Morning meeting. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)The nearly three-week-old chicks were left on their own while papa and mama fished. Papa and mama called and called but there was no answer. No cheep cheep. Where could the chicks be? (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)It was time to call in The Loon Air Patrol for an air search. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Papa loon kept breakfast alive while the search continued. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)The two very wet chicks were found at last. They had been diving and swimming while they waited for their parents’ return. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Little Loon fights with his morning catch, which looks more like plant matter than a snack. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)One little loon peeks over Papa while staying close. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Little Loon One practices wing lifts. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)One chick follows Papa around the pond. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)A fluffy chick watches the world go by. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)It looks like morning yoga class, but Mama loon rubs her head on her back to oil her head feathers. Loons preen and oil their feathers daily to remain parasite free and waterproof. They have an oil gland located at their rear area that secretes the oil they use to spread on their feathers to keep water away from their skin. Most of the strange positions, rolling, twisitng, flapping, etc., you might witness are preening and oiling related. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Wild Daisies. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Morning. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Daisies of summer. It must be August.. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Globe Thistle. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Cone flower. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Pollinator on a cone flower. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)Sphinx Moth. (Photographed by Jane Naliboff)A male blue heron. (Jane Knox)Another shot of the graceful colorful male. (Jane Knox)The female is much less colorful. (Jane Knox)A mother duck introduced her brood to the open waters coming out of hiding too. (Jane Knox)There is always a straggler but he is asking for trouble. (Jane Knox)Here this straggler must be giving his mother a fit. There’s always one in every crowd. (Jane Knox)The straggling duckling. (Jane Knox)Midsummer color. (Jane Knox)The beauty of a Great Spangled Fritillary. (Jim Knox)A ruby-throated hummingbird Wilton. (Jim Knox)A Belted Kingfisher, talking back to me. (Jim Knox)In the mist of the morning and a hunter’s dream; a buck in North Jay. (Jim Knox)A sunrise over the Jay Historical Society Building, Jay. (Jim Knox)Resting in a daylily. (Elizabeth Mehlin)Daylily song. (Elizabeth Mehlin)Black-billed Cuckoo at the head of Wilson Lake in Wilton. (Tom Oliver)American Lady butterfly at the head of Wilson Lake in Wilton. (Tom Oliver)Great Blue Heron at the head of Wilson Lake in Wilton. (Tom Oliver)Great Blue Heron at the head of Wilson Lake in Wilton. (Tom Oliver)Downy Woodpecker at the head of Wilson Lake in Wilton. (Tom Oliver)(Gil Riley)(Gil Riley)Typical roadside vegetation this time of year. (Gil Riley)Among passed lilacs. (C. Tappan)(Gil Riley)Japanese Maple leaves in morning sunlight. (GIl Riley)
Love your blue heron, Tom. It’s amazing that it finds a home along the edges of both salt and fresh water. Not many birds do, right?
Love the flower pictures Gil. The baby loons are cute nice picture’s by all. Thank you.
I think the white wading bird photographed by Jane Knox is a Great Egret. Male and female Great Blue Herons have the same coloration. If males and females are seen side by side, the males are a bit larger.
Ilze, the two birds were together. The male definitely had the coloring of a grey heron.
For example the black streak on the male’s head.
Photographers! Amazing eye(s) all of you.
Aren’t we lucky to have such wonderful things around us here in Maine – even if our season is short.
Thanks, Jane K. One of my bird books says Great Blue Herons are found in fresh and brackish waters. It is difficult to generalize about bird behavior and biology as pointed out in Dr. Herb Wilson’s article about Saltmarsh-sharptail Sparrows in yesterday’s Portland paper.
Thanks, Tom. That clears up the mystery because I see these birds in a pond near the ocean and in the flats in front of my house.
Enjoying the close-ups. I think that should be called backward-facing loon position, Jane N.
Love your blue heron, Tom. It’s amazing that it finds a home along the edges of both salt and fresh water. Not many birds do, right?
Love the flower pictures Gil. The baby loons are cute nice picture’s by all. Thank you.
I think the white wading bird photographed by Jane Knox is a Great Egret. Male and female Great Blue Herons have the same coloration. If males and females are seen side by side, the males are a bit larger.
Ilze, the two birds were together. The male definitely had the coloring of a grey heron.
For example the black streak on the male’s head.
Photographers! Amazing eye(s) all of you.
Aren’t we lucky to have such wonderful things around us here in Maine – even if our season is short.
Thanks, Jane K. One of my bird books says Great Blue Herons are found in fresh and brackish waters. It is difficult to generalize about bird behavior and biology as pointed out in Dr. Herb Wilson’s article about Saltmarsh-sharptail Sparrows in yesterday’s Portland paper.
Thanks, Tom. That clears up the mystery because I see these birds in a pond near the ocean and in the flats in front of my house.
Enjoying the close-ups. I think that should be called backward-facing loon position, Jane N.