Whale watch with Ken, Oliver

Very cool day.  I left Middleboro at 3:45 AM and drove up to Newburyport and Plum Island, to go birding before the day's whale watch.  Although we didn't see any broaching whales, we did see quite a few, including Fin and Minke.  What was exciting for me was seeing (and photographing) a Wilson's Storm Petrel, and what I believe is a Cory's Shearwater.  (One person on the boat was convinced it was a Jaeger, but the bill looks all wrong, and certainly the area doesn't seem appropriate).
Images for the day.

Oliver and his camp group boarding

A changed lad from the whale watch several years ago where
fear kept him below deck most of the day.

At Plum Island, 7:00 AM

This shot was worth the drive through Boston!

Common Tern

Wilson's Storm-Petrel

Cory's Shearwater

Isle of Shoals

Bird Art, Richard Estes at Portland Museum

Our final moments with Jackson and Oliver were at the American Bird Art Center, in Canton, and a small but gorgeous collection of bird art.  The rest of the blog is taken from the Portland Art Museum and the first retrospective exhibit of Richard Estes, the great realist painter.  One of the most thrilling art exhibitions I have ever attended, and the genius of Estes was on full display.  The pictures speak for themselves.

Allan Brooks
"Red-Tailed Hawk"
1935

Allan Brooks
"The Last Great Auk"
1935

Nancy Howe
"King Eider"
1990

Roger Tory Peterson
"Wrens"
1972

James Coe
"Orioles and Tanagers"
1993

John James Audubon
"Carolina Parrot"
1860

Charlie Harper
"Mystery of the Missing Migrants"
1992

Andy Warhol
"Bald Eagle"
1983

A few shots of Barbara's beautiful gardens

The next 20 or so images are by Richard Estes
from the wonderful exhibition at the
Portland Museum

"Candy Store"  1969

"Accademia, Venice" 1980

"Tower Bridge, London" (deteail) 1989

"Ansonia" 1977

"Ansonia" (detail)

"Sunday Afternoon in the Park" 1989

"Sunday..."(detail)

"Clare" 1990

(detail)

detail of lighthouse just to the lift of the ferry's window on the island

"View of Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry" 2008

"View toward La Salute, Venice" 1980

(detail)

"Columbus Circle at Night" 2010

"Mt. Katahdin, Maine" 2001

(detail)

"43rd. and Broadway" 2005

And a few photos of the museum's permanent collection 

Albert Bierstadt
"Autumn Birches (Approaching Storm)" 1860

Frederic Edwin Church
"Mount Katahdin from Millinocket Camp" 1895

Homer
"The Sharp-Shooter"