Chasing Birds

 Canada Geese in Thornhurst Farm Fields 11-6-2014

When I first started birding instead of just bird watching, someone asked me if I was a “lister” or a “chaser”. At the time I really didn’t know what those terms meant, but as time went on I realized I was a lister. Everywhere I went I counted birds and I liked to get them on my list! Getting a big list with lots of species was always fun, but I just liked counting the birds and creating lists. A few times I went chasing birds by myself to get a specific species on a specific list, or to see a Life Bird, but mostly I was content to just let the birds happen. However, with all the moves I’ve made and all the birds I’ve seen, it’s getting harder to add new species to my list by casual birding. And so last November when I saw postings of a leuchistic Canada Goose on the loose in Maine, I went chasing! I looked up the sightings on eBird and found myself on the back roads to places I had never been to before.

I ended up by these farm fields at an eBird Hotspot called Thornhurst Farm.

Somewhere far across this field is a leuchistic Canada Goose as well as a Greater White-fronted goose. the leuchistic goose would be a novelty to see. The greater White-fronted Goose would be a Maine Life Bird!

Where in these geese is it?

As I was scanning the field and the birds with my bins, another birder showed up.

This kind young man helped me find the Greater White-fronted Goose, as well as the leuchistic Canada Goose. Getting photos was rather difficult as the birds were far across the fields and the light was flat and gray. The greater White-fronted goose was laying down, but the leuchistic Canada Goose stood up and stood out like a swan in a flock of crows.

The leuchistic Canada Goose. It’s the white one.

It has no pigment in its feathers but it is not an albino bird.

(see link at end of post for info on leuchism)

There were not many birds here on this gray November day,

but I got the ones I came for.

I was chasing birds!

A lone Ring-billed Gull flew by these gray November skies.

I got back into my car and headed down the road to the next spot.

This time I pulled off on the side of the road at Gillespie Farm on Mayall Road.

Sandhill Cranes, Snow buntings, and Horned Larks were reported here.

I found more Canada Geese, a murder of crows, and…

Dust specks?

No. Those are just a few of the Horned Larks flying around the fields!

How am I suppose to count them all?

More Geese…

More crows…

 

More geese, but no cranes!

 

And somewhere in these hundreds of larks there are probably some snow buntings! I counted the larks but not the buntings. I could never positively identify them! However, I did get to see the larks up close and personal with my bins. However, with birds on the ground in these conditions, my photos were just too terrible! Straw-colored birds on straw-colored ground in gray autumn light is not easy to differentiate! Still, I was adding species to my Maine Life List. Now I wanted to add to my Androscoggin County List, so I headed to Auburn, Maine.

I was hoping to find some ducks or loons at Lake Auburn, but no luck.

It was so still and quiet!

The only birds I found here were a Ring-billed Gull and some goldfinches and chickadees! So I moved on to another new location for me:

Sabattus Pond

By now it had started to rain. It was late afternoon and the poor gray light was fading even more. I tried one side of the pond at first, then found a southern access alongside the main road.

 

It was here that I saw my first Coots in Maine!

 

Coots in Sabattus Pond 11-6-14

 

I also found my first American Pipits in Maine!

With the daylight fading I crossed the street to get back in my car, but as I neared the door I saw something in the top of the trees in the bog.

I could tell it was a blackbird, but which species?

As I drew closer I could just make out some rusty coloration on its back and breast. In this poor light, I could see its white eye and square tail! These are the markings of a Rusty Blackbird! What a bonus! This chase brought me to new places and added new species to my Maine Life List and my 2014 Year List last year. I think this was my last chase of the year, for shortly after this I got sick and passed out on my hallway floor, then I hurt my leg and was on crutches for a week, and then I had a major abdominal surgery right before Christmas. I was barely getting around after that when I fell and dislocated my left shoulder! It will take awhile to mend from that but I hope it will not be too long before I am out chasing birds again! Until then, I’ll just keep listing the birds in my yard!

Rusty Blackbird near Sabattus Pond 11-6-14

Links:

• Thornhurst Farm an eBird Hotspot
• My Thornhurst Farm eBird Checklist 11-6-2014
• Gillespie Farm Fields Mayall Road an eBird Hotspot
• My Gillespie Farm Fields eBird Checklist 11-6-14
• Sabattus Pond-Martin’s Point Park Hotspot
• My Sabattus Pond Martin’s Point eBird Checklist 11-6-14
• Sabattus Pond-South End eBird Hotspot
• My Sabattus Pond eBird Checklist 11-6-14
• Leuchism in birds

 

American Coots on Sabattus Pond 11-6-14

Gus

December 7, 2014: Today is Gus’ birthday. I’ve been married to this man for 37 years and I have never appreciated him more. He doesn’t like birthday cards and I can’t bake him a cake or buy him a present this year, because Thursday night as I was walking across the yard I heard my knee pop and my leg gave out. I managed to walk into the house just fine but as the night wore on my knee got worse and by morning I could not walk. Gus took me to the emergency room at 5:30 AM where they x-rayed my knee and told me I have arthritis. The doctor thinks I may have torn a ligament and I am currently hobbling around on crutches while we wait for my next doctor’s appointment.  This means I cannot fill my bird feeders. But, my husband has graciously taken up the task, even though I know it is more work than he wants to do. I have about 8 feeders in my yard, not counting suet feeders. One of them holds meal worms, which the chickadees just love. Of course, the woodpeckers love the suet and I am getting Downys, Hairys, and a single female Red-headed Woodpecker now.

I am sure that after today he thinks I am nuts, but he knows that if he doesn’t do it, I will be out in the snow with my crutches trying to do it myself! Still, one of my feeders really had him stumped, but he finally figured it out!

We are quite the pair, the two of us. And we have had lots of adventures together. Because of Gus, I have had the opportunity to travel all over the United States. This has allowed me to see so many birds in so many different places. Gus is not into birds like I am, but he does love nature and he does love adventure and he does love me. Gus use to love photography as well, and so, while I was photographing birds, he use to photograph whatever interested him. But a few years ago his vision started to deteriorate and he can no longer see the fine details enough to make photography fun for him. So, today’s post is a tribute to my husband and his patience with me and my birds. It is my way of thinking him. It is my online birthday card for him. Almost all the following photographs were taken by him when he could see better. It is his view of the world and of me. And yes, there are birds!

Phoenix January 2010

In January of 2010 Gus and I drove into Phoenix to see a performance of Riverdance, which was a Christmas Gift from my son and his wife. After the matinee we drove to the Rio Saludo Project just a few miles south where Gus and I took a walk and counted and photographed birds. I just realized I never posted these photos as my computer crashed at that time. These are Gus’ pictures from that day.

Me on the trail at the Rio Saludo Project along the Salt River

Coot Toes

Trail along the river

 

Tree trunks and grasses

 

Verdin 

Black and White Warbler

This is the one that got away from me. Gus kept telling me he saw a different warbler, but I ignored him, thinking it was yet another yellow-rumped warbler. It wasn’t until we offloaded his photos that I saw the bird he was talking about. By then it was too late and I missed my opportunity to see and record a Back and White Warbler in Maricopa County!

Double-crested Cormorants

 

The Salt River 

 

Oklahoma, March 2010 

Harris Sparrow

Bosque del Apache, NM March 2010 

 

 Great Blue Heron

Western Bluebird

 

Greater Roadrunner

 

 Great Blue Heron

Roosevelt Lake, AZ June 2010

 Looking through the bridge

Bridge over Roosevelt Lake

Cochise County, Arizona, August 2010 

 Texas Canyon

Lake Cochise sunset

 

 Lake Cochise

Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts, January 2011

 

 

 

The Salton Sea, November 2012

In November of 2012 Gus surprised me by planning a trip to the Salton Sea for Thanksgiving. We had just moved back to Tucson and I was looking forward to spending the holiday with our oldest son, but who could pass up a trip to the Salton Sea? Neither one of us knew what to expect, except we envisioned something a little more sophisticated. The Salton Sea is actually very remote and rural in a very depressed part of California. But oh, the BIRDS! There were so many and we had one of the best adventures of our lives! While I have posted my pictures and photos of this trip before, I just recently offloaded Gus’ pictures. All of these are his.

Me trying out my new spotting scope at the Salton Sea

 

 

 

 Too many birds to count!

Happy Birthday Gus!

He’s a wonderful grandpa!

 

…and an old Maine-iac!

 

He loves his old dog, Blossom.

 

And, we still have so many roads to travel…

…before we sail off into the sunset!

  Pelicans at the Salton Sea, November 23, 2012