More Birds from Mitchell Field

The piers at Mitchell Field 9-8-15

 Whenever I go to Mitchell Field I have to start at the top of the road which is off Route 123 in south Harpswell. Since Mitchell Field is only 1/2 Mile from the end of my road, it makes it very easy to bird here often. When I first moved to Harpswell last summer there had only been about 11 eBird checklists submitted for this location. Since then I have done my best to add to that data, but birding at Mitchell Field is a pleasure. It is a place I go to to clear my mind and get lost in nature.

The blue water tower

 Whenever you drive into Mitchell Field you have to drive past this blue water tower. Keep your eyes open when passing, because lots of birds like to hang out around this water tower, especially in the summer and fall. I have yet to experience spring at Mitchell Field. So far this winter, most of the birds I am seeing are down near the shore. 

The top of the road.

 It has been too cold for me to walk the .7 mile road that is plowed in winter. The two mile trail that loops along the perimeter of the property is not plowed, but so far this winter the snow is not deep so some people walk it anyways.

Parking at the bottom of the field.

 In the summer I liked to park in the shade beneath this tree, but this area is not plowed in winter either. During the summer they have concerts every Sunday at that gazebo. I had to remember that Sunday afternoons are not the best time to bird at Mitchell Field! But, the concerts were nice and it was nice to see the community come out and enjoy this place.

Cormorants and gulls on the pier.

 I usually drive to the shore, park, and start birding. I always like to see what birds are hanging out on the pier and in the water. During the summer this pier is covered with cormorants, gulls, and pigeons. Sometimes I would see starlings out there as well. 

The mini estuary on the beach.

 There is a public beach, but it is very rocky, though once you get in the water, there is sand beneath your feet. A small creek flows into Middle Bay here, and during low tide many of the birds gather here to feed and drink the fresh water.

Osprey 9-15-15

 Except for the winter, it is not unusual to see an osprey fly overhead!

Canada Geese flying in 9-15-15

 Canada Geese like to take advantage of the estuary as well!

Canada Geese

Coming in for a landing

Sharing the beach with the gulls.

Contentment at the shore.

 I have seen Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Bonaparte Gulls, Common Terns and even a Black-legged Kittywake here! It's all about timing, but there were more gulls here during summer and fall. Now their numbers have diminished for the winter.

Semipalmated Sandpiper 9-18-15

 I have not seen many shorebirds at Mitchell Field. This little Semipalmated Sandpiper was the first I had ever seen here and it is the only one I have ever seen here. So far I have not recorded any other sandpipers or plovers here.

Yellow-rumped warbler 9-16-15

 However, Mitchell Field is thick with warblers during migration. I saw hundreds of Yellow-rumped warblers in the fields and hedgerows this fall. It will be interesting to see what spring will bring! But, if you check the eBird Hotspot list you will see that other birders have reported many warbler species here.

Yellow-rumped Warbler 9-16-15

Gray Catbird 9-18-15

 Catbirds were a commonly seen species during the summer and fall.

Common Loon in Middle Bay as seen from Mitchell Field shore.

 The loons started to show up around the middle of September.

Common Loon 9-18-2015

Juvenile Double-crested Cormorant 9-18-15

 I saw Double-crested Cormorants here all summer and fall. I have yet to see a Great Cormorant hanging around, however. But I keep hoping! This juvenile Double-crested Cormorant almost tricked me because it was so big and fat, but it is still just a double-crested cormorant!

Yellow-rumped warblers 9-29-15

 Autumn at Mitchell Field was very picturesque. I loved walking the perimeter trail.

Autumn Yellow-rumped Warbler with berries 9-29-15

 Below are some of the other birds I saw at various times during fall migration.

A very poor picture of a White-crowned sparrow seen along the pier 10-6-15

Common Yellowthroat female seen along the pier 10-6-15

Savannah Sparrow seen in the sumac along the pier during fall migration, 10-6-15

I love to go birding at Mitchell Field!

Links:

• Mitchell Field eBird Hotspot info
• Mitchell Field Harpswell Town info
• Mitchell Field Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT)

Back to Harpswell

 Stormy skies at Mitchell Field 10-29-2015

It has been a busy 3 weeks for me. I have been to Colorado and back, and to Connecticut and back. In both places I saw friends and family. In both places I counted birds! When I left for Colorado I was at 183 species of birds for the year, far behind what would be normal for me, but this year has been like no other since having surgery last Christmas, then dislocating my shoulder in January and going through 6 months of physical therapy which took up most of my time and left little time for chasing birds. Still, I have managed to squeeze in birding here and there and with my trip to Colorado I was hoping to add enough species to go over the 200 mark. Alas, while I came close, I am still two species away from the 200 mark at 198 species for the year.

I made it to 197 by the time I left Colorado, but added American Widgeon at Plum Island on Friday where I stopped briefly to watch birds. I have not seen an American Widgeon since January 28, 2014 in Arizona right before we moved away.

Naughty gray squirrel in my window feeder 10-28-15

In the week that I was gone to Colorado most of the leaves turned brown and fell off the trees. The oaks were turning rust and mustard by then, but now even they are dropping from the trees. Soon it will look like winter and we will be glad of the blanket of white to hide this barren landscape.

Estes Park, CO 10-20-2015

Being in Colorado was such an eye opener for me. I have not lived there since 1996 and I have not visited since 2012. Being in Longmont and Estes Park reaffirmed my love of the mountains and the west. It is the place where my heart feels most at home. Some people are drawn to the ocean, and indeed I am thankful for this chance to live on the coast for now, but I love the mountains. I will always be a mountain girl!

While in Colorado, my aging zoom lens failed on the last night there. I am currently using Gus’ 18 to 200 mm lens on the D90 while I decide what to do about the camera situation. I am trying to decide if I should just get a new lens, or a whole new camera, since I find the D90 quite heavy to haul around. I already notice the difference in the weight of the shorter lens, but it does not zoom in as far on the birds, so they must be must closer to me for even a decent picture.

Mom

I spent  last week in Connecticut so I could take my mom to get her other cataract removed. She is looking well and her hair is finally growing in after her chemo earlier this year for her second battle with breast cancer. Mom loves to do puzzles.

 Breakfast with the birds in Mom's backyard.

While there I counted birds in her yard and anywhere else I could, including going to Harkness Memorial Park while she had her surgery done since it was only 15 minutes away from the surgical center! While there all was peaceful and serene and I counted 15 species of birds, including my first Laughing Gulls for New London County!

• Harkness Memorial Park 11-5-2015 Checklist

The rocky shore at Harkness Memorial Park in Connecticut.

I must say that in my current situation, I kind of feel lost. My heart feels torn, for I love my family and I love being near them, but I miss the west. I miss having my own “Nest.”

Sunset at Mitchell Field 10-29-15

Still, the beauty of nature surrounds me and I feel thankful for all the different places I have lived in my life and all the people I have met, with many becoming my dear friends. Who knows where we will end up, but for now, I am trying to enjoy the ride and be thankful for all that I have, and all that I have seen! There will be more photos and birds to come, but I just wanted to get caught up!

 Sunset at Mitchell Field 10-29-15

Mitchell Field In South Harpswell

 Mitchell Field 10-8-15

Since I first learned we were moving to Harpswell I started checking out the local birding hotspots. One place I had heard about but never visited before was Mitchell Field. Before we even moved into our new place, I took a drive down there in July to go birding. As soon as I pulled into the road I started seeing birds everywhere! I quickly pulled into the upper parking lot and started taking pictures and counting birds. A rose-breasted grosbeak sang from a nearby maple tree while other small birds flitted around. But I was quickly distracted by the creature below as it started to climb the trunk of one of those trees!

I have gotten blurry photos of this animal at dusk before…

But on July 17th I finally got a decent photo of a porcupine!

 

Song Sparrow at Mitchell Field 7-17-15

 

I walked a short distance down the trail and found a field of Bobolinks and wildflowers!

 A field of summer wildflowers in bloom at Mitchell Field 7-17-15

 

Next I headed down the road to find a full beach with gulls and pigeons!

The pigeons would explain why I saw Peregrine Falcons and Merlins here at a later date! There is a small freshwater creek that flows into the bay here and the gulls, geese and other birds gather here to drink, especially at low tide.

 Gull and Cormorant preening on rocks in the bay 7-17-15

 Looking South from the beach at Mitchell Field 7-17-15

The following photos were all taken with my cell phone on various visits to Mitchell Field. When I first started birding here there were only 19 to 20 checklists submitted for this location, yet over 100 species had been documented here. I have since started birding here on a regular basis and the number of checklists submitted is currently 41, while the number of species reported is up to 130. I am happy to report that I have been able to contribute to that total by adding Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black Guillemot and Laughing Gull to the list. So far I have submitted 18 checklists at this location and I have recorded 55 species of birds!

Here is a link to the Hotspot info on eBird: Mitchell Field, South Harpswell

 Gull on the rocks at Mitchell Field 9-6-15

 A stormy day at Mitchell Field 9-8-15

 The Field at Mitchell Field 9-8-15

 Fog over the bay 9-13-15

 Low tide reveals seaweed covered rocks on the beach 9-18-15

 Autumn has come to Mitchell Field 9-29-15

This is the bandstand where they have concerts on Sunday afternoons during the summer. I was standing on the pier when I took this photo. I often find sparrows and catbirds in the hedgerows along the pier, and currently there are yellow-rumped warblers hanging out here.

Mitchell Field is the perfect place to watch the sunset.

 Sunset on September 1, 2015

 

 Sunset on October 6, 2015

 Twilight on the bay 10-6-15

You can expect to see many more posts and photos from Mitchell Field and other places around Harpswell as I explore this new place that I live!

Notes: I am so sorry it has been so long since I  have posted here. It took awhile to get my computer hooked up to the internet, then the next time I logged on and tried to blog none of my pages would load. I got discouraged and gave up but a strange turn of events led to to try again today. I was headed into town to do a couple of errands but my car wouldn’t start. I found myself stuck at home on a rainy day, so on a whim I turned my computer on and it worked! Maybe I can get a couple more blogposts written before it goes wonky again. I really need a new computer and Gus and I are working on that!