Notes from My Nest: Progress

 Ducks on the ice in the New Meadows River 3-17-15

We are making progress here in Maine as the snow slowly melts and spring fights to take hold. In spite of My Broken Wing and the cold I have still managed to get out and do some birding, even if it is only around town at the local eBird Hotspots and any parking lot I happen to be in!

I stopped by Wharton Point on my way home from town on March 17 and saw some of the first Red-winged Blackbirds of the year in the brush. I had seen my first one in my own yard that very morning. I counted six more here. However, Maquoit Bay was still frozen on this day with only a few gulls gathered on the ice shelf.

 The only open water was the creek that meandered through the marsh. But, the nearby trees were full of birds singing and I even saw a few bluebirds!

 It has been so cold and so snowy that both Mere Point Bay and Maquiot Bay have been frozen solid for over two months, but finally the weather has warmed enough to start them thawing. I photographed this open blue water on Mere Point Bay on March 23rd. This is definitely progress! The frozen bays seemed to enhance that confined feeling that winter was giving me, along with my injury. Seeing the open blue water made me somehow start to feel free again myself!

I count birds at the doctor’s office whenever I go for an appointment for the orthopedist or Physical Therapy. On March 24th the parking lot was alive with birds and I even spotted  a pileated woodpecker in a tree at the edge of the parking lot! I always bring my binoculars with me, and while others are reading magazines or playing with their smart phones in the waiting room, I am looking out the windows watching for and counting birds!

 It was a really nice day on March 24th, so I decided to check out a new birding place I had learned about earlier this year. It is called Bay Bridge Landing and it sits on a bend in the Androscoggin River. 

 I had hoped that maybe the river was starting to thaw, but it was still frozen solid, so I walked down a short trail instead. I saw a few juncos and nuthatches here.

The trail dead ended at a broken bridge, so I turned and went back, but it felt good to be out in the sunshine and fresh air. I couldn’t get enough of it!

 So, on the way home, I stopped at the boat launch as well! The cove was still frozen then, but when I went there tonight it was all open water! There is hope!

 In my own yard things are in transition. I have seen a few spring migrants, like starlings, red-winged blackbirds, and common grackles, but the American Tree Sparrows and the White-throated Sparrows are already moving on. The funny thing is, I have had Common Redpolls here for two months, but as of March 24th they are considered a Rare Bird for this time of year in this location. But they are still here now and this morning I had at least 14 in my yard! Yesterday I had only 1, but on Thursday I counted 26!

As for me, I am making progress as well. When I posted about my arm 2 weeks ago I was so discouraged. But, the things I have been doing have really helped. By the time I finally got in to see the physical therapist I had already made good progress. Then, she did some stretches with me that literally brought me to tears, it hurt so much! The day she did it I came home and slept all afternoon. I drank a ton of water, and by the next day I could move my arm so much further! She and I have continued to work on it and when I saw the orthopedist on Monday she could not believe the improvement in my range of motion! She said she had never seen anyone improve so much so fast! I had my daughter take these photos of me on Wednesday. In this photo I still could not raise my left arm above my head. Today I almost can!

Perhaps I will be able to fly again soon!

I could not do this two weeks ago!

However, I still need to be able to get my left arm behind my back.

 This is as far as it will go for now.

 

But I now have hope!

And I am not the only one making progress!

This was my driveway and patio table on February 21st.

 This is how it looks now!

Yes, mud season is upon us, but spring can’t be far behind…

Because, I can finally see my bird bath once again! 3-28-15

I hope to post more bird photos soon, but for now, here are my latest eBird Stats:

Kathie’s 2015 eBird Stats	Life	Year	Month
Total Species	479	68	53
Total Checklists	7632	255	93
Total Maine Species	199	68	53
Total Mere Point Cottage Yard Birds	111	47	27

 

New species added to my 2015 Year List this month:

61. Song Sparrow 3-4-15 Mere Point Boat Launch

62. Killdeer 3-9-15 Brunswick Landing

63. Red-winged Blackbird 3-17-15 Mere Point Cottage

64. Fish Crow 3-20-15 Brunswick Town Center

65. Turkey Vulture 3-23-15 Woodside Road, Brunswick

66. Common Grackle 3-26-15 Mere Point Cottage

67. Fox Sparrow 3-27-15 Mere Point Boat Launch

68. Brown-headed Cowbird 3-28-15 Mere Point Boat Launch

Notes: For those of you keeping track, I removed Hoary Redpoll from my Life and yard list because I did not feel confident in my sighting and I did not have photo documentation. Thus, my Maine Life List is back down to 199. I am still waiting to see my 200th species for this state!