BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 16, 2025
I’ve enjoyed watching the eagles and loons annoy each other. There are dozens of loons on the lake in front of my house. Every time an eagle flies over, all the loons start wailing. I imagine the eagles are getting frustrated. They have little hope of defeating this early warning system. Black-capped chickadees are so good at spotting trouble, other species pay attention to their calls. Blue jays are ever watchful. They regularly flock together and call out danger when they see it. Warning calls account for only some of the backyard bird noise in autumn. Species that flock together chatter a lot, so they can keep track of each other and stay organized. Some birds are still declaring territories. For instance, last night a barred owl perched above my garage at 3:00 in the morning and called incessantly. ~ Bob Duchesne