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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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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Warblers everywhere

This evening after having our meal, Sharon and I went to the back yard with the binoculars to do some bird watching. Flitting in the trees were a wide variety of Warblers, including two who now grace our life list.

Although I did not get any photos because of the lack of good light, our necks were aching after following the acrobatic birds doing there bug gleaning in the tree tops.

The Nashville and the Black and White Warblers were a first for us. I loved watching the Black and White move around the tree similar to how a Nuthatch maneuvers in a tree. Other Warblers would hover at times, trying for that juicy bug.

Among the madness in the trees, were American Goldfinches who would fool you for a split second as we tried to identify the bird action. At one point, 20 Goldfinches were either on the feeders or staging in the trees.

Most of these Warblers will be moving on to thier nesting areas, and I am hoping several species will stay and make our home thier home.

Here is the Warbler tally from this evening. (I am sure there are many more we missed, they are so hard to follow!)

Location:     Bath, Maine (Home)
Observers:    John & Sharon Briggs
Observation date:     5/6/08
Notes:     Partly cloudy, temp low 50’s
Number of species:     8

Nashville Warbler     1
Northern Parula     4
Yellow Warbler     2
Yellow-rumped Warbler     3
Palm Warbler     3
Palm Warbler (Yellow)     2
Black-and-white Warbler     4
Wilson’s Warbler     2

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2

As a side note, I am finding more and more characters out there stealing my images. As a photographer, I am outraged when people grab photos off the web and use them without consideration of copyright. I’ve been fighting this “It’s on the Internet, so it must be free!” ignorance for more than three years now.

Folks, if you see any of my images on the net, especially without a credit back to me or my website, please email me and let me know. There are several entities and people who I have given permission to use my images and they have a credit line with the image.

Happy birding!

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