Birding in Maine» pictures

Wordless Wednesday: Moose

John Briggs — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:40:08 +0000

Moose - Magalloway Plantation, Maine | Click thumbnail for larger view

Get Wordless over at Wordless Wednesday.

Skywatch Friday: Sunrise at Dixville Notch

John Briggs — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:20:06 +0000

Sunrise at Dixville Notch, NH | Click thumbnail for larger view

Skywatch Friday

Spring in Maine – Birds

John Briggs — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:03:29 +0000

You can feel, hear and see it as soon as you walk out the door. The warm air, the singing of the birds, the crocus and daffodils pushing through the ground; you have walked right into Spring, bursting forth with life and you are happy to be alive!

On Wednesday, the mercury topped out at 70° F here along the mid coast of Maine. Thanks to a sea breeze (an almost daily occurrence during the spring and summer months along coastal locations) temperatures have been hanging around the upper 50′s to low 60′s. On this same Wednesday, Portland, Maine soared to 85° F. and several inland locations ended up just a degree shy of ninety! I was also awakened in the middle of the night by a thunderstorm this week. Spring in Maine!

Birds are migrating and they are stopping by our feeders for a quick “pick me up” before continuing their journey. On Thursday of this week, 6 Osprey were fishing in our cove and an adult Bald Eagle was harassing ever one that it could. A pair of Osprey are repairing a nest nearby and I saw Bald Eagles carrying moderate sized tree branches to a nest just across the cove from where we live. It’s as if someone threw a huge switch signifying the start of Spring!

The following list represents birds recorded from our home over the course of several hours on Thursday.

Location: Home – Bath, Maine
Observation date: 4/9/10
Number of species: 46

Canada Goose 8
Wood Duck 4
American Black Duck 11
Mallard 6
Blue-winged Teal 1
Green-winged Teal 15
Ring-necked Duck 2
Bufflehead 2
Red-breasted Merganser 2
Wild Turkey 3
Common Loon 2
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 4
Osprey 6
Bald Eagle 3 (2 adults and 1 – 3rd year)
Northern Harrier 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Mourning Dove 6
Belted Kingfisher 1
Downy Woodpecker 3
Hairy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 4
American Crow 8
Tree Swallow 11
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Brown Creeper 1
American Robin 5
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1
Pine Warbler 1
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 7
Dark-eyed Junco 6
Northern Cardinal 2
Red-winged Blackbird 12
Common Grackle 5
Brown-headed Cowbird 6
Purple Finch 5
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 8

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

The following are bird photographs taken this week from our home, including a male Purple Finch I lovingly call “Peg Leg”. The bird is missing a foot but seems to be doing very well. I have seen it eating, singing and chasing other male finches from the feeder.

Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized shadow box photo. Controls at the bottom of the full-sized photo will take you to the next photo.

Happy birding!

Skywatch Friday: Snowy Birdhouse

John Briggs — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:24:28 +0000

Snow laden skies are my favorite. There is a unique beauty in snow falling from the sky. In its aftermath, the landscape is transformed into a work of art unknown to other seasons. The following image was captured last weekend in our backyard, near the edge of the cove.

Snow covered nest box - Bath, Maine | Click thumbnail for larger view

Skywatch Friday

Happy birding!

Wayward January Bird

John Briggs — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:07:01 +0000

Here in Maine, winter has had a grip since late fall with snow, bitter cold and wind. Migratory birds have long gone on their trek to warmer climes. During the snowstorm last Saturday, I noticed a very puffed up bird feeding on a distant suet feeder. I thought for sure it was a warbler, but with a driving snow it was hard to positively ID even through binoculars.

Fast forward to today. Upon returning home after picking up this semester’s books in South Portland ($511.00 for books, unbelievable!), I noticed a puffed up bird on the feeders just outside our picture window. I grabbed my camera and went into our bedroom, lowered the upper part of the window, and took the photos below of a Yellow-rumped Warbler. I use the bedroom window as a sort of a blind when birds are at the feeders closest to our house.

Even now, as I write this post, the little fella is feeding at the wreath feeder in a lightly falling snow, puffed up to protect itself from the biting cold. The Warbler seems to prefer the peanut butter and seed pine cones. Once he has his fill, he flies into the Christmas tree that I put outside for the birds.

Enjoy these photo of our wayward Yellow-Rumped Warbler and a few photos of a Dark-eyed Junco. Clicking a thumbnail will open a larger sized view in a shadowbox.

Happy birding!