On January 1 . . . every bird one sees is a FOY (first of year bird) but as a winter progresses . . . it becomes increasingly difficult to see anything new. But in late March, things begin to change as birds begin to migrate north. This morning I as sitting at Kettle […]
Today’s before work Birding Adventure was to Scarborough Marsh trying to get a First of the Year Blue-winged Teal. Hit four different locations . . . each filled with Canada Geese and Song Sparrows. At the Pelecro Building . . . an industrial plant that is birder friendly I thought I got the BWT […]
This evening, Ingrid and I made quick trip to a nearby marsh in Cape Elizabeth in search for our first Great Blue Heron of the year. We got him!!! [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”359″ display=”pro_mosaic”]
The American Woodcock is an odd bird: It’s a shorebird that lives in the woods It’s camouflage makes it virtually invisible but some how a half million are taken annually by hunters . And it just plain looks odd We didn’t get one last year so this year I went out in the late […]
The American Wigeon is seen on occasion throughout the State of Maine . . . but not reliably. I’ve been out a half dozen times this year trying to get one . . . but have struck-out. Today I tried the Buffalo Ranch . . . a huge cow pasture where they used to run […]
Had the day off from work . . . after some appointments I tried to find the American Wigeons being seen in Damariscotta. While I fail to find the Wigeons . . . I did see a distant Gadwall and a very, very popular female Ring-necked duck. Dozens of drake Ring-necks were crowding this one […]
Around dusk in Scarborough, Maine a couple fellow birders pointed out a Great Egret a quarter mile away . . . on the other side of the marsh . . . a very, very early sighting. I snapped a few distant photos and looked for other birds. Suddenly the Egret took to the air […]
In the last week I’ve chased a Great Gray Owl at Hermit Island, Maine (3 hours searching for it . . . no luck) and a Tundra Swan (flew minutes before I arrived) . . . so I was a bit frustrated and hoping my luck would turn. Yesterday morning I was up early […]
With at foot of snow on the ground and the temperature dropping below freezing at night . . . we have a weird confluence of birds. Birds that normally winter in Canada (Bohemian Waxwings and Common Redpolls) are being seen sporadically through out the state of Maine. One top of that, the early migrators (Turkey […]
This morning Ingrid and I headed to nearby Reid State Park to see if we could add to our year list. We weren’t terribly optimistic as we’d already seen most of the winter sea birds that one can see from shore in Maine. But it was a beautifully sunny and above freezing for the […]
Set out this morning trying to find an early arriving Red-winged Blackbird. It was 9 degrees, windy with a foot of snow on the ground . . . not exactly a desirable destination for a migrating bird. I stepped out of the car, photographed a group of first of the year Cedar Waxwings, and immediately […]
Common Eiders are an omnipresent winter resident of the Maine Coast. These large lethargic diving ducks are regularly seen as individuals or in enormous rafts of hundreds of birds. Males are white and black with yellow/green bills. Females are grayish brown and both sexes can have interesting color combinations during molting. Despite the “commonality” […]
Today it got above freezing!!! A whopping 34 degrees; no wind and sunny . . . and there was no way I was gonna sit at my desk programming all day. So around lunch time I headed to Popham Beach to get a little sun and maybe get a bird or two. I saw most […]
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