Osprey in Maine, May 2021

On May 22, 2021 - Raptors, Wildlife Photography

Greater Damariscotta, Maine, has been attracting bird photographers for years. Damariscotta Mills came to the attention of photographers when they restored the fish ladder on the Damariscotta River. The ladder was originally built in 1807 when mills blocked the fish’s trip up the river. in 2007 a group took to restoring the ladder which allowed the fish to run again. The fish attracted osprey and eagles. The birds attracted photographers. 

When the alewife start running, all sorts of birds and others come to feed on them. I got a couple days up that way last week. The action seemed to be better just to the east in along the Saint George River in Warren, Maine. There were a number of osprey coming and going, the most spotted at one time was six. There was also a pair of adult bald eagles and two immature bald eagles in the area as well as a large supporting cast of cormorants and gulls. 

The attraction for the wildlife is the alewife run. Alewife are marine fish that swim up rivers to breed in fresh water. They can grow to about 16″, but average about 10″. They swim upstream in large schools, with many millions of fish heading up the rivers in greater Damariscotta every year. Alewife apparently don’t appeal to humans. There are a few shops in the area advertising smoked alewife, but most of the fish caught become bait in lobster traps. 

The rivers are filled with schools of alewife.
Closer view of the alewife.
There were several flocks of herring and ring-billed gulls ranging in size from about 20 to over 50. They moved around on the river mixing then splitting up, making it hard to count. And, every time an eagle went over, the gulls would all take flight and squawk. They seemed to do their fishing around the lowest point of the tide.
When a gull managed to catch or scavenge a fish, it would be mobbed by several others attempting to steal it. 
A broad-winged hawk came by to check out the scene. The guidebooks say broad-wings will eat fish, but this one just circled overhead briefly before moving on. 
This immature bald eagle was my hero, he couldn’t go by the gulls without swooping them.
Another eagle resting on rocks in the river. The eagles seemed more interested in stealing fish from the osprey than catching their own.
The main attraction was the osprey. They fish at mid tide. The water has to be deep enough for them to dive into – they can go a couple feet down, but it seems they like the water shallow enough to keep the fish near the surface. Osprey glide in a slow circle over the water until they see an opportunity to grab a fish – or two – then dive. 
There are often multiple osprey circling over the river.
Osprey can pull up and ‘hover’ more or less in one place while they watch the action below. 
Still hovering…
Still hovering, in the “‘”angel’s wing” pose.
Still looking for a target….
The best part of watching them is the dive and climbing back out of the water.
Unlike eagles which grab fish from very near the surface, osprey dive much deeper, sometime submerging the entire bird. They make a slash when they hit!
Climbing back out of the water makes for some great pics. 
Another bird with another fish.
This guy looks kinda mad, glad I’m not a fish.
Sometimes they come up with a fish – or two – sometimes not. 
Another catch.
It was a bad day to be a fish.
After a dive, osprey shake like a wet dog to get rid of the water.
Shake it up!
After a catch, the osprey will often circle over the photographers to show off their catch.

The trip to see the fish ladder and osprey is worth it. The alewife start running in early May and go into June. The Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder is open to the public. They harvest fish a couple times a day and are very used to visitors stopping by to watch. You can usually see osprey and eagles from the road by the fish ladder. Last time I was there, a pair of seals came upstream for a snack. 

Checking In On Our Bluebirds, May 21, 2021

On May 21, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

Our chicks are beginning to show interest in the entrance to the nesting box. They’re stretching to take a peek out. Haven’t seen either hop up to stick his head out, but won’t be long now. Update: they’re sitting in the entrance, looking out. 

We’re having a hot day today. Mom has been out of the box most of the day. We’ve got a wren singing from the azaleas by the deck. Mom bluebird has been perching on the deck rail fairly often this morning. She may be letting the wren know that the bluebird’s box is in use. We’ve got another box not too far away, we’ve had both bluebirds and wrens together a few years ago. 

Here’s a clip with the chicks fidgeting in the box, Mom delivering a tasty grasshopper, and one of the chicks trying to see out.

Bluebirds Are Back Online! May 20, 2021

On May 20, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

After returning home this afternoon, the first thing I did was check in on my bluebird chicks. They’re getting huge! We can expect them to fledge as early as this Saturday. Here’s a quick clip from late this afternoon. 

More of the Usual Suspects, May 18, 2021

On May 19, 2021 - Wildlife Photography

Let’s check in on some of our local wildlife. I had a chance to get out to see who was out and about a couple times over the last few days. 

Either the painted turtles opened their convention, or they’re waiting for a couple more to show up to make a baseball team. 
Canada geese were coming and going all morning. 
And, of course, geese can neither come nor go quietly….
Canada geese were coming and going all morning. 
There were a handful of sandpipers working through the reeds. Here, a solitary sandpiper stopped briefly in the clear. 
Grackles are in good supply this year. Even they looked sharp in the morning sun. Here’s one not gracking.
And now gracking….
The resident loons spent their morning inspecting the real estate around the pond. They gave a long look at last year’s nesting site before heading off to see what else was available. 
On another outing, I found the marsh along the river a busy place. There are usually a handful of marsh wrens around, often heard and occasionally seen. On my visit they had a much larger presence. There were probably 40 or 50 of them chattering away and I spotted a dozen nests. They were darting about the reeds.
Wrens are very acrobatic while moving around in the reeds.
Wrens pull the fluff out of last year’s cattails to line their nests.
On another outing, I found the marsh along the river a busy place. There are usually a handful of marsh wrens around, often heard and occasionally seen. On my visit they had a much larger presence. There were probably 40 or 50 of them chattering away and I spotted a dozen nests. They were darting about the reeds.
On another outing, I found the marsh along the river a busy place. There are usually a handful of marsh wrens around, often heard and occasionally seen. On my visit they had a much larger presence. There were probably 40 or 50 of them chattering away and I spotted a dozen nests. They were darting about the reeds.
There were several sandpipers about. This solitary sandpiper was getting too sandy….
And took a bath to clean up….
Then told everyone about it….
The red-wing blackbirds are well along in building their nests. That didn’t stop the guys from telling us about it from the highest cattails.
Charles, the chipping sparrow, looked pretty dapper. 
And a pair of veerys were foraging along the bank. 

Bluebird Update, May 18, 2021

On May 18, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

Another beautiful spring day here in Vermont. Mom and dad are out hunting and bringing food back to the box. I started putting out some live meal worms last weekend. Haven’t seen the bluebirds taking any. But everyone else seems to enjoy them. The chipping sparrows seem to favor the mealworms over everything else in the buffet. 

There may not be any updates for the next couple days. I’ll be shooting and it will be tough for me to capture and edit video on the road. I’ll see what I can do. 

Here’s mom making a couple trips in with food for the chicks. 

https://youtu.be/BWr1cICG66s

Bluebird Update May 17, 2021

On May 17, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

Another warm day here in Vermont. Mom has been out of the box most of the day, returning regularly with food. Late morning, after the box had been in direct sun for several hours, the chicks seemed to be a bit uncomfortable and squirming. The box has several vent holes just below the roof line. Hope they’re helping. The chicks won’t have to be uncomfortable much longer, the first day they’re likely to fledge is Saturday the 22nd. 

Bluebird Update May 16, 2021

On May 16, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

Another busy day for our bluebird parents. They spent most of the day hunting and delivering food to the chicks. They did take a break when we had some thunderstorms midday. 

Looks like there is still on egg left in the nest. Yesterday’s video showed one broken egg, then it disappeared. I’d assumed mom hauled it off, but maybe it was hidden under the chicks too. 

Saturday With the Bluebirds, May 15, 2021

On May 15, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

The chicks are growing incredibly fast! You can see that their wing feathers have started to come in. 

Mom has removed the eggs that didn’t hatch from the nest. She broke them and carried them out in pieces. When I get some time, I’ll try to edit the videos to show her hauling them out. 

Friday’s Bluebird Update, May 14, 2021

On May 14, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

We had a nice warm day today, Mrs. Bluebird spent a lot of her time out of the box. Both parents were around the yard most of the day, alternating who brought food back to the box. 

https://youtu.be/1xPJMY0RYNM

Bluebird Update May 13, 2021

On May 13, 2021 - Bluebird Cam

Update – I managed to get a video to upload this evening, here’s today’s check in on the bluebirds

Our bluebird chicks are getting big enough to look like birds now. Their feathers are just starting to come in, the chicks are turning blue. Mom and dad continue to haul food in for them. 

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