More of Maine

Hatch year Cedar Waxwing, taking some fresh blackberry

The waxy tips that are the namesake of the waxwings.  This bird had more waxy tips than I had seen before. 

Brown Creeper

The tail of the creeper is similar to that of woodpeckers, they both have strong rachises ideal for climbing up and down trees 

Tail of a Northern Flicker

Northern Flicker of the "yellow shafted" subspecies.  Named for the yellow shafts of the feathers

Bald Eagle eating another raptor.  Look at those talons on the dead bird!

Tide came in, so this was what was left behind.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Red-shouldered Hawk

Blue-headed Vireo

Swainson's Thrush.  Notice the beautiful buffy eye-ring and edges to the dark breast spotting

Baltimore Oriole

A very handsome Northern Parula

Ovenbird, this ones for you Alicia!

This frog was on our trailer, and I didn't have quite the best lighting.  If someone wants to come up with a species for me, that would be great!

Blackpoll Warbler with a radio tag attached

After some requests, these are some early attempts to share the sunsets.  I'll get some better ones, soon

Golden-crowned Kinglet

The most handsome of sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrow.

The other day, Jenny, Jess, and I went for a short hike on the Hollingsworth trail that is here on Petit Manan NWR.  The trail is a short 1.8 mile loop, but goes through some of my favorite habitat.  There are spruces, cedars, jack pines, and tamarack lining the rocky trail, the tamarack either changed or changing to their beautiful yellow-gold hue.  As often happens on the peninsula, fog rolls in, heavy with water, bringing a beautiful ominous feeling.  We reached the shoreline through the mist to find a calm ocean with the tide seeming to be nearly finished retreating from the land.  There was one semi-palmated plover in the small sand flat where the shoreline was now exposed.  It had one disfigured foot and hobbled slightly, as the foot made the leg seem a bit short.  I've never noticed semi-palm plovers that bob up and down the way this one did as it tried to decide if it was safe to stick so close to us.  Thinking that the cove was the final destination on the trail, we made ready to turn around.  The trail continued along the shore to bring us to a completely rocky cliff side with benches set up to enjoy the view.  The fog may have blocked the view, but its oppressive presence created a feeling and view of its own.  There is something to knowing that the view could go for miles, but the fog is forcing the view to be what is simply nearby.  From the bench overlook, we moved on along the shoreline.  The sand flats we came upon also had large tide pools in adjacent coves where the water reaches at high tide.  As we looked onto the protected and calm waters of the large cove, several ducks became visible through the mist.  Clearly mergansers by their narrow and thin bill, but difficult to discern through the fog, and appeared to be very small.  Without hoods, or even discernible crests, they were likely juveniles.  Though they got fairly close, the light and fog really only allowed them to be silhouettes through our binoculars, with faint hopes of color in the bill, and a clearly light belly.  The size and shape eventually led us to identify them as hooded mergansers.  As we enjoyed the shapes in the mist, a flock of shorebirds flew along in front of us, appearing to be made of semi-palmated plovers and sanderlings, landed a ways down the mudflat.  On the return through the rocks and conifers we went through an amazing cedar stand, floored completely by moss and lichen.  The rocky sections of the trial lined by member of the Vaccinium genus, who's leaves are changing to a deep red with yellow backs.  Between this and the amazing jack pines and spruces within the blueberries and rocks, I couldn't imagine a better place.