Kathie's Birds: Herons

Showing posts with label Herons. Show all posts

Friday, February 5, 2016

Birding Lincoln County, Maine

Great Blue Heron in pine 9-28-15

September 28, 2015: I took a drive up through Lincoln County, Maine to count birds at as many places as I could last Fall. I had heard of a place called the Great Salt Bay in Damariscotta, so I decided to bird my way there and check it out. My first stop was just over the bridge in from Bath, Maine in Woolwich.

George Wright Puddle on the Saranosa River 9-28-15

It is called the George Wright Puddle on eBird and it was my first time birding here. It was very windy this day and I was lucky to see any birds at all. There is a dirt pull-off and parking lot with a public boat launch, but there was also a dirt road that was gated and said no trespassing. That was a bit frustrating as I could see there were ducks and gees feeding among the grasses and reeds up in the bend, but I could not get close enough to see them all. So, I counted what I could see.

European Starlings on Utility Pole

These starlings we just over my head in the parking lot area.

Double-crested Cormorant in George Wright Puddle

Wiscasset Waterfront 9-28-15

I stopped briefly at the Wiscasset Waterfront to count birds as well. Mostly there were gulls and cormorants again. You can see how hard the wind was blowing from the way these flags are blowing straight out in the wind!

Bridge over the Sheepscot River in Wiscasset 9-28-15

Farther up Route 1 I stopped at a roadside rest area known as Sherman Lake. I did not find any birds around the immediate parking lot but a walk down a bit of a dirt road towards the Sheepscot River netted me a few sparrows hiding in the low bushes and some crows and cormorants in the river.

Savannah Sparrow at Sherman Lake 9-28-15

Savannah Sparrow and Song Sparrow hiding in bush.

Cormorants in Sheepscot River

I finally made it to the Great Salt Bay Farm Preserve around 4:30 PM. There were children and other peole there for some kind of educational and informational program, but it was almost over and I set off on the trails by myself. The sun was sinking lower as I walked the trails through fields to the woods at the edge of the bay.

Great Salt Bay Farm 9-28-15

The trail brought me to the waters edge where I was able to peek through and see the bay and the birds that used it. There were dozens of cormorants on the rocks drying in the sun. I only found a couple of chickadees and a downy woodpecker in the woods, but it was late in the day and the wind was still blowing. Farther along the trail I came to a spot where there were some black ducks.

Cormorants and gulls on rock in the Great Salt Bay 9-28-15

American Black Ducks in Marsh

The biggest surprise was when I spotted a large figure balanced on top of the water. Was it a mermaid???

A seal in the Great Salt Bay

Seal and cormorant in the Great Salt Bay of the Damariscotta River

I can only guess this seal was sunning itself on a barely submerged rock!

Great Blue Heron in pine tree at the Great Salt Bay Farm Preserve

If I hadn't scanned the trees on the far side of this cove I would never have seen this Great Blue Heron, which blended in perfectly with the silvery bark of this tall, old pine! I had a great time at the Great Salt Bay Farm Preserve and I hope to go back again this year...once the snow has all melted!

Links

Cormorants on rocks in the Great Salt Bay of the Damariscotta River

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Skolfield Shores

Skolfield Shores 9-14-2015

September 14, 2015: Ever since moving to Harpswell I have made it my mission to take advantage of the time I have here and explore the area. One of the places I was able to hike and bird at before hunting season started was Skolfield Shores. It is a nature preserve off Route 123 in Harpswell. I had driven by the parking lot several times, but finally pulled in and parked on September 14th. There is a lot more to the preserve but I only took the short hike to the shore to see what I could see. I knew that shorebirds were migrating back then and was hoping I would see some. The trail led me through a yard and past houses and down through some trees, before opening up into a meadow and emerging at the shore.

From there I had a marvelous view of the Middle Bay.

And I did find a greater yellowlegs searching for prey on the shore!

It was low tide, so I was able to walk out on this little path to those rocks.

This is the view looking north up Middle Bay.

Somewhere on that side is Barnes Landing!

Just before I left, a Great Blue Heron flew in to fish the shoreline.

Then it was time to turn back and climb the stairs into the woods and across the meadow on my return trip. I have not been back since. During hunting season I was afraid to go into the woods for fear of getting shot, but now that hunting season is over I hope to go exploring again. I did not think I would have this opportunity, but we are having such mild weather that I may still be able to do it! We have not had any snow yet here in Harpswell, so I feel I am being given a gift. I just have to get used to going out birding in the middle of the day since it gets dark by 4:30 PM!

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Bay Bridge Landing, A Place to Bird

Yellow Warbler at Bay Bridge Landing 6-12-15

Bay Bridge Landing in Brunswick, Maine is a sweet place to bird. Tucked in behind a mobile home neighborhood and a business you would never know it was there. A fellow birder told me about it last year and I have now birded here a few times, often taking my lunch along and sitting on one of the benches near the river to eat while I watch birds.

Bay Bridge Landing sits on a bend in the Androscoggin River at the south end of Merrymeeting Bay. It has a backwater cove that becomes a marshland providing excellent habitat for birds. In the summer I see blackbirds, warblers, flycatchers, cormorants, herons and gulls here. They are osprey nesting on the platforms provided for them. There is a little island with a trail that used to be connected by a couple of bridges but the bridges have fallen into disrepair, so you can no longer get to the island. You can follow the trail up one side, then double back and around to get to the other side.

Still, it doesn’t stop you from seeing the herons when they fly over!

This is the trail closest to the river and you can sit on this bench and watch birds.

I found this sweet Eastern Phoebe farther up the trail near the bridge.

Finding this male Yellow Warbler was also a delight!

As you can see, he was quite busy gathering food to feed his very hungry brood!

You can tell it is a male by the rusty streaks on its breast.

You can also find a few butterflies at Bay Bridge Landing!

As regular readers of this blog will know, I often like to bird around parking lots and on this particular day I needed to stop at the nearby Tractor Supply on my way home. While there, I also counted birds.

I found that a pair of osprey were building a nest on the utility poles. At a later date I actually saw parents with nestlings in this nest!

In some brush at the edge of the parking lot I found a Common Yellowthroat!

…along with a Song Sparrow to boot!

Bay Bridge Landing is found in Brunswick, Maine off the Old Bath Road near Cook’s Corner. Follow signs for Bay Bridge Estates. After entering the park on Driscoll Street, turn left at the stop sign and follow Bay Bridge Road Road past an industrial building to the end where there is a parking lot.

Follow these links to find out more:

Bay Bridge Landing is an eBird Hotspot
My eBird Checklist for Bay Bridge Landing 6-12-15 (26 species seen)
My eBird Checklist for Cook’s Corner 6-12-15 ( 8 species seen)

Friday, August 7, 2015

I’ll Fly Away

Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw, AZ 2-13

In honor of our move this weekend I thought I’d post a few of my best photos of birds in flight. These were taken in various years all across the United States. Dates, species, and locations are beneath each photo. Enjoy!

Lesser Nighthawk, Corona de Tucson, AZ 2008