Day 18.355: Happy 2026!

We’ll celebrate a new year of the Exile in a few days, but for now we’ll make do with this new year celebration!

Day 18.354: Quiet at the beach

Exile #2, Exile #4 and I went for a chilly walk on the beach this afternoon. 

We were greeted by an enthusiastic puppy with - as her owner described it - selective hearing, but we didn’t see much else. We decided to return via the woods of Ferry Beach State Park to avoid the worst of the wind. It was quiet there too. 

It was good to get out of the house and stretch our legs after a rainy stay-at-home day yesterday. 

Day 18.353: Accipiter

Our weekend feeder watching was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a small hawk that was interested in feeding on the birds feeding at our feeders. After it first scattered them - several fled to the brush pile and for a while the hawk hopped around on top of it seemingly listening to activity below its feet. 

Whether this is a Cooper’s or a sharp-shinned hawk is still in question - and may be doomed to remain a mystery. 

It left empty-clawed but I saw it a few minutes later flying back into the woods carrying something, so it must have had success soon after we lost sight of it. 

Day 18.352: Self portrait

We’ve had a nice day - including brunch and carols at church preceded by helping a stranger by pushing her car out of the middle of an intersection nearby. Some puzzles, video editing and family TV watching rounded out the day along with some more eating of course. 

And just for fun, here’s a sort-of-selfie I took a week ago. 

Day 18.351: Saturday birding

Our nature group met at Maine Audubon’s site at Gilsland Farm just outside Portland this morning - a little later than usual to coincide with the opening hours. We had a lovely time. Here is some of what we saw from the visitor center and from the snowy trails. 

Mourning dove and Carolina wren

Action shot

Hickory tussock moth (found crawling on the floor in the visitor center)

This turkey was eating the bittersweet fruit

Common goldeneye

Bufflehead

Common loon (only surfacing very briefly before diving again)

Alder seed heads

Alder flowers ready for the spring

American tree sparrow

Hairy woodpecker

Day 18.350: Eagles

Exile #2, Exile #4 and I decided to use the last hour of daylight to have a quick (cold) walk at the cemetery. 

Here are some pictures of that:

The snow made everything so pretty

The snow was easier than the icy patches on the plowed roads

The crew 

Frozen river and marsh

We saw some animal tracks but didn’t see much in the way of wildlife - except that is seven bald eagles:

This immature eagle was picking at this carcass (a duck or goose perhaps?)

We saw at least two different adults and two immature eagles flying around and the Exile #2 noticed that two more were perched nearby. My count would have been six, but Exile #4 was confident of seven. 

The first eagle leaving after finishing its meal

Day 18.349: Christmas Day

Our day included coordinating PJs:

and setting fire to the Christmas pudding:

And also games and food and gifts and laughter and calls to family and music - not bad really!

Day 18.348: Merry Christmas #19

I think we do these with less and less preparation each year - but here it is - wishing you a very happy and healthy and - why not - merry - Christmas!

Day 18.347: No dreaming-of required

It looks like we’ll be having a white Christmas. The snow held off through the last working day of the week (and of the year for me) but this evening has produced this:

with more expected through the night and into tomorrow. 

Day 18.346: Saturday morning sightings

Here are some of our sightings from our Saturday morning nature group walk at the UNE Biddeford campus:

One of our first birds was this immature bald eagle 

Canada geese catching the rays of the rising sun

Long-tailed duck

Common goldeneye

Bufflehead

One of the group noticed how she splayed her tail as she dove. This was my attempt to document it

Rock pigeons

Mallards

Common loon

Buffleheads

White-winged scoter

Red-breasted merganser

Harbor seal

Horned grebe

White-winged scoter

Common goldeneye 

Common goldeneye

Red-necked loon

Eastern bluebird

Our last bird was a lovely view of this brown creeper