Author: Nature Girl

Born and raised in Maine, my husband and I live on a lake in Maine with two four-legged children.

Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport

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This weekend, Derek and I spent a night in Kennebunkport, in a room in an old sea captain’s home (built with money from the slave trade, sadly.) The houses that perch on this rocky coastline are magnificent and jaw-dropping and a tremendous display of wealth and privilege. We felt as if we had landed on another planet. I’ll take Millinocket over Kennebunkport any day of the week. But we were glad to experience these communities and visit Kennebunk Beach and Goose Rocks Beach.
The photo here is a distant shot of the seals at Goose Rocks Beach. I took this shot as I was leaving.
After a brief visit at Kennebunk Beach, we drove about 15 minutes to Goose Rocks Beach. Access to this beach is from a public road, through a short trail that cuts between private homes. A barking dog scolds as you pass by, and signs on wooden fencing promise to cut your bike lock without warning if you have the audacity to peddle to the beach and hook your bike to a rich man’s private fence. The rock retaining wall in front of the house with the barking dog has its own signage to warn beach goers to stay OFF the retaining wall, as it too is private property. Public access to Goose Rocks Beach has been in the courts for several years, with 28 private land owners arguing that the public had no right to use the beach. Maine’s Supreme Court finally decided that the public can cut through that path and use the beach. I did not feel welcome. But I’m glad we went because this is where we saw the seals. It was mid-afternoon on Sunday, December 21, under gray skies, with temps in the teens. Spotted these two seals (and four others) about 200 yards off shore.
The tide was out so I climbed onto some rocks for a better view. A loon swam slowly past the seals.
With the zoom on my camera I was able to see that this guy appears to have some fresh wounds.
To my amazement, once the smaller seal noticed me on top of a rock (in a red jacket), pointing a strange black object at the bleeding seal, she moved herself into position to cover his open wounds. And she wouldn’t rest or look away. I was clearly stressing her so I departed.
This fat old fellow was out there too, blending in nicely with the rock. (Well, sort of.)
This seal was enjoying a submerged rock. In the 15 minutes I was there taking photos the tide started coming in fast enough that he was partially submerged by the time I left.
This seal kept alternating between looking at me (above) and ignoring me (below).

Summer Friends

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Mother came looking for her little ones, who were goofing off in our yard. Their father stood behind the tree line hollering.
Is it just me or does this log look like an animal?
Other end of same old tree, filled with freshwater mussels.

Watched this sparrow sit on roof with inchworm for at least ten minutes without eating his snack.

To Be Idle and Blessed

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Baltimore Oriole, enjoying his insect with a bit of grape jelly. This is the first summer that we have hosted two pairs of baltimore orioles. In the past we heard and saw them for a day or two, if at all. This year we sprung into action and started plying them with their favorite treats. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/maps-range

The Summer Day

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

—Mary Oliver

Baltimore (male)

We watched this bald eagle fly from a very small island on the lake to one of the largest – and there we found his (her?) nest. Didn’t get a clear photo of the bird in the nest.

This garter snake ( Thamnophis sirtalis) was watching me watch him.
Loon chicks. Counted 20 adults and three chicks on the lake today.
Practicing preening and grooming with mom. Dad paddled nearby. Hard to get a great shot given the distance I keep.
This mother and her two chicks were on the opposite side of the lake from the parents with a single chick. (I found the latter pair’s nest in our cove last month.)
The pair – with their mom just outside of the shot on the right hand side.