|
|
 |
|
9 September 2010
|
Rockport, Maine, USA
|
|
Posts Tagged ‘long-tailed duck’
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
 Herring gull. Sun again this morning, but not without intermittent high clouds. The temperature felt chilly still, at 40- to 50-something degrees (F). Early singing birds included song sparrow, cardinal, phoebe, house finch, downy woodpecker, titmouse, finches, crow. Saw the phoebe perched on the peak of the next-door roof again; heard the various love songs of the male titmouse, which posed for photos.
 Tufted titmouse. Herring gulls sailed overhead as we drove to Beech Hill again at midday, dog and I. No tractor today, but I couldn’t help but notice the entire summit shorn and certain nesting clumps mowed down. (When the birds arrive, of course, they’ll simply use other clumps nearby, but I still felt a sense of loss.) Then again, I was thrilled to see kestrels, three of them, hovering on rapid wings above the new-mown grass, and a solitary harrier tipping and veering over the lower southern slope. Song sparrows flitted silently again amid the brush, and one of the pair of ravens croaked audibly on our way down. A blue jay jeered, as well.
Later, while out cycling, I marveled at the huge familiar wheel of gulls above the cow farm off Route 1. Birds know where the food is, that’s for sure. Robins and crows hopped again near the edges of the roads, and a newly arrived double-crested cormorant zipped along above Clam Cove. The wind blew moderately hard from the northwest, making for varying difficulty.
 Unfurling. Decided to walk the breakwater this evening. Still wind, which ruffled the water. No loons, no mergansers—no ducks but a couple dozen eiders and a few small flocks of long-tailed ducks, high-tailing it out to sea. I saw another d-c cormorant, and a solitary guillemot flying low above the waves.
I’m starting to get excited about the influx of passerines. I can nearly sense them, stocking up, or heading north, flying at night, maybe a couple weeks out, reproduction on their minds.
Today’s List
American crow
Song sparrow
Northern cardinal
Tufted titmouse
Downy woodpecker
American goldfinch
House finch
Eastern phoebe
Mourning dove
Herring gull
Northern harrier
American kestrel
Common raven
Black-capped chickadee
Blue jay
Rock pigeon
Common eider
Double-crested cormorant
Long-tailed duck
Black guillemot
 Budding trees.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American kestrel, black guillemot, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, common eider, common raven, double-crested cormorant, downy woodpecker, eastern p hoebe, herring gull, house finch, long-tailed duck, mourning dove, Northern cardinal, Northern harrier, rock pigeon, song sparrow, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Sunday, April 4th, 2010
 The hills (from Beech Hill). This morning, when swimming up out of my dream about my new dog, something about the timbre of the cardinal’s voice out the back window tipped me off to the awesomeness of the day to come. Sun, check. Breeze, calm. Smell of the air, fresh. Aside from the cardinal, I counted ten species calling pretty much simultaneously: eastern phoebe, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, downy woodpecker, American robin, house finch, goldfinch, mourning dove, house sparrow, crow.
 Mourning dove. The cardinal, phoebe, and mourning dove were not shy. The locally dominant individual of each species gave forth from conspicuous perches very near where the dog and I walked. Got a photo of the dove.
On our Beech Hill walk at late morning, I overdressed. Right away, in fact, I ended up wearing both my sweatshirt and loose, long-sleeved T-shirt tied around my waist. The temperature must’ve been about 72 degrees (F). Even the breeze on the summit felt warm. I heard the call of a pileated woodpecker, a phoebe, a titmouse, a robin, chickadees. I saw a female harrier soaring low over the bronze-grassed hill. Song sparrows sun from conspicuous places, and I couldn’t help but wonder when the first savannah sparrow would arrive. (Savannahs own the grassy part of Beech Hill.) No swallows today, nor vultures, nor broad-wings. I did spy a distant hawk, but I couldn’t tell if it was a redtail or perhaps even the marsh hawk I’d seen rising to continue its spring migration.
 Great egret, Weskeag Marsh. Back home, as soon as I got out of the pickup, I spotted another hawk—again, I couldn’t tell if it was a red-tailed or broad-winged or harrier or what. All I could tell for sure is that about a half dozen crows herded it noisily away to the south.
In early afternoon, my friends Kristen and Paul showed up to check out my new iPad. But more fun was our quick trip to Weskeag Marsh on Buttermilk Lane. On the way, I chuckled internally at a few ring-billed gulls perched strategically on a high roof across the road from McDonald’s. Readily evident at the marsh were black ducks and killdeers and gulls and crows. Behind us sang a red-winged blackbird. Facing a suddenly stout (but warm) south wind, we saw in the farthest pond little ducks, green-winged teals no doubt. I happened to spot a solitary adult bald eagle soaring up over the conifers on the far side. But leave it to eagle-eyed Kristen to ID two notable species: blue-winged teal (a pair) and great egret (an individual). Both were first-of-year sightings for me.
 Buoy. I rode my bike again, saw rock pigeons and Canada geese—somewhat fewer—at Aldermere farm. (Aside: I’m up to 160 miles already this year.) Then dog and I headed for the breakwater, spotting a pair of buffleheads in Clam Cove along the way.
It was approaching 6 p.m. I wore sandals and a T-shirt and jeans: the perfect dress. The wind had died down, and the water’s surface on bay side of the breakwater spread calm and smooth and reflective. A slightly choppier surface on the harbor side had nonetheless attracted a few long-tailed ducks, which I heard chatting and gossiping as they took wing on their evening flight back out to sea. But the action was on the island side: loons (several, a couple in breeding plumage), eiders, red-breasted mergansers. Herring gulls and black-backed gulls wheeled and sailed and cried. I could hardly believe the calm in that direction.
Nearing the shore again, a breeze kicked up, roughening the surface again. Cardinals and house finches and robins sang to the waning day.
 Gull. Today’s List
Northern cardinal
Song sparrow
Tufted titmouse
American robin
House finch
Mourning dove
Downy woodpecker
House sparrow
American crow
Eastern phoebe
American goldfinch
Herring gull
Pileated woodpecker
Black-capped chickadee
Northern harrier
Ring-billed gull
Black duck
Red-winged blackbird
Killdeer
Green-winged teal
Bald eagle
Blue-winged teal
Great egret
Rock pigeons
Canada goose
Bufflehead
Common eider
Red-breasted merganser
Common loon
Long-tailed duck
Great black-backed gull
 Calm sea.
Tags: American goldfinch, American robin, bald eagle, black duck, black-capped chickadee, blue-winged teal, bufflehead, Canada goose, common eider, common loon, downy woodpecker, Eastern phoebe, great black-backed gull, great egret, green-winged teal, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, killdeer, long-tailed duck, mourning dove, Northern cardinal, Northern harrier, pileated woodpecker, red-breasted merganser, red-winged blackbird, ring-billed gull, rock pigeons, song sparrow, titmouse, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
 Male common eider in flight. Among the first few birds I saw this morning was a blue jay. Oddly, I hear (or see) jays only about a dozen days a year out back—though I hear hear (or see) them more often than that at nearby Beech Hill. This morning, in the early morning sunlight, I saw a blue jay fly up into the upper branches of one of the big leafless red oaks, so I figured I’d step out onto the deck and take a photo. While out there, I noticed there were two jays—a pair, apparently. Happily taking too-distant pictures of them, I suddenly heard the unmistakable, strident rattle of a pileated woodpecker coming from somewhere north of me.
 Pileated woodpecker (female). The call drew my attention, and right away I saw a second large woodpecker bouncing along among the trunks of the oaks, heading in the direction of the calling bird. Naturally, I swapped subjects. I mean, pileateds are somewhat more uncommon, are far more striking (unless you’re a blue jay, I suppose), and pose a challenge. Didn’t get a great shot, but I did manage a couple photos of the (female) pileated woodpecker when she stopped briefly in my side yard.
A pair of blue jays, a pair of pileated woodpeckers. Soon after, a downy woodpecker. Also a cardinal, a song sparrow, a white-breasted nuthatch, crows. The house finch and a robin called from across the road. Out the kitchen window I saw what looked like a large hawk, a buteo, sailing up over the hill—but I couldn’t ID it. A mystery. Meantime, the sun shone brilliantly, and the sky looked mostly blue. I had hopes of a nice warm day.
Sure enough it turned into a nice day, if not overly warm. Mostly that was because of a stout southwest wind—though temperatures did rise into the 50s (F). We walked Beech Hill, the dog and I. I wore a hooded sweatshirt against the wind, and sweat formed inside my cap brim. Offshore, fog lay low all over the islands and parts of the outer shores clear across the panorama. The sight was pretty thrilling. To the northeast you could see Cadillac Mountain rising out of the fog bank. You could also see the very tip of Isla au Haut.
 Island. Just as we reached the summit, I heard the voice of an eastern phoebe carried by the wind. First phoebe of the year. I also heard a titmouse and a robin and a goldfinch and some chickadees. I also heard, just as we made it back to the parking lot, an unfamiliar call of a small bird in overlight. It sounded finch-like. I have no idea what it was. A mystery.
Out on my bike, I saw plenty of herring gulls, rock pigeons, and a common grackle. Later, dog and I hit the breakwater again. En route I spotted a solitary red-winged blackbird and a solo starling. Out on the granite, I counted red-breasted mergansers, lots of common eiders, a couple black ducks, a couple loons, and some long-tailed ducks. Also a ring-billed gull. Banks of fog still cloaked the islands—the whistle of the light was even sounding when we arrived.
Afterward, we swung by the grocery store. I heard house sparrows.
Tonight, I noticed Orion still hanging around in the oak branches. Before long, daylight will obscure his belt and shoulders. I wondered who first saw the hunter in this constellation. Certainly a single human, or a small group. Of course I’ll never know. Yet another mystery.
Today’s List
Blue jay
Song sparrow
Northern cardinal
Pileated woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
House finch
American robin
Tufted titmouse
Black-capped chickadee
Herring gull
American goldfinch
Eastern phoebe
Common grackle
European starling
Rock pigeon
Red-breasted merganser
Common eider
Ring-billed gull
Common loon
Long-tailed duck
Black duck
House sparrow
 Bay fog.
Tags: American goldfinch, American robin, black duck, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, common eider, common grackle, common loon, downy woodpecker, Eastern phoebe, European starling, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, long-tailed duck, Northern cardinal, pileated woodpecker, red-breasted merganser, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
 Eiders and gull. This morning the rain let up at last. Fellow on the radio said March has been a record-breaking month around here, rain-wise. Water yet coursed down hills and turned trickling, tumbling streams to rushing falls. Within a few minutes of rising, I’d heard the cardinal, crows, chickadees, a song sparrow, and house finch, a robin.
 View west from Beech Hill. In late morning, I went with the dog to Beech Hill again, as has become our custom. En route, in a nice surprise, we passed a rural yard full of wild turkeys—must’ve been at least two dozen of them—with two or three males in full display. Wood frogs called at the base of the hill, and the sky showed hints of sun.
On the way up, as I stooped to clean up after the heeler, I didn’t notice my plastic bag had holes in it. This left a couple fingers soiled. Well, no problem: the clean, running water of the hills many rivulets afforded ample means for cleanup. In fact, I got to wading in inch-or-two-deep water, just because there’s still a kid in me somewhere. The dog, by contrast, stepped gingerly around. No mourning doves today, but several robins, chickadees singing fee-bee, a titmouse, a crow, a herring gull, a cardinal, and goldfinches. Mist cloaked the inland hills.
 Long-tailed ducks. A busy day at the office concluded right about the time the sun broke through. So we took a quick trip over to the breakwater. And what a spectacle. The novelty of sun brought a few other people and dogs out—but most interesting was the incredible sky. Great expanses of blue. Looming black clouds. Wisps of mist close to the water. Steam rising here and there.
I saw red-breasted mergansers, common loons, a black guillemot in winter plumage. I heard scores of long-tailed ducks, which took flight right on schedule and headed out of the harbor toward the islands. Great flocks of eiders floated on the low tide on either side. Jack got to hang out with a couple other dogs, including another red heeler—a female in heat. Got some photos of the great field of deep blue that approached from the west. This brought a few very light showers later.
A few Maine rivers are flooding. Migratory birds are stocking up on food many thousand miles away. And those who pretend to know say sun and warmth will arrive this weekend.
 Black guillemot. Today’s List
Northern cardinal
American crow
Song sparrow
House finch
American robin
Black-capped chickadee
Mourning dove
Tufted titmouse
Wild turkey
Herring gull
American goldfinch
Blue jay
Rock pigeon
European starling
Mallard
Red-breasted merganser
Common loon
Common eider
Long-tailed duck
Black-guillemot
 Rockland Harbor.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black guillemot, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, common eider, common loon, European starling, herring gull, house finch, long-tailed duck, mallard, mourning dove, Northern cardinal, red-breasted merganser, rock pigeon, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, wild turkey
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Thursday, March 18th, 2010
 Afternoon at Rockland Harbor. Spring must be upon us. Within minutes of first stepping out this morning—two minutes, tops—I heard or saw (mostly heard) nine species: house finch, black-capped chickadee, northern cardinal, downy woodpecker, American crow, American robin, herring gull, American goldfinch, blue jay. Within another ten or fifteen minutes, I added tufted titmouse and mourning dove to the list. You could tell we’d have another mild, spring-like winter day.
 Northern cardinal, singing. At the noon hour, dog and I walked the open Beech Hill trail again. There was some wind up there—northwest wind, seemed like—but the warmth of the day tempered its effect. I heard a titmouse up there also, and chickadees, and some crows. I had hopes of hawks or bluebirds, but the hopes were unfounded. Or dashed. Or whatever it is hopes get when things don’t pan out.
[Aside: I did find out my newly adopted red heeler is a herder for sure. As we descended, when a woman with pair of short-legged dogs approached from down the trail, he lowered his head, lowered his body, fixed his stare, slowed his pace, and ended up frozen as low to the ground as possible, entirely focused on the dogs. It was thrilling.]
 Harbor seal. A couple hours later, I took to the bike and rode my daily 14 miles—which proved eventful. First, in Rockland, I heard ring-billed gulls and saw rock pigeons wheeling overhead. Then I heard a house finch. Then, up toward Rockport Village, I heard the chew-wink of a red-winged blackbird and the unmistakably shrill whistle of a brown-headed cowbird. At one point, I saw a loose flock of passerines flapping across Route 1 in a southwesterly directly; robins, is what I made them out to be.
And at 5 p.m., I decided to take dog to the breakwater. The temperature was still 60 (F), I bet. Still, with the wind, I wore a hooded sweatshirt.
 Seal and gull. I probably needn’t have. True, there was a stout breeze from the northern edge of the harbor side—but plenty of people had the same idea I’d had, and a few wore far less clothing.
Right away I spotted a pair of mallards at the little beach. Beyond them, a few red-breasted mergansers. And beyond them, a common loon. Then I heard geese and turned to see a small vee descend over in the area of the Samoset Resort golf course. Out toward the islands, I saw a couple of dark shapes in the water, trained my binocs on them, and realized they weren’t water birds but the heads of a pair of seals. And then I saw the full body of another—a light-colored one perched on a rock emerging from the tide. When a herring gull approached, it raised its head as if to challenge the bird.
Farther on were eiders. Then I heard peeping voices and peered down into the bay-side rocks and seaweed—sure enough, a couple spotted sandpipers were hanging around down there. At the end of the breakwater, I saw only a single pair of long-tailed ducks veering around toward the islands.
Driving back home before sunset, I spotted a flock of small birds flying up into the crown of a roadside tree. Stopped the pickup, got out, saw that they were blackbirds. Their voices tipped them off: redwings, grackles, and at least one brown-headed cowbird.
 Mallards. Today’s List
House finch
Black-capped chickadee
Northern cardinal
Downy woodpecker
American crow
American robin
Herring gull
American goldfinch
Blue jay
Tufted titmouse
Mourning dove
Ring-billed gull
Rock pigeon
House sparrow
Red-winged blackbird
Brown-headed cowbird
Mallard
Red-breasted merganser
Common loon
Canada goose
Common eider
Purple sandpiper
Long-tailed duck
Common grackle
Also notable: harbor seal.
 Evening tide.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, Canada goose, common eider, common grackle, common loon, downy woodpecker, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, long-tailed duck, mallard, mourning dove, Northern cardinal, purple sandpiper, red-breasted merganser, red-winged blackbird, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations | 1 Comment »
|
|
| |
| Bird Report is an intermittent record of what's outside my window in Rockport, Maine, USA (44°08'N latitude, 69°06'W longitude), and vicinity. —Brian Willson |
|
|
