BY GUEST BLOGGER: Ben Eisinger

Penobscot Bay is home to a rich variety of birds and waterfowl, ranging from the cute to the comical to the unusual to the intimidating. Not surprisingly, this means that the bay and its watershed, to say nothing of the islands scattered across its majestic, clear-blue expanse, are home to a thriving ‘birding’ (or bird-watching) community.

This summer, visitors to Osprey’s Echo Sea Kayaking will be consistently treated to one particularly impressive specimen before even setting foot in a boat in the form of a mother bald eagle, her nest located in the crown of a tall conifer just across from the boat launch. But bald eagles are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the full breadth of potential sightings you may experience out on the water. Consider bringing a pair of binoculars on your next tour and keep a close eye out among the branches of the trees, the rocks and sands along the shorelines, the rippling surface of the water you’re on, and, of course, up in the great blue sky.

Bald eagles

Commonly Sighted:

These species are among the more commonly-spotted birds on our kayaking tours. All entries are based on documentation freely available in the National Audubon Society’s Field Guide to New England.

Osprey: Of course the namesake of our business is going to be in this category! Not only do they have nests located not far from the launch site, but visitors might even have the chance to see them making dramatic dives into the water! Ospreys fly with a marked kink in their wings, making an M-shape when seen from below. They are excellent anglers for birds. Over several studies, Ospreys caught fish on at least 1 in every 4 dives, with success rates sometimes as high as 70 percent. However, they will often hover for as long as twelve minutes before making a dive, so if witnessing one circling around for fish, they’ll be sure to have you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see if and when they finally descend for the catch.

Bald Eagle: A majestic bird distinguished by the white feathers on the heads of fully-matured individuals, some visitors have expressed surprise, on seeing the juvenile in the nest at the launch site, that its coloration appears entirely black from a distance, even as it nears full-size. This is because bald eagles have an all dark-brown feathering in their first two years of life, only beginning to gain their distinct white feathers once they reach three-to-five years of age. That means if you see a bald eagle with its signature white head, the one you are looking at is at least five years old. Bald Eagles have nesting sites all throughout the Penobscot Bay region. Seeing one in flight should be a highlight to any tour.

Doubled-Crested Cormorant: Another common sighting on tours. These birds are easily recognized by their awkward-looking form as they paddle-kick their way along the water’s surface, with their bodies appearing to be almost completely submerged under the water and like their tilted up to keep their heads afloat. Their heads are also tilted up towards the sky when moving along the water, so they really give off an aura of being quite full and proud of themselves despite how ungainly and silly they can end up looking to observers. Despite this, they are excellent divers, feeding primarily on fish. Can also be seen along the rocky shorelines, often splaying their wings dramatically to dry in the sun, making them easily identifiable from a distance.

Black Guillemot: A favorite of ours here at Osprey’s Echo, though they aren’t as large or dramatic as others. If you don’t spot one, then your guide likely will, giving you a shout. Black Guillemots are small seabirds easily mistaken for small ducks. They are power divers that can stay underwater for more than two minutes, and can live for as long as twenty years or more. Their breeding plumage is entirely black with bold white patch on wings and bright red legs. This appearance changes dramatically in winter to whitish overall with some dusky markings on body and black wingtips. They’re usually found in shallower coastal waters including from shore, nesting in crevices or burrows in cliffs or around large rocks, conditions Penobscot Bay provides for them in abundance.

Mallard Duck: Yep. We have them up here too. Truly the ‘bad tourist’ bird: they’ll show up absolutely anywhere and act like they own the place. Maybe not the most exciting spot for everyone, but the sight of them casually gliding about through the water can still be a welcome one.

Canada Goose: More exciting than ducks because they’re significantly bigger. These birds are known their distinctive honking and V-shaped flight formations. In early summer, kayakers might luck out and see a mated-pair swimming around with goslings.

Osprey diving into the water

For more information on local birds in the Penobscot Bay region to look for on your tour, consider downloading the free National Audubon Society Bird Guide app in your phone’s app store. Happy birding!

Ben Eisinger is part of the waterfront staff at Osprey’s Echo Sea Kayaking.