BirdPage by Cindy McIntyre, Waldoboro, Maine
Spring 2007 - see Bluebird Page for the latest pix of bluebird family
May 9, 2007 - Osprey, Gulls and Alewives (fish)
Osprey with an Alewife, a fish that migrates like salmon, to the streams and
lakes where it was born. They arrive in May and the run will last around 6
weeks. Damariscotta Mills, Maine
is the place I did these photos - the screen behind the osprey keeps the fish
out of the power plant behind it. There are also runs in Warren and
Waldoboro, but not as dramatic.
Osprey hovering to zero in on a fish before diving with a splash
Osprey hovering, and then soaring, until the moment is right. The alewives
attract hoards of gulls, such as this Great Black Backed (right)
Alewives in May 2006. Ospreys will turn the fish so the head faces
forward as they fly back to the nest with it - more aerodynamic I suppose.
Alewives and a Great Black Backed Gull. The gulls swallow the fish whole,
then come back for more. Often the gull who caught the fish drops it when
pursued.
Flocks of Double-Crested Cormorants are also a sign the alewives are running.
They are called "shags" by the locals.
Herring Gulls are the most numerous (and loudest) of the birds feasting on the
alewives. I am gratified to see them actually working for a living instead
of looking for handouts or circling the dump
Cedar Waxwings
They are eating the petals from the apple blossoms.
The pair in the middle was feeding each other apple blossom petals over and over
- sweet! The little guy in the birdhouse is a House Wren - the
first for my yard!
Warblers
Male Chestnut-Sided Warbler at Beech Hill, Rockport, Maine, along with
male Common (Maryland) Yellowthroat above. He looks like the Lone Ranger.
Black-Throated Green Warbler - first two are the male, and then the
female, with another Common Yellowthroat at the end.
Male Yellow Warbler - note the red streaks on the breast.
Black-and-White Warbler passed through in full song in July. Red-eyed
vireo raised a family, too.
Spring Sparrows- late April/early May
White-Crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow, with a yellow wash by the eye.
And a Chipping Sparrow
On the first warm weekend
at the end
of April my juncos and fox and tree sparrows skipped town, and the yard was
sooooo quiet. I was bereft, and even the spring
sparrows haven't quite
filled that lonely spot.
White-Crowned Sparrows taking a bath
Song Sparrow
More Mid-Spring Birds
Oriole in apple tree
Male Bobolink - they nest in the hayfields next to my house; they are one
of the first to migrate south. Catbird singing.
Evening Grosbeak - Male on both ends and female in middle
Robin's nest with four blue blue eggs
Lady Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Male brown-headed cowbird
Baltimore Oriole on the orange feeder Young Tom
Turkey with beard eating scratch feed Female
American robin bathing
Male Bluebird watching Tree Swallows in "his" birdbox. He
decided the box by the pond would be perfect.
SEE
BLUEBIRD PAGE TO FOLLOW THE FAMILY
THROUGH THE SUMMER
Black-capped Chickadee checking out the real estate
Eastern Kingbird passing through
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak preening
Rose-Breasted Grosbeak male and female. Peterson's Guide says their song
is like that of "a robin with voice lessons." They arrived May 11.
Male has been
singing from the willow tree June 1
Tree Swallows have claimed 3 of the five bluebird boxes, but the back two
"belong" to one pair, perhaps the ones that fledged there last year. I'm
sure they will decide which
one will be their real home, and then remove the nesting materials from the
other into the final choice. That happened last year, too. The
swallow on the right has nesting
materials in her beak. Their bubbly song is more intense when they are
near the nest. When the oriole (above) landed on the top of the box they
chased him away right quick.
To follow the progress of the Tree Swallows in my yard, click on
TREE SWALLOW PAGE
- (warning - some photos
rated "XXX")
Blue Jay in mailbox "feeder"...
Female brown-headed cowbird and two males with her
Catbirds love the grape jelly I put out for the orioles
Male and female ruby-throated hummingbirds taking refuge under the eaves
during a rainstorm. The male eastern towhee was at Beech Hill in
Rockport, Maine
April 14th, 2007 - Sharp-Shinned Hawk
The way the chickadees were carrying on, I figured he'd gotten one, but it may
have been a junco. I walked into the backyard
just after he had made the kill - right under the Bird Cafe. I couldn't
believe my good fortune! He allowed me to approach to about 15 feet before
flying off with his meal. The chickadees stayed
upset for awhile, and the yard was quiet for about an hour afterwards. I
didn't have the heart to refill the feeders as I had intended. The pile of
feathers is a testament to the mayhem, and I'm
really glad he didn't get "my" woodcock, who is often feeding in that very spot!
I have seen a Cooper's Hawk several times as well. They are very similar
but the Cooper's breast was redder and it had a darker head "cap." Junco
above was taken after the April 13 snow.
Hawk finally got tired of having an audience. This afternoon I also saw a
FEMALE purple finch singing as passionately as a male. The chairs were
from yesterday morning.
It's SPRING!!!! It's a Timberdoodle (Woodcock)!
Mr. Woodcock was back in the snow-free patches of dirt in my backyard. I call him "Mister" because there was a "peenting" woodcock in the yard on April 1, a male calling for a mate. It sounds like the call of a nighthawk, only with one syllable, repeated over and over until he launches into the darkened sky with a twitter, circling high, then a down-cycling squeak announces his impending dive to earth, often near where he started, to begin "peenting" all over again. I first saw him April 8, and almost stepped on him yesterday while retrieving the garden hose. I could see him better today from my back window, because I had already shoveled 3 feet of snow from the ice pile that has been forming since Valentine's Day. It had come from the roof during several thaws, obscuring my view so I had to stand on tippytoes to even see my backyard. He is ridding my flower bed of grubs and worms, and I hope not hurting the perennial roots.
Woodcock and Dark-Eyed Junco, April 10. The bill is thrust the entire
length into the soil in search of food. It was a busy day in the yard -
Mr. Woodcock is well hidden. The photo on the end shows the lovely
markings on the Woodcock's back and neck. I have decided the Woodcock is
one of my
favorite birds, and I especially love the nickname Timberdoodle.
April 8 - Easter Sunday
No Easter Bunny, but a Woodcock, which stayed in the backyard for about 2 hours this afternoon.
This fellow is well camouflaged for the dirt and forest duff which
provides worms and grubs, but he stands out beautifully in the snow. When
feeding, the Woodcock
thrusts its beak all the way into the soil, probing a small patch thoroughly
before moving on to another. When walking they often have a jello-y kind
of wobble,
which is rather cute, as if they're testing the footing. His head,
however, does not move, making the effect even weirder. Below you will
see a song sparrow on the birdbath and the woodcock below to the left. A
fox sparrow (look closely)
brushing by startled him, making his stubby tail flip up. A blue jay came
by for a drink while Mr./Ms. Woodcock was busy.
I was lucky enough to look up from work in my
studio this afternoon to see
this Cooper's Hawk alight in a maple (second time this Spring). Although
it has been as busy as a beehive in the front and backyards, as soon as the hawk
flew over not a bird was
to be seen or heard. A few froze where they were hiding in brush or trees;
it was as if somebody had turned off the sound. Five minutes later they
came trickling back, and though I
searched, I could not find the hawk again.
The birds are as colorful as Easter Eggs - the male American Goldfinches are
moulting from their drab winter garb into breeding yellow.
Male American Robin
White-Throated Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
April 5 - It Snowed 12 inches
The calendar says April 5, 2007 but we got a foot of snow overnight
Two female purple finches and a dark-eyed junco at the feeder
- the Song Sparrows and singing House Finch didn't mind though
Song sparrow sits on chair under the arbor
Cindy feeding the birds
Go to January 2007 and previous
Noreen O'Brien's Bird Blog in Midcoast Maine
Contact me:
cindy@cindymcintyre.com
All images are copyrighted by Cindy McIntyre 2006/2007 Please do not use
these without permission and/or payment of licensing fee. Thank you.