Got back last night from a trip to the North Maine woods with a friend and my 11 year old son Ryan. Our target birds were Three-Toed Woodpecker and Spruce Grouse. I have lived here since 1985 and have spent a fair amount of time up north but the Grouse has totally eluded me ! So I wanted that one real bad. We had a (top secret) predetermined area to bird for both species and after a couple of hours we were about 1/3 mile in a spruce/swamp area and all of a sudden we startled a hen Spruce Grouse with 2 chicks-WOW !!!! Finally ! ( I would have preferred a male but I was ecstatic. Going another 1/8th of a mile further we startled another hen Spruce Grouse with atleast 2 chicks ! She perched on a log communicating with her brood for probably 15 minutes, my camera was in the truck ofcourse ! I was in Sprucey heaven ! Then we heard a woodpecker drumming a ways out then a little closer and then again a little closer. Then as I was eyeing a beautiful male Bay-Breasted Warbler in the top of a tree my friend said the woodpecker just flew right in !!! He landed on a snag about 40' from us and I got only a side view and saw the barring and then he moved to the back of the snag and I was like "please don't leave" I have to see your back, he then reappeared and came right around exposing his back to us in the sun and there it was-the barring on the back !!! I could not believe it. My first trip to try for this wonderfully elusive bird was a success. Ryan got him in his binocs also and had great looks. Then he flew off and the 3 of us just stared at each other in disbelief and Ryan said "we came we saw we conquered" He was a stunning male bird complete with yellow cap and all. We also got Gray Jay,Olive-Sided Flycatcher,Lincoln's Sparrow, a killer male Blackpoll about 4' off the ground at a distance of about 20',nesting Least Flycatchers,thrushes EVERYWHERE and just alot of birds ! I never really birded up there at this time of year but it was a treat to see all of the Warblers that are long gone from Newcastle.
Mark R Hoffman
Newcastle Maine
207-458-1897
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