My favorite bird is the Bufflehead. They are adorable companions through the long Maine Winters . . . Arriving around the first of November and leaving in May. I saw our first female Buffy a couple days ago and the first male today. Lots of rain for the last month . . . today was […]
Went over the Fort Williams Park (home of the famous Portland Headlight) for a little birding at dawn. Everyone living in Cape Elizabeth seemed to be taking photos and walking dogs . . . and literally saw only Herring Gulls, Pigeons and House Sparrows. So I left the Park and drove a mile down the […]
A disappointing lunch time visit to Crescent Beach (virtually no birds) left me looking for another location to look for birds. I decided upon Spurwink Marsh . . . near the boat landing. I quickly saw our first Bufflehead of the year (a female), some late to migrate Yellow-legs and then stunningly, an American Bittern […]
A quick run to the drug store at lunch time (followed by a birding side trip) produced a Cape May Warbler . . . the third late warbler this week. Head south boys . . . the snow will be here quick. Lots of other birds seen in a ten minute stop. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”146″ […]
Bailey Island is at the end of a 15 mile long finger of land that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean . . . and provides for interesting birding and stormy weather. Highlights: A Cooper Hawk and a Palm Warbler [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”145″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
Last night was the third game of the Red Sox/Dodgers World Series. I started watching the game on a Jet Blue flight just after leaving Tampa; watched it thru an hour and a half layover at JFK; and then watched the final 9 innings in Cape Elizabeth… incredible game that ended at 3:30 am. I […]
On a business trip yesterday, I was walking into the JFK terminal and a House Sparrow practically hit me in the head. Over my 2 hour layover I saw dozens of them patiently sitting in the rafters waiting for french fries to fall from traveler’s laps. Amazing how the House Sparrow (an invasive species) from […]
At dawn this morning I left our condo in Cape Elizabeth determined to get the Yellow-billed Cuckoo that has been hanging out near the lighthouses. I wasn’t optimistic as a terrible storm had come through the night before (knocking out the Cable and the first 4 innings of the World Series . . . Go […]
I scooted over the Great Salt Bay in Damariscotta to try and spot the Dickcissel that was seen there yesterday. It was a brisk but sunny fall day and there were birds everywhere. No Dickcissels but Song, Savannah and Lincoln Sparrows; Sandpipers (Solitary and Greater Yellowlegs); a Great Blue Heron and a Green Winged Teal. [ngg src=”galleries” […]
Earlier this week I noticed an eBird Post from the Waldoboro Town Landing . . . quite a few birds including a Blue-headed Vireo. This morning I drove up on a brisk morning . . . expecting the Vireo to be gone . . . but hoping for the best. As expected the song birds […]
Today I had a business meeting in Nashua, NH. As I was leaving the meeting I noticed an unusual bird swimming with the Canada Geese in a nearby pond. After a number of photographs, field guides and ever helpful Merlin App . . . I realized I was looking at a Greater White-fronted Goose . . […]
Sabattus Pond is a beautiful man made lake in central Maine. It is also the home of the Chinese Mystery Snail . . . an invasive species that probably escaped from a fish tank and now covers the bottom of the Pond. On the plus side, every fall ducks descend on Sabattus Pond to chow […]
We drove over to Brunswick hoping to see the Snow Goose that has been reported recently. While scanning a flock of Canada Geese looking for a “white” one . . . Ingrid noticed three relatively tiny Pectoral Sandpipers in the midst of the Geese. Birding is like a box of chocolate!!! Also saw a bunch […]
Got up early to bird at Crescent Beach but changed my mind when I saw how hard it was raining. I was at my desk by 5:30 am writing software wishing I could be out birding. Finally about 2:00, the rain slowed down and I jumped in the car and headed to Crescent Beach. I […]
The Prothonotary Warbler is a bright yellow, large, heavy-bodied warbler with a big head and bill. It has shorter legs and a shorter tail than other warblers . . . and is rarely seen in Maine. A few days ago one was seen in Kennebunkport. Up early I found the spot at sunrise and was […]
An early morning trip to Butler Head presented yet another migrating sparrow . . . this time my favorite . . . the Lincoln Sparrow, Kinglets, Swamp Sparrows, Eagles and Yellow-rumps made for a nice morning. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”134″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
Ingrid and I were joined by Ingrid’s daughter and her boyfriend for an outdoor beer festival a small local brewery. On the way home we spotted a Bald Eagle from the car. As common as they have become . . . they still take my breather away. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”133″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
Today Ingrid and I began to see the first Ruby-crowned Kinglets migrating through and the Golden-crowned Kinglets are starting to congregate with the Chickadees . . . a sure sign of winter approaching, [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”132″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
A Stilt Sandpiper is being seen in nearby Bath. I spent an hour on a busy bridge scoping an enormous mud flat . . . but didn’t find it. Did see a nice flock of Blue-winged Teal and a Belted Kingfisher posed on a nearby power-line.
Butler Head in Bath was filled with migrating Sparrows this morning: Song, White-throated and Swamps. Warbler migration seems to have passed. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”131″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
If you live along the gulf coast or the great plains, you may have see thousands of Sand Hill Cranes . . . but in Maine they are a rarity. A Saturday morning excursion to the cornfields of neighboring Brunswick to see the juvenile SHC was successful. Other sightings: [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”130″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
A lunch time trip to to the Pelecro Building produced a number of Herons; a huge of Tree Sparrow and a very pretty cardinal. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”129″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
Ingrid and I got our 300th North American bird of the year today . . . a Bay-breasted Warbler in winter plumage. At sunrise, I drove to Biddeford Pool because a Connecticut Warbler had been seen earlier in the week. No Connecticut but go a Black-throated Blue, a Bay-breasted and a Yellow-rumped Warbler . . […]
All birders have nemesis species . . . the bird that you just can’t get no matter how many times you try. Ours is the Gray Jay a social bird of the Boreal Forests. Skiers at Sugarloaf and other northern New England resorts see this bird all the time . . . but we don’t […]
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