When a Steller's sea-eagle showed up in Maine, throngs of people went to see it. On my first visit, it appeared to be sitting on an island tree a mile away. It wasn't. But many people left, convinced they had seen it.
Both are true. I have the voice and face for radio...which was my career for a long time. Never did television, so video is a new adventure for me. Fun!
I make plenty of mistakes Bob and make no mistake.. you are my fantastic stand up birder comedian 😂😂 I've taken some great pictures of Acadia National Park and even at Scoodic Point. I just won't buy an expensive pair of binoculars when birds like warblers can't sit still long enough...make no mistake. 😂 Love your videos
Thought I saw a common loon for the first time a few weeks ago and got so excited, but then before I could confirm it dove and disappeared and I didnt see it again after that. Its been driving me crazy that I couldnt tell if it was a loon or not... but this video made me feel much better about my maybe-loon, thank you sir. You are indeed a wise birder.
Love your videos. Merlin is a necessity for those of us who don’t hear well and only get part of a song. Without Merlin I just cannot hear enough to identify songs. This one app has dramatically improved my birding.
I whole-heartedly endorse Merlin/ It's getting better all the time. What's especially funny to me is - my hearing is still pretty good for my age. I'm diminished in the highest frequencies, but otherwise OK. Merlin sometimes hears high notes before I do, like golden-crowned kinglets. But I can hear farther than Merlin can on most songs, so we have a little contest going.
One time I was chasing a sandhill crane with some friends and after hours of searching we were about to leave and right as we were getting into the car, I saw a large gray bird in the distance! We jumped in the car and drove down to where it was and ran up a trail only for it to be a great blue heron 😂 great video Bob!
"the wishful thinking error" ... Perhaps i may have seen a flash of yellow that caused like 5 people to come to a park the next day looking for a williamsons sapsucker, all for it to have been a trick of the light 😂 i haven't shown my face at the audubon since, but i do know my sapsuckers now
I remember co-leading a field trip with you during the Acadia Birding Festival to Frances B. Wood Preserve area on 6/3/18. I was following you with some attendees in my rental car. We stopped at a store and there was a pond there. I mistook a bird for a Pied-billed Grebe and you had just let me know that the PBGR was a rarity in that area and I proceeded to make the mistake a few minutes later anyway. Duh!!!
I remember well. Funny thing: I scouted out that grouse for this year's festival, but there was no sign of him, not even scat in the woods. It was never very energetic, and I suspect he was elderly when I first found him. He was good for two years, and I haven't seen him since.
Well, wrt your Troublesome Pairs, I've at least seen the Black-bellied Plover, the woodpeckers, the flycatchers, and Caspian Tern! After 33 years of birding, any of the others would be Lifers!
My husband and I are coming up to Maine in a week (primarily to go see puffins!) but I want to take a day trip up into Northern Maine to look for some boreal birds - if we only have one day and aren't big into hiking (but don't mind driving gravel roads), do you have any recommendations for where to go? We're in Maryland, so primarily looking for birds we don't have down here - Black-backed/Three-toed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse are top of my list. We've been watching SO MANY of your videos in preparation for our trip! (Especially loved your Oregon videos, since that's where we grew up!)
Is it a day trip or an overnight? The boreal birds are somewhat distant from the puffins. For the best chance at boreal birds without undue hiking, I'd consider going into Baxter State Park. They won't be easy, but all the boreal targets are along the road midway up the park, north of Nesowadnehunk Field Campground. The next four miles are very boreal. Furthermore, about two miles north of the campground, there's an easy place to park on the left side of the road. From here it's easy walking, light traffic and the best chance for boreal birds. If you need other alternatives or have more questions, drop a line. Good luck!
@@Bob_Duchesne we're staying in Brunswick for just under a week. (Puffin/whale watching cruise to Eastern Egg on the 22nd) We were considering driving up to Katahdin for a day (yeah, it's a 3 hour drive, but he likes driving, luckily) so I'm glad to get confirmation that's a good area! Thanks!
@@emmaskaar True, it's a good area, but once you get to the gate, it's another 45-60 minutes to reach the best section...and, of course, that much time coming back. Also, by late morning, birds will be getting pretty quiet. Might be a long drive for little reward.
Want to add to your Make-a-Mistake list? Come birding with me. I'm really great at finding a Knothatch, or a Yellowleaf Warbler. or the very elusive Reedgret.
I don’t blame you. Cape May and Bay Breasted sound identical. Merlin confuses them all the time. My rule is never record a Bay Breasted unless you see one.
Can't blame the birds. Though the two sound similar, Cape May is stronger and more even. AND...they usually sing from the top of the tree, unlike the bay-breasted warblers, which tend to sing from low in the foliage. I was totally guilty. The little twerp got me. LOL.
Hey at least we discover new species by making mistakes. Clump-of-Leaves, Piece-of-Trash, and Odd-shaped-Stick
My wife is a CHAMPION stick-bird spotter. It's become a running joke.
Groups really can talk themselves into something. (and of course...that social dynamic is not just limited to birding). Great video!
When a Steller's sea-eagle showed up in Maine, throngs of people went to see it. On my first visit, it appeared to be sitting on an island tree a mile away. It wasn't. But many people left, convinced they had seen it.
This is great video instruction for everyone - bird identification enthusiast or not! Top rate! You make the word humble look like fun! 👍👍 ❤️
Brilliant!! And the Mozart comment made me laugh out loud.
Man, you have amazing delivery and dare I say a voice for radio.
Great content, really happy I stumbled across your channel!
While I dont want to speak for Bob, but I believe he was a DJ in a past life.
Both are true. I have the voice and face for radio...which was my career for a long time. Never did television, so video is a new adventure for me. Fun!
@@Bob_Duchesne Keep 'em coming Bob, great content!
I make plenty of mistakes Bob and make no mistake.. you are my fantastic stand up birder comedian 😂😂 I've taken some great pictures of Acadia National Park and even at Scoodic Point. I just won't buy an expensive pair of binoculars when birds like warblers can't sit still long enough...make no mistake. 😂 Love your videos
Thought I saw a common loon for the first time a few weeks ago and got so excited, but then before I could confirm it dove and disappeared and I didnt see it again after that. Its been driving me crazy that I couldnt tell if it was a loon or not... but this video made me feel much better about my maybe-loon, thank you sir. You are indeed a wise birder.
It probably WAS a loon. They can travel a long way underwater and pop up out of sight.
Love your videos. Merlin is a necessity for those of us who don’t hear well and only get part of a song. Without Merlin I just cannot hear enough to identify songs. This one app has dramatically improved my birding.
I whole-heartedly endorse Merlin/ It's getting better all the time. What's especially funny to me is - my hearing is still pretty good for my age. I'm diminished in the highest frequencies, but otherwise OK. Merlin sometimes hears high notes before I do, like golden-crowned kinglets. But I can hear farther than Merlin can on most songs, so we have a little contest going.
One time I was chasing a sandhill crane with some friends and after hours of searching we were about to leave and right as we were getting into the car, I saw a large gray bird in the distance! We jumped in the car and drove down to where it was and ran up a trail only for it to be a great blue heron 😂 great video Bob!
"the wishful thinking error" ... Perhaps i may have seen a flash of yellow that caused like 5 people to come to a park the next day looking for a williamsons sapsucker, all for it to have been a trick of the light 😂 i haven't shown my face at the audubon since, but i do know my sapsuckers now
I hope you see a lot of birds at the festival!
Great stuff, thank you!
I remember co-leading a field trip with you during the Acadia Birding Festival to Frances B. Wood Preserve area on 6/3/18. I was following you with some attendees in my rental car. We stopped at a store and there was a pond there. I mistook a bird for a Pied-billed Grebe and you had just let me know that the PBGR was a rarity in that area and I proceeded to make the mistake a few minutes later anyway. Duh!!!
I remember well. Funny thing: I scouted out that grouse for this year's festival, but there was no sign of him, not even scat in the woods. It was never very energetic, and I suspect he was elderly when I first found him. He was good for two years, and I haven't seen him since.
@@Bob_Duchesne Guess he went to that giant lek in the sky. I remember getting a crippling photo of him.
Well, wrt your Troublesome Pairs, I've at least seen the Black-bellied Plover, the woodpeckers, the flycatchers, and Caspian Tern! After 33 years of birding, any of the others would be Lifers!
My husband and I are coming up to Maine in a week (primarily to go see puffins!) but I want to take a day trip up into Northern Maine to look for some boreal birds - if we only have one day and aren't big into hiking (but don't mind driving gravel roads), do you have any recommendations for where to go? We're in Maryland, so primarily looking for birds we don't have down here - Black-backed/Three-toed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse are top of my list. We've been watching SO MANY of your videos in preparation for our trip! (Especially loved your Oregon videos, since that's where we grew up!)
Is it a day trip or an overnight? The boreal birds are somewhat distant from the puffins. For the best chance at boreal birds without undue hiking, I'd consider going into Baxter State Park. They won't be easy, but all the boreal targets are along the road midway up the park, north of Nesowadnehunk Field Campground. The next four miles are very boreal. Furthermore, about two miles north of the campground, there's an easy place to park on the left side of the road. From here it's easy walking, light traffic and the best chance for boreal birds. If you need other alternatives or have more questions, drop a line. Good luck!
@@Bob_Duchesne we're staying in Brunswick for just under a week. (Puffin/whale watching cruise to Eastern Egg on the 22nd) We were considering driving up to Katahdin for a day (yeah, it's a 3 hour drive, but he likes driving, luckily) so I'm glad to get confirmation that's a good area! Thanks!
@@emmaskaar True, it's a good area, but once you get to the gate, it's another 45-60 minutes to reach the best section...and, of course, that much time coming back. Also, by late morning, birds will be getting pretty quiet. Might be a long drive for little reward.
I make tons of mistakes as I can hallucinate at the drop of a hat. Love your videos
Want to add to your Make-a-Mistake list? Come birding with me. I'm really great
at finding a Knothatch, or a Yellowleaf Warbler. or the very elusive Reedgret.
Just back from six days of guiding...adding MORE mistakes to my long list.
Another great video, thank you!
Don't know how many times a Sharpie/cooper's have turned into a mourning dove upon closer inspection.
Sleek. Speedy. I've been fooled so many times, I now suspect it.
I don’t blame you. Cape May and Bay Breasted sound identical. Merlin confuses them all the time. My rule is never record a Bay Breasted unless you see one.
Can't blame the birds. Though the two sound similar, Cape May is stronger and more even. AND...they usually sing from the top of the tree, unlike the bay-breasted warblers, which tend to sing from low in the foliage. I was totally guilty. The little twerp got me. LOL.
not wanting to be eaten is a pretty good reason to do a thing
It's always worked for me.