All of the rain we have been experiencing this spring sure has been for the birds! In keeping up with the spring season, we decided to attend this year’s annual warbler walk sponsored by the Western Maine Audubon chapter. While living in Connecticut, I had gone on a bird walk given by the Audubon Society. […]
Birds
This category contains all my blog posts about birds and birding. In my posts, I discuss how to attract birds to your yard, the many different species of backyard birds, bird photography, and more.
Identifying the Pine Warbler
For the past three years, I have had a pine warbler (Setophaga pinus) show up at the feeders at the end of April, almost to the day. At first glance, these birds can be mistaken for American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) or other types of warblers. This pine warbler is a male and will only stay […]
Some Information and a Few Interesting Facts About the Mourning Dove
One of my earliest memories of hearing bird sounds is my recollection of the hauntingly familiar song of the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura). As a child, I grew up riding my bike around the streets of White Plains, New York and I often remember seeing these birds at the park and perching on telephone wires. […]
Spotting a Ruffed Grouse in the Woods
Finding a ruffed grouse in the woods. A few weeks ago while I walking in the woods, I spotted a female ruffed grouse perching high up in a birch tree. This was quite an exciting visual treat. Before moving to Maine, I had never seen this species of bird before. Since seeing my first ruffed […]
“Winter Finches”: Photographing the Common Redpoll in the Winter
A few weeks ago, I was quite excited to discover my first common redpolls (Acanthis flammea) in the backyard. A flock of about 25-30 of these beautiful birds had perched on one of the bent birch trees that was damaged from a previous ice storm that we experienced this season. Before I knew it, as […]
Love is in the Air
Here in Maine, the black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) are displaying early courting behavior. February, after all, is the month of love. In recent weeks, I have noticed a change in the behavior of these birds. For example, the males are now starting to sing. Females are more likely to mate with males that have won […]
The Birds Enjoying a Sunny Day After the Big Snowstorm
We had our first big snowstorm of the year a couple of days ago. The day before it snowed, we received a bit of rain and then the temperatures had fallen well below freezing. The ice has allowed for the snow to remain on the tree branches, allowing for beautiful winter photography. Perhaps this hasn’t […]
The Brilliant Blue Jay
The blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) is one of the most common resident birds and visitors at bird feeders here in New England. Have you ever wondered what these common songbirds symbolize? After doing a bit of research, I have discovered that these birds symbolize curiosity, communication, and intelligence. I also discovered that blue jays also […]
October in Maine: What Types of Birds Can I Expect to See?
Many of our migratory species of birds have left Maine for the winter. We have seen many species of resident and varying-distance migratory birds making their way back to the area. October is also a wonderful month to observe migratory birds on their journeys back to their winter destinations. This fall has been especially wonderful […]
The Black-capped Chickadees Have Returned
The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), is a common sight in the woods and at backyard feeders here throughout the state of Maine. Even though the black-capped chickadee is a non-migratory bird, I have found that they do leave the property and feeders for a short time during the late summer. These birds will leave around […]