Category Archives: Bird Watching

Did you know American bitterns are surprisingly strong swimmers?

American bittern

I stopped at a small marsh in Springfield Friday morning. I’d seen Canada geese there and wanted to take a few photos. An acquaintance was there and we talked a few minutes about other birds she’d seen. I sat down to watch the geese, two of them, hoping that if I stayed still for a […]

Politics, Hunting, and Sunrise on Democrat Ridge

Surise on Democrat Ridge

The television was spewing hateful political ads and bad news when Steve turned it on this morning. I wasn’t long in turning it off. Facebook wasn’t much better. I’m sick to death of all this trash talk. It seems like there’s no getting away from hate and discontent in today’s connected world, and Tuesday can’t […]

The soaking wet broad-winged hawk

The rain isn’t giving us a break over here in northern Washington County and I don’t do well with being housebound. “Want to go for a ride,” I asked Steve and Taylor. We rode out to Loon Bay on the St. Croix. I hoped to see moose but we didn’t. We stopped along the way […]

Banding woodcock with biologists and students

One of my favorite parts of spring is the Woodcock Singing Ground Survey Steve and I have been a part of for more than a decade. We added the Lambert Lake route this year, and our most interesting event happened on that route. Being an avid turkey hunter, I was excited to hear commotion in […]

The Eagles of Maggurewock Marsh

The American Bald eagles of Magurrewock Marsh in Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring can be seen in their nesting area on Rt 1 nearly year round. When I stopped to take these photos on March 21 or 22 neither were on the nest. I pushed the lens to its max on a gray day […]

Life in the Woods: Bald Eagle

Bald eagles are a wonderful sight…most of the time. When one is perched high in a tree and glancing at my ducks and chickens I get a bit concerned. Our English shepherd spent a couple of hours in the pen with the birds this afternoon to keep them safe.

There’s finally some action at the bird feeders!

Finally! After months of not having the usual winter birds at the feeding stations the snow buntings appeared yesterday. When I see them they’re up the road in the huge field or in a clearing on Democrat Ridge. As I understand it, they prefer open space to forest. A flash of white caught my eye […]

Maine Bear Hunting Referendum: hunting with Bob Tigro

This is an incredible story. Refill your coffee and get comfortable. You’ll be drawn in quickly. This is Bob Tigro’s story of bear and coyote hunting at Oxbow Lodge in Oxbow. What do coyotes have to do with hunting bears with bait, snares and hounds? If it weren’t for bear hunting Bob wouldn’t have made […]

BOW Intro Skills Weekend has openings

The board of directors of Friends of Maine BOW met Wednesday Evening at the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. Emily MacCabe, BOW coordinator for the state, gave us an update. There are still openings for Introductory Skills Weekend and a few of the workshops are full. The cut off date to apply for a […]

The underground railroad in Grand Falls Flowage

eagle on railroad tracks Dick Miles

A couple of days after I wrote about fishing on the Grand Falls Flowage I received a note from Dick Miles. He said, “Have you thought of doing a story on the old railroad bed in the GF Flowage? Great fishing in those coves too!” An old railroad bed? Under water? Really? I’ve lived in […]

Getting comfortable outdoors: 10 simple things to do

You don’t have to be a landowner or live in the country or woods to enjoy the outdoors. Here are 10 things that will get you going outside and maybe even learning new skills. Hike locally. You might not have to go far to find a hiking trail or dirt road. Check for no trespassing […]

I Love and Hate the Wild Turkeys

Eastern wild tom turkeys

It’s no secret that I don’t love the wild turkeys. It’s not an exaggeration some days to say I hate the huge feathered, giant flying crap machines. Their introduction to this corner of northern Washington county is enough to make me ask out loud “why weren’t they thinking when they decided to do this?” My […]

Bathing Bald Eagle

On my way home from Wabanaki Wilderness (archery shop) earlier this week I drove through Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge to Magurrewock Marsh. I hoped the pair of American bald eagles would be there, and I wasn’t disappointed. I spotted the first eagle on the nesting platform just off Rt 1 in Baring. The 300 mm […]

Downy Woodpeckers

Male downy woodpecker

“Hey,” Taylor said, seemingly to nobody. We were the only people home and the dogs were asleep. “Hey,” she said again. “Hey, you can’t do that,” this time said as she walked toward a dining room window. Just outside the window are three seed feeders, a ball of suet and an energy bar for the […]

Let’s Talk About Birds

This is my daughter Taylor. She’s a wildlife bio major in college, and was very excited to have the opportunity to handle Kahn, an immature goshawk that belongs to Dennis Kerekes. Dennis is training Kahn to hunt. I’m looking forward to the time I’ll be spending with Dennis and Kahn; Dennis is a patient teacher […]

Book Review: Maine’s Favorite Birds

Jeffrey V. Wells and Allison Childs Wells Illustrated by Evan Barbour Publication Date: May 1, 2012 Paperback, $15, ISBN 978-0-88448-336-6 6 x 9, 72 pages, 100+ color paintings Maine’s Favorite Birds by Jeffrey V. Wells and Allison Child Wells was written as a guide for beginner and intermediate birders as well those who are advanced. […]