Reports of cave swallows in southern Maine recently have stirred the birding community. “Be on the lookout for these. This was a first record for Maine,” wrote Fields Pond Nature Center director Judy Markowsky in a Maine birding e-mail post. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
The sighting of the coots a few weekends ago was certainly a highlight of the month. Before the coots, though, I had enjoyed a rewarding visit to the Witter Farm marsh with another birding friend of mine. We had gone expressly to see the coots;… Read More
The e-mail subject line read, “coot et al,” and was from my friend Ed Grew. “Did you ever get to see the coots, widgeons and green-winged teal in Witter Farm marsh this weekend? If not, it’s not too late. They must have weathered the freezes… Read More
Last weekend I took full advantage of the good weather by stealing time from my day to go birding. I was not sorry that I had done so. I traveled to the public boat landing on Pushaw Lake in Glenburn. I’m not sure what I… Read More
It seems every fall I write a column about blue jays. Many people begin noticing everything about them this time of year, but this attention is mostly negative. Complaints range from the jays’ noisiness to their habit of chasing smaller birds away and dominating feeding… Read More
A reluctant trip to Baxter State Park over Columbus Day weekend yielded some surprising bird sightings. I say reluctant because the dreary, constant rain made me loathe to leave my warm house and its creature comforts. But all trips to Baxter end up being worth… Read More
The long rays of late afternoon sunlight slanted across the fields, gilding the edges of wetland shrubs and reeds in gold. A light breeze kissed the meadow grasses, making them sway gently. I had always enjoyed walking the path through this particular area, because it… Read More
Some of the most enchanting, unforgettable moments happen when we least expect them. This seems to be especially true when birdwatching, as many birders will attest. It was so for me a few weeks ago. I’d lately been lamenting that I spend too little time… Read More
Autumn is approaching; already some trees are beginning to show red and gold hues amidst the green. While I enjoy the season for its brilliant colors, its crisp, clear days, and its absence of bugs (especially deerflies, which seemed to have been particularly bad this year), I also… Read More
There are a few pages in the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds labeled “confusing fall warblers.” Under this heading are illustrations of our neotropical songbirds without their colorful and distinctive breeding plumages. Because adults undergo a molt prior to migrating south to their wintering grounds, and young… Read More
Through responses to this column, I’ve come to know that members of the corvid family – especially crows – are the subject of much interest and attention for many people. Although the appearance of West Nile Virus has brought them farther into the spotlight, they… Read More
I was in Orono the other day, dropping off something for a friend, and decided to take a walk around her neighborhood. It’s near the river and I had always thought there would be great birding down there, resolving many times to set aside time to do so. Read More
A co-worker of mine recently remarked on the contrast between my last few columns. He told me that while he found the one on robins interesting, he said it was a bit drier and more scientifically written than usual. The column on the sora, on the other hand,… Read More
This next bird might fall into the “backyard bird” category -I f your backyard included a modest wetland, that is. I visited one such wetland in Orono. Located off the Witter Farm road, I remember this small marshy area as more of an extensive wet… Read More
They’re a familiar sight in parks and on lawns all across the U.S. Their clear, whistled songs sweetly wake us on fresh spring mornings and usher in soft, warm twilights. They are so common they are familiar to those who don’t know much about birds – known as… Read More
We now resume our regularly scheduled programming: “common backyard birds and their life histories.” It’s that time of the season again – the rush of spring and returning migrants is over. Breeding and fledging young has commenced and in many cases concluded. Which means things… Read More
I’d like to interrupt your regular programming of “common backyard birds and their life histories,” to bring you this special broadcast: a red-billed tropicbird was spotted on Machias Seal Island earlier in the week. I was able to get a first-hand account from Judy Ettenhofer… Read More
Last week I promised to do a series on common backyard birds and began with the hairy woodpecker. This week’s column looks at the similar downy woodpecker. Many people may think of this woodpecker as a scaled-down version of the hairy woodpecker, but differences exist between the two. Read More
Recently a reader contacted me in response to the column on merlins a couple of weeks back. “Some time would you do a similar story on robins, hummingbirds, and woodpeckers?” Mildred Bennett wrote. “It is very interesting to learn how and where birds nest, eat,… Read More
One night a few weeks ago I received a concerned call from hiking friend Sandy Knox. She and her husband Rodney had been out in their kayaks, enjoying a serene paddle around a pond near her home. They had entered a marshy area of the pond and spotted… Read More
Every spring hope and life begin anew. This eternal cycle has special meaning for me, perhaps because I have such an interest in the natural world and in wildlife. By observing birds in their habitats, I’ve discovered where a few nest from year to year. Read More
May’s rainy weather was good for at least one thing – it brought birds to our feeders that we normally wouldn’t see very often. We had all the usual visitors – American goldfinches, purple finches, pine siskins, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers – but the addition of rose-breasted grosbeaks was… Read More
The weather on Memorial Day weekend may have been less than ideal, but our trip to Baxter State Park did not disappoint. As usual, we had reserved the bunkhouse at South Branch Pond campground. With a snug shelter and a wood stove, we were less… Read More
It never ceases to amaze me: I almost always get the best birdwatching done when I’m least expecting it. This doesn’t necessarily involve sightings of a rare or unusual bird; sometimes, it’s just a fresh look at a bird I’ve seen many times before. This… Read More
Those of you who read this column have by now undoubtedly heard about the rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker, in the Big Woods region of Arkansas. The last confirmed sighting of the bird occurred in 1944 in Louisiana. In the following years, tantalizing reports of additional sightings could… Read More
A co-worker of mine mentioned he had gotten exceptionally close-up views of mallard ducks while kayaking recently. He’d never really paid attention to them before and was impressed by the striking plumage of the male. That made me think – how many times had I… Read More
Last weekend’s warm, sunny weather finally convinced me it was spring, although the birds had begun to proclaim it far in advance. It was the initial waves of red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, and a few turkey vultures that hinted at the change in season while… Read More
I heard their calls long before I caught sight of them. Their one-note whistles were loud and percussive, and impossible to ignore. They perched high up on bare tree limbs, continuing to chatter amongst themselves. Then, a few scouts came wafting down to the platform feeder I had… Read More
Recently I received some questions about purple finches I thought would be of interest. A co-worker asked me about some birds she was seeing at her feeders. Some had reddish heads and breasts, she said, while others looked like sparrows. I mentioned that what she… Read More
The day was beautiful, a perfect promise of spring. Except for slushy clumps here and there, the snow had vanished. In its wake, warming temperatures had begun to pull crocuses and tulips from the ground, and the trees showed the barest tint of color as buds appeared. The… Read More
This past Tuesday’s storm, while causing a delay in flight plans to New Jersey for me, again provided abundant material on which to write. Observing the birds drawn to the feeders provided a welcome diversion from the reason for my trip – assisting my family in caring for… Read More
As I write this the remains of Tuesday’s snowstorm continue sifting to the ground. The first part of that old saying about March “coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb” is certainly apt. The vernal equinox is approaching, but it sure doesn’t seem that… Read More
The short days and bitter cold have put a damper on much of my birding activity for most of the season. In fact, the most bird-watching I’ve done has been from my living-room windows; luckily, that has proved to be fruitful enough to keep the creative juices flowing. Read More
Being snowed in isn’t all bad. Last week’s snowstorm kept me home from work and allowed me to see something I never would have otherwise. Snowfall may have been continuous and heavy at times, but the birds were out and about. Goldfinches, pine siskins, mourning… Read More
I happened to catch part of the NBC Nightly News earlier in the week. The newscaster prepped the after-commercial-break segment with reference to an “invasion” in the state of Minnesota. I knew immediately what it was about: the mass migration of thousands of great gray owls from their… Read More
As we struggle through the two hardest months of winter-January and February-it is hard to contain our impatience with the season. Lengthening daylight and somewhat less-frigid temperatures tell us that spring is coming, yet it is still so far away – or is it? Some… Read More
At least there’s one redeeming quality to sub-zero mid-January – quite a few interesting winter birds have been sighted recently. In particular, a bird with the very exotic-sounding name of Lapland longspur. The Lapland longspur is actually part of a family dubbed by ornithologists as… Read More
I’ll never forget my first close-up view of a bald eagle. It occurred during my second trip here to Maine, one of three trips I undertook to decide where in the state I wanted to settle. It was mid-March and I was staying at Yellow… Read More
During these last few weeks, reports of a sandhill crane near Lewiston reminded me of the last time I saw one of these striking birds. It was in Florida, during the month of March, I think – and I remember how impressive this bird appeared. Read More
Back in November a report of a Townsend’s solitaire in northern Maine captured my interest, and I resolved to write about it. In between my trip to New Jersey, the NYC red-tailed hawk saga, and the Christmas Bird Count, time slipped away quickly. I’d like to return to… Read More
Audubon’s Old Town/Orono Christmas Bird Count, held last Saturday, was a great success. Judy Markowsky of the Fields Pond Nature Center in Orrington reported 54 species found, “well above average for this inland count,” she said. Although I had originally planned to cover one of… Read More
This seems to be the month of the red-tailed hawk. Recently a furor arose over a pair of red-tails living in – of all places – New York City. The two have nested on a luxurious apartment building across from Central Park for 12 years. Read More
This seems to be the season for red-tailed hawk sightings for me. It started over Thanksgiving, with a trip down to New Jersey. There I had the pleasure to witness the airborne prowess of this large raptor. The first notable occurrence took place during the… Read More
I visited family in New Jersey over the Thanksgiving holiday this year, as I had done last year, and was again surprised at the awareness of nature (specifically of birds) displayed by people I met while out bird watching. The state of New Jersey is… Read More
A few weeks ago I awoke to a very strange noise. At first it sounded like drops of water hitting a hard surface, and I worried there was a leak somewhere in the house. Then I realized it was coming from outside, a sharp, repetitive clucking sound that… Read More
It was the end of a beautiful day at Kidney Pond campground in Baxter State Park, and we were preparing to enjoy a delicious supper. The sun was setting, turning fluffy cumulous clouds pink and orange, and a light breeze ruffled the surface of the pond. Read More
This week I’d like to return to my trip to Kidney Pond in Baxter State Park, which I had made early last month. I had promised to talk about the other birds I’d seen, but it’s easy to get sidetracked – especially with the red-bellied woodpecker “invasion.”… Read More
The cold season is here and in birding circles, that means the prospect of exciting fall migrants and rare sightings. So far we have not been disappointed! As I had written two weeks ago, red-bellied woodpeckers seem to be invading Maine. As of this writing,… Read More
Earlier this month we spent a weekend at Kidney Pond, as I had mentioned in a previous column. What’s great about this location is the variety of habitat immediately surrounding the campground: spruce/fir and mixed deciduous forests march down to the pond’s marshy edge near its outlet, where… Read More
In last week’s column I promised to talk about additional birds I’d seen at Kidney Pond, but recent sightings in the Bangor area prompted me to digress a little. It started with an e-mail from Al and Linda Curran, in Holden, who wrote in to… Read More
Crossbills live in Maine (and the entire northern U.S. and Canada) all year long. They have adapted to feeding on the cones of coniferous trees, so they may travel widely to find good cone crops. They time their breeding to the abundance and availability of this food; therefore… Read More
Although I visit specific locations just to find birds (and enjoy nature), often my birding is done as a secondary pursuit while I’m out getting exercise. Although this is not always conducive to obtaining the maximum number of sightings, it can yield unexpected rewards. This… Read More
My father taught me to appreciate the beauty of nature. He would always call my attention to sunsets, interesting cloud formations, or the birds in our urban neighborhood. As do many city and suburban neighborhoods, ours had populations of European house sparrows and starlings, house… Read More
Once again a trip to the Taylor Bait ponds produced some wonderful bird sightings. I had ample opportunity to be grateful for finally visiting this birding hotspot that I had previously only read about. The immature great blue heron and the great egret were still… Read More
A return trip to bird the Taylor Bait ponds in Orono produced very satisfying results, especially so because I had the benefit of someone’s more advanced shorebird identification skills – and a spotting scope. This enabled us to confirm what we were seeing: a spotted sandpiper and several… Read More
Last weekend I took some time to visit a local birding hotspot that I had never visited. Taylor Road, located off Forest Avenue in Orono, is a great place to go during migration. Otherwise known as the old dump road, it gives up spectacular treasures… Read More
A mysterious, fascinating bird skulks within our forests. It is approximately the size of a blue jay. By day, it is largely silent and secretive. Observers lucky to see it often describe it as sluggish. After dark it is active, engaging in vocal night flights during the breeding… Read More
Compared to earlier in the breeding season, late summer can be a subdued time for birders. Neotropical songbirds are less conspicuous, having stopped singing and displaying over territories and mates. They are concentrating instead on fattening themselves up for migration. Birds are dispersing from nesting areas, making it… Read More
The common lament these days seems to be, “There’s not enough time in the day to get things done!” That is certainly true in my case, especially when it comes to pursuing my hobbies. I’m not independently wealthy yet so the challenge is arranging my schedule around one… Read More
The grey catbird is a relatively large bird – about the size of a robin – with a distinctive slate-colored body, a coal-black cap on its head, and chestnut undertail feathers. But it is rarely seen much, if at all. When it does show itself, it does so… Read More
You may recall last week’s column about the tree swallow nestlings in my yard. At the time, I was sure they were close to fledging, and this turned out to be correct. One day soon after, I heard excited, intense calls, and looked out to… Read More
As do many plans, my plan to install nest boxes throughout my yard fell a little short. We only got one put up – for tree swallows – and late in the season at that. I figured I had lost my chance to attract nesting birds to the… Read More
A recent rain after a dry spell gave me a glimpse into the life of birds that I had never quite seen before. It had been at least a full week, if not more, without a drop of rain. I ran the sprinkler for my… Read More
Nothing brings a warm summer day to my mind like the sound of cedar waxwings. Although these birds can be seen in Maine throughout the year, cedar waxwing population numbers may vary throughout the winter, as they travel around in search of winter-fruit bearing trees. Read More
Refreshing breezes brushed the surface of the water as we paddled out to the middle of South Branch Pond. The sky was a deep summer blue and the sun warm on our backs – a delightful change to the cool, gloomy weather of the previous days. Read More
Several weeks ago I led a bird walk for Maine Audubon. This late-May excursion into Brown Woods, off Union Street in Bangor, was part of a series of walks led by Penobscot Valley chapter members. All of the guided walks were within the Bangor city limits. A total… Read More
At my house I’m accustomed to seeing goldfinches and purple finches show up at my feeders. So at first what I thought I saw one afternoon was just more of the same, but in that quick glance I realized something was different. Although one of… Read More
Although Memorial Day weekend in Baxter State Park began with cool temperatures and gloomy, overcast skies, it still produced great birding opportunities. There were many great bird sightings throughout the weekend, but on Monday the sun finally came out in all its glory, bringing warmth… Read More
As I was tending the garden last week, I was interrupted by a loud buzz. I looked up to see a male ruby-throated hummingbird investigating the bird feeders filled with seed. He was obviously looking for his feeder – the one with the sugar-water solution – and, upon… Read More
It’s great to have the birds back and to be woken up by them in the morning – even if it is too early. Although I’ve been closing the windows on some of the chillier nights, some of the louder noises still filter through. The… Read More
The arrival of hermit thrushes never fails to bring a special kind of joy to my heart. Spring’s chorus is melodious and varied, but no song matches the hermit thrush’s in beauty. It is ethereal; and its echoing notes at dusk make it even more… Read More
Spring is definitely here! Prior to our first long, soaking rain, neotropical songbirds were pouring into the state by the hundreds. Serenaded by Nashville, black-and-white, black-throated green, and northern parula warblers, I labored in the unusual heat last weekend, planting and getting my garden ready. Read More
Two Sundays ago I went hiking with some friends of mine, who had gone hiking the week before that without me. So they proceeded to regale me with the incredible views they had of peregrine falcons on their trip. While hiking up Champlain Mountain in… Read More
The group of us stood in the middle of the boardwalk as twilight deepened. It wasn’t totally dark yet, but it was getting close; the trees surrounding us were visible as faint silhouettes. The sudden rain shower earlier had moistened the soft ground and a damp, earthy scent… Read More
Last weekend I enjoyed the mild, sunny weather and spent as much time as I could outside. On Sunday I went for a run along the University of Maine bike path, and ran into an acquaintance of mine, Bob Klose, who teaches at University College in Bangor and… Read More
As this season progresses, birders are spotting increasing numbers of returning migrants. What they are also commenting about is the continued presence of one of our winter visitors, which doesn’t seem to want to leave. I’ve experienced that myself. Each morning for the past four… Read More
It will be several more weeks before the beautiful colors and songs of our neotropical songbirds fill the forests again, but right now the pickings aren’t so meager. Arrival announcements fill my e-mail inbox daily, and I got out this weekend to do a bit of birding myself. Read More
Spring in Maine may be dolefully known as “mud season,” but to birdwatchers it is one of the most exciting seasons. At first, each week brings another few returning migrants back to us. As the season progresses, the trickle turns to a flood, and every… Read More
Spring (ahem – mud season) is almost here, but of course, this is Maine. You wouldn’t know it by the weather. But if you pay attention to another of Mother Nature’s rituals, you’d know beyond a shadow of a doubt – the return of migrant birds ushers the… Read More
Last week’s column about crows proved to be popular and garnered a few responses from readers. One woman had a question about the helping behavior displayed by crows – young birds from the previous year have been found to help their parents feed and raise new broods. Read More
A few months ago, a coworker of mine had suggested I write a column about crows. I agreed it would be an interesting column, wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner, and resolved to write one forthwith. But for some reason, it kept getting pushed… Read More
This time of year is for the… owls. Once again volunteers are getting ready to head out into the night to detect these mysterious nocturnal raptors. Thanks to a grant from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Audubon is able to continue these… Read More
As I was leaving work the other day I heard the unmistakable calling of waxwings. It took me a few seconds to locate them; surprisingly, they were perched in a crabapple tree right behind me. Their call notes were so faint and high-pitched it sounded as if they… Read More
At this time every year I begin to get very tired of winter. It seems as if spring is just around the corner, but its coming is agonizingly slow. I was particularly delighted, then, to receive a press release from the Cobscook Bay Area Chamber of Commerce announcing… Read More
I watched the white-breasted nuthatch as it flew to the feeder, selected a sunflower seed, and flew to the trunk of a white pine tree. It turned itself so that it was facing downward and descended the tree in this fashion for several inches. It reached a certain… Read More
Red-breasted nuthatch a traveler ‘Boreal woodland sprite’ has made journey across Atlantic to Europe
In keeping with the column’s theme of the last few weeks – familiar feeder birds – I’d like to introduce our next character: the red-breasted nuthatch, common throughout the northern forests of United States and much of Canada. I first became acquainted with this sprite… Read More
Pik! Pik! Pik! The sharp, high-pitched notes reached me even through closed windows the other morning. They were followed by a short, rapid drum roll – a sound I wasn’t expecting to hear for another month or two, yet. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
I never tire of watching the antics of black-capped chickadees. They are forever on the move, never staying still for more than a few seconds. This is the key to their survival, but it sure does provide a challenge in photographing them. I’ve been trying… Read More
Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count is a great incentive to get outside to go birding in the winter. Winter birding sometimes can be sparse compared to spring-summer birding, but it does have its treats: nomads, irruptives, stragglers and wanderers delight the seeker who braves the raw… Read More
Please forgive the following digression. This column normally covers birds and ornithology, but what I’m about to share with you describes a rare visit from a nocturnal creature that becomes temporarily airborne (so there is a slight connection there). It was so unusual that I just had to… Read More
Early this fall a ruffed grouse came to visit me one windy, cold day. Actually, she wasn’t there to visit me; in fact, she preferred not even catching a glimpse of me. If I was incautious enough to let her see me, she’d launch herself… Read More
A rare sighting of a hopelessly out-of-range summer tanager preceded our first big snowstorm of the season last week. Tanagers are large (7 to 12 inches in length) woodland songbirds. There are four breeding species in North America: the summer, scarlet, hepatic and western tanagers. Read More
This is for all of you out there who have ever dumped on or otherwise made fun of New Jersey. (I, of course, have full license to do so since I am a native New Jerseyan.) Contrary to popular belief, there are areas of New… Read More
I had to chuckle at the post on the Maine birding e-mail list. It was from Don Tucker, and it read: “Here in North Berwick, it started with one or two at the feeder beginning about two weeks ago, gradually increasing to five or six. Read More
Many people may think, as I used to, that bird migration is a fixed, inflexible event, and that all birds migrate to escape cold weather. However, migration is a complex phenomenon influenced by many different variables. Researchers still are not sure how these variables are connected to or… Read More
The pewter-grey sea stretched out to the horizon, blending in with the similarly hued sky. At the mouth of the cove, waves broke in foaming bursts; on shore, bands of seaweed stretched across the wet sand only a few feet from the grassy dunes. Crows picked through the… Read More
Last week’s column about the saw-whet owl banding demo generated several comments from co-workers. They were all surprised at how small this owl is. Weighing as much as an American robin and measuring a trifle less in length, the saw-whet is not the smallest North… Read More
Normally I would not be willing to make a round trip journey to southern Maine on a Friday night after work, but this trip was special. Hopefully, we would get up close and personal with saw-whet owls. A small group of us from the Bangor… Read More
Everyone who visited Baxter State Park this past Columbus Day weekend must have exclaimed what we did several times over: “What incredible weather! Can you believe it’s the middle of October – in Baxter?!” Conditions were perfect for just about everything. Mt. Katahdin was visible… Read More
As a birder I have been somewhat indifferent to lists – that is, keeping detailed accounts of what birds I’ve seen, on which dates, and in what locations. Other people are obsessive about keeping lists – even if it means logging the same common birds, such as chickadees… Read More