Maine Coast Visit

A visit to the coast of Maine on the first sunny day in many days seemed like a good idea. My visit to the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine was productive for birding, photography and mood enhancement. This is the lighthouse.

There were several duck species around. These are a male (top) and female Harlequin Duck. The female was calling with the distinctive “mouse squeak” of the Harlequin.

The largest northern sea duck is the Eider. This is a male.

I spotted two of the three Scoter species. The White-winged Scoters were too far away for a photograph but I was able to get this shot of a male Black Scoter with its black-tipped bill with a bright orange knob.

A group of Cormorants were preening on the headlands near the lighthouse. At least one was clearly a Great Cormorant with a white throat to identify it. The smaller Double-crested Cormorants are summer residents. Great Cormorants move in for the winter.

My find for the day was this juvenile Razorbill. These sea birds are relatives of the more famous Atlantic Puffins. It is unusual to see them close to the shore since they normally spend their time in open ocean waters. They nest in seaside cliffs in the Canadian Maritimes, Iceland and other northern areas.