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Archive for the ‘Field Notes’ Category

Nondirectional Wandering Brings Southern Birds North to Maine

Posted in Field Notes, Photos, tagged , , , , , on November 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Cattle egret observed feeding on grasshoppers on Bailey Island in Harpswell. (Photo by Jonathan Mays)

Fall is upon us and winter is certainly not far behind.  [Snow was flying as early as Halloween at my house this year!]  As the cold weather moves in, herons typically move out…of Maine, that is.  I say typically because there are definitely stragglers here and there.  But, what’s more interesting is that after herons breed they typically disperse in all directions before heading south for the winter.  In the scientific literature, this is dubbed “nondirectional wandering.”  This is why we can see such rarities as yellow-crowned night-herons and cattle egrets in the fall in various parts of the state.  We don’t currently have either of these species nesting in the state – at least not that I am aware of.  And they certainly are not known to breed north of Maine.

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Heron Trash Can Be a Researcher’s Treasure

Posted in Field Notes, HERON, Photos, Research, Species Specific, tagged , , , , on July 21, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Remains found beneath heron nests. Clockwise from top left: egg shells and membranes, crayfish claw and fish backbone, fused rear vertebrae and pelvis (from 3 different aged herons), heron feathers, heron skull and mandible, leg and wing bones.

Did you know that you can learn a lot by what is on the ground at the base of a heron’s nest tree?  A heron nest is only so big, so there’s no room for food remains and other forms of heron “trash”.  Herons simply just pitch it all over the edge.  Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.  Light blue eggshells with some membranes in tact indicate a successful hatch; but you may also find remains of young herons that met their premature demise by falling to the ground.  Adult feathers that were molted are often found.  You might find out that crayfish is a favorite food of the family above.  This disposal area for the herons nesting above can really be a treasure trove to a researcher trying to find out how dam removal affects the birds that use a river.

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Nestlings Abound

Posted in Field Notes, HERON, Photos, Species Specific, tagged , , , , on June 23, 2010| 1 Comment »

Five nestlings, all around 4-5 weeks old.

[Be sure to click on a photo for a larger view.]

Can you imagine raising 5 children in a 1-room apartment?  For great blue herons, it’s not all that uncommon.  In general, great blue herons lay 2-7 eggs, but I have yet to see more than 5 young in any nest.  I, along with many HERON volunteers, have remarked on the abundance of nestlings this year.  In a recent visit to a colony, I counted 87 nestlings in 32 nests!  And, those were the nestlings I could see…some nestlings were likely hunkered down in the nest or behind a branch out of my view.

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Still on the Lookout for Wading Bird Colonies

Posted in Field Notes, Photos, tagged , , , , on April 27, 2010| 4 Comments »

What we see from the air! There is an active great blue heron colony on this island. The nests are the light gray clumps in the trees!

A couple weeks ago, I accompanied eagle biologist Charlie Todd and warden pilot Dan Dufault on an aerial survey for nesting bald eagles.  Starting in Waterville, we ventured down the Kennebec to the coast, in and out of coves, back and forth over peninsulas, and hopping from island to island.  While early April is prime time for catching bald eagles in the incubation stage, it is not what we consider the peak of the great blue heron nesting season.  In spite of this, it was still a good opportunity to fly by some known heron colony locations to see if anyone was home.

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Column: Wetland features rookery | The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram

Posted in Field Notes, In The News on March 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I accompanied Bridie McGreavy, of the Lakes Environmental Association, to one of our largest inland great blue heron colonies.  Featuring 34 nests, this colony is even impressive in late winter before the birds have returned to breed.  Don Perkins, a freelance writer, was also on the hike and wrote a story for the Portland Press Herald.  View a pdf of the story here:  Wetland_Features_Rookery

Read the story online (this link may expire).

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Snowbirds: Volunteers Follow (and Help) Our Herons and Egrets South

Posted in Field Notes, HERON, Photos, tagged , , , , , , on February 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Snowy egret at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge

  

It’s now February, and winter has “set in” here in Maine for sure.  Many of us forget that the now-frozen shorelines hosted feeding herons and egrets as recent as 3 months prior.  Like many fair-weather Mainers, they choose to spend the winter in a place that’s a bit more hospitable…somewhere where the waters remain ice-free, somewhere warm, somewhere well south of here.    

Two members of the Heron Observation Network monitor great blue heron colonies here in Maine during the spring and summer.  But, their volunteer time in Florida during the winter also contributes quite considerably to the well-being of colonial wading birds.  Below is their story, as told by Doug Albert:      

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Burying Island, a Heronry of the Past

Posted in Field Notes, Photos, Species Specific, tagged , , , , on January 29, 2010| 3 Comments »

Photo by Steve Perrin

The following was written by Steve Perrin, a long-time observer of one of Maine’s largest great blue heron colonies…

Great blue herons maintained a heronry on 30-acre Burying Island in Taunton Bay, Maine, from roughly 1959 to 1999. Every year they’d follow the frost line up the coast, arriving on or about the first of April. Pairs would mate on the outer branches of red and white spruce trees shortly thereafter, build and refurbish nests, and incubate typically five eggs in each nest. Juveniles fledged in mid-August. Much of the colony stayed on the bay until the shoreline began to freeze in late December. Then they’d fly to warmer climes, I never knew where.

I was privileged to live from June 1986 through December 1988 in a one-room cabin I’d built on the island. Three families owned the island in undivided shares, and granted a conservation easement to the MDIFW in 1984. The heronry was in the 15-acre parcel designated a forever-wild sanctuary. Living close by, I had ample opportunity to observe the herons flying, feeding, nesting, loafing, and dealing with hungry bald eagles, classified as fish eagles, but having an acquired taste for herons and ducks.

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Summary of 2009 Aerial and Ground Efforts

Posted in Field Notes, HERON, Photos on January 19, 2010| 1 Comment »

Two great blue heron nestlings await a food delivery. Photo by Ron Logan.

I recently finished a 28-page summary report for the 2009 Colonial Wading Bird census effort.  I will be periodically posting segments of that report here for all to see.  I’ll start today by posting the “Summary” that gives you a quick overview of the effort and results…

Maine is home to several colonial wading birds during the spring and summer:  great blue herons, snowy egrets, great egrets, and black-crowned night-herons, as well as occasional cattle egrets, little blue herons, tricolored herons, and glossy ibis.  These magnificent birds build large stick nests in trees or shrubs and nest in groups.  The great blue heron is the largest of Maine’s wading birds and nests in the greatest numbers both inland and along the coast. 

As recent as 1995, there were as many as 14 coastal islands occupied by 644 pairs of nesting great blue herons.  More recently we noticed that many of these colonies no longer existed or that the numbers of nesting birds had waned.  There had not been a comprehensive wading bird survey of the coastal islands since the mid-1990s, and there had never been a comprehensive survey effort for the rest of the state.

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Off-Season Ground Visits

Posted in Field Notes, Photos, Species Specific on December 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »

This fall and winter, I’ve been visiting great blue heron colonies that I didn’t have time to visit this past summer.  During these visits, I usually make sure the original GPS coordinate is correct; take notes on the habitat and best way to approach the site; and count all nests that are still intact.

This is a great time of year to do this because there’s no disturbance to the nesting birds; the nests are easily visible since the deciduous trees have lost their leaves; there are no biting insects to make for an unpleasant outing; and frozen ground aids our travel.

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