|
|
 |
|
|
Posts Tagged ‘black guillemot’
Sunday, March 27th, 2011
 House finch. A cloudless morning, again cold, and with a nip of wind. The first bird I saw, while doing breakfast dishes, was a turkey vulture soaring past. I love how they never—or almost never—bother to flap their wings. Took the dog out. Robins around, a house finch calling from somewhere, and I heard house sparrows in the eaves of the place across the road. Since I’ve been seeing so many early birds lately (chickadees, a kinglet once) I thought to bring my camera. And, lo, a male finch flitted up into a nearby branch and began to sing.
 Common loon. Spent much of the day working at my kitchen table. But mid-afternoon seemed a good time to take Jack to the breakwater for a change. I also took my winter jacket, considering the wind and temperature. Glad I did.
Not overly windy right by the shore—buffleheads, a black-backed gull, a few eiders—but not far out the wind came strong from the northwest in great bursts and cascades, roiling the rising Rockland Harbor tide. Saw no birds at all on the harbor side, in fact; but out toward the islands, I spotted more eiders, a couple guillemots (still in winter plumage), a pair of two of red-breasted mergansers, and a solitary loon (in mixed plumage). Only two or three other folks had braved the wind-chill—far fewer than on most sunny Sundays.
Out at the lighthouse end, I saw a pair of long-tailed ducks tossing in the waves. Only a couple herring gulls. Returning, the wind was really whipping, but with the bracing feel of spring. Back at the parking lot, I heard a song sparrow singing off through the riotous air.
 Common eiders (female). It wasn’t enough. We headed directly to Beech Hill.
En route, I saw a mourning dove on a utility line about where I usually do. We wound up again at the wooded trail, where robins again seemed everywhere. And again, about half-way up, a few fox sparrows. Some chickadees. We met a man and two small boys coming down. The man reported hearing turkeys up by the first field. We didn’t hear the turkeys, but returning down the lower trail, on stopping to listen (which we often do), a grouse suddenly burst off through the afternoon shadows.
Nearing the parking lot, I heard herring gulls off to shoreward. Jack noticed them, as well.
Tonight the wind whips still, and the trees up the hill clatter or whistle, depending on whether they’re hardwoods or pines. It’s going to be a cold one.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 4:30 p.m., I hiked the wooded trails.
 Woodpecker holes. 1. American robin
2. Fox sparrow
3. American crow (voice)
4. Black-capped chickadee
5. Ruffed grouse
6. Herring gull (voice)
Elsewhere
7. Turkey vulture
8. House finch
9. House sparrow
10. Bufflehead
11. Great black-backed gull
12. Common eider
13. Red-breasted merganser
14. Common loon
15. Black guillemot
16. Long-tailed duck
17. Song sparrow
18. Mourning dove
 The breakwater.
Tags: American crow, American robin, black guillemot, black-capped chickadee, bufflehead, common eider, common loon, fox sparrow, great black-backed gull, herring gull, house finch, house sparrow, long-tailed duck, mourning dove, red-breasted merganser, ruffed grouse, song sparrow, turkey vulture
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
 The breakwater. A really bright morning, this one. Sunny—but a little chilly. And there’d come a bit of wind. Still, that didn’t deter the resident crows from making their morning rounds, nor the titmouse from singing its cheery spring song, nor a house finch from doing likewise from across the way. Thanks to the recent thaw, good-sized sections of brown lawn lie exposed, but when taking Jack out to pee it’s all I can do to keep from slipping on the ice between them.
 Herring gull. The temperature topped out in the low 30s (F), I’d guess. And the wind rose—even grew just a little wild. Come afternoon, I decided on a whim that Jack and I would walk the breakwater for a change.
All right, yes, I suppose a little touch of craziness went into that decision. I wanted a taste of the wild wind.
Well, I got my taste. Oh, heading out wasn’t so bad—was rather nice even, with the wind at our backsides, moving us along, leaving me free to check out three species of gull, five species of duck, a loon, a guillemot. Never mind the fact that the sun’s blazing orb hovering over Rockland Harbor discouraged glances in that direction. There’d been only a couple of vehicles in the parking lot (odd for a sunny Saturday), and we met exactly three people walking back. Tightly bundled people. When the friendly old gent I see out there often said hello through the scarf covering his face, I commented that Jack and I were doing the easy part of the trip—headed out. He laughed and wholeheartedly agreed.
 Urchin. At the end, far out in the harbor, sheltered by the lighthouse, we lingered a while as long-tailed ducks began their swift afternoon commute back out to the islands (or the open sea, or wherever the heck they go each afternoon). I love watching those little pied guys on the wing. Meantime, a guillemot in his spring tuxedo dove in the chop just off the riprap.
Then I drew up two hoods, zipped up my heavy down jacket, pulled on my gloves, and we started back. The cold wind fought us, slowing our progress noticeably. Both Jack and I had to lean into it. A strong, steady northwest wind, churning up whitecaps in the harbor. A female merganser floating solo on that side nearly sailed off the tips of the waves.
Wasn’t too bad, though. Only my forehead got painfully cold, and Jack didn’t seem to mind much.
Driving back out Samoset Road, we came upon an elderly lady standing outside of her stopped car inspecting a flat rear tire. Pulled over and changed her tire for her. Granted, it took a little more effort than I figured—those nuts were snug, and it took a swift kick to get the wheel off—but I managed with only a bloody fingernail to show for it. Along with profuse thanks from the really pleasant owner of the car.
 Black guillemot. Back home, tonight, the wind is roaring. The temperature’s now in the teens, I bet. Not so perfect conditions for an evening stroll.
Rockland Breakwater List
Beginning at 3:45 p.m., I walked the length of the breakwater.
1. Mallard
2. Herring gull
3. Great black-backed gull
4. Black duck
5. Common eider
6. Red-breasted merganser
7. Long-tailed duck
8. Ring-billed gull
9. Black guillemot
10. Common loon
Elsewhere
11. American crow
12. Tufted titmouse
13. House finch
14. Mourning dove
 Sunset over Rockland.
Tags: American crow, black duck, black guillemot, common eider, common loon, great black-backed gull, herring gull, house finch, long-tailed duck, mallard, mourning dove, red-breasted merganser, ring-billed gull, tufted titmouse
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
 Red-breasted merganser (female). This morning was cold (single digits (F)) and sunny and full of crows and chickadees. I decided to do a little work, so I did. Then I decided to skip Beech Hill today and head for the Rockland Breakwater instead.
 Great cormorant. So Jack and I took off, traveled the short distance to the breakwater lot. Just a couple cars there—which I thought rather odd, considering it was a fairly nice Saturday. True, a blanket of clouds had moved over by then. Was a little cold, too, I guess, but I’d dressed for it. And was glad I did.
The usual collection of mallards were hanging round the shore. What wind there was hit our faces going out. We met a couple people returning but were otherwise alone on the granite. A couple mergansers floated not far away, and I heard the familiar notes of long-tailed ducks. (I love their call, the long-tails.) Low tide. A few black ducks swam off beyond the rocks on the island side, where I spotted a solitary harbor seal reclining on a stone.
Herring gulls, but not too many. As many crows, in fact—I saw (and heard) at least three flapping away across the harbor. A few eiders off the east side, along with a peeping black guillemot in winter plumage.
I looked for purple sandpipers but saw none. I looked for goldeneyes, but there were none to be seen. Snow flurries blew around us as we walked. A big loon or two floated on either side of the breakwater, looking prehistoric. And a great cormorant stood on the rocks in front of us as we neared the lighthouse. We got within perhaps fifty feet of it before it decided to split the scene.
 Long-tailed ducks. Returning was easier, with the wind behind us. We met a group of four walking out—i.e., only six others out walking today.
About half-way back, I heard the voices of innumerable Canada geese and looked off to see a flock of maybe a hundred circling around the Samoset golf course property. Geese are not an endangered species around here at any season, it seems.
Before we got back in the pickup, there came a repeated tweet from a tangle of vegetation nearby, so I paused. Jack wondered what we were up to—but after a minute or so, a bright male cardinal hopped up into view. First cardinal of the year.
In town later, I saw pigeons, ring-bills, and more herring gulls. Back home, I heard a house sparrow chirping from across the road.
And tonight, a light snow is falling. A gentle snow for a change.
Rockland Breakwater List
Beginning at 1:45 p.m., I walked the length of the breakwater.
 Red breasted merganser (female). 1. Mallard
2. Red-breasted merganser
3. Long-tailed duck
4. Black duck
5. Herring gull
6. American crow
7. Common eider
8. Black guillemot
9. Common loon
10. Great cormorant
11. Canada goose
Elsewhere
12. Black-capped chickadee
13. Northern cardinal
14. Rock pigeon
15. Ring-billed gull
16. House sparrow
 Mallard.
Tags: American crow, black duck, black guillemot, black-capped chickadee, Canada goose, common eider, common loon, great cormorant, herring gull, house sparrow, long-tailed duck, mallard, northern cardinal, red-breasted merganser, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon
Posted in Lists, Observations | No Comments »
|
|
| |
| Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson |
|
|
