April so far has been fairly typical for the term “April Showers” as it has been fairly rainy and cool 40 degree weather. The sightings of Robins are eagerly sought by Mainers because their presence usually means Spring has began. Up until this past weekend I have not yet spotted a Robin, I have seen and heard flocks of Black cow birds which migrate to northern Maine during Spring.

Robin and I drove Route 9 from Brewer to Ellsworth and then to Prospect Harbor to visit her parents. On the way we spotted many large groupings of Robins; we stopped alongside a field snapping photographs while listening to them sing (see flickr posting of this set). I never really paid attention to how much Robins actually run until now since my Robin is a runner. During our visit we drove through the Scoodic Loop so I can see what the coast’s shoreline looked like during spring. With the tide out it revealed many jagged lava formed rocks and ledge with a mixture of smooth water worn slide-like caves where the waves crash and restreat over and over. Summer and fall are the coasts best seasonal vistas however the it’s still beautiful during the Spring.

Early in the year the topic of Puffins arose between Michele, a fellow photographer co-worker of mine, about how we wanted see them in person and have the chance to photograph them in their own habitat. A local magazine had an article that highlighted pros and cons of each Maine Puffin tour, we both decided on Norton’s Puffin Tour due to having the option of actually getting on an island to view the Puffins- all but one other tour guide is not allowed to set foot. The island that Captain Norton is allowed to dock with is Machias Seal Island, an island only occupied by American and Canadian Game Wardens and of course various bird species and seals.

I woke up around 4:30am and left with Michele at 5am to arrive in Jonesport by 7:00am; on our way we saw several Blueberry harvesters in the fields of Machias and other Western-Maine towns. We arrived on time and boarded “The Chief”, an old Lobster boat that had been refitting to hosts roughly 25 people- thankfully we only had 18 people on this trip which allowed everyone a seat. We set sail and shortly after leaving the harbor the weather dropped by at least 15 degrees, the seas were very calm. After an hour we the island was in sight with Puffins throughout the air, sea and land; as we got closer more wildlife came in to view, Puffins, Razorbill Auks, Grey Seals and even a spouting whale in the distance. The captain said the island hosts 3,000 Puffins which I had a difficult time believing but now that I have actually been to the island that has changed. Once we were on the island Michele, myself and two other photographers went into a 5′x7′ shed with little spy windows. Once we heard the pitter patter of Puffins on top of our shack we opened the blinds and to my surprise Puffins were everywhere, literally covering the rocks for as far as the island spans. Puffins make an interesting call or chatter that is similar to the noise of a chainsaw in the distance.

After a few minutes, Puffins gradually moved closer to the blinds allowing us to see them up close; they are such a unique creature, no larger than an American football, with orange feet, black feathered wings, their rear plumage consists of coarse black hair, the same with the chest and belly but white and the features that makes these birds so unique is that their black eyes are immediately surrounded by an orange and red triangle with a similar colored large beak, their head capped with the black plumage with white face. Their look resembles a mix between contentedness and sadness when viewed from the side. The Puffin is a member of the Auk species which is interesting as their cousins; the Razorbill Auks are very different in terms of their color.

We were in the blinds for over an hour which is more time than most people are allowed, I was able to take roughly 200 shots; unfortunately I was overwhelmed by how many Puffins there were- I did not think enough to capture them during their normal routines of fighting, cleaning, squawking and beak rubbing. After an hour of watching and photographing the birds we re-boarded The Chief and headed back to the shore; I slept most of the way back despite the loud motor.

We stopped by one of Michele’s family run business; they harvest and process Blueberries right out of their garage. They built a machine to separate the Blueberries from the bushels; the entry point of the machine has a vibrating conveyor belt to remove twigs and rocks, the belt proceeds through an enclosed vent that sucks up leaves, the berries are then dropped down on to another conveyor belt where they are dispensed in to different size Blueberry boxes. After visiting for awhile, we drove down the road to their Blueberry store that ironically is designed to resemble a Blueberry from the outside; being a conosur of berries I purchased two scones and a Blueberry Pie.

Today I decided to head to Baxter State Park which is a two hour drive from home. The foliage is peaking in that region of Maine which makes an enjoyable day trip if you like foliage and taking photographs, both of which I enjoy very much.

Once I arrived at Millinocket you could begin to see Mt. Katahdin, the largest mountain in Maine and also the last mountain of the Appalachian Trail. I have never climbed it, but would love to some day. The Maine foliage website was correct; the leaves were at peak- everywhere you looked leaves were bright yellow, orange and red with a mixture of green pine. The Golden road is so beautiful, there are many places to pull over and get into the woods to fully experience the foliage. I took a few photos in the woods where the bed of the forest was blanketed with yellow leaves and orange pine needles, the scent is indescribable, I wish I could bring that scent home with me. After walking around for awhile I decided to head on, the skies were starting to cloud over which was very discomforting to me. I found another little path down the road that lead to the State power lines that circles around the park, from there a small vista of Mt. Katahdin formed. I came across yet another interesting rest area that featured a large boulder with a painting of a Black Bear near a stream that was title “Keep Maine Beautiful”. While leaving the rest area you had to actually drive about ½ mile from the Golden Road which places Katahdin behind you, I took this photo while driving down the road… there’s not a lot of places in the US where you can have sights like this.

I arrived at Abol Bridge and found one of the better places up close to take a photo of Mt. Katahdin, unfortunately at the time it was cloudy. I waited for about 20 minutes and the skies started to clear and I was able to take a few decent photos from Abol along with a nice photo stitch (cropped version). After hanging out at the bridge I headed back towards Millinocket, I decided to take a different route home and found this nice little spot. I wish I could travel more often, I love staring in awe of God’s Creation, it’s undeniably perfect.

vYesterday was a nice “almost fall” day with a low breeze, sunshine, mostly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 70’s. I left late in the morning with my kayak to dad’s camp to spend the day kayaking and riding around looking for wildlife. When I arrived we ate and relaxed for awhile; caught up on what has been going on in our lives.

An hour or so later we put our kayaks in the truck and headed for 1st West Roach pond which is west of Roach pond where the camp is. The pond is fairly small, quiet and out in the wilderness surrounded by a few small mountains, a perfect place for Moose to feed. As always, we were in the company of Moose, this time there were only a three. A couple of weeks ago I was able to take a photo of a young bull moose in the same area; you can read more about that in my “Kayaking in Kokadjo” entry. As you can see, a cow and calf are feeding near the shore. Unfortunately we did find the Bull Moose with full sized antlers that has been spotted in the vicinity that has drawn many of hunters’ attention. After taking a few photos we paddled around the rest of the pond enjoying the scenery, fresh air, calmness and the overall relaxation of being in the wilderness, God’s creation.
Later in the evening we sat around the camp fire where you can find me playing with fire, building it up, cutting wood, etc. I took a few photos of the fire, experimenting with different exposures. My uncle had a custom fire place made with the family name engraved into the side which makes an interesting effect at night.

I set off for the two hour journey home down Route 15 South an hour later, to my surprise I did not see one Moose attempting to cross the road.

Today I had planned on waking up at 6AM but the alarm did not go off and I woke around 6:40AM on my own. I jumped out of bed, got dressed carried my food and camera out the door as fast as I could and headed towards Howland to meet Brian, Tim and Tyler, two of my co-workers, to kayak down Passadumkeag River. I called Brian on the way to explain I may be late- it normally takes 30 minutes from Bangor to Howland but I made it in ~15 minutes, thankfully most of the drive was on the interstate.

After arriving at Brian’s house we loaded his truck with our kayaks and headed to where our trip would end and left Brian’s truck there, we than proceeded to Burlington where our journey would begin. The water was Class I rapids where we started off and was shallow, it’s safe to say that my kayak is now physically broken in. This is my first time in rapids, I almost tipped over within 2 minutes of the embankment but quickly learned how to maneuver. The river started to calm down and widen out was we paddled; the current was able to carry us down river allowing us to recuperate from the rapids.

The weather was better than what we expected, it was hazy and in the high 70’s which blocked the sun from glaring down on us. I was surrounded by birds chirping, bugs buzzing in the meadows and trees, Canadian Geese honking and the sounds of water moving at a steady pace. The scenery was beautiful, at some points the water was so calm it appeared as a black mirror reflecting the overhanging Oak trees, baby maples, Lilies and ledge all along the bank of the river. I had some excellent chances to take beautiful photos but I found in my haste this morning that my camera batteries were spent. I was however able to take a few low-quality photos with my cell phone. As the morning grew late we started to work up a sweat, Brian and Tyler decided they want to swim next to their kayaks for awhile which was entertaining to watch. At one point the river widened and throughout the banks were Weeping Willow trees acting as doors to an open meadow that spanned for at least a good half mile out.

Right at the end I enticed Brian and Tim to a race to the finish, sparring with them, calling them old men and stating that they could not keep up. Brian didn’t take that comment too well and took me up on the race, in the end he won.

I had an excellent time, it took us about 5 hours of actual time in the water. I am very impressed with the quality of my Old Town kayak, it bent and contoured right over the rocks with out any hesitation of damage.