Maine Wildlife Experiences (Eastport: house, live, fence)

[7th generation]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Here at camp I have a hawk that visits every morning. I check the mouse traps and put the nice fresh mouse on the wood pile. As soon as I move away he comes down on a low branch. He will yell at me to move away. "Kee, kee, kee." I move back to about 12 feet and he swoops down to get his mouse. I have held the mouse on a canoe paddle and he swoops at it, but he won't take it from the paddle if I'm holding the paddle. I wouldn't try to let him take it from my hand. Have you ever seen the talons on a red tailed hawk? Up close?

NMLM Red Tails are neat. This spring and early summer one would fly down an old twitch road that I'd hike on. Every time I showed up he would swoop down and make his presence known. I would continue walking and he'd fly up the road and land in another tree just a screeching. Down the road a piece I wouldn't see him anymore and figured there must be a nest nearby. Lo and behold later in August I would see 2 Red Tails cruising the sky and you could hear them "talking" to each other. Figure it must be Mom teaching Junior to hunt!

This is a photo I pulled off the net.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I walked out onto a ledge at the shore of a lake with a couple and we watched an eagle take a big pickerel off the surface of the lake. The couple said, "That's a sign from God. We'll buy this land."

[ogre]

I used to go backpacking in Baxter every summer. From the first year there, I had a thing about wanting to see a moose. Not having spent much time in Maine up to that time, I thought of moose as really exotic animals, and thought it would be cool to see one up close. So, I was a little disappointed when no moose appeared during that trip. Didn't see any the next year either, or the year after that. Finally, the fourth year, the first day in, a moose showed up around our campsite.

We had pretty much the same group of people each year, so everyone knew about this thing I had about wanting to see a moose. So, a friend of mine got the idea to take a picture of me standing next to the moose. There I was standing just in front of the moose, facing away from him. "Okay, move in a little closer," says the guy taking the picture. "A little closer, okay, good . . ." Then I hear a clomping sound behind me. It happened so fast that it was instinct more than anything that told me something wasn't right, so I jumped forward, and then heard a heavy thumping on the ground behind me. My back had been to the moose the whole time, so I never saw a thing, but everyone told me the moose had reared up and swiped at me with a front hoof. By the time I turned around, he was just standing there placidly, looking as unthreatening as could be.

He hung around the campsite for the next few days and never bothered anyone, so I guess he got spooked by having me stand close with my back to him. Anyway, it turns out that my friend the shutterbug stayed the course with his camera through the whole, um, encounter. Now, stored away somewhere, there's a picture of me, the moment that first look of alarm crossed my face, just before I jumped out ot the way . . . and a big ol' bull moose rearing up behind me with his front hooves waving in the air.

I've seen plenty of meeses since then, and always enjoy the sight of them. Needless to say, however, now I prefer to enjoy them from a good safe distance.

[FLtoMaine]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

I walked out onto a ledge at the shore of a lake with a couple and we watched an eagle take a big pickerel off the surface of the lake. ."

We had a similar experience in Ellsworth this summer. We were sitting outside the Union River Lobster Pot when an eagle took a fish out of the river. A little while later some people pointed out 2 seals on the rocks further down. I looked at my husband and said - find me a place where I can see this kind of stuff and we move tomorrow. The one thing we didn't get to see were the loons - I love the loons - I'd love to find a place on a lake with loons.

[AlisonL]

I see loons in Lake Auburn almost every time I go there.

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

BobTex you have been reading!! good to see you ! and thank you

Also, your post reeks of spiritualness and Indians are tuned in!

It is hard to pass on a wildlife thread. My heart is in nature and obviously Maine is ground zero.

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by BobTex

Also, your post reeks of spiritualness and Indians are tuned in!

It is hard to pass on a wildlife thread. My heart is in nature and obviously Maine is ground zero.

agreed! on both counts!

[Maine Writer]

I don't think I mentioned this here yet. If you step outside in a quiet area at night you might be able to hear some of the migrating birds flying overhead.

[moughie]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

I don't think I mentioned this here yet. If you step outside in a quiet area at night you might be able to hear some of the migrating birds flying overhead.

Such a lovely sound - Canadian geese or something else?

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

I don't think I mentioned this here yet. If you step outside in a quiet area at night you might be able to hear some of the migrating birds flying overhead.

Are we talking wingbeats here or their calls?

Where I live is the destination of a major portion of the Hudson Bay flock of snow geese ... about 4 million birds! BUT, we don't have those big Canadian geese that I saw in Maine! Awesome, stately birds!

See y'all in the Bangor area Thursday night (taking the redeye) ... I'm fired up!!!!!!!!