Much is made of friction between hunters and birders but in actuality it is generally a positive relationship. Hunters work for the same access and preservation of green space (marshes, forests and grasslands) that birders do. A popular Birding podcast, sponsored by the American Birding Association (ABA), does annual stories on the issuing of […]
The Lapland Longspur is a tiny sparrow like bird that nests in northern Canada and Alaska and winters in the United States from Nebraska through New England. When in breeding plumage, males have a stunning black face, crown and bib with orange on the nape of the neck. But one rarely sees them in breeding […]
Each year Ospreys return to Maine during the first few days of Baseball Season (Go Red Sox). This year was no different as I saw this enthusiastic singer this morning near the Taste of Maine Restaurant in Woolwich.
Today I was driving south through Portland and I noticed a large number of gulls in and around Back Bay, a popular walking and jogging trail in the center of the city. I saw dozens of small Ring-billed Gulls (as one would expect with a nearby grocery store) and a few larger and ubiquitous, […]
For a few weeks in late March and early April . . . one of my favorite birds . . . the Fox Sparrow migrates through Maine. Often seen at feeder or scratching aside leaves to get to grubs and insects, the Fox Sparrow is larger and stockier than other sparrows. In Maine, we see […]
Went out birding for a couple hours this morning and while there are still snow banks in driveways and white patches in the woods . . . but there are signs of spring everywhere. Crocuses can be see in places, wood frogs are croaking in the evening and new birds are arriving every day. Today, […]
With the ice on ponds slowly melting, dabbling ducks in Maine are moving from the ocean, to fresh water where it is easier for them to get to food. Dabbling ducks are shallow water birds that feed along the surface of the water, by tipping headfirst to graze on plants, larvae, and insects. “Dabblers” or […]
It’s officially spring . . . and in Maine that means it might hit 40 degrees and there is still more snow than bare ground. It also means a few brave birds are reaching Maine in their Spring migration. This morning when I was taking out the trash (living the dream), I noticed a small […]
This past Saturday, Ingrid and I piled into our Subaru Outback and headed up the coast in an effort to see three unusual birds. Our first stop, was in Rockland, Maine where a Lesser Black-backed Gull had been reported in one of the bays. There we spent an hour sifting through hundreds of Herring, Great […]
Winter seems determined to hang on in Maine. For the last few weeks the State has been buffeted by snow storm after snow storm, with high winds and power outages. Winter’s determination has delayed my annual journey to nearby meadows at sunset to hear (and hopefully see) the American Woodcock’s elaborate courtship display. The display […]
The Cedar Waxwing is a berry eating bird found throughout the USA and Canada. Traveling in flocks these beautiful brownish yellow birds can be found in urban and rural habitats, descending upon berry trees and gorging themselves to the point where they can barely fly. The Cedar Waxwing has a much less common cousin . […]
As Ingrid and I plan our 2024 Continental USA Big Year we’re reviewing birds we hope to see . . . whether we’ve seen them before . . . and where we saw them. In addition to the above birds, we’ll be shooting to find a Brown Jay in Texas, a Pinyon Jay in the […]
The Barnacle Goose is a cute, chubby bird, about half the size of our ubiquitous Canada Goose. They nest from Greenland to Siberia and winter in north-west Europe. They rarely appear on this side of the Atlantic. So when you see one in the middle of a snow storm you try to film it . […]
Six years ago this week, I was on a business trip in South Carolina . . . a nice respite from February in Maine. Then I got a text message from Ingrid . . . a Great Gray Owl had been seen in Searsmont, Maine . . . and she was on her way. Oh […]
Surprise! This post comes from Ingrid, not Ethan. School vacation week brings exciting opportunities for birding on WEEKDAYS at ANYTIME. Thus when a rare Bullock’s Oriole was reported visiting a Westbrook, Maine feeder during my school’s February vacation, I had the glorious freedom to go see it rather than pining for it from my 4th […]
Except for one 24 hour period where the wind chill hit 50 below, this winter in Maine has been very mild. A few light snow storms, some ice and relatively mild temperatures have made things quite pleasant (all things being relative). The long range forecast seems to be telling us that our good luck […]
As I write this, its been four days since the Steller’s Sea-Eagle has been seen. Birders from around the country continue to pour into Maine, hoping to see our orange billed celebrity. I feel bad as they keep coming up empty. Three times I’ve had strangers point out Greater Black-backed Gulls to me . . . […]
The Brant is a common winter resident of the Mid-Atlantic states but is rarely found north of Cape Cod. But each winter a handful of these cubby little characters show up on a beach in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I know of nowhere else in Maine that Brants are regularly found. This year, the Brants didn’t […]
The Steller’s Sea-Eagle has now been seen for the last five days. At this writing a couple that drove up from Maryland this morning reports our celebrity bird has not yet arrived (but I suspect it will). Local media has been sending out reporters. I was asked twice if I had any photos I could […]
Just as in his first visit to Maine, last winter, the Steller’s Sea-Eagle is attracting large crowds of Birders from all over the country. I’ve seen him (or her) three out of the four days at a distance and have enjoyed meeting folks from around the country.
For those of you that followed my 2021 Maine Big Year . . . you may remember the most improbable bird of the year (and my entire life) showed up on the last day of the adventure. A Steller’s Sea-Eagle, a bird of the Russian ice was seen 10 miles from our house in Wiscasset, […]
The Common Ringed Plover primarily nests in Greenland and the high arctic of Canada before migrating toward its winter home in Africa. The nearly identical Semipalmated Plover migrates by the thousands through North America. Vagrant Common Ringed Plover individuals are probably missed in these autumn hordes that descend upon American beaches. Yesterday, January 31, 2023, this […]
A Guide to 500 Common Birds in the United States and Canada, designed for kids and anyone who is a kid at heart, Bird Field Guide for Kids opens up the wonderful world of birding to children. Using fun and easy to use spinners, push buttons, and scrolling tables, this app makes bird identification a […]
Ingrid has been a 4th grade teacher for decades and thus has developed immunity to all disease. Even during the worst of Omnicron when most of her students tested positive . . . Ingrid remained healthy. And her super-human immune system extends to the flu, the common cold and probably cat-scratch fever. Of course […]
With the pandemic and the Maine Big Year over . . . Ingrid and I were finally able to get out of the State of Maine . . . some sightseeing and some birding. We got a few Life Birds in the process.
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