Notes from My Nest: Changes

 The Mountains of Maine 6-29-15

It is a cool, gray day here on Mere Point. Gus and I are spending a quiet weekend at home. It has been awhile since I have written and a lot has changed in the past few months. I am done with physical therapy on my shoulder. It is almost as good as new. While I still have a lingering soreness in my thigh from where I had a huge bruise and hematoma after falling through the hole in the floor, most of the other symptoms have resolved themselves over time. I must say that this injury has deeply affected my life and changed me in many ways. I did not like being dependant on others for help. I did not like feeling helpless, and having this happen really made me feel old. While I am starting to feel like myself again, I find I am more cautious and more focused on getting and staying strong and healthy. I still have one remaining health concern. Before I fell through the floor and dislocated my shoulder, and before I had surgery last Christmas, I had trouble with my knee and was on crutches for about 10 days. That problem was never dealt with, but now it is finally being addressed as my knee can be just fine, then suddenly it will lock up on me and I cannot walk. I am going for an MRI this week. Hopefully we will get some answers.

Meanwhile, my time here at Mere Point has come to an end. Our lease on this cottage is up and we have chosen to move elsewhere. While Gus would love to move back to Tucson, (and he has been relentlessly applying for jobs there) so far there is no job offer, so we find ourselves on the lookout for a new place to rent. We have to be out of here by August 7^th and as yet, we have no place to go. Hopefully something will change this week and our path will become clear.

It’s funny how when you think you are leaving a place that everything becomes sharper and clearer. I find myself focusing on the greenness of the vegetation, the coolness of the air, and the scent of the salty sea. Right now the raspberries are all in bloom and their fragrance perfumes the air here in my yard and at the boat launch. Underlying all of these smells is the fragrance of pine and the scent of new mown grass. These are the smells of New England to me, made sweeter by the thought of moving away from them again.

 Me and my siblings 6-27-15

It is no secret that I have married a gypsy boy. He likes to move around, and I have been grateful for all the places that we have been able to see and experience, but now I am ready to settle down and quit moving. I want my own house again, and Gus wants to move to Tucson for good. He has decided it is his favorite place on earth and it is where he would like to retire. All of this makes me pensive and sweetly sad as I think of leaving my family once again. Yet, there is no telling when that might happen. Either way, we have to move and there will be yet another new yard and a new yard list. In my 18 months here, I have seen 117 species of birds. This has been THE BEST YARD ever.

In yet another change, I am sad to report that the Birding is Fun blog is going into retirement for now. I have enjoyed my time as a writer for this blog and am proud of my association with it. When Robert Mortenson was at the helm it was of unparalleled quality. I was sad to see him step down and now I am even more sad to see it end. But, as the saying goes, “To everything there is a Season, and a Time for every purpose under heaven…”

Here are some scenes from where I have been birding lately:

 6-20-15 Messalonskee Boat Ramp

Gus and I stopped by here on our way to visit Dad the day before father’s Day. I was able to see 4 Black Terns flying out over the lake as well as my first ever in Maine Pied-billed Grebe! Just a short distance farther up the road I got my Purple martins for the year!

 6-26-15 The boats are back in the water at Mere Point Bay

 

 6-27-15 Mom’s backyard sanctuary in Colchester, CT

On the weekend of June 27th we travelled to Connecticut for the annual Adams Family Road Race and Mom’s 79th birthday! I did not run, of course, but took photos and counted birds! I was hoping to find a Yellow-throated vireo and I think I may have heard one, but I did not see it so I did not count it because I was not sure. I counted a total of 20 species for Lake Hayward on this day. As you can see from the photo below, Mom’s hair is finally starting to grow back in after her latest battle with breast cancer. We are all so glad that she is still here to celebrate her birthday!

 7-27-15 Mom and her kids and one grandkid and their spouses

(My oldest brother had already left by the time it occurred to us to get a family photo!)

On June 29th I drove to Franklin County to count birds. This is yet another of the under-birded counties here in Maine. It was late in the day when I arrived after dropping my daughter off at her current residence in Livermore. I drove up the road to discover a place called Pine Island in the middle of the Androscoggin River.

 6-29-15 Bridge to Pine Island

I crossed the bridge and followed a path down to the woods by the river. I saw several warblers down in that cool green place, as well as a mink that came slinking out of the undergrowth. We were both surprised to see each other and I slowly raised my camera hoping for a photo, but the small brown animal quietly turned and slipped back into the green foliage before I could focus on it! I counted 10 species on Pine Island before heading for Wilson Pond in Wilton, Maine where I counted 8 species. It was getting late by now and I only had a short time to count birds before it got dark. While I did not see a lot of birds at the lake, I did see a pair of loons and some tree swallows.

6-29-15 Sunset on Wilson Pond in Wilton, Maine

 

6-30-15 Back at home, a raccoon has been hanging around the yard!

 

 7-2-15 The South End of Brunswick Landing airfield.

I counted 23 species in 1 1/2 hours while driving 4.4 miles through Brunswick Landing on this day. There have been a lot of changes to the Landing since I moved here 18 months ago with new businesses going in and lots of construction going on. One of my favorite areas to bird is down in back where the old army bunkers are, but it has been gated off and one can no longer drive down there. I believe you can still hike in, but it is a bit of a walk with lots of black flies and mosquitoes and with my knee being the way it is, I have not attempted it.

 

 7-3-15 Blueberries on Bowdoin Island Mill in Topsham, Maine.

Gus and I went here for breakfast yesterday. It was so nice that we sat outside and of course, I counted birds while we ate! There were song sparrows and yellow warblers singing in the trees and bushes while chimney swifts twittered overhead. Afterwards I walked over to the river’s edge where I saw dozens of herring gulls, three Great Blue Herons, and a Bald Eagle! I counted 10 species in the 45 minutes we were here.

 7-3-15 Bricks and roses under a bright blue sky on Bowdoin Mill Island

Then, we stopped by Wharton Point on our way home.

 7-3-15 High Tide at Wharton Point

The Song Sparrows and Bobolinks were singing up a symphony here!

 7-3-14 Horseshoe crabs were too busy mating to notice the birds!

So, Happy Fourth of July everyone!

We can only wait and see what the Future holds!

But for now…I think I’ll take a nap!

7-4-15 Kitty Bliss

Spring Yard Birds on Mere Point

 Yellow-rumped Warbler (male, Myrtle) 4-25-2015

During Spring Migration I see many birds in my yard that I do not see the rest of the year. This spring I saw some familiar birds as well as at least one new yard bird. Here are a few of the species I was able to photograph as they passed through, along with the dates they were seen. Some visited several times, or hung around for a few days; some I only saw once and they were gone. And some have stayed to raise their young, which they are now bringing to my feeders! Scroll down to see who came to visit me!

 Eastern Phoebe 4-27-15

I only seem to see this species in my yard when they pass through during migration but, after that they seem to disappear. I have not seen a phoebe in my yard in weeks!

 Pine Warblers 4-27-15

Pine warblers were here for a few weeks in early spring, but have since moved on. They love to eat suet! Still, sometimes I wonder if that is one I hear calling from the tops of the tall pines that surround my yard, but since chipping sparrows have a similar call it can be difficult to tell. I know I have Chipping Sparrows because I see and hear them. I have not seen a Pine Warbler here in weeks.

 Northern Mockingbird 4-28-2015

This was a new Yard Bird for me this year!

 European Starlings 4-29-15

Once the starlings arrived, they never left. They gobble up all my seed and suet. It’s no wonder they have survived and multiplied in this country, they eat everything! I quit putting out meal worms because these greedy birds eat them all in one day!

 Rose-breasted grosbeak 5-5-15

Every now and then this species shows up again, so they must be nesting nearby.

 Great-crested Flycatcher 5-7-15

This species is still hanging around and I often hear its noisy call through my open windows!

 Red-bellied Woodpecker 5-12-15

I had this female Red-bellied hanging around all winter, but I never saw a male. I knew she needed a partner in order to nest and reproduce but one never showed up. She must have moved on, because I have not seen her in a long time. She was always very shy and flew off at the slightest sight of me. I was lucky to get this picture!

 Male Purple finch (left), Male House Finch (right) 5-12-15

Both these species are still being seen in my yard.

 

 Carolina Wren 5-12-15

This was a one day wonder and this was my only chance at a photo through the window. I never saw this species again. Last year I had the same experience where a Carolina Wren passed though the yard one day and then was gone.

 Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, and 1 White-crowned Sparrow

All the above sparrows were seen in my yard on May 12, 2015. This was an overlap in seasons with White-throated Sparrows being a winter species here, White-crowned being seen only during spring and fall migration, and Song Sparrows being a returning summer breeder! The Song Sparrows and an occasional Lincoln or Savannah Sparrow are all I see now.

 Indigo Bunting (male) 5-12-15

I have not seen this species in my yard in awhile.

 Northern Parula 5-12-15

I think you can tell that May 12 was a very busy migration day here!

 

 Gray Catbird 5-12-15

There are still plenty of catbirds hanging around!

 

 Baltimore Oriole 5-13-15

I had hoped this species would hang around and I tried to find an Oriole feeder to encourage them, but none of the stores sold them! Rats! Still, it was nice to see them while they were passing through.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (male and female) 5-21-15 

I had at least 4 Ruby-throats in this yard at one time, but then their numbers dropped. For awhile I was only seeing 1 male hummingbird on rare occasions, but just yesterday I finally saw a female again. They are very fussy about the feeder and like fresh nectar. I have to change it every 2 to 3 days to keep them coming and to keep the feeder from growing mold, which is deadly to them.

Hummingbird feeding tips: It is important to remember not to use red dye in making their food, and do not be tricked by companies trying to sell “flower nectar” at ridiculous prices. Hummingbird nectar is easily made from traditional white sugar and water. Just dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 4 cups of water warmed on the stove and stirred until it is dissolved. Cool and refill your feeders. You can store the extra in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Do not try to use honey to make nectar. This could also prove deadly! Wash your feeders in plain water as dish soap leaves a residue. If you find it necessary to use soap, please rinse the feeders in a mixture of white vinegar and water to remove any residue and prevent mold. Never put warm or hot nectar out in your feeders as hummingbirds lap up their nectar with their long tongues which would get burned!

During the peak of migration I was seeing 20 to 30 species of birds in my yard every day. Now that number has dropped back to 14 to 18 species a day. If I get 20 species right now, I feel lucky! I feel lucky anyways because I love to see the birds. it is so nice to hear their calls through the open windows, or see them at the feeders and in the yard! Birds make my yard come alive, and I feel alive then too!

 

A Few Maine Critters

 Chipmunk at Bay Bridge Landing 3-24-2015

Now that the grass is green and the leaves are out so are all the critters! But even in winter and early spring I still saw a few now and then. This little chipmunk peeked out at me one day when I stopped at Bay Bridge Landing Park. Though it was technically spring the river was still frozen and the snow was still deep on the ground! It peeked out at me from this log alongside the trail. We were both hoping for sunshine and no snow I think! Now my yard is full of chipmunks scarfing up seed from beneath my feeders!

 Porcupine on Mere Point Road 2-27-15

I was on my way home late in February when I saw this black shape high in a pine tree on the side of the road. I immediately pulled over and attempted to get a shot in the dim light. This isn’t the best photo but it’s the best one I have gotten so far of a porcupine! It almost looks like a little bear!

Ring-billed Gull at Wharton Point 3-17-15

What can I say? Who doesn’t love a gull?

• There is poetry happening on Kathie’s Poet Tree

Notes From My Nest: Life continues to be busy here as I continue to heal. So many birds have returned to the yard along with some new species! The yard list is now up to 117 birds! The most species I have seen in my yard is one day is 33 and I have added 10 new species so far this year! I hope to have more updates soon.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle on Mere Point Road 3-17-15

We have a nesting pair of Bald Eagles on Mere Point Road and I often get to see them as I drive by. I spotted this fine specimen back in March on a branch overlooking Maquoit Bay. Every now and then I can just see a white head peaking up from the deep nest high in a pine tree. Soon there will be babies. Yesterday I saw one fly across the road on my way into town with my daughter, and I can only guess that these are the same birds I see flying over my yard every now and then.

Winter Weary and the GBBC

Storm Clouds on the Horizon 2-14-15

It was the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend. with everything that has been going on, I almost forgot! I love to participate in the GBBC so I was glad to find out about it in time and glad that I was able to get out, at least for a couple of days. Of course, I can count the birds in my yard regardless of the weather, but since I had to go out on Friday I decided to combine my errands with counting birds. I counted birds at the place where I went for my Physical Therapy. Then I counted birds at Cook’s Corner, where I stopped to get a coffee.

Next I decided to drive through Brunswick Landing. It is one of the few places where I can drive around with my windows down and the heat cranking to watch birds in winter. Ever since I dislocated my shoulder on January 16, I have had to be careful of where I walk. I don’t want to slip and fall and dislocate my shoulder all over again! I need my arms to handle my camera and my binoculars!

Thankfully, it was a very sunny day, though it was very cold and windy! I drove through Brunswick landing until I came to the road block. It will be this way until spring when they open it back up once again. If it was not so cold and I was not afraid of falling, I would walk down this road a little ways in hopes of seeing more birds. Alas, I had to turn around and head back.

I drove over to the Brunswick Recreation Center where I had seen some Bohemian Waxwings a couple of days ago, but there were no waxwings today. Only robins. There was a lot of activity here today as people were preparing for the blizzard that was predicted for this weekend. There were men on the roof shoveling snow off and using a leaf blower to clear the powdery stuff! There were snowplows and bucket loaders in the parking lot removing more snow. It was not a very quiet place to sit and eat berries if you are a bird. So I moved on.

Much of the landing property was pretty quiet, but here by this snow buried house, I did find a few birds! Mostly chickadees and titmice and one lone junco, but they all went on my list!

I couldn’t go any farther, so I had to turn around.

Birding takes me to the strangest places!

On a hunch I turned into the Parkview Adventist Campus in Brunswick, ME. Amazingly they had some open water filled with over 100 mallards and a few black ducks! With all the snow and cold temperatures we have had, open water is awfully hard to find for these poor birds!

On my way home I took a drive through the Mere Point Boat Launch and counted birds there. The snow banks are so high. There is barely a road plowed through. All the parking lots are covered with snow and the bay is frozen solid. No sea ducks here right now. And the blizzard was set to start the next day.

Since the snow was not supposed to start until the afternoon, I went out Saturday morning to count birds before the storm. I drove over to Wharton Point, but the parking lot was not plowed and I could not get in, so I drove right on by. However, I had counted birds along Rossmore and Mere Point Roads on my way and I did see quite a few birds there.

On Valentine’s Day the landlord stopped by to remove snow from the roof.

 

He shoveled off the front steps, so I can at least open the front door now…if I want to! However, the snow is so deep, it created a crater by my front door! Afterwards he got a ladder and climbed up on the roof to shovel some more!

The cats wanted to know what all that noise up there was!

 

I went out to fill bird feeders in the backyard and on the side of the house!

But the storm was a no show. We barely got enough snow to shovel!

I am not complaining, though!

However, the wind started to howl on Sunday morning and it blew all Sunday night and all day Monday! I was not able to go out and count birds anywhere else than my yard after Saturday, due to the weather. But, as if to make up for it, I had a Barred Owl in my yard on Friday and Saturday and a Northern Shrike in the yard on Saturday! The Northern Shrike is a new yard bird and I did try to get a photo but it flew off before I was able to. Still, I am glad it showed up during the GBBC! It is yard bird number 111 for me. It would have been yard bird 112, but I decided to remove the possible Hoary Redpoll I saw on January 29th from the list as I feel like I need a photo of that bird to validate that I saw it.

The snow is almost up to these bird feeders now.

 

Just look at all this snow!

 

Sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows is a welcome sight!

 

I like the sun and shadows on my winter boots.

However, I am ready for when I can put these away and let flip flops take their place! But, we will have to get through mud season first! Mud season almost sound enticing right about now!

When spring finally comes there will be Woodcocks here!

 

Until then, I will just have to enjoy the snow sculptures!

In the end I submitted 15 checklists for the Great Backyard Bird Count and counted 27 species of birds. While it’s not as many as I would have liked to, I still feel like I helped contribute to the overall data of bird populations in winter. The Best Bird of the whole count for me, was the Northern Shrike in my yard.

Learn more about the GBBC by clicking on the links below:

• The Great Backyard Bird Count
• View and Explore Data from the GBBC
• Brunswick Landing
• Mere Point Boat Launch
• eBird 
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology