Friday, May 22, 2015

Parking Lot Birding at the Physical Therapist Office

1. 5-18-15b small pond Small Pond by parking lot 5-19-15

Anyone who knows me knows that I carry my binoculars everywhere I go and very often my camera. Ever since starting physical therapy earlier this year after I dislocated my shoulder I started counting birds that I saw from the parking lot of 430 Bath Road in Brunswick, Maine. The office and parking lot sit on a small hill overlooking a valley with the New Meadows River just north of it and the Androscoggin just beyond the rise to the west I often see a variety of bird species here.

2. starlings and pileated woodpecker-kab Late in March I pulled into the parking lot one day to only to see a magnificent Pileated Woodpecker in a tree as well as some of the first starlings I had seen this year! I was glad I had my camera and was able to snap a few shots!

3. pileated wood-kab Pileated Woodpecker 3-24-15 Bath Road in Brunswick, ME

4. pileated-kab When it flew off into the nearby woods I took another photo!

Now that spring is here I am seeing even more birds. while I often saw Eagles and even ducks flying over during the winter and early spring, now I see osprey and turkey vultures as well as numerous seagulls at times. When I was there on Tuesday I heard and then saw chestnut-sided warblers and Common Yellowthroats.

5. flowering tree 430 bath road 5-18-15a Many of the birds flew into this exploding pink flowering tree!

It was at the edge of the meadow below, which was at the edge of the parking lot!

6. little meadow 430 Bath Road 5-18-15

Here is a list of the birds I have seen at this location:

  1. Blue Jay 2-11-15
  2. American Crow
  3. Ring-billed Gull 2-13-15
  4. Bald Eagle 2-23-15
  5. Mallard 3-24-15
  6. Mourning Dove
  7. Pileated Woodpecker
  8. Black-capped Chickadee
  9. Red-breasted Nuthatch
  10. European Starling
  11. Northern Cardinal
  12. Red-winged Blackbird
  13. House Finch
  14. Turkey Vulture 3-31-15
  15. Red-bellied Woodpecker 4-3-15
  16. Downy Woodpecker
  17. Hairy Woodpecker
  18. Common Raven
  19. Tufted Titmouse
  20. White-breasted Nuthatch
  21. Song Sparrow
  22. Common Grackle
  23. Canada Goose 4-7-15
  24. Osprey
  25. American Robin
  26. Great Blue Heron 4-9-15
  27. Herring Gull
  28. American Kestrel
  29. Eastern Phoebe 4-14-15
  30. Northern Flicker 4-17-15
  31. Pine Warbler
  32. Brown-headed Cowbird
  33. Tree Swallow 4-24-15
  34. Wood Duck 4-30-15
  35. Chipping Sparrow
  36. American Goldfinch
  37. Ovenbird 5-11-15
  38. Black-throated Green Warbler
  39. Red-tailed Hawk 5-18-15
  40. Great Crested Flycatcher
  41. Blue-headed Vireo
  42. Gray Catbird
  43. Common Yellowthroat
  44. Chestnut-sided Warbler

As you can see, parking lot birding can pay off big time! I love to count birds where no one else does and fill in the blanks of the eBird data. It is amazing how many birds species live with and around us and so many people never even notice all this Life that is happening nearby!

8 comments:

  1. Hello Kathie, awesome shots of the Pileated Woodie. Looks like parking lot is a great spot for birding.. Great list of birds so far.. Happy Memorial Day weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eileen, it is amazing what you will see if you pay attention! Happy Memorial Day to you as well!

      Delete
  2. Just goes to show that you don't have to go on an Expedition somewhere out in the wild to see birds Kathie.

    ReplyDelete
  3. WOW! Katie with 44 birds seen it certainly is worth while going to the Therapist'soffice in more ways than one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Margaret, so true! And I just added Cedar Waxwings and Eastern Wood Pewee to that list yesterday!

      Delete
  4. Love it! especially the Pileated. That's been one of the elusive woodpeckers for me. Can't wait until you go after a white billed - thanks Richard

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Richard, White-billed? Do you mean Ivory-billed? No such luck of finding that one anywhere near here and if I did, I would be famous for it!

      Delete

Welcome to my nest! I hope you will enjoy spending time here with me and the birds. Thank you for your comments. I will try to get back to you as soon as I get back from counting more birds.