I’ve been back to the Weston’s (the loons to my west) pond three times since failing to break through the ice on the 17th, and finally managed to get photos of them. Along with some of their pond mates.
Before we get to the photos, is there anyone interested in a trip to see the puffins on Machias Seal Island? A friend and I made reservations out of Grand Manan Island for the trips on July 28 & 29. She can’t make it, I’m hoping to find a new sidekick to come along. I can get away a few days before if we want to explore anywhere along the way, but I have to head back promptly after the trip. Send me an email if you’re interested.
I ventured out to the Weston’s pond on the 20th and again the 21st. Both afternoons had a brisk breeze. The loons were out on the main body of the pond and the waves ruined any chance for good pix of them. I spent some time poking around the marshy coves.
Hank heron was checking out the buffet along the pond’s edge. I could hear an American bittern calling ‘chu-peep.’ It took almost two hours over two evenings to finally find him in the brush. A pair of upstanding common mergansers along the marsh. There are also lots of wood ducks and a few hoodies around, but they’ve been too skittish for photos. The male red-winged blackbirds are working on sorting out territories. They were more animated this morning, but I still haven’t seen a female. I was out early this morning, finding thick fog and a brisk 30° when I launched. The loons were just starting out on their day. There was a couple dozen geese around. Several already sitting on nests, the rest spending much of the morning honking. As I was exploring the marsh, a gander made a ruckus. Had he been quiet, I’d have missed his mate on the nest. I had to back out and try somewhere else to avoid disturbing her. Even though we had a quorum of geese, they kept arriving. Landing gear down, one makes a smooth landing. This red-winged blackbird has claimed his territory and was lackadaisically calling. After another male landed in his territory and was escorted out, the blackbird upped his game. You can see his breath in the cold morning air. Our loons spent most of the morning foraging, making long deep dives. After a time, they took time to preen. After preening, the both had a good stretch.
My hummingbird feeder is out. We often get one or two the first couple days in May. I suspect they’re making a brief stop before continuing north. We should have our residents back by the end of the week. The weather forecast looks miserable for next week, but I’ll be out again as soon as I can.
