Glossy Ibis, etc. Maine

A four-day trip to Maine, firstly to celebrate our 48th. wedding anniversary, and secondly to drop in on Ken, Erin, Jackson and Oliver, Trish and Russ from Winnipeg.  We stayed in a charming house on the breakwater of Biddeford Pool, and it was a really lovely trip.  I finally got some good photos of a Glossy Ibis, and a good shot of a Black-crowned Night-heron.

Sunset over Biddeford Pool

And an early morning

Double-crested Cormorant greeting us at the dock.



How elegant can a bird be?  Common Tern

Black-crowned Night-heron

Semipalmated Plover

A Semipalmated Sandpiper

Ken trying to catch a wave.  The tide was going out, and there
wasn't a lot of action. 

Russ, Ken, and Jackson

Russ, Oliver, and Ken

Sitting on the deck of Ken's rented house, we saw, literally on the horizon, a
sailing ship, but with the 400mm lens, and blown up, voila, what a fabulous ship.
I believe it is a type of Baltimore Clipper. famous for running the yankee blockades
during the late war of state's rights.

And here he is, the Glossy Ibis, (Plegadis falcinellus)

I took Jackson and Oliver out birding, and they both get a very close-up view, a first for their
"Life List".  The kind of experience in birding, like a "birdie" in golf, that keeps you coming back.
We drove up to Scarborough Marsh in hopes of seeing a Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow, but no luck.

A very proud mother.

Cedar Waxwing, one of my favorites.

This bird came within 20 yards of the car, giving all of us a spectacular view.

And to finish off the trip, we found the illusive hiding place where the
plastic pink flamingo procreates!  But I think we will keep the location a secret for fear of overwhelming the
local populace with birders, hunters, collectors, dimwits, etc.

Finally, Flowers!

It takes New England so long to finally get to flowers in bloom.  Here are a few yard shots.

I had perhaps 100 buds for this Asiatic Lily, and before they could bloom,
a deer came in at night and ate almost all of them.  It broke my heart.

Last year, no Hydrangea, this year some great blooms

I believe this is "Miss B", created by my mom,
and named for my sister, Barbara

The Hermione, and Ironsides in dry dock

A few shots of Kennebunkport with Susan, and then I took Sunday to go in to Boston and see the
Hermione, an exact replica of the ship that brought Lafayette to Boston to aide Washington. Built in France by shipyard methods of the 18th century, at very serious cost, she is very beautiful. 
After that visit I drove to Charlestown Navy Yard to see the U.S.S. Constitution in dry dock, an opportunity to see her keel, rudder, and copper being replaced.  A great sight.

Kennebunkport Inn

The Pier 77 Restaurant at Cape Porpoise

First sight of the "Hermione"

Out further, the sister ship to the Coast Guard ship "Eagle"
the Gorch Foch

The U.S.S. Constitution
the oldest still-in-commission
ship in the world

U.S.S. Cassin Young. the victim of the most violent kamikaze attack
in naval history.