Birders
Related: About this forumMy wet and stormy Maine winter birding trip
Last edited Sat Feb 16, 2019, 10:52 AM - Edit history (1)
After visiting elderly relatives in Portland, we went to the usual birding hotspots on the southern Maine coast.
Usually - by bad luck - we go on the coldest windiest day of the winter.
Not this time - we encountered pouring windblown rain and angry stormy seas and surf.
All the coastal ponds and salt marshes were frozen solid - I have never seen them like that.
But we did find some birds (all pics from Google Images)
Common Loons - and lots of them
And a big surprise - 7 red-throated loons (an arctic species)
And another surprise - lots of Barrow's Goldeneyes...
and common goldeneyes
Eared grebes
Red-breasted mergansers
Common eiders
Long-tailed ducks - and lots for inshore waters..
Black ducks
Canada geese
Cooper's hawk
Red tailed hawk
Three huge tom turkeys
And a very large coyote on the side of I-95
2naSalit
(86,579 posts)I have noticed that the hawk migration is on and has been going since about the beginning of the month. Some of the eagles are back, not all migrate out. The geese never left. And I saw six or seven eagles on a deer carcass, one was a Golden, the rest were Bald. That same day, in the same valley I saw two groups of Arctic Buntings. Haven't seen those for a few years.
We started having winter a couple weeks ago so things might get uncomfortable for some species.
jpak
(41,757 posts)But not much action at my bird feeder or crab apple tree the this winter ...
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)bird seed on the patio, along with the bird feeders. Got plenty of birds feeding. Doves, chickadees, sparrows, cardinals. One morning there was a racoon eating the seed!! Now I have to re-think putting seed on the ground. This is on the border of Wisconsin/Illinois. Bitterly cold winter, lots of ice, too. These photos are beautiful. Thanks for posting.
Bayard
(22,062 posts)Thanks for posting!
pansypoo53219
(20,974 posts)pazzyanne
(6,549 posts)Demovictory9
(32,453 posts)the city parks with small ponds in them.
Solly Mack
(90,764 posts)proud patriot
(100,705 posts)on the Big Island of Hawaii .. it's kinda new .. might want to check it out ..
wonderful pictures thanks for sharing
jpak
(41,757 posts)I desperately wanted to see Nene's.
And who showed up at my tent door at sunrise?
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Also camped out at a state park in Kauai - right on their famous cliffs.
Saw these guys... i'iwis