Pileated Woodpecker and Cedar Waxwings

After being away for a few days, we returned home today to a few surprises in our yard. Cedar Waxwings were everywhere, including a lone Bohemian Waxwing. Juvenile and Adult Cedars were eating blueberries that we left on our high bush plants, swallowing the berries whole and getting into fights with each other and the Gray Catbirds who liked them also.

While I was in the yard trying to photograph the Cedar Waxwings, a Merlin flew by within two feet of where I stood and chased down a Song Sparrow. Narrowly missing the sparrow, the Merlin disappeared into the trees near the Winnegance Bridge.

Quite a few Warblers and Blue Jays were around, but the Warblers were to panicky to get good id’s. Tree Sparrows were very numerous along with a Savannah and Lincoln’s Sparrow.

During low tide, the river held 38 Canada Geese, one Green-Winged Teal and a lone Greater Yellowlegs.

On our way home today from our trip, we pulled off the side of the road to look at a map. As we were preparing to pull back out onto the road, a movement caught my eye. A Pileated Woodpecker was working a rotting tree stump no more than 15 feet away.

I must have looked suspect to passer-bys as I had half my body protruding out of the moon roof in our SUV taking pictures and video of this large woodpecker. At one point, a Bald Eagle flew overhead and the woodpecker slid around to the other side of the stump until all was clear. We would have never known that this fella was there if I had not seen the movement out of the corner of my eye.

Enjoy the photos and video below. *Tip* For full view of the pictures that are “tall and narrow”, press F11 on your keyboard to make your browser window as large as possible. If you do not do this, the picture will resize within your browser and you may not get the full size.

 

 

The following steaming high definition video portrays a Pileated Woodpecker searching for food in a rotted tree stump. A broadband connection is recommended to view the video.

Dimension: 518×291 | Video bit rate: 1000Kbps | File Size: 12.6mb
Playback: Click Play Button | Broadband Connection Recommended
Streaming Video of Pileated Woodpecker | ©2008 birdingmaine.com

 

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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

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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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Another Woodpecker Video

UPDATE 6/8/08: Having too much trouble embedding video into the post. Please click the link to play the WMV format movie in your default player.

Working this video through my video editing program, I have rendered a larger sized video with a smaller file size as requested. The video is embedded into this post. Click the play button and enjoy. The video was taken on a cloudy day, but sunny days are ahead!

If anyone has a problem playing or seeing this video, please let me know.

  Male Hairy Woodpecker (wmv format 6mb)

 

Happy birding!

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Hairy Woodpecker Video

Male Hairy Woodpecker

Testing out the capabilities of our new Sony HD camcorder.

The above video is a 8mb file, so dial-up users beware!  (clicking the link will open the video in your default wmv player) I am still learning my video editing program, so be patient for videos with smaller file sizes, but in a larger format.

Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Happy birding!

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