While we are not "birders", we do enjoy spotting birds and even getting some pictures of them. While most of our sightings were 'the usual suspects', we had a couple of more unusual ones captured in pictures. We'll start with the common and underappreciated gull.
Another water bird that we see a lot in the area is the Double-crested Cormorant. Here one is taking off from a rock.
Continuing on the theme of common birds, these Canada Geese have goslings.
This next bird is the slightly less common Red-breasted Merganser (a female or a juvenile).
We saw numerous Common Eiders.
We don't think it would be fun to eat seafood whole like this.
Here is an unusual sight. We have seen loons on the water, but never in a position where we could see them UNDER the water's surface. We were standing on the Boothbay Harbor footbridge and this loon dove and swam around under the water looking for a bite to eat.
This Snowy Egret was also hunting for a meal, and was successful.
Here is the fish it caught.
(In case you don't remember, that is the Cod Father sculpture at the Maine Botanical Garden.)
A bird that we don't get to see very often is the Pileated Woodpecker. He looks rather cautious and curious about our presence.
This red squirrel was also checking out the situation.
This next picture is not particularly great, but this owl is so cute, with its head turned all the way around to spy on us.
Speaking of cute birds, the common Song Sparrow is definitely adorable.
So is this Hermit Thrush. The Hermit Thrush has a fabulous song with a full, slightly ethereal sound. You can listen to it here.
This tree swallow couple is setting up their home in a nest box that had been set up in a field.
A field with some open space is also appreciated by the Eastern Bluebird.
Although not as flashy as the Eastern Bluebird, a Red-winged Blackbird definitely has some pizzazz of its own.
We have often featured pictures of Osprey on our trip reports, and this year is no exception. What is different about the pictures included this year is that they don't involve hunting, but rather they involve mating. The female is in the nest, and the male flies in and lands on the female's back, with the sharp talons curled under. Although Osprey mate frequently, it goes fast. We were fortunate that Paul was already prepared to take pictures of the Osprey, and was able to capture many photographs of the birds. If you want to read more about Osprey mating, this Virginia Osprey Foundation blog talks about it.
On our way out from that preserve (La Verna), this little cat was determined to get some attention.
Updated January 2025