More Birds from Mitchell Field

The piers at Mitchell Field 9-8-15

 Whenever I go to Mitchell Field I have to start at the top of the road which is off Route 123 in south Harpswell. Since Mitchell Field is only 1/2 Mile from the end of my road, it makes it very easy to bird here often. When I first moved to Harpswell last summer there had only been about 11 eBird checklists submitted for this location. Since then I have done my best to add to that data, but birding at Mitchell Field is a pleasure. It is a place I go to to clear my mind and get lost in nature.

The blue water tower

 Whenever you drive into Mitchell Field you have to drive past this blue water tower. Keep your eyes open when passing, because lots of birds like to hang out around this water tower, especially in the summer and fall. I have yet to experience spring at Mitchell Field. So far this winter, most of the birds I am seeing are down near the shore. 

The top of the road.

 It has been too cold for me to walk the .7 mile road that is plowed in winter. The two mile trail that loops along the perimeter of the property is not plowed, but so far this winter the snow is not deep so some people walk it anyways.

Parking at the bottom of the field.

 In the summer I liked to park in the shade beneath this tree, but this area is not plowed in winter either. During the summer they have concerts every Sunday at that gazebo. I had to remember that Sunday afternoons are not the best time to bird at Mitchell Field! But, the concerts were nice and it was nice to see the community come out and enjoy this place.

Cormorants and gulls on the pier.

 I usually drive to the shore, park, and start birding. I always like to see what birds are hanging out on the pier and in the water. During the summer this pier is covered with cormorants, gulls, and pigeons. Sometimes I would see starlings out there as well. 

The mini estuary on the beach.

 There is a public beach, but it is very rocky, though once you get in the water, there is sand beneath your feet. A small creek flows into Middle Bay here, and during low tide many of the birds gather here to feed and drink the fresh water.

Osprey 9-15-15

 Except for the winter, it is not unusual to see an osprey fly overhead!

Canada Geese flying in 9-15-15

 Canada Geese like to take advantage of the estuary as well!

Canada Geese

Coming in for a landing

Sharing the beach with the gulls.

Contentment at the shore.

 I have seen Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Bonaparte Gulls, Common Terns and even a Black-legged Kittywake here! It's all about timing, but there were more gulls here during summer and fall. Now their numbers have diminished for the winter.

Semipalmated Sandpiper 9-18-15

 I have not seen many shorebirds at Mitchell Field. This little Semipalmated Sandpiper was the first I had ever seen here and it is the only one I have ever seen here. So far I have not recorded any other sandpipers or plovers here.

Yellow-rumped warbler 9-16-15

 However, Mitchell Field is thick with warblers during migration. I saw hundreds of Yellow-rumped warblers in the fields and hedgerows this fall. It will be interesting to see what spring will bring! But, if you check the eBird Hotspot list you will see that other birders have reported many warbler species here.

Yellow-rumped Warbler 9-16-15

Gray Catbird 9-18-15

 Catbirds were a commonly seen species during the summer and fall.

Common Loon in Middle Bay as seen from Mitchell Field shore.

 The loons started to show up around the middle of September.

Common Loon 9-18-2015

Juvenile Double-crested Cormorant 9-18-15

 I saw Double-crested Cormorants here all summer and fall. I have yet to see a Great Cormorant hanging around, however. But I keep hoping! This juvenile Double-crested Cormorant almost tricked me because it was so big and fat, but it is still just a double-crested cormorant!

Yellow-rumped warblers 9-29-15

 Autumn at Mitchell Field was very picturesque. I loved walking the perimeter trail.

Autumn Yellow-rumped Warbler with berries 9-29-15

 Below are some of the other birds I saw at various times during fall migration.

A very poor picture of a White-crowned sparrow seen along the pier 10-6-15

Common Yellowthroat female seen along the pier 10-6-15

Savannah Sparrow seen in the sumac along the pier during fall migration, 10-6-15

I love to go birding at Mitchell Field!

Links:

• Mitchell Field eBird Hotspot info
• Mitchell Field Harpswell Town info
• Mitchell Field Harpswell Heritage Land Trust (HHLT)

A Day of Birds at Reid State Park

 Common Eider hens and ducklings 7-22-2015

I like to go to Reid State Park in Georgetown, Maine to bird. I never know what I will find, but it is always beautiful and always surprising! On this fine summer day in July I got my closest look ever at eider ducklings.

These were on the rocks at Half-mile Beach.

 

Ring-billed Gull walking on the sand.

 

There is a sandpiper hiding at the edge of this grassy hummock.

 

Do you know what it is?

 

Sunset at Reid State Park 7-22-15

I was looking for sanderlings but didn’t find any. Still, It was a fun afternoon of birding with 25 species counted and I am glad I went. I am still learning my shorebirds and I find it quite a challenge!

Links:

• Reid State Park is an eBird Hotspot
• My eBird checklist for Reid State Park 7-22-2015

Springtime at Land’s End in Harpswell, Maine

 Land’s End, June 16, 2015

With fall coming on in full force, it’s almost hard to remember the beauty of Maine in June, when the lupine were in bloom and birds were nesting and hatching their young. Gus and I took a drive one evening down to Land’s End in Harpswell. Little did we know then that we would soon be living in that town! This is one of my favorite drives to take down Route 24 from Brunswick as you cross over Orr’s island to Bailey Island and end at the sea.

 I don’t know the name of this island or who owns this house, but they sure do have a sweet spot in the bay! You can easily see this house from Land’s End, which is a gift store and a location!

 Common eider’s and ducklings in the bay 6-16-15

 Female House Finch in the brush on the shore.

 Gulls on the rocks 6-16-15

Song Sparrow on roses 6-16-15

Mitchell Field In South Harpswell

 Mitchell Field 10-8-15

Since I first learned we were moving to Harpswell I started checking out the local birding hotspots. One place I had heard about but never visited before was Mitchell Field. Before we even moved into our new place, I took a drive down there in July to go birding. As soon as I pulled into the road I started seeing birds everywhere! I quickly pulled into the upper parking lot and started taking pictures and counting birds. A rose-breasted grosbeak sang from a nearby maple tree while other small birds flitted around. But I was quickly distracted by the creature below as it started to climb the trunk of one of those trees!

I have gotten blurry photos of this animal at dusk before…

But on July 17th I finally got a decent photo of a porcupine!

 

Song Sparrow at Mitchell Field 7-17-15

 

I walked a short distance down the trail and found a field of Bobolinks and wildflowers!

 A field of summer wildflowers in bloom at Mitchell Field 7-17-15

 

Next I headed down the road to find a full beach with gulls and pigeons!

The pigeons would explain why I saw Peregrine Falcons and Merlins here at a later date! There is a small freshwater creek that flows into the bay here and the gulls, geese and other birds gather here to drink, especially at low tide.

 Gull and Cormorant preening on rocks in the bay 7-17-15

 Looking South from the beach at Mitchell Field 7-17-15

The following photos were all taken with my cell phone on various visits to Mitchell Field. When I first started birding here there were only 19 to 20 checklists submitted for this location, yet over 100 species had been documented here. I have since started birding here on a regular basis and the number of checklists submitted is currently 41, while the number of species reported is up to 130. I am happy to report that I have been able to contribute to that total by adding Belted Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black Guillemot and Laughing Gull to the list. So far I have submitted 18 checklists at this location and I have recorded 55 species of birds!

Here is a link to the Hotspot info on eBird: Mitchell Field, South Harpswell

 Gull on the rocks at Mitchell Field 9-6-15

 A stormy day at Mitchell Field 9-8-15

 The Field at Mitchell Field 9-8-15

 Fog over the bay 9-13-15

 Low tide reveals seaweed covered rocks on the beach 9-18-15

 Autumn has come to Mitchell Field 9-29-15

This is the bandstand where they have concerts on Sunday afternoons during the summer. I was standing on the pier when I took this photo. I often find sparrows and catbirds in the hedgerows along the pier, and currently there are yellow-rumped warblers hanging out here.

Mitchell Field is the perfect place to watch the sunset.

 Sunset on September 1, 2015

 

 Sunset on October 6, 2015

 Twilight on the bay 10-6-15

You can expect to see many more posts and photos from Mitchell Field and other places around Harpswell as I explore this new place that I live!

Notes: I am so sorry it has been so long since I  have posted here. It took awhile to get my computer hooked up to the internet, then the next time I logged on and tried to blog none of my pages would load. I got discouraged and gave up but a strange turn of events led to to try again today. I was headed into town to do a couple of errands but my car wouldn’t start. I found myself stuck at home on a rainy day, so on a whim I turned my computer on and it worked! Maybe I can get a couple more blogposts written before it goes wonky again. I really need a new computer and Gus and I are working on that!