I and the Bird

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Thursday, November 02, 2006
 

Boreal Birding


Last weekend I went with my Grandfather and my Dad up to our family's hunting camp in Shirley, Maine. The camp sits on the edge of Shirley Bog, a very quiet and pristine lake that eventually turns into the Piscatiquas River. Now, I'm not much of a hunter (the last thing I shot at Shirley was a red squirrel, and I cried my eyes out afterwards), but I knew that the boreal forests of central Maine would be a great opportunity to see some birds...and I was not disappointed.

My target species were: Crossbills (my arch enemies...they've eluded me several times), Spruce grouse and Gray Jay. With luck, a couple days spent trouping through the high Maine forest would bring me across these birds.

After arriving on Sunday night and getting camp ready (which included severing the head of a coyote we found shot by the side of the road near the camp. Yes, that's right. My Grandpa [who is a Maine outdoors legend, by the way. Former State Attorney General and the guy who, among other things, helped pass the first law requiring hunters to wear bright orange] wanted to preserve the skull...) we set out bright and early Monday morning.

I had barely wiped the crap out of my eyes when, on the short drive to the hunting spot, I saw a large brown bird on the side of the road. Spruce Grouse! Are you kidding me? It was a female bird, and, true to her nature, she let me get quite close and take some great pictures before scooting into the trees (Grandpa said 'they're called Foolhens because, when you're hungry, you can whack 'em with a stick'). It was an excellent way to start the morning, and little did I know that things were going to get even better.

About .5 miles after the Spruce Grouse we stopped at the grassy path we were going to start to hunt down. As soon as I shut the door I looked into the trees and saw three large-ish gray birds coasting in. Well whaddya know, Gray Jays! Beautiful birds. I would see a bunch more over the next day-and-a-half, and I liked the way they would coast around, pausing on a perch for a few seconds before leisurely moving on.

OK so at this point I'm feeling pretty excited about seeing two of my target birds in the first, like, 4 minutes of the day. But, there's more! The first batch of Gray Jays had just cruised off when I saw another bird, with a long black tail and black wings, land on the top of a nearby pine tree. Tanager? I thought to myself. Wait, hooked bill! Face mask! A Northern Shrike! I've wanted to see a shrike forever and never even thought about it for this trip, but there it was, moving from high perch to high perch in the forest. Unreal.

So, I got 3 life birds in the first 10 minutes of my time in the boreal. I would also add my first Snow Bunting (just sitting in the gravel road!) and first-of-year Raven, Ruffed Grouse, Horned Lark, Boreal Chickadee and, just as cool, a Moose.

I concluded the trip with a ton of great birds seen, and zero internal moral battles about having to kill a deer...because we didn't hear or see a thing. Even more importantly, I got to spend time with my Dad and Grandfather and walk through some pristine woods. I'm telling you, if you are one of those birders who is caught up in listing and need a reality check, come and take a walk in the woods in Northern Maine. No sounds except the chirping of chickadees and the crunching of leaves...I felt so glad to be in such a remote, unspoiled area. I know this is birdDC, but in those woods I was damn proud to be a Mainer.

 
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Introducing the
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Foundation


Because
“Second Chances are extremely rare.”

“Deep in the bayou,
through the
thickness
of the mist,
The long, lost
ivory-bill,
thought to be extinct,
has been
re-discovered;
And a Foundation
has been born
to care for it.”
© nh
.
Our Mission
For the locating, recovery, protection, management, preservation and conservation of Ivory-billed woodpeckers; through scientific research and documentation; and the education of the general public.

This is a non-profit organization,
and all contributions are Tax Exempt


The Ivory-billed Woodpecker
The most endangered bird species in this country

The magnificent ivory-billed woodpecker, long believed to be extinct, was rediscovered in the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas on February 27, 2004 by Bobby Harrison, from Ithaca, New York, more than 60 years after the last confirmed sighting of the species in the United States. Their own quest culminated in this miraculous find after spending more than 30 years of researching and following leads.
The rediscovery has produced waves of excitement in the world of conservation and beyond. It has been hailed by ornithologists, birders, conservation organizations and the media as a Victory for Nature; and highlights the need to preserve the world’s critical habitats. Rediscovering the ivory-billed woodpecker, long thought to be extinct, provides a rare SECOND CHANCE to save a species


You are cordially invited to attend the
Inaugural Celebration Gala
on Saturday, February 24, 2007
in Huntsville, AL at 6:00 PM.

For additional
Gala and contribution information
please contact:

Pam White@256-883-1199
Cassandra Decoux@256-830-0738 (pm only)
Norma Harrison @ 256-776-2003 or 256-651-8466
www.ivory-billedwoodpeckerfoundation.org
or email: ivorybillwp@aol.com.
 
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