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Posts Tagged ‘common eider’
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
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Thursday, March 25th, 2010
 Purple sandpipers. Fair skies returned today. I knew it before I completely awoke—from the sunlight streaming through the slats in the blinds and the timbre in the song of the northern cardinal out the early morning window. Before leaving my bed, I also heard crows.
 View from Beech Hill. Within an hour or two, the temperature rose to about 50 (F), and I’d caught the calls of a house finch, downy woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, and white-breasted nuthatches. Also one or two of the ever-present herring gulls. Then the dog grew antsy, and we took an early hike up Beech Hill.
Not so many birds on the hill just yet. In fact, I could only list crows, chickadees, and goldfinches in overflight. As I’ve come to expect on the hill, I got a good idea of today’s wind at the summit: a stout southwesterly And the views were decent, thanks to the sun.
Took a bike ride in mid-afternoon. Heard blue jays house sparrows, saw a pair of turkey vultures and a mourning dove.
 Sunset. Late today, I got a hankering for a breakwater walk. The dog was up for it, so we took off about 5:30 or so. The sun was still high, the wind was still from the southwest. Right away I spotted a small flotilla of common eiders, with their usual entourage of herring gulls. Nearby swam a pair of red-breasted mergansers. And a handsome great black-backed gull sat on a rock above near-high tide. Otherwise, though, nothing. Just ruffly waves on the harbor side, a smoother swell toward the islands.
On our brisk walk, I imagined that the loons had headed back to the lakes, the long-tailed ducks and purple sandpipers had headed northward. But as we neared the shore on our return, I caught sight of a solitary loon in the reflection of the setting sun. And four sandpipers appeared out of nowhere, perched alertly on the bay side.
Driving back home with the windows rolled slightly down, I heard the voice of an American robin.
Today’s List
Northern cardinal
American crow
White-breasted nuthatch
Black-capped chickadee
House finch
Downy woodpecker
Herring gull
Tufted titmouse
American goldfinch
Blue jay
Mourning dove
Turkey vulture
House sparrow
Common eider
Red-breasted merganser
Great black-backed gull
Common loon
Purple sandpiper
American robin
 Catkin.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, common eider, common loon, downy woodpecker, great black-backed gull, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, mourning dove, northern cardinal, purple sandpiper, red-breasted merganser, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture, white-breasted nuthatch
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Saturday, March 20th, 2010
 Sky over Rockland. On the last morning of winter, the sun rose and the air got warmer quicker than on any other day so far this year. Out back, I heard a crow, a cardinal, a house finch, a white-breasted nuthatch, a chickadee, a goldfinch—and a first-of-year song sparrow calling from the tangles at the edge of the yard of the neighbor to the south of me. Soon after recognizing the song sparrow’s voice, I heard the distinctive chip note of a white-throated sparrow in nearer tangles. And not long after that, I heard the calls of a downy woodpecker and a good ol’ American blue jay.
 Beech Hill view. Dog and I walked Beech Hill fairly early. Seven species on the hill today: robin, titmouse, crow, goldfinch, herring gull, chickadee, and downy woodpecker. The islands hung off in a blue-gray haze, an almost steamy miasma, as if in summer. There was a wind up there, but I probably didn’t really need that hooded sweatshirt.
Took a midday bike ride. Heard the calls of three separate song sparrows in Rockport Village.
Late in the day, dog and I headed for the breakwater. En route, I noted a robin in the cemetery and saw a small flock of blackbirds—recognizing only a grackle—along the access lane. On our arrival, at nearly high tide, we found that another fifty or sixty spring-feverish folks (and their dogs) had got the same idea.
 Great cormorant. The chop rose on the harbor side this day, thanks to the antic northwest wind. And after a mostly sunny Saturday, clouds had by then begun collecting in the south and west sky, creating a dramatic sunray display over the harbor. But aside from a pair of mallards at the little protected beach, I saw not a single species on that side. On the island side, meantime, floated a couple common eiders. Then I spotted a solitary cormorant winging its way low over the water and thought perhaps this was an early double-crested; later, though, I got near it, and in fact it was a lingering great.
I felt a bit sad not to have seen any long-tailed ducks. And I found interesting the lack of any common loons. I couldn’t remember my loonless last trip out there and figured they’d all headed back to the lakes and ponds, what with (early) ice-out, and all. Then, having nearly reached shore on the return trip, I caught sight of a solo diver in full spring plumage floating off in the northeast lee.
Now that it’s spring, of course, we’re due some cooler temperatures—and precipitation that might even include snow. And you know? I’m not the least surprised.
Meantime, tonight—an implausibly mild-seeming night—up the hill a ways I heard a single spring peeper.
 The Rockland Breakwater. Today’s List
American crow
Northern cardinal
Song sparrow
White-throated sparrow
House finch
White-breasted nuthatch
Black-capped chickadee
American goldfinch
Blue jay
Downy woodpecker
American robin
Tufted titmouse
Mourning dove
Herring gull
Bufflehead
Common grackle
Common eider
Great cormorant
Common loon
Mallard
 Immature herring gull.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, bufflehead, common eider, common grackle, common loon, downy woodpecker, great cormorant, herring gull, house finch, mallard, mourning dove, northern cardinal, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow
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| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
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