T.S. Hanna Aftermath

New England survived the remnants of Tropical Storm Hanna last night. Here at home, we received 5.80″ of rain in under ten hours and had a high wind gust of 31 m.p.h. The highest rainfall amount locally that I heard about was 6.92″ in Gray, Maine. At times last night, the torrential downpours woke me up but no lightning or thunder was observed.

I took a ride this morning to Popham Beach State Park. Several low lying areas had water across the road, a few branches and limbs were down and light beach erosion was evident at the park. We have a new pond beside our driveway, but it is receding nicely.

The birds seemed to fare well here at home. Hummingbirds and juvenile American Goldfinches were at the feeders before the sun came up this morning. Eleven Green-Winged Teals with 2 Blue-Winged Teals mixed in were observed this morning in the river just off our back yard.

Down at Popham Beach, not much activity was observed. A few Dunlin and a smattering of Semipalmated Plovers were feeding on the exposed flats.  A lone Osprey was seen hovering near the Seguin Island Lighthouse and several Double-Crested Cormorants were seen toward the Morris River. We had a juvenile Herring Gull follow us around like a puppy while we were on the beach.

All in all not a devastating storm except for a few flooded roads and basements.

The view early this morning from Popham Beach State Park:

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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Psycho Birder and a busy yard bird morning

A bird watching woman is attacked by an uncontrolled dog. She voices her concern to the dogs owner about the leash law…. she is called a psycho birder.

A local news paper runs a story about wind turbines being considered for an area in Western Maine, which is located near an Avian Rehabilitation Clinic. The owner of this establishment was interviewed by the paper. In the comments section at the end of the story, a war of words break out. Birders are being called tree huggers, whining birders, nut jobs, and a few swear words that I will not repeat. In reference to a Mourning Dove that the article reported had been recently released, one fella commented that the Dove makes a great dish, tasting like chicken. Others said that if birds are stupid enough to run into the turbine blades, they should be killed. Misinformation was running rampant.

Let me ask you, what does this war of words solve? Do some people really think that cursing and name calling help solve the problems we have today? If I call my congressman and call him names, and use every derogatory remark known to man because gasoline prices are high, will I be able to step back and watch the price go down? No, it won’t happen! I look like an idiot and the price continues to rise.

It is beyond me why people can’t have a civilized debate about an issue without going off the deep end. There are always two sides to an issue. The environment, politics, global warming, war or any other issue that we have deep feelings about. Nothing is solved when tempers flare, it only makes matters worse. We have to keep calm heads even if our hearts are hot.

Incidents like this are happening nationwide, and not only to birders. I worry over environmental issues, the war, gas prices, how much it will cost to heat my home this winter, and many other things. But my biggest worry is how some people are acting these days. I worry about our nation as a whole and how much longer this can last before we have gone beyond the point of no return.

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On a lighter note, it was a great morning to watch yard birds from the confines of our home on this chilly, rainy Saturday. Between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., Sharon and I recorded 33 species!

We put out meal worms in very small dishes and the birds cleaned them all up. Chickadees took 3 to 4 at a time, Nuthatches and Titmice would fly off with single worms. More than likely, there were some happy baby birds this morning with this high protein diet.

Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers are making trips to our suet feeders and leaving with beaks full to feed the young ones. Tree Swallows are entering nest boxes with bugs. It won’t be long until fledglings will be visiting the feeders themselves.

We added new yard birds to our tally today, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting and Brown Thrasher.

The 33 species recorded:

• Gray Catbird (pair)
• Rose-Breasted Grosbeak (pair)
• Common Yellowthroat
• Tufted Titmouse (pairs)
• White-Breasted Nuthatch
• Red-Breasted Nuthatch
• Northern Cardinal (pair)
• Downy Woodpecker (pair)
• Hairy Woodpecker (pair)
• Brown Thrasher
• Indigo Bunting
• Blackcapped Chickadee (pairs)
• American Robin
• Song Sparrow
• Tree Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• American Goldfinch (pairs)
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Red-Winged Blackbird (pair)
• Yellow-Rumped Warbler
• Black and White Warbler
• Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
• Mourning Dove
• Great-Crested Flycatcher
• Eastern Phoebe
• Canada Geese
• Great Blue Heron
• Snowy Egret
• Osprey
• Mallards
• Black Ducks
• Greater Yellowlegs

Happy birding!

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The Hummingbirds are here

Just a quick post this evening. Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are back and visiting everyone of our ten hummingbird feeders. Some territories are being set up and it looks like we my have a breeding pair or two this year. If only the Baltimore Orioles were as plentiful. Still no Orioles as of this time.

Tomorrow morning, Sharon and I will be at the Evergeen Cemetary and Capisic Park in Portand to look for Wablers. We are hoping this “hotspot” for migrating Warblers will be very productive and the photographs plentiful.

The following photos of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird was taken on our feeder this morning. Enjoy!

 

Happy birding!

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