Graeme Simpson, his wife Pamela, and I went to Machias Seal Island last week to see Puffins and other sea birds, not to mention the seals. In 6 days, starting on June 29, we drove to Cutler Maine, where we got a boat to the island, then returned. We stopped at Acadia National Park, Plum Island and Acadia National Forest along the way. There were varying degrees of success along the way, but Machias Island was better than we could have hoped. I’ve got too many photos and too many stories for one post, so I’ll have to finish this as I can.
Warning sign at the landing.
The lighthouse at Cutler Harbor.
The lighthouse on Machias Seal Island.
Pamela points out a bird at Acadia.
Graeme and Pamela at an Acadia vista.
Common Murres were, indeed, common.
Two Common Murres and a Razorbill.
This Eagle pair was perched in a tree at the Harbor entrance.
Arctic Tern with chick.
A lone Northern Gannet was visible on the island.
Female Common Eiders with chicks were feeding near shore.
I was surprised to see many Savannah Sparrows. I was told they had Baltimore Orioles as well.
We found a Black Throated Green Warbler in Acadia,
Apparently, Dark Eyed Juncos spend the Summer in Acadia.
We saw at least 5 Northern Parulas.
This Raven seems to have found an egg.
Many Razorbills were hanging out on the island.
Razorbills often engage in “Bill Crossing.”
Common Eiders are breeding on the island.
A lone Northern Gannet was visible on the island.
Atlantic Puffins were in the air and the water everywhere you looked.
Puffins nest in natural burrows, or excavate their own.
Atlantic Puffins were in the air and the water everywhere you looked.
Gray Seals and Harbor seals were numerous in the area.
Graeme Simpson waiting for the trip to begin.
A visit to the head requires a “Tern Stick”. Terns are very protective of their nests, and will harass anything that comes near. The stick distracts them.
I had planned to try Bombay Hook yesterday, but it started raining as soon as I left the house, so I postponed. A quick trip to CBEC wasn’t very productive.
Today’s weather was just about perfect, not too hot, just windy enough to hold down the nugs, which can be ferocious at this time of year. Many hundreds of Egrets and Herons were feeding in the shallow water of the pools.
There were also Skimmers, Sandpipers and a few Terns. Another good morning.
I spent some time watching the Purple Martin colony.
About 25 Glossy Ibis were foraging with the Egrets.
Three Willets flew by as I was watching the Ibis.
Bombay Hook is the only place I regularly see Marsh Wrens.
This Greater Yellowlegs was on the Boardwalk Trial.
You can often find Blue Grosbeaks near the main road.
This Black Crowned Night Heron was fishing peacefully.
The Red Winged Blackbird is the most common bird at this time of year.
I’e seen several Brown Thrashers this year, but they don’t all pose this well.
We’re getting some good weather lately, and I took advantage by heading to CBEC. I went a couple of days ago, but the entrance road was completely underwater.
I’m always hoping to find the Turkeys again, and it’s hard to pass up the Tree Swallows. The water is so high that Egrets and Herons are scarce, as well as Sandpipers. The Chats, Ospreys, and Thrashers are making up for it.
Cardinals are pretty common lately.
These Double Crested Cormorants flew overhead at CBEC.
There’s a lot of Brown Thrashers at CBCE lately.
This family of Mallards was feeding in the lake.
It’s hard to get a good look at a Yellow Breasted Chat at this time of year.
Graeme and I left early for Blackwater and got there around dawn. We had the whole place to ourselves for an hour or so, and there were enough birds to keep us occupied all morning.
Orchard Orioles were very cooperative, and we saw eagles, herons, woodpeckers and a mammal or two.
Graeme, taking a break at the visitor center.
This Osprey nest seems to produce young every year.
Two very young Mockingbirds.
I liked the look of this feather.
We found several Orchard Oriole nests.
This Northern Watersnake was in the middle of the road.
We saw only one Delmarva Fox Squirrel.
We were lucky to catch this family of Raccoons before they disappeared in the grass.
Graeme and I went to Bombay Hook this morning to see if my luck continues. We didn’t get much new, but there were plenty of birds to keep us entertained.
We saw a few Glossy Ibis, some eagles and fewer sandpipers than usual.
I seem to be seeing fewer Double Crested Cormorants than usual.
This Gray Catbird is displaying his rufous undertail coverts.
I made the usual rounds this week, including a trip to Bombay Hook. It’s still slow, but a few of the regulars posed well enough, and I spent some time with the Tree Swallows at CBEC to try for flight shots.
Bombay Hook was good enough, even though there were no really exciting finds. I managed to turn 75 this week, which is an accomplishment all in itself.
I’ve heard Great Crested Flycatchers at CBEC frequently, but they are hard to find.
Ospreys do well at CBEC.
This Brown Thrasher was foraging at CBEC.
A colorful Carolina Wren.
These Barn Swallows were doing nest repair at Schoolhouse Pond.
There are many Canada Goose goslings in the marsh.
A single Great Egret was feeding at Schoolhouse Pond.
A few Mallards are nesting at CBEC.
Tree Swallow. I’ve learned a little about catching these tiny acrobats in flight.
I chased a Red Headed Woodpecker in Crofton yesterday. These birds don’t usually nest in AA county, so it was a nice find.
I was going to Sandy Point this morning, but I elected to sleep in and try CBEC instead. The next 4-6 weeks will be slow, so I may spend more time looking for bugs.
I skipped the back path at CBECÂ because the insects are so ferocious. I did well enough, finding more birds than usual. I also made a short stop at Greenbury Point where I found a couple of birds.
I found this Chipping Sparrow at CBEC.
Not a great shot, but I don’t get Yellow Breasted Chats in flight often.
I saw this single Cedar Waxwing at CBEC. I don’t recall seeing one there before.
This pair of Mallards seemed to be chilling out.
There’s always a pair of Ospreys nesting at CBEC .
It’s possible this is the first Blue Grosbeak I’ve found at CBEC.
This is the Red Headed Woodpecker from Crofton.
My very first Wild Turkey poult.
This White Tail Deer easily evaded two dogs chasing her in the tall grass.
It’s been another slow week. I don’t have enough data to prove a trend, but it certainly seems as though it’s harder to find birds than in previous years. Some very regular birds like Flycatchers, Buntings and Grosbeaks just aren’t as common in previous years, and others seems to be present in smaller numbers.
I got to most of my regular places this week, and I managed a few pictures. The Ruddy Duck was a nice find, and who doesn’t like Swallows? A hard drive crash slowed me down, but I had a good backup and didn’t lose anything.
Great Blue Herons are very common, but not as numerous as in previous years.
This Ruddy Duck should be far West of here. He may be injured, but I haven’t seen any signs of it.
Barn Swallows are nesting at this time of year.
I found 5 adult Canada Geese and 21 goslings at Schooler’s Pond.
There seem to be fewer Wood Duck families at Lake Artemesia.
I post regularly on MD Birding Facebook, and I think I may be the only person who posts Yellow Breasted Chats. They are regulars at Greenbury Point.
A very attractive Mourning Dove.
Black Crowned Night Heron. I don’t see this bird often, but they fly over Greenbury Point frequently.
Northern Rough Winged Swallows are easy to find this year. These are from Schooler’s Pond and Lake Artemesia.
I had planned to go to Sandy Point this morning, but then I heard there were Black Skimmers at Bombay Hook, so I changed plans.
The weather was perfect, clear skies, in the 70s. I was surprised there were so few people. Many, many herons and egrets were feeding in Raymond pool. I found very little in Shearness pool.
I found two life birds and got a couple of decent images, so I’ll call it a good day.
The Diamondback Terrapin is Maryland’s state reptile.
A small flock of Glossy Ibis flew overhead.
This Great Egret seemed to be gathering sticks. I don;t know what the reddish tail feathers mean.
There are so many Red Winged Blackbirds you almost don’t see them. Their loud, frequent calls can be very noticeable.
