Labor Day Birding

Today: Sept. 6th, 2008: As I watch our feeders being over-run with Juvenile American Goldfinches, you can’t help but wonder if they know that the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna is coming. A literal feeding frenzy has been going on since first light here at Fiddler’s Reach.

 

Even through the gloom of fog and showers, many species of birds are feeding. In anticipation of the four to five inches of rain and strong winds that are expected, I made sure the feeders were filled to the brim early this morning.

 

As Hanna nears, you can watch the progress of the storm on the BathMaineWeather.com Nexrad Radar. Also, as an added bonus, there is a page on the site with Live Buoy Observations.

It’s 1:00 p.m. and we have a influx of Warblers coming to the trees and feeders. As we are trying to identify the Warblers, a Hawk came screaming in to the finch feeder, not snagging any prey and just avoiding a collision with our house.

I have been using a mixture of Niger Seed and Sunflower Chips in my Finch feeders. In our other feeders, we use a regional blend from Wild Birds Unlimited. Choice Blend has nuts, blackoil sunflower seed, safflower, cherries, rasins and suet nuggets.  This mixture is a hit for the birds visiting our feeders. Squirrels love it also, so it’s a good idea to put it in feeders that the Squirrels have no access to.

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Over the Labor Day Weekend, the weather was beautiful. (Saturday morning was cloudy and foggy, but it all burned off by noon.)By simply walking out onto our back deck Saturday morning, we were treated to a Warbler fall out. The action was nearly impossible to keep up with!

Bird watching from your deck or back yard takes little effort, causes no pollution and you have the added benefit of having all of your tools of bird identification on hand.

As all good things come to an end, so did the plethora of birds. A Red-Tailed Hawk flew in and just missed grabbing a Wilson’s Warbler. The Hawk then decided to sit in the tree in the middle of our yard, which in turn kept all birds away for the rest of the morning.

We did manage to tally 50 species!

Location:     Home (Fiddler’s Reach section of the Kennebec River, 2 miles SE of Bath, Maine)
Observation date:     8/30/08
Notes:     Cloudy, light fog, Temp. 60 F. Wind: Calm, Low Tide
Number of species:     50

Canada Goose     35
American Wigeon     1     With Green-Winged Teal and American Black Ducks
American Black Duck     90
Mallard     15
Green-winged Teal     6     With American Black Ducks
Common Loon     1     In Flight
Double-crested Cormorant     16
Great Egret     1
Snowy Egret     9
Little Blue Heron     2
Osprey     1
Bald Eagle     1
Red-tailed Hawk     1     Attempted to grab a Wilson’s Warbler without luck
Semipalmated Plover     13
Lesser Yellowlegs     4
Semipalmated Sandpiper     6
White-rumped Sandpiper     2
Mourning Dove     3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird     7
Downy Woodpecker     2

Hairy Woodpecker     1
Eastern Phoebe     4
American Crow     8
Fish Crow     1     Vocalizing
Common Raven     1
Black-capped Chickadee     7
Tufted Titmouse     6
Red-breasted Nuthatch     1
White-breasted Nuthatch     3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet     2
Gray Catbird     2
Cedar Waxwing     1
Northern Parula     1
Chestnut-sided Warbler     2
Black-throated Blue Warbler     1
Yellow-rumped Warbler     4
Blackburnian Warbler     1
Palm Warbler     1
Blackpoll Warbler     1
Black-and-white Warbler     2
Common Yellowthroat     2
Wilson’s Warbler     3
Chipping Sparrow     8
Clay-colored Sparrow     2     With Chipping Sparrows allowing us to differentiate between the two species.
Savannah Sparrow     1
Song Sparrow     7
Northern Cardinal     2
Purple Finch     2
House Finch     4
American Goldfinch     8

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2

 

Sunday morning, we took a short drive to Atkins Bay. The tide was at low, and shorebirds were out on the mudflats some distance from the shore.

Large flocks of Bonaparte Gulls were competing with shorebirds for space and food. One group of Snowy Egrets in flight numbered 15.

Whimbrels, Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, Great Blue Heron, and many “peeps” could be seen from Green Point. Two first year Bald Eagles were seen flying over Atkins Bay, disappearing over the spruces towards Parker Head. A lone Osprey was seen fishing near Coxs Head where a few Black Ducks and Canada Geese were resting.

Not a bad three-day weekend!

Happy birding!

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Maine Shorebirds

From the south coast of Maine to the Mid-Coast, shorebirds were on the move these last two weekends. Fall migration is well underway and shorebird numbers are not disappointing. (This is a double post for last Saturday along the south coast and this Saturday along the Mid-Coast.)

Last weekend, we visited Goose Rocks Beach, Granite Point and Pine Point to observe the “peeps”. The highlight of the trip was the sighting of a Western Willet, which happen to land a few feet from where I was standing at the Lobster Co-op.

We watched a pair of juvenile Green Herons take turns atanding on a wire out on Granite Point. Also at this location, Northern Harriers were searching the marsh for food, as were Osprey and an immature Bald Eagle.

Goose Rocks Beach held its fair share of shorebirds, but as it was dead low tide while we were there, counts were difficult as the birds were fairly far out on the mudflats.

I have misplaced the list of birds we observed last Saturday morning. Hopefully I’ll find it and amend this post at a later time. In the mean time, enjoy the following pictures from last Saturdays bird watching trip to the south coast of Maine.

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(Click on map and use your up and down arrow keys to view the 3 locations on this map)

Yesterday, Sharon and I followed the peninsula south of Bath for our bird watching trip. It was such a beautiful morning, with bright sunshine and light winds. We birded Tottman Cove. Atkins Bay and Small Point for the first 2 hours after sunrise.

Our highlights were the sighting of a single Great Egret and Solitary Sandpiper at Tottman Cove (Maine Atlas, page 6 D-4) and 3 first year Bald Eagles on Lee Island near the Squirrel Point Light (Maine Atlas, page 6 D-5).

The following is our tally:

Location:     Small Point
Observers:  John and Sharon Briggs
Observation date:     8/23/08
Notes:     Clear Skies; Temp: 58 F.; SSW winds @ 3-5 mph
Number of species:     26

Canada Goose     30
American Black Duck     4
Common Loon     1     (Near pier at Ft. Baldwin)
Double-crested Cormorant     15
Great Egret     1     (Tottman Cove)
Snowy Egret     12
Great Blue Heron   1
Osprey     2     (1 Head Beach; 1 Tottman Cove)
Bald Eagle     3     (3 - 1st year on Lee Island near Squirrel Point Light)
Northern Harrier     3     (1 Sprague River; 2 Atkins Bay)
Red-tailed Hawk     1
Merlin     1
Black-bellied Plover     1
Semipalmated Plover     10
Solitary Sandpiper     1     (Tottman Cove)
Greater Yellowlegs     2
Willet     2
Lesser Yellowlegs     7
Whimbrel     3     (Atkins Bay)
Least Sandpiper     2     (Tottman Cove)
White-rumped Sandpiper     6
Short-billed Dowitcher     5
Long-billed Dowitcher     1
Mourning Dove     8
Belted Kingfisher     3
American Crow     18

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

The following are photos of some of the birds we observed during yesterdays bird watching trip. The Snowy Egret was very cooperative as I stood within 20 yards of it, the sun directly behind me. The bird more than likely had no idea that I was there.

Happy birding!

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Bird versus window

We don’t have many birds flying into our windows here at home. About the worst that happens is a brush by because we keep our feeder within 2 feet of our picture window.

Last evening, this juvenile Black and White Warbler had a fairly decent collision which put it straight to the ground. My wife alerted me that the bird was on the ground dazed and confused. I went out and gently picked up the tiny creature and kept it warm in my hands for a time.

It seemed like this little fella was going to be fine. After 15 minutes or so, it climbed my shirt and perched on my shoulder for a while, looking around and cheeping occasionally.

 My little friend finally shook it off and flew into the trees. But not before leaving me a little present for my help. No problem, it washes off easily. I feel better that the little fella is fine. (Yes I did handle the bird. But it was to protect it from predators while it recovered. I had no intention in causing harm to this migratory bird.)

Ornithologists estimate that up to 100 million birds are killed each year by collisions with windows. These collisions usually involve small songbirds, such as finches, that may fall unnoticed to the ground. Sometimes the birds are merely stunned and recover in a few moments. Often, though, window hits lead to severe internal injuries and death.

Here are a few tips to help avoid these collisions.

• Relocate feeders and other attractants. You can start by simply moving your feeders and birdbaths to new locations. Bird strikes usually occur at particular windows, so moving feeders farther away from them may solve the problem entirely. You can also try placing your feeders much closer to the glass—if a feeder is just a foot or two from a window, birds may still fly into it, but not with enough force to injure themselves.
• Avoid apparent visual tunnels. Bright windows on the opposite wall from your picture window may give the illusion of a visual tunnel through which birds may try to fly. Try making one window less transparent by keeping a shade drawn or a door closed, or by altering the lighting inside the house.
• Commercially available hawk silhouettes are effective at deterring window strikes, as long as you use several. They work not because they look like hawks, but because they break up the window’s appearance. Do not attach objects directly to thermopane windows without consulting the manufacturer.
• Attach branches in front of windows. For a more natural look, attach dead tree branches in front of your window. They may cause the birds to slow down and avoid the window as they fly toward it. You can arrange the branches so they don’t obscure your view.
• Attach hanging objects to deter birds. Hang lightweight, shiny items in front of the window so they move in the breeze and dissuade birds from approaching. Try strips of shiny, reflective plastic (hung a few inches apart), old aluminum pie plates, or unwanted compact discs.
• Reduce reflections with trees or awnings. Reduce the amount of light reaching a problem window by planting shade trees close to it. This will help prevent reflections. However, it will also obstruct your view. Trees take time to grow, so consider shading your window with an awning instead. Either one may help birds by reducing the amount of sky reflected in windows.
• Cover windows with netting. Place netting over the window. It provides a physical barrier to birds flying into the glass, yet won’t obstruct your view. Small-mesh netting is best, so if birds do fly into it they won’t get their heads or bodies entangled but will bounce off unharmed. You can mount the netting on a frame, such as a storm-window frame, for easy installation and removal. You could also try insect screening material.

Another aid in avoiding collisions at night is to draw your blinds so birds don’t see the light inside your home. During night migration, birds are know to fly into windows that have light on the other side. This commonly occurs in taller building such as apartments and high-rises.

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Here on the home front, I am recovering from a back injury. I have not been out and about birding like I would like too, but there’s plenty of action in the yard. Fledglings are everywhere! Parents are feeding the young and juveniles are playing and learning.

Fledged Hummingbirds have this activity not much unlike a game of chicken. They charge at each other until at the very last second, one will dodge, just avoiding a mid-air collision. I have counted at the least 10 Hummingbirds, 6 of which are fledglings.

Chipping Sparrows will eat all that you can provide. Especially if one of these “Chippers” are raising a Brown Headed Cowbird. It is amazing watching the Sparrow feeding a bird 3 to 4 times its size. The fledged Chippers are all over the place and they are noisy.

We had 17 species nesting either on our property or within the immediate vicinity. From Purple Finches, Osprey, and Bald Eagles to a family of Black Ducks and Canada Geese. I will compile the list and report it as soon as I am sure I have identified all the local nesters.

The sun has finally revealed its warmth, after all of this cool, rainy weather we have been having. Hopefully the flooding is over and we can began to enjoy the outdoors once again.

I leave you with a few pictures of a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird that I photographed this morning on one of our feeders.

 

Happy birding!

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Downeast trip and a hummingbird video

During the 4th of July holiday weekend, we made a trip to DownEast, Maine. We spent four days relaxing at the Little River Lodge Bed and Breakfast in Cutler. (Click the blue marker on map for info on this B&B.) Fireworks, lobster boat races, a concert and other activities kept this tiny coastal community hopping most of the weekend.

A stubborn fog bank lingered just offshore the entire time we were in Cutler, keeping coastal area cool. At the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge near Calais, well inland from the coast, temperatures were sultry. Not a drop of rain fell, but dense fog did greet us the last morning we spent at the B&B.

Birding was not spectacular. Mid-Summer is not the best time of year to bird, but we did see plenty of Warblers feeding fledglings, Bald Eagles soaring and Osprey shielding young from the hot sun with their wings.

We did not go out of our way to seek birds. Mostly it was just a sight seeing tour. The Puffin cruise was out of the question for us because of the fog bank. A few hearty souls did venture out to Machias Seal Island, looking for the clown-faced bird. We plan to make reservations next summer to the famed island, which holds the largest Puffin colony on the Maine coast.

I did manage to get a few bird photos. Most of these pictures are of the beautiful scenery of the DownEast Maine coast. Enjoy!

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This past weekend, I shot video of a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird resting on our feeder pole. This male was tired from chasing away other males and looks as if it wants to fall asleep.

Dimension: 520×450 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | File Size: 4.61mb
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Streaming Video of Ruby-Throated Hummingbird | ©2008 birdingmaine.com

Get the Flash Player to see this player.  

Happy birding!

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Bird Feathers #5

The fifth in a series of occassional rundowns of what’s happening in the world of birds, birding and bird blogging.

An eye for the Maine chance | Maine Audubon has completed the initial stage of its Important Bird Areas (IBA) program, identifying 22 areas in Maine as critical to state and global bird populations.

Birds Migrate Earlier, But Some May Be Left Behind As The Climate Warms Rapidly | Many birds are arriving earlier each spring as temperatures warm along the East Coast of the United States. However, the farther those birds journey, the less likely they are to keep pace with the rapidly changing climate.

Birds Communicate Reproductive Success In Song | Some migratory songbirds figure out the best place to live by eavesdropping on the singing of others that successfully have had baby birds — a communication and behavioral trait so strong that researchers playing recorded songs induced them to nest in places they otherwise would have avoided.

Birds and bats need protection from wind turbines | If we’re going to have wind turbines to produce electricity — and, sadly, it looks like we may — then why not equip them with safety devices to warn off birds and bats?

How Birds Can Capture a Kid’s Imagination | If you’re trying to pry your kid away from an iPod, a Hannah Montana video or Webkinz, why not go outside and find birds? That’s what veteran bird-watcher Bill Thompson III, who wrote The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, suggests.

Bill of the Birds | Bill Thompson, III blogs about the time he is spending on Hog Island Audubon Camp in here in Maine.

I will leave you with a few photos taken last weekend at Goose Rocks Beach. Included are photos of a Piping plover chick, a male Dunlin and photos of lupine in bloom. Enjoy!

 

For those of you with a broadband connection, under the dropdown “Video” tab in the menu at the top of the page, there is a “Featured Video” tab. These videos are at an even higher resolution. The file size averages 6 to 7 mb. The current video is a Tufted Titmouse bathing in a bird bath.

Happy birding!

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