Birding in Maine» pictures http://www.birdingmaine.com Bird, wildlife and nature photography from Maine and beyond. Read about our Maine bird watching adventures and view our beautiful photos and videos of nature at her finest. Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:55:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Photo of the Day: Eastern Chipmunk http://www.birdingmaine.com/photo-of-the-day-eastern-chipmunk.htm http://www.birdingmaine.com/photo-of-the-day-eastern-chipmunk.htm#comments Fri, 29 Oct 2010 20:19:56 +0000 John Briggs http://www.birdingmaine.com/?p=3016

Winter is surely near when you see a Chipmunk, cheeks full of bird seed, scurrying across the yard and then disappearing into a hole in the ground. We have baffles on our feeding stations, but most birds throw enough seed to the ground to keep the Chipmunks happy.

The chipmunks preferred home is an intricate system of inter-connecting tunnels, 12-30 feet in length and 2 inches in diameter. This burrow system usually has one unobstructed entrance with the opening of other tunnels that lead to the surface plugged with leaves. Most tunnels are 18-36 inches deep, but a few penetrate deeper and serve as drains to minimize flooding. A chamber, 6-10 inches in diameter, contains a nest of leaves and several passageways to food storage galleries. A chipmunk may dig part of the burrow system using its forefeet and cheek pouches to loosen and transport soil, but the renovation of old root channels and existing burrows of other mammals is the primary method of burrow construction.

All photos taken with a Canon 7D and a Canon 400mm f/4 L IS lens. Simply click a thumbnail for a full-sized view.

Eastern Chipmunk

Eastern Chipmunk

Happy birding!

 

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

.

No related posts.

]]> http://www.birdingmaine.com/photo-of-the-day-eastern-chipmunk.htm/feed 5 Photo of the Day – Water Lilies http://www.birdingmaine.com/photo-of-the-day-water-lilies.htm http://www.birdingmaine.com/photo-of-the-day-water-lilies.htm#comments Sat, 11 Sep 2010 12:09:07 +0000 John Briggs http://www.birdingmaine.com/?p=2944

Beautiful water lilies photographed at a private pond on Bailey Island, Maine.

Pink Water Lilies

Pink Water Lilies - Bailey Island, Maine | Click thumbnail for larger view.

Happy birding!

 

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

.

No related posts.

]]> http://www.birdingmaine.com/photo-of-the-day-water-lilies.htm/feed 5 Wordless Wednesday: Moose http://www.birdingmaine.com/wordless-wednesday-moose.htm http://www.birdingmaine.com/wordless-wednesday-moose.htm#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:40:08 +0000 John Briggs http://www.birdingmaine.com/?p=2708

Moose

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

Get Wordless over at Wordless Wednesday.

 

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

.

No related posts.

]]> http://www.birdingmaine.com/wordless-wednesday-moose.htm/feed 1 Skywatch Friday: Sunrise at Dixville Notch http://www.birdingmaine.com/skywatch-friday-sunrise-at-dixville-notch.htm http://www.birdingmaine.com/skywatch-friday-sunrise-at-dixville-notch.htm#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 14:20:06 +0000 John Briggs http://www.birdingmaine.com/?p=2561

Sunrise at Dixville Notch, NH

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

Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday

 

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

.

No related posts.

]]> http://www.birdingmaine.com/skywatch-friday-sunrise-at-dixville-notch.htm/feed 5 Spring in Maine – Birds http://www.birdingmaine.com/spring-in-maine-birds.htm http://www.birdingmaine.com/spring-in-maine-birds.htm#comments Sat, 10 Apr 2010 19:03:29 +0000 John Briggs http://www.birdingmaine.com/?p=2361
  • Here and There – Maine Birds
  • Birding in Maine 5 Year Anniversary
    • ]]>

    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.

    Osprey Osprey Male Purple Finch Male Purple Finch Male Purple Finch Common Grackle American Goldfinch Female Purple Finch Female Purple Finch Female Common Eider Female Common Eider Chipmunk Potts Harbor, Maine

    Happy birding!

     

    ©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

    .

    Related posts:

    1. Here and There – Maine Birds
    2. Birding in Maine 5 Year Anniversary

    ]]>     http://www.birdingmaine.com/spring-in-maine-birds.htm/feed 15