Kathie's Birds

 Rossmore Road Bald Eagles 10-18-2014

Gus and I stayed up to say good-bye to 2014 and welcome in the New Year. This morning I was up early counting my first birds of 2015. I heard a crow calling before I even got out of bed on this cold January morning, but the first bird I saw was a tiny American Goldfinch clinging to the feeder. I am up to 12 species in the yard so far this morning.

 Mere Point Bay as seen from the Boat Launch 11-13-14

I finished the year with 106 species seen in my yard and 90 species seen at the Boat Launch. The last species added to my Yard List was a Surf Scoter seen on November 29th from my living room window. With the leaves off the trees I can now see down into Maquoit Bay and when the ducks come close enough to the shore I can easily identify them.

 Horned Grebes in Mere Point Bay 11-13-2014

The last species I added to the Mere Point Boat Launch Hotspot were Horned Grebes, Long-tailed Duck, Red-tailed Hawk and a Brown Creeper. I spotted these Horned Grebes in the bay on November 13, 2014. They were far down the point and you can see the outline of Portland across Casco Bay. I took the shot while standing on the floating dock and had to greatly crop it, but you can still see their overall shape and coloration. My Yard List is higher than the boat launch, because I’ve counted birds here almost every day since we moved here in February of 2014. This is my largest Yard List ever and I look forward to adding more species in this New Year. Many of my neighbors and even my landlord have seen a barred owl around my yard, but so far it has eluded me and my bird count! I did create an eBird Patch of my yard, the boat launch, the point, and Rossmore and Mere Point Roads. The total number of species seen in this patch is 131 species of birds and the newest addition to the overall patch was a Northern Goshawk that was hanging around my yard for a few days in November, though I have not seen or heard it recently.

The picture of the Bald Eagles at the top of this post was taken in October when my friend, Dawn Fine was visiting me. We have no lack of Bald eagles down here on the point and I frequently see them flying over my yard! I photographed this immature Bald Eagle from my yard on November 13, 2014.

Most of my world is seen from my windows as I continue to recover from abdominal surgery. All went well, but I am still a bit sore and I find I tire easily. It’s hard to remember not to bend over or pick things up. Just this morning I wanted to move a chair from on place to another. I caught myself in time just before I did it. It’s something I would do without thinking before. I am getting a bit squirrely from being house bound and I may have to have Gus take me out for a drive soon, because I need to see more birds than the 16 regular species that show up in my yard. Plus, I need to get my first count of the year in at the Boat launch! I keep reminding myself that it will not be like this forever, and so I look forward to this New Year with hope.

Happy New Year Everyone!

First Sunrise 2015

 Heron sunrise at low tide on Mere Point 9-12-14

Somehow I managed to get up early, ignore the cats and the dirty dishes in my sink and get out the door with a hot cup of green tea and my binoculars. I did not bring my camera. I just wanted to relax and enjoy the sunrise. I quickly crossed the street and entered the road to the boat launch. It was just after 6 a.m. and already I was hearing and seeing birds! I wanted to get down to the bay right away, because once the sun comes over the horizon I cannot look across the water as the sun is in my eyes, but even as I walked down the road I had to stop and count birds! There were so many of them!

Though it is almost mid September, I am still seeing fat little hummingbirds in my yard, at Crystal Spring Farm and here at the Mere Point Boat Launch! The road to the boat launch is rimmed with spotted jewel weed and they just love that plant! I have some in my yard and I constantly see them feeding at it. Along the road I found warblers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, finches, doves, robins, sparrows and catbirds! I had to tear myself away and get down to the water, which was flat and calm after yesterday’s stormy seas.

I took this picture yesterday afternoon at Wharton Point. It was high tide then and you can see the waves rolling over the rocks that surround the parking area and boat ramp! I loved standing in the wild wind and feeling it gust across my face as the tide rolled in! Wharton Point is at the top of Maquoit Bay, which is on the other side of Mere Point! It is a great place to count birds as well and is another eBird Hotspot!

But this morning all was calm and bright!

The rocks of the cove were exposed and the eel grass golden in the morning light.

The tall gray blur is a Great Blue heron and the small white dot to the right is a snowy egret. Beyond them in the mudflats I spotted a mixed flock of Mallards and Black Ducks! Out over the open water I counted Double Crested Cormorants, Common eiders, and Herring Gulls. The big surprise was when a Common Loon flew over the bay! It was the first one I have seen here since early summer!

I walked to the end of the boat dock and looked back at shore. Everything was bathed in golden light! Far to the south the air was so crystal clear I could see all the way across Casco Bay to Portland, Maine! All the buildings of the city appeared to be crowded together on the very edge of the land. After counting all the birds i could on the water, I headed back up to count more birds along the edges of the parking areas and the entrance road. I know I saw warblers I could not identify, but I did my best. The boat launch has been so busy all summer. for once I was there alone for most of the morning! It was magical. I thought of walking back to get my camera to take pictures, but I knew if I did that all the birds would somehow disappear. Besides, I had already been there for over an hour! I counted birds all the way back to the main road, 30 species in all! It was my highest count there ever, so far! It was a great way to start my day. Once back home, I set my mind to doing housework! But the birds outside my windows kept distracting me as well! I found a Black-throated Green Warbler in my own yard and a female Purple Finch! Later in the day, two Cooper’s Hawks circled overhead only to be chased by the crow patrol! Life is never dull here on Mere Point!

Tonight we had Mares’ Tail Clouds overhead!

Here is the list of birds I saw at the Mere Point Boat Launch this morning:

1. American Black Ducks, 6
2. *Mallard, 7
3. Common Eider, 32
4. Common Loon, 1 (flyover)
5. Double-crested Cormorant, 9
6. Great blue heron, 2
7. Common Egret, 1
8. Herring Gull, 7
9. gull species, 32
10. Morning Dove, 2
11. Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 4
12. Northern Flicker, 1
13. Blue Jay, 5
14. American Crow, 6
15. Black-capped Chickadee, 6
16. White-breasted Nuthatch, 1
17. American Robin, 2
18. Gray Catbird, 7
19. Cedar Waxwing, 32
20. Common Yellow-throat, 1
21. American Redstart, 2
22. Yellow warbler, 4
23. warbler species, 2
24. Chipping Sparrow, 2
25. Song Sparrow, 3
26. sparrow species, 4
27. Northern Cardinal, 4
28. *Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 3
29. House Finch, 8
30. American Goldfinch, 14

*New species for this location.

Notes: I Now have a total of 76 species recorded for the Mere Point Boat Launch! Click the link below for more info. Sunny, clear, calm, 51°F. Flat water, tide out/low tide. Wind picking up as I was leaving. There were so many birds! I counted birds for 1 hour and 40 minutes and walked .3 miles.

Mere Point Boat Launch-an eBird Hotspot