TEA AND BIRDS
By Don Doucette
We often rubber neck at Hunts Falls on the Ten Mile River following afternoon tea at Seven Stars in Rumford.
Today’s bird watching at the Falls was exceptional as seemingly overnight, Purple Martin, Northern Kingbirds and Cat Birds were present in abundance and easy to view. Most entertaining, indeed.
The Purple Martin were limber and many with their flight-feeding acrobatics. The waterfall creates updraft air movement which scatters the insect swarms as those rapidly circling and darting birds feed in midair. Their plumage catches the natural light and project such beautiful color.
The King Birds and Cat Birds look so soft and fluffy like a child’s stuffed toy – they fed profusely amongst wild apple blossoms overhanging the white-water rapids.
Two large blue heron competing for fish below the falls, rose up in flight above the river while doing in flight dippsy-doodle turns before parting in different directions – like two large lumbering arial bombers locked in a cumbersome slow motion dog fight.
“Gangly” might be another descriptive word to use.
Here is a random list of birds observed while sitting in the car – best of show, but without the warm buttered popcorn:
Purple Martin
Northern King Bird
Cat Bird
Baltimore Oriole
Blue Herron
Osprey
Grackle
Nut Hatch
Robbin
Mocking Bird
Cheers,
Don and Nancy Doucette
Friends of the Ten Mile