I’m not a bird expert, but after a lifetime on and near the water I can tell the difference between a great blue heron and a Canada Goose flying backward (join the meeting the see what I mean!). I’m sure some of you know more than I do about our fine feathered friends, so I will encourage audience comments and questions.
Identifying seabirds from the seat of a kayak can be a challenge. I have found the traditional method of bird identification—spotting head, body and wing markings—inadequate and frustrating. Who has time to pull out the binoculars? Instead I will provide a model of identification that, while not totally foolproof, will give you a good chance of knowing whether the bird you saw was a surf scoter or an eider duck.
I will stick to the most commonly seen seabirds in the midcoast Maine area.
