Tag Archives: moose

Deep Woods Maine Wildlife

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Deep Woods Maine Wildlife

My time in Maine is over, at least for this year. So It’s time to do a head count. What kinds of wildlife did I see or experience  while I vacationed in Rangeley. Notice I said saw or experienced because the most prolific wild thing were the black flies. They are such pests but also an integral part of the Maine experience.

So here’s the list

  1. Black Flies-in the thousands.  For an interesting read about these pests , delivered in a humorous manner check out http://downeast.com/blackfly-survival-guide/  

Black flies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  A Blue Jay – Just one on my front porch

Blue Jay

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Bat,  Just one. Wish there had been more. Maybe they would have made a dent in the Black Fly population.

Flying Bat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Crows or Ravens…Not sure which but these big black birds were everywhere.

black bird

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Wild Turkey…Just one but that counts.

tom turkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Turkey Vultures…6 or 7 circling a bog. Something must be dead in there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.  Fox Kit..This little cutie gave me hope that I might begin to spot some of the famous Maine wildlife.

 

 

 

8. A Mama duck and 4 little ducklings

Mama Duck and baby ducklings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Bald Eagle..Maybe? I know they are in the area but I didn’t get a good l00k;  just a big raptor and a flash of white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Lots of little birds. I needed the Audubon Society to figure out what they were.

Little bird in a tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Canada Goose. Not very exciting but still it counts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12. A grey squirrel …Just the one. Expected to see more.

 

 

 

 

 

13. Chipmunk ..a little cutie but again, only one. Where are they hiding out?

chipmonk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14. A Moose…Finally my goal species.

Maine Moose by the side of the road

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15. White Tail Deer…I’ve seen them before but they never fail to entertain.

Deer at rest

 

 

 

 

 

A Great Learning Experience

I fancy myself a wildlife photographer (amateur) and I’ve had some success. This week showed me how far I still have to go.  But I had fun and that’s the main thing when you’re on vacation. I’ll definitely plan another trip to Maine. It’s beautiful country. Maybe I’ll hire a guide to help me locate animals.  Some of them use blinds. Yes, That’s going on my list for the next trip.

Guess What Day it is

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Guess What Day it is

hump day camel

Guess what day it is? Yup, it’s hump day, Wednesday, the middle of the week. My vacation is half over! I didn’t want to get out of bed. I didn’t want to think about the number of miles I’d logged looking for a stupid moose. It was time to get up and try again but oh my, I didn’t want to. It’s my vacation, roll over and go back to sleep.

A Scenic Drive is just what I need

I managed to laze around until 7:30 am when I gave in and packed up for another drive. This time I was going on a Scenic Drive. I was not looking for moose or any other kind of wildlife. This was going to be a relaxing 2 hour drive with maybe a stop to see a waterfall. The sun was shining and it was kind of cool so I tossed my hoodie in the car just in case.

Scenic Drive number 2Mama Duck and baby ducklings

On my handout from the resort I had 4 scenic drives. I did half of scenic drive #1 but ran into road construction before I could complete the 2nd half. Today I’d give #2 a try. The first step was to find Route 16 East. I had a good idea where Rt 16 was but I wasn’t sure if it was east or west. Remember , I am not looking for wildlife. With no expectation  I was pleasantly surprised that just as I saw the 16 east sign I also saw a duck. I pulled over and walked back with the camera. As I got closer the grass and weeds around the duck began to move and 4 baby ducklings emerged running to Mom. I stopped in my tracks. They were so cute but I didn’t want to scare them away so I took my pictures from where I stood and then backed away.

Route 16 East to Stratton

Maine Moose by the side of the roadBack on the road I headed down Route 16. I was the only car on the road this early so I poked along mentally ticking off what animals I’d seen most of so far…black flies, black flies, black flies. Ok so maybe a chipmunk or two, lots of crows (ravens?), 1 bat, that cute little fox kit and now the ducks. Just as I ticked them off I saw a moose. Yes, really! She was standing in a small field next to the road. I pulled over as carefully as I could. Mindful of the warning not to leave car doors open, I tried to slide out slowly so I could get the camera out of the car.

The Moose and IA Moose heading for the trees

The moose watched me carefully, ears twitching forward and back but she didn’t run away. I snapped a couple of pictures and tried to move a little closer. She took a couple of steps away then stopped. I stepped another couple of steps forward. She move a little too. We had quite the little dance going here. I’d move , she’d move. But like Cinderella at Midnight, the approach of an 18 wheeler sent Ms Moose heading for the trees. For such a big gangly creature she sure could move. I guess the universe rewarded me for my persistence even when I didn’t want to go driving around.

 

 

Here Moosey, Moosey, Moose

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Here Moosey, Moosey, Moose

Moose warning signMoose are active morning and late afternoon and according to the locals from noon to 2 pm as well. I set my camera ISO to 800, lowered my F stop and reduced my shutter speed to compensate for the low light. With a feeling of expectation I headed out to drive route 17, a so called Moose hot spot.

It should be so easy

The handout about the roads and moose warned that Moose like to use the highway to travel. Moose crossing the roadThey seem to think it’s their own private way. I was surprised that the speed limit most of the way was 50 miles per hour. No wonder this is a “High Hit Area”. Who can stop fast at that speed? I trundled along at about 35-40 miles per hour pulling over to let the locals pass when I saw them barreling down on me. If you come for a visit do not expect the locals to obey the speed limits. They pass on double lines, drive 75-80 in a 50 mph zone and tail gate. Scary stuff.

Trees, woods and overlooks

The drive is a two lane road for the most part. Occasionally it splits to 4 lanes but it also shrinks going over bridges. I saw two beautiful overlooks that I will need to return to for pictures. When I stopped the sun was right in my eyes. When I came back it was just past sunset so I missed that too.

Coos CanyonCoos Canyon waterfall

The trip from Rangeley to Rumford is 36 miles. I didn’t have that much daylight left but I was determined to make the full drive before I turned back. Along the way I spotted a rest area with a picnic table and a chain link fence. Curious I stopped to take a look. A lovely cascade spilled down between high rock walls. The fence was there to keep silly people from getting too close to the edge. Having left my hat in the car I had to beat back the black flies while trying to photograph the gorge.

 

Mexico Maine

sombrero with mustascheI didn’t get to Rumford. When I reached Mexico, Maine I was two miles away but it was too dark for moose then, at least for my purposes. I thought of my sister as she kept talking about Mexico, Maine while I was planning this visit. Well Sis, found it. Wish you were here.  In the end I made the drive and got nothing for it, not a moose, not a deer, not even a mouse. Tomorrow is another day.

Moose up the Road Apiece!

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Rangeley, a town in Franklin county Maine has a population of around 1200 until the tourists come to town. Rangeley is the center of the Rangeley Lakes Region, a major resort area.

It looks like a June vacation will be an excellent time as far as the weather is concerned. Watch me jinx us by making a statement like that! But really. When I check the average temps the average high in June is 69 degrees and the average low is 47 degrees. Nice sweater weather. Of course they did have a record high of 90 degrees and a record low of 27 degrees. There’s been no snow in June and only an average rainfall of less than 5 inches. But if it rains there’s a bowling alley. We can all go bowling!

I want to go to Maine in June for the moose. The moose is the state animal of Maine. Moose spotting becomes an activity late spring to Mid-summer. Seems to me June falls right in the middle of that range. The best time for spotting moose seems to be early morning or evening and noon to 2 pm. Sounds like moose like to have lunch too!

Calves are born in late May to early June right on track with our June vacation . I can visualize the photos now. Early morning has such beautiful light!

One of the activities I’m thinking about is a Moose Safari. There are both walking safaris and water safaris in canoes or kayaks . I know how to canoe but I’ve never been kayaking. That would be a new adventure. Plus there’s plenty of hiking trails. Also sounds like a lot of waterfalls on these trails.

One location in particular that caught my eye is The Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary, sitting along Route 4 between Rangeley and the town of Oquossoc, the sanctuary offers nearly two miles of looped, flat, hiking trails leading through moose country. The sanctuary, as well as the lakes, is home to deer, foxes, loons and other bird and animal species.

I’m used to wildlife sanctuaries. I visit them in Massachusetts all the time so this might belong on my list.

I’m ready for June to arrive and my Maine wildlife adventure to begin.

A Letter to Mom

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Hi Mom

I’m glad you liked the whale photo. The funny thing is that I didn’t even know I got it until I got back home. I took it on the very first whale watch I went on, the Sunrise Photo Safari!

It looked blurry on the little LED screen so I kept going out on more whale watches to try to get that breaching whale picture. They were fun anyway. Can you believe its just a baby whale? There’s nothing to show the scale but if Mama was around you’d see it’s only a little  2 ton baby!

I know you want to know what’s up for the June trip to Rangeley Lake. There’s not much to tell at the moment. I know Sandy is doing some research on the internet to see what’s in the area to do and see.

It all started when I did a search for the best time to see Moose in Maine. The article I read recommended Moose-head lake which is about 3.5 hours north of Rangeley Lake but there was no time share at Moose-head Lake so I looked into Rangeley and that was also suggested for wildlife…moose, bears, loons, foxes, eagles and the list goes on. So I booked the only accommodation that was available,  a 3 bedroom unit! (I think it’s a cabin)

I didn’t want to be rattling around in a 3 bedroom cabin all by myself. It seemed greedy somehow. I’d be keeping a family from getting away to Rangeley for their vacation. Then I thought, why not see if Sandy and Mom want to come. It less expensive since there’s no plane fare involved. There’s a kitchen so we don’t have to eat out every night. Everyone can have their own bedroom. Sandy will have her own car so no one has to depend on me if I’m off taking photos.

 

The best wildlife photos are in the early morning and late afternoon so I figured I’d have time during the day  to join you guys in things you may want to do and we’d have the evenings to just kick back.

Other than that, I haven’t thought much about the trip. I’m looking forward to us getting together like this. We don’t have much chance to do it with me in Massachusetts and you guys in New York. Sometimes it seems like we’re miles apart. Life is just so busy! This is a chance to slow down a little.