Eastern Phoebe – Ethical Birder

I spent last week in Maine, around Bangor and the central coast. The weather went from hot and muggy to cold and rainy, which might have to contributed to the overall poor birding compared to previous visits. I did see two lifers, one on the first day (Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow) and one on the last (Great Cormorant). It is always nice to see some eastern warblers, like this Blackburnian.

Eastern Phoebe, Mount Desert Island

Great Black-backed Gulls, Schoodic Point

Great Black-backed Gulls in this area are rather shy, perhaps because biologists have been “discouraging” them from hunting on the offshore tern nesting colonies. The gulls do not allow a close approach and quickly take off if you point a camera at them.

The Herring Gulls are happy to pose for mug shots.

Great Shearwater, Gulf of Maine

Great Cormorant, Schoodic Point, way out there, in the rain, but he still counts.

American Bullfrogs are an invasive species here in Oregon, so it was nice to see them in their natural range.

This dragonfly species was common in wooded areas, where they blended in with the tree trunks.

This more colorful species was at the edge of a meadow.

Spotted Sandpiper, Petit Manan NWR

Spotted Sandpiper and Eastern Willet, Petit Manan NWR

Eastern Willet, looking a little sleepy

Sunkhaze Meadow NWR lies just northeast of Bangor, Maine. It is a huge open wetland surrounded by woods. During my recent trip to Maine, most of the sites I visited were along the coast. Sunkhaze is inland, so the birds were a little different, and the mosquitoes were much more abundant.

Beaver pond. The area had received a lot of rain recently, so the pond was very full.

Here’s a closer look at the Beaver lodge. The Beavers were out of sight, as expected during the day. A Star-nosed Mole was a nice find here, although he moved too fast for a photo.