes within 50 yards of where I stood, so I headed back into the house to get my camera.

Returning to my vantage point, the Eagle was nowhere to be found. While thinking about making a homemade holster for my camera rig so it’s always handy and nearly ready to give up on the Eagle, I saw movement to my right. Coming from the narrows on the Winnegance Bridge side of the cove were a pair of adult Bald Eagles.

At first, the pair kept their distance, doing an in-flight courtship ritual. Diving and swirling around each other at a very high altitude, I watched in awe and silently hoped that they would get closer. Suddenly, the pair seemed to tumble earthward. I thought they had a collision! Just before crashing into the spruce trees on the other side of the cove, the pair split off. One came directly toward me, the other heading toward Doubling Point Lighthouse with American Crows on its heals.

It is very difficult to photograph a Bald Eagle screaming directly toward you. The focus is forever changing, even with AI focus tracking turned on. Suddenly the Eagle turned and I began firing away. In no time flat it was gone. I noticed my heart thumping in my chest. WOW!

As I went through the photos, The head on shots were awful. Should I have tried to change my angle? In doing this I risk spooking the bird. Maybe I better practice photographing birds coming head on. Most of my problem was that the cameras settings were set for a previous shoot that I did and in all the excitement, I didn’t make any changes. I did gather myself together enough to make adjustments when the Eagle turned.

I did a little research on the internet to found out what was going on with the pair. It seems that indeed they were falling toward earth on purpose:

Once attracted to a potential partner, the Bald Eagle may begin one of several elaborate courtship rituals called “cartwheeling.” In this magnificent display, the Eagles soar to dizzying heights, lock talons, and begin a breathtakingly death-defying plunge to the earth. Just moments before striking the ground, the eagles disengage and once again soar to the heavens. If the timing is not perfect, certain death awaits this pair of speeding bullets.

What a fantastic morning! Three Bald Eagles and a couple of decent photos to accompany the memories. If only that 600mm lens was a little more affordable, I might have photos of this ritual.

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: Canon 100-400mm IS L
Handheld with BushHawk

All thumbnail photos are clickable to bring up a larger view. Enjoy!

Bald Eagle in Flight | Bath, Maine

Happy birding!

Longing For Spring

John Briggs — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:03:00 +0000

Doubling Point Lighthouse | Click for larger view

It has been a long, cold and snowy winter so far here in Maine. I love the snow, but I am ready for the sights, sounds and smells of spring.

I long for the view seen on the left, the Doubling Point Lighthouse as seen from our back yard in the spring. At the present time, our cove is choked with ice, and Arrowsic Island looks like a wintry landscape postcard scene.

After a while, I tire of the cold and gray days, the incessant howl of the wind and the layers upon layers of snow. When will I be able to open the windows and bring in some fresh air and hear the birds singing? Possibly when May comes around, or maybe a day or two in April when the winds are not blowing in from the sea.

I leave you with the reasons why I am so excited for Spring to come to Maine. The beautiful birds that grace our spring landscape.

Eastern Phoebe | Click for larger view

Nashville Warbler | Click for larger view

Northern Flicker | Click for larger view

Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Click for larger view

Snowy Egret | Click for larger view

White-throated Sparrow | Click for larger view

Happy birding!

Photo of the Day: Hummingbird Elegance

A visit to Biddeford Pool

John Briggs — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:54:25 +0000

Sharon and I visited Biddeford Pool this morning. We met with Bob Malbon at Granite Point around 6:30 a.m. and had great views of a Great Egret feeding on fish. The marsh was alive with Willets and Snowy Egrets, Tree Swallows swooped low over the pannes and Northern Mockingbirds sang their many songs.

We left Granite Point and visited Goose Rocks Beach, where shorebird numbers are increasing. Male Least Terns were serenading females, offering a fish to win over a mate. Piping Plovers were also numerous, with one chick seen and videotaped from a safe distance. Semipalmated Plovers, Black-Bellied Plovers, White-Rumped Sandpipers, Dunlin, Double-Crested Cormorants, Willets and Canada Geese were also seen in great numbers.

A large group of male and female Common Eider were seen with many chicks at Goose Rocks Beach and Fortunes Rock Beach. At the “Gut” at Vines Landing in Biddeford Pool, two Green Herons flew in and perched on some rocks. Several Common and Least Terns were also fishing at this location.

Two new yard birds for us today: a pair of Roseate Terns flying over the yard and a Great Egret feeding with Greater Yellowlegs, Snowy Egrets and Great Blue Herons at low tide.

Enjoy the following bird photos from our trip to Biddeford Pool this morning. Simply click a thumbnail for a larger view. Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Happy birding!

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