From: "Linda Woodard" <lwoodard@MAINEAUDUBON.ORG>
To: <BIRDEAST@listserv.arizona.edu>
Subject:      [BIRDEAST] Maine Bird Alert October 2, 2002
Date: Sunday, October 13, 2002 8:24 AM

Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert
Date: October 2, 2002
Area: State of Maine
Number: (207) 781-2332
Compilers: Steve Pollock and Kay Gammons
Transcriber: Maine Audubon (birdalert@maineaudubon.org)
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A fresh juvenile CURLEW SANDPIPER was found last Thursday and continued at
the same location in Thomaston (mid-coast) through Sunday. This bird was
watched for ~45 minutes at close range as it foraged on the mud flats with a
mixed flock of waders including DUNLIN (~25), SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS (~35) and
SEMI-PALMATED -SANDPIPERS (~5) and one HUDSONIAN GODWIT. These mud flats  are
south of the center of Thomaston. To get there head north on Route 1, take a
right at the 1st (and only?) stop light in town (Knox St?), heading south you
will soon see the bay/river straight ahead and in less than 1 mile or so the
road takes a sharp curve to the right which will lead to a public boat
launch/parking area. Instead of following that right curve, continue straight
onto an unpaved driveway that leads down to a seemingly idle  boatyard and
continue to the east side of the lot where there are a few large boats
stacked up onshore. Start scanning the shore from here.

A SANDHILL CRANE was seen on the salt marshes of York River in late afternoon
1/2 mile upstream of Scotland Bridge in York.

York County
At the Sanford Water Treatment Plant there were RING-NECKED DUCK, SWAMP
SPARROW, 6 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and a MERLIN.

At the Cliff House in Ogunquit there was a GREAT SKUA, a few GREATER
SHEARWATERS, many GANNETS, a SOOTY SHEARWATER, one
 LAUGHING GULL, a GREAT BLUE HERON, and 1 PARASITIC JAEGER, the black cap was
in contrast to the very dark, almost black, body. Also seen was a COOPER'S
 HAWK.

At Biddeford Pool this past week there were MERLIN and PEREGRINE FALCON,
 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, SANDERLINGS, and GANNETS.

Scarborough Marsh Area
At Pine Point in Scarborough there were approximately 1000 BONAPARTE'S GULLS,
2 LITTLE GULLS, 1 BLACK-HEADED GULL, 2 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS,
LAUGHING GULLS, 1 FORSTER'S and at least 1 COMMON TERN, SANDERLINGS, DUNLIN,
and 1 BAIRD'S and 1 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER.

Greater Portland and western Maine
 At Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth there were 2 PARASITIC  JAEGERS,
many GANNETS, and a dozen or so GREATER SHEARWATERS.

At Maine Audubon's Fore River Sanctuary in Portland there was a SOLITARY
SANDPIPER.

There are still about 100 LAUGHING GULLS off the town Landing in Cumberland.

In POWNAL there was a NORTHERN HARRIER.

Over in Bridgeton there were SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, BELTED KINGFISHERS and an
immature BALD EAGLE.

Midcoast

 In Georgetown this past week both RED-NECKED and HORNED GREBES were seen.
Also EASTERN PHOEBES are still around as are BONAPRTE'S GULLS.

 On Sat. Oct. 5, in Fort Point Cove, Stockton Springs there were 25 SURF
SCOTERS, 2 RED-NECKED GREBES, 2 HORNED GREBES, and 4 GREATER SCAUP.

A PEREGRINE FALCON was over the Thomaston salt marshes.

Eastern Maine
Increasing numbers of COMMON LOONS are being seen in Frenchman Bay. Up to 20
are being seen per 2-hour trip. There are mixed plumages from full breeding
to full winter. There were an estimated 15,000 NORTHERN FULMARS seen feeding
over a huge school of Herring about 30 miles south of Schoodic Pt. on 10/2.
Included in the flock were 2500 GREATER SHEARWATERS, 30 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, 4
CORY'S SHEARWATERS, 2 GREAT SKUA, uncountable (in the 100's) WILSON'S STORM
PETRELS, and about 50 - 100 LEACH'S PETRELS. V’s of 200-500  DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANTS are passing southward along the coast daily this past week.  Up to
20 GREAT CORMORANTS are being seen on Egg Rock, Ironbound Island, and the Old
Soaker. NORTHERN GANNETS are being seen all through the area daily. In both
adult, sub-adult, and immature plumages, they are being seen at sea  from the
whale watch boats, around Schoodic Point., along Ocean Drive in Acadia
National Park, and up the bay to within a half mile of downtown Bar Harbor.
The BRANT is still at Egg Rock in Frenchman Bay where it has been since May.
COMMON numbers have ballooned from 200-500 resident birds to an estimated
8000-10000 birds as migrants have started arriving. Scattered numbers  (6 -
10) of both SURF, and BLACK SCOTERS are being seen almost daily. A couple of
small V’s of 10 -50 CANADA GEESE passed over Frenchman Bay on 10/2 and 4. Up
to 6 BALD EAGLES are being seen daily. Hawks migrating across the bay in the
past week have included NORTHERN HARRIER, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, BROAD-WINGED
HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK, KESTREL, MERLIN, and PEREGRINE FALCONS. BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS, WHIMBREL, and RUDDY TURNSTONES are seen daily on Egg Rock, Frenchman
Bay. SPOTTED SANDPIPERS are still seen daily along the shores of several
islands in the bay.

At Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge near Calais, BALD EAGLES are still
present. Also seen there were COOPER'S HAWK and RING-NECKED DUCK.

 Northern Maine
In Fort Kent there was a mixed flock of 1300 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and COMMON
GRACKLES.

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