More Maine Birds

Black Capped Chickadee

At Bird Camp, you not only look for birds, you learn HOW to find them! Pete Dunne's best advice - watch for movement. Your eyes are hard wired to notice movement, and you will never find a bird in a tree by sweeping your binoculars back and forth. Pete also gave us the short course on pishing, after all he wrote the book on it, litteraly- https://www.amazon.com/Art-Pishing-Attract-Birds-Mimicking/dp/0811732959.  But of course, little birds such as warblers and chickadees in particular, are experts a avoiding being seen, so I feel pretty proud of photographing this little Black Capped Chickadee at all! We also learned a lot about bird songs and calls, and the difference between them.

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

When the other half of our group of campers headed to Egg Rock Island for Puffins, we boarded two vans to go for land birds in a nearby neighborhood. We found both Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers tending to their chicks. Although we saw rectangular Pileated Woodpecker holes in many trees, we did not see or hear the bird.

Gray Catbird

Common Yellowthroat

Yellow Warbler

Red-winged Blackbird

 A pond hosted a muskrat den and hundred of birds, with the Red-winged Blackbirds making the most noise of course.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallows zipped overhead catching insects, and occasionally landed for a while to look around.

Cedar Waxwings

I always think of Cedar Waxwings as berry eaters, which they are, but in early spring there aren't many berries around to eat. We watched Waxwings eating the blossoms on apple trees! They must have been going for the nectar in them, and they were quite numerous.

Boblink

Bobolink in flight

For lunch we headed to the Great Salt Bay Farm, near Damariscotta, to look for grasslands birds, including BOBOLINKS! This was only the second time I've ever seen them, and it was a real thrill. The male mates with several females, who build their nests in the grass. The males perch on the tops of grass and sing loudly to defend their territories!

Eastern Bluebird

We looked around the pond for a rumored Virginia Rail and Sora. I heard the Sora, but did not find it when we reached the pond itself. We also heard Marsh Wrens, with only a quick glance as they flew from one clump of reeds to another. The Bluebird, however, was dazzling as he brought bugs to his next box.

Fish Ladder

Our final stop of the afternoon was at the fish ladder. Yes, it's designed to let the alewives (Yep, the name of the fish) climb upstream into fresh water to spawn, but it also catches them at certain times of day. Apparently this is a Maine tradition.

Black-crowned Night Herons

Two Black-crowned Night Herons perched hopefully in the trees above the fish ladder. I'm sure they eventually got their share too.

Baltimore Oriole

A Baltimore Oriole and his mate built a woven nest that was practically invisible in the leaves, but he sang on a nearby branch to protect it, and to guide birders to the right tree to find it.

Bald Eagle calling

As we approached the boat dock to return to Hog Island, we heard a pair of Bald Eagles in the tree overlooking the water. We have seen many eagles, and their numbers are no longer threatened. In fact, many local people say they are beginning to be a nuisance, often preferring to grab chicks from their nests rather than hunting for fish.

Listen to Pete Dunne pishing to call in some birds...