Boreal Big Day

Happy Moose in the North Woods

I signed up for a post-Acadia Birding Festival trip, to boreal forests of Northern Maine. Everyone's goal for the day was a chance to see Boreal species, such as Boreal Chickadees, Black-backed Woodpeckers and the like. So we covered lots of territory, including Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge, Baxter State Park and a new site for me, the North Woods. The North Woods is privately owned lumber land, that allows free public visits; one just needs to abide by the company's rules and before entering the area, check in at one of the entrance stations.

I'm going to cut to chase - my big wish for the day was of course, Boreal Chickadees, and my second goal was to see a Canada Warbler - wish Granted!

My 'lifer' Canada Warbler

In the North Woods one male Canada Warbler came in answer to a recording, sitting where we could view him. He even sang us a bit of a song. What a thrill for me!

Singing a little song

Though the Canada Warbler is the bird that made the day for me, there were many other species; Nashville, Bay-Breasted, Palm and Black Poll Warblers, Cedar Waxwings, Gray Jays, Bald Eagles, Finches, Siskins, various finches and a sky's worth of Barn and Tree Swallows and... well, loads of others. 

The photo below is of most of the group. The guy on the right with a white beard, all in blue is premier birder Greg Miller. Heh... heh... heh... (Yes, I'm impressed even if you aren't). 

Walking through the North Woods

The North Woods had Moose, and we saw four of them. The photo on the left shows the massive size of a primitive pedal extremity. There's a moose hoof print in there too.

There were also several wildflowers to admire during the day.

Sheep Laurel

Sadly, the best flower of the day resisted giving up its color to any of our cameras. The early evening twilight messes with color photography. You will have to imagine how the Lady's Slipper flower below is as deeply, rosy pink as the flowers in the previous photo.

This Lady's Slipper was actually a brilliant rosy pink

At the end of a long day of tromping through forest, searching for several species of bird that seemed dead determined to thwart us, i.e., Boreal Chickadee, Three-toed & Black-Backed Woodpecker.  I had to admit that birds or no, I had a ball plus I now have Canada Warbler on my life list. Unexpected Bonus! Bob Duchesne, told me where I might be able to eek out another lifer bird - Northern Goshawk for my last full day in Maine tomorrow. So after the trip today, I was off north again. I thought I'd drive an hour or two then get a room somewhere, but I didn't pass through any towns. I drove on, through the pitch dark Maine night, avoiding the odd White-tailed deer on the roadway. I wondered if I was doomed to still be driving at dawn. At last I realized I had reached the now familiar-to-me tiny town of Machias. Greatly relieved, I took a room in the wonderful Machias Motor Inn in which I spent my first week in Maine. Good night Maine!

Back Out to Sea & an Owl Prowl

All at the Dock, ready to board

Was up early today, and loaded onto the Whale watching boat for a morning pelagic trip. Once on board I settled in a row with a nice couple, which I only realized when I was writing this up, were the couple that saved my face from the mosquito attack last week. THANK YOU! Hey, better late, than never. Anyway, this particular pelagic was fun, but no finny folk showed up, and not even that many of the feathered sort, but there was loads of scenery. 

Remains of an old Lighthouse

Petite Manan Island, part of the
Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge

There were some birds to look at, most note worthy was a massive flock of Red-necked Phalaropes bedecked in breeding plumage finery. Love these cross-feathered birdies, whose females are brighter and more colorful than the male birds, and it is the male birds that brood and raise the chicks.

Large flock of Red-necked Phalaropes in breeding plumage - YAY!

Best look I got of the Great Cormorant

I was thrilled to manage a few shots of a Great Cormorant, which was a lifer for me a week or so ago. May not look like much to anyone else, but it was a head turning beaut to me.

Searching an island for Peregrines and Baldies

Not to be jaded, but though it was thoroughly enjoyable, the birds today were not super cooperative and the oceanic mammals stayed away, but the sun was out, the waters were crystalline and I always say the worse day at sea is better than the best day on land (yeah, I'm crazy like that).

After the boat docked, I hit my hotel room briefly, then was off to the Festival Headquarters again for a prepaid festival luncheon.The food was great - again, it was prepared by local birder volunteers - and I enjoyed chatting with some birders from Texan and Michigan on what festivals they've attended that I might enjoy. When that was over, I decided to drive down to a spot in Acadia National Park where I was told I might be able to find some Purple Sandpipers if the birds hadn't decided to migrate int the past 24 hours - and rats, of course they had! Not a sandpiper in sight, but I did get some nice views of Black Scoters and a few other species.

Had nice looks at Black Scoters, ducks, that were actually close enough for shot or two

The day ended with a late night, 9 PM to midnight, Owl Prowl. It was last event for the Acadia Festival - not that it's my last adventure on this vacation. The Owl Prowl was - um... interesting. By birder's luck we only managed to hear a couple of Saw Whet Owls, but the driving around was entertaining and we even saw a Red Fox cub crossing a road at one point and a few White-tailed deer. By night's end I was the one who didn't give a hoot about what we saw or didn't see. I was tired, ready for a good night's sleep.

The Arcadia Birding Festival

Sightings Board at Arcadia Birding Festival Center

Yesterday my Maine adventures continued when I arrived in Acadia; believe me, the day was an adventure. For starters, my iPhone insisted the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel where I am staying, was miles from the actual hotel. I ignored it and eventually found the place on my own - imagine - on my own, like I used to in the 'olden days'! Later I took a quick driving tour of Acadia National Park, and later in the day I had a low key adventure - and I swear it was an adventure - doing laundry.

View from Cadillac Mountain, at the top of Acadia National Park

Today's adventure began with the second festival of my Maine vacation, the Acadia Birding Festival. The first event I took part in was on the second day of the festival; the Boreal Van Trip to the north.

The trip leader was Bob Duchesne, the same person leading the post-festival Boreal Big Day this Monday. There were fifteen birders on the tour, traveling in a jeep and the van, and I rode shot gun, hurrah! It was a long haul, including a quick stop for breakfast, before we were were birding, north of Machias, to Rouge Bluffs. Bob found us a few Spruce Grouse.

Weary Spruce Grouse Cock

ALMOST a good shot; if I'd just been a tad quicker

White-throated Sparrow

We were mostly looking for Boreal Chickadees, which have eluded me for ages. Bob told us they were going to be difficult to find because they're currently nesting and we'd have to be lucky to find any outside of their nesting cavities. Overall, as Boreal Chickadees go, today was not my day.

How bad the mosquitoes were at
Moosehorn Refuge is no exaggeration!

Our next stop was where I was attacked by mosquitoes and black flies last week at Moosehorn Refuge, the Edmunds Division. I was a bit worried, but  happily, there were no bug attacks on me today. Whew!


The walk we took at Edmunds was also less of a death march. We also visited a spot called Boot Cove Road, near Lubec, Maine. Lots of little warblers, loons, an Osprey and even some Wood Ducks, but alas, no Boreal Chickadees. 

Nice male Bay-breasted Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Singing Male Cape May Warbler

Rare view and a rare shot for me - female (left) and male (right) Common Yellowthroats

I can not emphasis enough what a huge treat it is to see so many beautiful eastern Warblers. I mean, yes we have warblers, such as the Yellowthroat which are found nationwide, but let's face it - the Eastern part of North America got the lions share of these 'butterflies of the bird world'. It is wonderful being able to see and hear the bright spring songs of warblers. 

Tromping through the boreal forest

Carnivorous Pitcher Plant, denizen of boreal bogs

Robin's nest made of Coconut
and blue M&Ms

The Boreal Van Trip made for a long day, but it wasn't quite over yet. Back at the Acadia Birding Festival Center we were back in time for the evening social, the time for birders to chat and sample volunteer's homemade  h'orderves. This one on the left was a fav of mine, a nifty little dessert that was completely edible & quite yummy.

However yummy the desserts were, the best thing about the social was that afterwards, across the street at a cute little wooden building that may have been a church at some point, was where everyone gathered to hear the Festival's guest speaker: Greg Miller! 

Greg Miller

Birders, and many non-birders know Greg from the book & the movie, The Big Year. Tonight Greg spoke about  how his father had a passion for birding that rubbed off on him. In later years, Greg used his computer skills to puzzle out what spots in North America would net him the most bird species seen, ergo, the biggest bang for his bucks. That lead him to finding himself with 500 species seen by mid year in 1998. Impressed birders egged him into trying for seeing more birds that year than any other birder. He jumped at the chance. He ended up third in the heated competition and had a year any birder would kill for. Subsequently, Greg was approached by Mark Obmascik, who thought the race by three birders would make a great book - and it did. Then, when the smoke cleared, hollywood decided the book would make a great movie so again, Greg found himself in the spotlight. The movie producers asked him to be the movie's birding specialist. He did so, and even got to meet Jack Black, who portrayed him in the movie. Steve Martin and Owen Wilson played the other pair of hard core birders in the movie.

It was a totally blast hearing Greg Miller speak. I sat in the front row, and when it was announced he would autograph the books, I was the first to get a couple of the paperbacks signed; one for me, and one for my birding buddy Don. Don't be too impressed! Don told me he has a copy of Sibley's newest bird guide autographed for me by Sibley so to put it colloquially, 'I ain't impressing no one!'