Life List
Field Notes of a Maine Birdwatcher
by Ken Janes
Field Notes of a Maine Birdwatcher
by Ken Janes
The purpose of this book is to illustrate the incredible variety of bird life we witness along the coast of Maine. Every page reflects the field notes and photos I’ve taken over the past seven years. There is no way this book could represent every species of bird found here because I have yet to photograph some well enough to include them. The dates and descriptions of conditions are accurate. The years have been compressed, however, because not every bird is seen each year. Some rarities were spotted once, sometimes just for a few minutes. Others visit us daily. Many birds, especially the gulls, deserve a book of their own and are minimally shown here. I may have given sparrows too much space but I like them and their photos represent a lot of my time.
The majority of pictures were taken at Kennebunk Beach, specifically on the walk down Great Hill Road to the Mousam River. The river empties into the Gulf of Maine at Parsons Beach and also floods the estuary behind the beach at high tide. This intertidal zone creates diverse habitats in a small area, perfect for nesting birds and also an ideal location to photograph birds as they pass through each season. Nearby Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm is an excellent resource for birdwatchers. I took many pictures there. Rather than simply listing the name of the bird, the text with each photo briefly describes the range, behavior or interesting facts about the subject. Much of this information is well-known to experienced birders but will hopefully add to the knowledge of the casual reader and novice birdwatcher. |
Growing up in a small town in Massachusetts, Ken Janes developed a life-long interest in the natural world that led to a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Tufts University Medical School and surgical residency at New England Medical Center in Boston that was interrupted by two years as a surgeon in the U.S. Army. During a 35 year career in General Surgery, he kept a list of birds that were seen for the first time, whether in the backyard or on vacations, and noted them in the margins of a Peterson Field Guide. He even had a copy of The Birds of South Vietnam while serving there with the 1st Cavalry Division in 1970.
Now retired and living in Kennebunk with his wife Sandra, birding and bird photography have become a full-time passion. A board member of York County Audubon, a chapter of Maine Audubon, many of his photos have been used by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Maine Audubon, Maine Rivers and other local conservation groups. He has volunteered with the International Shorebird Survey and the Maine Breeding Bird Atlas project and has traveled to Costa Rica, Belize, Trinidad and Oaxaca, Mexico in pursuit of rare birds to photograph and to add to his life list. The birds of Kennebunk Beach remain his primary interest and hopefully this book will help others appreciate the wonderful diversity of bird life we have here in Maine. |
