From: "Linda Woodard" <lwoodard@MAINEAUDUBON.ORG>

To: <BIRDEAST@listserv.arizona.edu>

Subject: [BIRDEAST] Maine Bird Alert April 30, 2003

Date: Saturday, May 03, 2003 5:04 PM

Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert

Date: April 30, 2003

Area: State of Maine

Number: (207) 781-2332

Compilers: Steve Pollock and Kay Gammons

Transcriber: Maine Audubon (birdalert@maineaudubon.org)

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WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS arrived in significant numbers during the past two

days. There was a strong flight of BROAD-WINGED HAWKS in to the state this

past week. Most of the WARBLER reports were confined to PALM, PINE,

YELLOW-RUMPED with one or two BLACK-THROATED GREEN, NASHVILLE and BLACK

and WHITE WARBLERS. EASTERN TOWHEES and BLUE-HEADED VIREOS were noted. The

SHOREBIRD migration has yet to really get underway. The reports have

included GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, BLACK-BELLIED

PLOVERS, WILLETS, and RUDDY TURNSTONES. WATERFOWL were not widely reported

and seem to be in very low numbers. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS arrived at

Pine Point in Scarborough.

York County

PINE WARBLERS and EASTERN TOWHEES were seen in Wells.

A WARBLING VIREO was on lower Main St. (near high school) in Biddeford. At

Biddeford Pool there were 3 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and 3 RUDDY TURNSTONES.

In the Saco Heath there were PINE, PALM, YELLOW-RUMPED and NASHVILLE

WARBLERS plus SWAMP and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, HERMIT THRUSH,

RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, snd EASTERN TOWHEES. BLUE-HEADED VIREO and BLACK and

WHITE WARBLER were in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco.

Scarborough Marsh Area

Behind the Pelreco building at Pine Point there were 2 pair of NORTHERN

SHOVELERS, 1 pair BLUE-WINGED TEAL, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LITTLE BLUE HERON,

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, GLOSSY IBIS, and GREAT and SNOWY EGRETS. AT the

Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center WILLETS arrived on Tuesday along with

GREAT and SNOWY EGRETS, and 45 GLOSSY IBIS. A ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW was at

the Scarborough industrial park. TREE, CHIPPING and SAVANNAH SPARROWS were

in that vicinity as well. Six SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen at Pine

Point. Near Fuller Farm in Scarborough there was a RED-EYED VIREO in the

woods on east side of field; and a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO on the snowmobile

trail near the river. A LESSER SCAUP was on Grondin Pond in Scarborough.

Nine PIPING PLOVERS were counted at Higgins Beach.

Greater Portland and western Maine

One BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER and one BLUE-HEADED VIREO were at

Hinckley Park in South Portland.

In Evergreen Cemetery on Portland there were BLUE-HEADED VIREO, BLACK and

WHITE WARBLER, FIELD SPARROW, and a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. Capisic Pond

Park was quiet, but 2 adult BROAD-WINGED HAWKS flew over. A brief

hawkwatch for an hour (10-11am) at the Loring Memorial at the west end of

the Eastern Prom.produced: 4 OSPREY 1 COOPER'S, 13 SHARP-SHINNED, 3

KESTREL, 1 RED-TAILED and 4 TURKEY VULTURES. Also on and around the old

trestle bridge over Casco Bay were about 30 LAUGHING GULLS and one OSPREY.

On the hillside leading up toward the Eastern Promenade were at least a

dozen NORTHERN FLICKERS in the trees, brush, and on the ground.

One PEREGRINE FALCON flew overhead in the direction of Peak's Island.

Twenty CHIPPING and SAVANNAH SPARROWS were at Westbrook Cemetery.

At Falmouth Foreside Road and on Mackworth Island there was a GRAY-CHEEKED

THRUSH An EASTERN TOWHEE was at a feeder at the Gilsland Farm Audubon

Center in Falmouth.

At Spring Brook farm on Greely Rd in Cumberland, a LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH

was singing along creek by Railroad tracks.

In Pownal there were 30 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, MERLIN, KESTREL, RED-SHOULDERED

HAWK and PEREGRIN FALCON.

Over in Bridgton there were WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, KINGFISHER, WOOD

DUCKS,COMMON MERGANSERS, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, TREE SWALLOWS and PINE

WARBLERS. Seventeen SNOW GEESE were feeding in open fields about 100' off

the Pleasant Hill road in a large field in Brunswick.

At the bridge in South Harpswell there were 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

Central Maine

Seen in Turner were 5 BARN SWALLOWS, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, and 60 HORNED LARKS.

In Richmond this past week there were 12 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS, 1 NORTHERN

GOSHAWK, 3 OSPREY and a NASHVILLE WARBLER.

In Hallowell along the Vaughan Road there were a pair of AMERICAN KESTRALS

(checking out nesting box), 1 RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 1 OSPREY, 4 WILSON'S

SNIPE, 2 AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and 3+ SAVANNAH SPARROWS. Approximately 300

TREE SWALLOWS were counted in the Waterville Clinton area near the

Sebasticook River.

SAVANNAH SPARROWS were seen in Dixmont.

CHIPPING SPARROWS in Bangor.

In Veazy there were 6 PALM WARBLERS and 1 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

Midcoast

The list from Phippsburg included BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, 1 TREE

SWALLOW, 6 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WOOD DUCK, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

In Woolwich behind the Taste of Maine Restaurant, there were 15 OSPREY

soaring over the river.

At the Public Boat Ramp on Northern Bay of the Bagaduce in Penobscot there

was the 1st BROAD-WINGED HAWK of season.

On Monhegan Island there were COOPER'S and SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, JUNCOS,

CEDAR WAXWINGS, PURPLE FINCHES, FLICKERS, HERMIT THRUSH, RUBY and

GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, INDIGO BUNTINGS, PALM and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS,

BLUE-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WOODCOCK, and BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER.

Eastern Maine

On Mt. Desert Island over the long weekend there were 11 BALD EAGLES, 2

PEREGRINE FALCONS, 500 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 8 RED-THROATED LOONS, 130

RED-NECKED GREBES, and 3 HORNED GREBES.

A field trip around Acadia National Park on Sunday 4/27 observed COMMON

LOON, HORNED GREBE, NORTHERN GANNET, GREAT CORMORMANT, DOUBLE-CRESTED

CORMORANT, GREAT BLUE HERON, CANADA GOOSE, WOOD DUCK, BLACK DUCK, MALLARD,

COMMON EIDER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, BUFFLEHEAD, TURKEY

VULTURE, OSPREY, BALD EAGLE, PEREGRINE FALCON, KILLDEER, BLACK GUILLEMOT,

BELTED KINGFISHER, EASTERN PHOEBE, TREE SWALLOW, TUFTED TITMOUSE,AMERICAN

ROBIN, HERMIT THRUSH, PINE,PALM, YELLOW-RUMPED, and BLACK and WHITE

WARBLER, INDIGO BUNTING, CHIPPING SPARROW, FOX, SONG, WHITE-THROATED, and

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, and COMMON

GRACKLE, COWBIRD. In addition the following were observed: BOREAL

CHICKADEE and GRAY JAY at the Schoodic Pt. Environmental Center. Many

NORHTERN GANNETS and thousands (literally) of BLACK SCOTERS were passing

Schoodic Pt. on 4/22 (Whitney observation). HARLEQUIN DUCKS remain off

Schoodic Point. There were almost daily reports of the PEREGRINE FALCONS,

TURKEY VULTURES, and WILD TURKEYS.

Northern Maine

The list from Houlton included BROAD-WINGED HAWK, WINTER WREN, CHIPPING

SPARROW, SAVANNAH SPARROW, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, TREE SWALLOWS, and

EASTERN PHOEBES.

In the Aroostook River in Mars Hill there were 3 SURF SCOTERS, and HOODED

and COMMON MERGANSERS.

In Fort Kent this past week there were 4

WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, FLICKERS, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, SAPSUCKERS,

WINTER WRENS and SONG SPARROWS.

Don't miss these upcoming Audubon programs!

Greater Portland Naturalists' Forum

Conservation of threatened birds in Peru. The role of birding tourism and

conservation projects involving local communities.

A program by Gunnar Engblom

Monday, May 5, 7:00 p.m. Free

Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth

With over 1800 species of birds, rainforests, cloud forests,

the Amazon River, and high elevation mountains, Peru is one of the most

biologically diverse and beautiful countries in the world. Gunnar Engblom,

of Kolibri Expedition has been organizing birding trips in South America

since 1992, and has had particular interest in Peru, where he has been

involved in bird conservation projects of Polylepis woodland near Cusco.

In this program, Gunnar will talk about his lifelong passion of bird

conservation and some of the conservation initiatives in the area.

Birding related-tourism can support communal sustainable development, and

can be one of the most important tools to help achieve some of the

conservation goals for the area.

The Portland Naturalists' Forum is an informational monthly program

featuring local speakers who share their expertise on a natural

history topic. Meetings generally take place on the last Monday of each

month. For more information, please call Maine Audubon at 781-2330 or

e-mail Judy Walker at jwalker@maineaudubon.org.

Wings of Spring: Warblers

Clinic at Gilsland Farm: Tuesday, May 6, 7-9 p.m.

Field Trip to Evergreen Cemetery, Thursday, May 8, 7-10 a.m.

Leader: Rich Eakin

Cost: $20 member/$25 nonmember

Limit: 15

Are you tantalized by the beauty of warblers but frustrated when you try

to distinguish one species from another? Now you can brush up on your

birding skills just in time for the arriving wave of spring warblers. A

slideshow clinic at Gilsland Farm on Tuesday evening will provide a review

of the field marks, behavior, habitat and songs of spring warblers and other

spring migrants. Then bright and early on Thursday morning you can test

those skills on a walk through Evergreen Cemetery in Portland. This green

"oasis" is a natural magnet for migrating birds, especially warblers.

Rails and Wrens

New Gloucester

Saturday, May 10; 7-11a.m.

Leader: Bill Hancock

Cost: $10 member/$12 nonmember

Limit: 12

The marshes of New Gloucester and Gray are the focus of this birding trip

to locate and observe many birds characteristic of southern Maine's

freshwater wetlands. Newly returning birds are particularly active, vocal,

and visible at this time of year as they vie for mates and breeding

territory. Bitterns, herons, a variety of ducks, Virginia rails, soras,

marsh wrens and other songbirds associated with wetlands are likely finds

on this outing. When we tire of wet feet, we can search some dry upland

habitats for warblers, sparrows, and other returning migrants. Bring a

snack, binoculars, and waterproof boots.

For Birdeast archives, and to join, leave, or change address, see:

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