date: August 08, 1996
to call: (207)-244-4116
to report: (207)-244-9945
annbacon@celestat.com
coverage: DownEast and Central Maine
compiler: Ann Bacon
You have reached the Downeast Birdline, coming to you from Mount
Desert Island on the coast of Maine. This message was recorded
on Thursday, August 08, 1996.
IN THE WAY OF ANNOUNCEMENTS: The Institute for Field Ornithology
at the University of Maine at Machias is offering a week long
workshop, "How Birds Migrate". The workshop which begins on Oct.
27 of this year will be held at Cape May NJ and will be taught by
Paul Kerlinger, author of "Flight Strategies of Migrating Hawks"
and the newly published "How Birds Migrate". The end of Oct. is
a time when an enormous diversity of bird species passes through
the Cape May area. I am looking forward to attending this
workshop myself and hope to meet some of you there. If you wish
information on this or other offerings, contact the Institute at
ifo@acad.umm.maine.edu. Be certain to include your snail-mail
address with your request.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE HARLEQUIN DUCK, CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR,
and BICKNELL'S THRUSH at Grand Manan Island, NB, a BICKNELL'S
THRUSH at Hog Island, and SEDGE WRENS on MDI.
ON MOUNT DESERT ISLAND: a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was espied at a
property along the Kitteridge Brook Rd. on 08/06, and a family of
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS was found at Compass Harbor on 08/06 and
08/04. The young SEDGE WRENS have fledged from their nest along
Northeast Creek in Eden. 2 adult and 3 young NORTHERN HARRIERS,
SAVANNAH SPARROWS immature AMERICAN BITTERNS, an OSPREY, and
SWAMP SPARROWS are also being regularly seen along the creek.
A report from a trip out of Bar Harbor aboard the Frenchman Bay
Whalewatcher on a somewhat foggy 08/07 mentioned 19 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES, 14 GREATER SHEARWATERS, and 3 ATLANTIC PUFFINS (in
almost complete winter plumage). 1 ROSEATE TERN and 1 ARCTIC
TERN were seen about 10 miles out from Bar Harbor. 2 RAZORBILLS
were in the waters to the southeast, and 12 BLACK GUILLEMOTS were
near Bald Porcupine Island. Some birds seen on a trip to Machias
Seal Island on 08/05 included 3-4 COMMON MURRES and 1 ROSEATE
TERN on the island as well as 2 SOOTY and 1 MANX SHEARWATER en
route from Cutler.
A trip from Bar Harbor, ME to Yarmouth Nova Scotia aboard the MV
Bluenose yielded 35 GREATER SHEARWATERS, 1 SOOTY SHEARWATER, 2
MANX SHEARWATERS, 62 LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS, 56 WILSON'S
STORM-PETRELS, 60 STORM-PETRELS (sp.), 7 NORTHERN GANNETS, 47
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, 390 RED PHALAROPES, 145 PHALAROPES (sp.),
3 BLACK GUILLEMOTS, 5 ATLANTIC PUFFINS, and 1 alcid (sp). The
first hour of the trip experienced foggy conditions.
TO THE NORTH AND WEST, a report from Stratton Island on 07/27
included adult ROSEATE TERNS with young, 2 adult AMERICAN
OYSTERCATCHERS with 2 young, a COMMON MOORHEN with 1 chick, a few
RED KNOTS, large numbers of COMMON TERNS, and a few ARCTIC TERNS.
Young EVENING GROSBEAKS and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS both recently
fledged at a property in Montville.
TO THE EAST a report from the blueberry barrens in Columbia Falls
on 08/05 included a family group of 5 UPLAND SANDPIPERS, 1 VESPER
SPARROW, a BROWN THRASHER, 6 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, numerous
SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and several AMERICAN KESTRELS.
Shorebird numbers on 08/09 at Over Point in the Petit Manan
Refuge included 700-800 shorebirds, c. 500 of which were
SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPERS and c. 250 of which were SEMI-PALMATED
PLOVERS. 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 15 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were also
noted then.
A BICKNELL'S THRUSH was heard giving call notes at Hog Island on
08/05. Other sightings include 75 WHIMBRELS in the northwest
section of Little Machias Bay in Cutler on 08/02; a WESTERN
SANDPIPER, a WHIMBREL, c. 30 SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS, 10 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, 15 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 10 RUDDY TURNSTONES, 15
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and c. 100 "peeps" at Hog Island in
Machias Bay on 08/05; a couple of BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS, a few
PALM WARBLERS, and 15 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS in a family group at
Corea Heath on 08/06; and 5 BOREAL CHICKADEES at West Quoddy Head
in South Lubec on 08/07. 400 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS have been
regularly seen at Mill Creek in Machiasport this week.
40-50 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, 15-20 ARCTIC TERNS, a couple of COMMON
TERNS and several BLACK GUILLEMOTS were espied from a ferry in
the waters off Eastport on 07/31. 25-30 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and
a handful of SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPERS and SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS
were at the South Lubec Bar in South Lubec on 07/31 as were 500
"peeps", 14 SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS, and 1 SANDERLING at the same
locale on 08/05.
TO THE FAR EAST, at Grand Manan Island, NB, a first-year male
HARLEQUIN DUCK was discovered at the base of the cliffs at
Southwest Head on 08/03 and was still present on 08/07 (a first
summer record for the Bay of Fundy). Daily migration monitoring
began at Southwest Head on 08/03, the most common migrants being
juvenile YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (averaging at least 250/day) and
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS (averaging 125/day). Other reports
include CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR at Castalia Marsh on 08/05,
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO at Eel Brook on 08/03, a NORTHERN
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW at Castalia Marsh on 08/04, an adult TURKEY
VULTURE at Southwest Head on 08/03-04, and a singing BICKNELL'S
THRUSH was heard at an undisclosed location on the island on
08/03 near the same area where an agitated pair was observed in
late June.
The captain of a boat which regularly goes out of Grand Manan
reported this week that there are nearly 40 right whales in the
Bay of Fundy now and that each day he has been seeing a couple of
100 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES in the waters near the Grand Manan
Basin. GREATER and SOOTY SHEARWATERS as well as a few MANX
SHEARWATERS are being seen as are BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES and
large numbers of NORTHERN GANNETS.
Sightings are always welcomed at annbacon@celestat.com
The Birdline tape will be updated on Thursday August 15. Thank
you for reading the Downeast Birdline.