A Few Of My Favorite Things

A very wet Barred Owl at Acadia National Park

The thing about birding Maine is that there is too much to see in one visit.  Our goal this time around was to explore unknown birding spaces together so that it would be a new experience. On our final trek out, we explored the 2 islands of Acadia National Park.  It was a beautiful trek in rainy weather.  

Along the way, we'd stop to see a lighthouse or check out a Pileated Woodpecker. 

Pileated Woodpecker

At one point, Kathie swore she hit a Barred Owl on the road.  We stopped so that she could pull herself together. Then we went back to the spot to see if she had actually hit the owl.  I saw some live mice on the road and knew why the owl was in the area. In a beautiful and happy moment, I saw the owl fly onto a fallen tree. The bird was okay.  Phew! 

It was something out of a story book.  An owl in a dark forest with rain falling down around us.  You can't make that stuff up.  Acadia was a beautiful visit on my last day in Maine. I wanted to share a few of my favorite things from my visit with Kathie and Gus this past May and June. Here are some cell phone shots that have not made it onto the blog yet. 

Like our Lek trek in New Mexico, Machias Seal Island was a huge birding highlight for me this year.  We watched the birds up close from our hide. 

I couldn't believe how quickly the hour had passed.  We watched Razorbills interact with each other and it was fascinating.  They are very social birds. 

Razorbills begin to "couple" up and some even copulate!  This is a cell phone pic!

 We had a fun trek out to the island and I highly recommend this trip for birders or people who are interested in nature. 

I'll miss my Coda bear.  And Bonnie!  They were so cute.  Every morning I'd wake up to both of them competing for love. 

Gus and I would have a Coda war.  I held a secret bag of doggy treats in my room for her to come visit. For a time, Gus would wonder why she was always waiting for me to get up.  I told him that Coda loved me more:)  LOL!  Coda is unlike any dog I have known.  She reminds me of my own dog Stacy many years ago.  One day I took her in the car and absolutely loved it. I'm a cat person but I don't mind dogs.  I'm just saying that this Coda character is a pretty special friend. She remembered me from the first time I met her as a puppy.  And it's always hard to say good-bye to that furry bundle of love. 

Another fun and absolutely lovely birding outing happened at an alewife nursery.  Alewife in Wisconsin are considered invasive. They are really saltwater fish that got into our Great Lakes.  They breed well but cannot handle the extreme weather changes of the Great Lakes and will often die off in masses creating a stench along the lakeshore.  American White Pelicans came back and now clean up our shorelines naturally instead of the town having a bulldozer come to the beaches and plow piles of alewife off the shore. Anyhow, in Maine, they apparently breed these fish for people to use as bait.  It was a gorgeous spot full of incredible warblers.  It was here that I discovered my lifer Canada Warbler. 

There comes a point when birding needs to take a break.  I used to go go go. Over the years, I have mellowed.  There are days we power bird and then there are days I refuse to pick up my camera or binos.  I'll do light birding, but it's not the focus.  One day I asked Kathie if we could just go shopping at LL Bean in Freeport.  I am a HUGE fan of this store and discovered, thanks to Magill, that there was an outlet near the main buildings.  I spent way too much money, but I love all my new clothes and shoes.  That was SUCH a fun day! I hate malls. I hate shopping.  But it was fun shopping with Kathie. And Freeport is awesome.  I should also mention that Kathie is the only person I will speak to for a lengthy amount of time on the phone. I hate talking on the phone.  I also hated the idea of getting married because I hate weddings. But somehow Kathie makes all of those things I dread, better. That's just one of the things I love about her. She also got me into tea again.

Breakfast in Bar Harbor

 I discovered this top(above) for her at the outlet and absolutely love how it looks on her.  Now if she can keep from staining it with coffee or tea:)  LOL!  I should also admit that I am guilty of doing the same thing.  When we get together, I tend to eat way more than I do at home.  I have a healthy appetite and love trying new things.  Unless there's a taco salad on the menu.  But I will say that I am proud of myself for limiting the amount of taco salads on our restaurant ventures. I'm not a dessert person, but I am a sucker for blueberries. I did splurge and have fresh blueberry pie from Moody's Diner.  One day we stopped along the ocean at sunset for a nice warm cup of chowder. Maine is a real place full of colorful and unique characters.  There is no one cookie cutter type of person.  They are so weird and fun.  I think that's what I love about Maine so much.  The people are down to Earth and they are their own person.  In so many ways Wisconsin and Maine are similar but I think it's THIS detail about people that makes Maine different.  They could give a shit about what the Jones are doing next door. Northern Maine is awesome. From what I understand, the further south you go in Maine, the more you lose that colorful coastal personality. 

So along the way, we discovered the Kraut Haus near Waldoboro and Oh Mah Gawd.....Kathie ate her first real delicious sauerkraut at this fine German establishment.  We have them in many places around Wisconsin, but in Maine, it is a rarity.  One day, we had the most amazing lunch at this place. 

I love this feeder at Kathie's place.  A Tufted Titmouse and American Goldfinch share in a brief lunch

Maine, for me, is all about the people, scenery, ocean, food and friends.  The birds are great too but you can see most of them in Kathie's backyard. For the first time in my life, I recognized that I love Maine for Maine and not the birds. The birds were fun, but it was really just about getting out and meeting people.  I was in "vacation" mode and had planned several power birding days out.  But it was more fun enjoying the cool weather with the windows open and listening to the birds call bright and early.  I loved cuddling with Coda and having coffee with Kathie, Gus and Chris.  I enjoyed getting my hair cut by her talented daughter Renee. Birds were always around us, but it wasn't the "Maine" thing:)

A Blue Jay sits out by the feeders waiting to get a sip of water

By the end of my stay, I was sad to say good-bye.  The whole trip flew by so quickly. I watched the Browns work together at home and help each other out.  It was my turn to do the same for my family in Wisconsin.  With my Dad recovering from his triple bypass surgery, I was anxious to analyze the whole situation myself instead of hearing progress reports from people. Those birding and family reports are coming up. I want to thank Kathie, Gus, Renee and Chris for such a fun time.  You guys are the best. Next time Kathie, we'll go visit the Golden Girls down in Connecticut:) The Wisconsin adventures are next.  Until next time....

500 Life Birds!

Barred Owl

Last month I reached a special landmark.  I have discovered and documented over 500 birds in this life of mine so far!   I began in June of 2011 and will be celebrating 3 years as a full fledged birder in a couple months. 

Lewis's Woodpecker

I am a quick learner and very OCD about my work out in the field.  It has become much more difficult. And there have been personal challenges along the way. 

Island Scrub-Jay

The journey has been quite exciting.  It requires constant budgeting and planning.  There have been a lot of early mornings out. Some days, I just lacked the motivation to leave the house.

Baird's Sparrow

There were a lot of long and solitary trips out into the middle of nowhere.  Sometimes I almost gave up, but then the bird would pop up out of nowhere!  My reward for being patient. 

Le Conte's Thrasher

Sometimes it was about retracing my steps for better observations. 

Chestnut-collared Longspur

Other times, it was extremely personal.  I would stand alone and share in the wonder by myself.  

Florida Scrub-Jay

Sometimes I would work with others and help out just to understand the birds better. 

Northern Saw-whet Owl

I'd find one bird and almost get attacked by Javelinas in my pajamas.

Five-striped Sparrow

On another outing, I would be eaten up by mosquitoes!

Ring-necked Pheasant

Some birds were random sightings along side the road which almost caused a car crash. But the sighting was so rare, I had to stop!

Crested Caracara

For some birds, it was about understanding their routines and returning to the same spot the next day to find them.

Prevost's Ground-Sparrow

Some made me tear up. 

California Condor

The landscapes were amazing. 

Vermillion Cliffs-Northern Arizona

For the "colorful" birds, I took non-birders because I knew they'd enjoy them as well.  And maybe....just maybe....I'd get them to stop and look at birds on their own.

Roseate Spoonbill

The world is truly an amazing place full of wonders.  There are even a few secrets waiting to be found.

Semuc Champey-Guatemala

At 500, I realize how connected we all are on this planet. 

Bosque Del Apache-New Mexico

And at 500, I'm also realizing that it's a lot of work.  But it's the work that makes it fun and exciting.  Until next time.....

Rufous-browed Peppershrike

I'm linking up to Wild Bird Wednesday.  This is a great place to discover wild birds from around the world while in your pajamas:)

Corkscrew Swamp

Black-and-white Warbler

In my penultimate post from Florida, I take you on a journey through the gorgeous Corkscrew Swamp south of Ft. Myers. 
 

As with everything on this Florida trip, my time was limited.  This is definitely a place I need to visit again.  I kind of knew this would happen so I tried my hardest to observe as much as I could.  And at my best, I only scratched the surface. 

There's a beautiful boardwalk that is surrounded by epic vegetation.  The further one gets into the swamp; the more there is to see.  For wildlife aficionados, this is well worth the hefty 12 dollar fee(covers two days).  For Audubon members, it's only 6 dollars. 

Great Egret in breeding plumage

I knew the birds calling but I didn't count them in my records as I wasn't able to get any observations of them. Plus several would have been life birds for me. My rule is that I have to get a decent observation of the life bird before I can count them....even if I know their calls. I do make notations in my logs that I did hear the birds. Several that sneaked(snuck) past me visually were the Carolina Wrens, Painted and Indigo Buntings and many many more. So I did the best I could.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Sometimes there was "bird overload".  Or too many birds flying around me. I couldn't get my eyes on them quick enough before they flew off.  There were rumors of birds seen in the park.  There were records of birds seen in the park.  But the question was, "Could I find them?" 

Anhinga

I did hit my targets and then some.  Plus I really had great observations of nesting Anhingas, Red-shouldered Hawks, Barred Owls, Warblers and a Purple Gallinule.

It was incredibly overwhelming.  I had the biggest adrenaline rush that day as I was able to watch roosting Wood Storks from a scope on the observation tower.  

Red-shouldered Hawk

And then, there was a Purple Gallinule!  I hadn't seen one of these colorful numbers since my trip to Panama!  My friend Sydney was great at spotting the birds.  She pointed this beauty out to me from the boardwalk as we watched it search for food from the still water. 

Juvenile Purple Gallinule

And probably the greatest gift of the day was an observation of this parent Barred Owl preening its feathers on an open branch. 
 

Barred Owl

I sat by the feeders eagerly awaiting the Painted Buntings at the Audubon center while my friend Sydney crashed on their couch.  They never did show up, but it was okay. We had an incredible day out in the field that I won't forget anytime soon.  If you are interested in the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp, click here.
Next week, we explore Bunche Beach.  Until next time.... 
I'm linking today with Wild Bird Wednesday where I'm constantly discovering new birds around our world!

Searching For Elves

Barred Owl

Another mission that is ongoing is the hunt for the great Elf Owl.  This year has been primarily a year of the Great Horned Owl.  So while I search for this little bird in the wild, I thought I'd review what I've seen so far.  Education is the best!  The above pictures were taken in Wisconsin at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.  Granted I don't count these shots as part of my birding list, but I did do some research on them for future searches.  The Snowy Owl isn't found in Arizona nor is the Barred Owl.

Snowy Owl

But out in the wild jungle of our deserts, I did get shots of the Great Horned Owl.  This year was full of them!!!  And I took the opportunity to film them. 

It started with my first thrilling search at night inside a wash at Tanque Verde.  Then it all went downhill from there.  Owls nesting at my school, in trees, and the Great Horned Owl became an instant favorite:)

And while on my hunt for owls, I discovered the Western Screech Owl near Patagonia.  I have to admit that these are a bit tricky for me to spot.  Note how they blend in with their surroundings!:)

Western screech owl-sadly this owl was eaten by a hungry Cooper's Hawk in the winter of 2015

On a fun day trip to the Renaissance Festival in Florence, I was exposed to the Eagle Owl only found in Europe.  The relative of our own Great Horned Owl was MASSIVE and I wouldn't want to be on its bad side:)

The grace, curiousity, and beauty of this Barn Owl flew into view at the Buenos Aires Wildlife Park.  It was really a treat to see this gorgeous owl near....the barns:)  It flew near me watching me hike.

And then there is this Short Eared owl from the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. Apparently they are here in Arizona.  So I'll be keeping my eyes open for not only the Elf, but for the Short Eared, Burrowing, and Flammulated Owls.  If a troll shows up, I'm outta there.....:)

As of August, 2015, I have not seen this owl in the wild.