The Cormorants are Coming! (and other birds in Phippsburg and Bath, Maine)

 Cormorants over Popham Beach 4-22-15

April 22, 2015: Late in April I decided to take a drive to Phippsburg to see what I could see.

On the way to Popham Beach I saw a Snowy Egret flyover the marsh.

 

In the marsh the Great Blue Herons hunted for food.

 

At Popham Beach the Cormorants filled the sky!

 

The classic cormorant silhouette!

 

Wave after wave of Double-crested Cormorants flew in over the water.

 

I searched the sand and shore for peeps and plovers, but no luck.

 

Crashing Waves at Popham Beach

 

Yes. More Cormorants. I think I counted nearly 150!

I headed for Fort Popham next and arrived in time to see a Cormorant coming in for a landing!

Feet extended, wings wide…

 

…a perfect landing!

I wonder what it would be like to be able to fly, swim and dive!

A lone Loon.

 

A Great Black-backed Gull at Fort Popham.

Fort Popham is where the Kennebec River meets the sea.

Cormorants were not the only returning birds! Hello Osprey!

 

I counted at least 5 osprey all at one time flying over Popham Harbor!

 

They came in low sweeping their heads from side to side, scanning for food!

 

I am sure they were hungry from their long migration!

 

Picturesque Popham Harbor 4-22-15

 

A Great Black-backed Gull at the South End Launch Facility in Bath.

I always like to stop here on my way home.

Bath Iron Works and the bridge over the Kennebec River.

Soon all these birds we looked for so eagerly in the Spring will be gone.

Fall Migration has already begun for some bird species, like shorebirds and blackbirds. And it won’t be long before the warblers are on the move!

Links:

• Popham Beach SP
• Fort Popham and Kennebec River
• South End Launch Facility-Bath

Note-click any of the labels below to see all posts related to that subject.