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

To: <BIRDEAST@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: [BIRDEAST] Maine Bird Alert July 23, 2003

Date: Friday, July 25, 2003 9:45 PM

 

Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert

Date: July 23, 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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A BLACK-NECKED STILT was seen on the flats in Lubec on the 15th.

 

York County

At Gooserocks beach in Kennebunk there were PIPING PLOVERS, 30 BONAPARTE'S

GULLS, 3 LEAST TERNS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and SANDPIPERS.

 

The monthly Biddeford Pool survey turned up 46 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, 5

WHIMBREL, 7 WILLETS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, SANDERLINGS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, 3

LAUGHING GULLS, COMMON TERNS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS, GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER,

YELLOW WARBLER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, CEDAR WAXWINGS, BANK, TREE and

ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER.

 

Greater Portland and western Maine

A LITTLE GULL was among BONAPARTE'S GULLS on Pine Point Beach. Numerous

small SHOREBIRDS are behind the Pelreco building at Pine Point. At Pine

Point there were 2 RED KNOTS, 3 WHIMBREL, and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. At

the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center there were SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and

PLOVERS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, OSPREY, SHORT-BELLIED

DOWITCHERS, GREAT EGRETS, LITTLE BLUE HERON and still singing both species

of SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS. Two adult and 13 young TURKEYS were reported from

the Willowdale area of Scarborough.

 

A pair of ORCHARD ORIOLES were seen along Fore River Trail (as opposed to

Fore River Sanctuary), in Portland. The birds were seen from a short

boardwalk leading to Fore River from Hobart Street, short distance from

where street branches off outer Congress Street. A GLOSSY IBIS was seen at

Back Cove.

 

A BARRED OWL was seen in North Waterford.

 

Central Maine

A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was seen in Belgrade.

 

An AMERICAN BITTERN and BLACK TERNS were seen on Messalonski Lake.

 

COMMON NIGHTHAWKS and a WOOD THRUSH were seen in Dixmont.

 

On Plymouth Pond there were 6 adult and 1 immature COMMON LOON. A SCARLET

TANAGER was nearby.

 

Northern Maine

In Houlton this past week there were BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN FLICKERS, AMERICAN

BITTERN, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, WINTER WREN, CEDAR WAXWINGS,

OVENBIRD, and ROSE-BREASTED and EVENING GROSBEAKS.

 

Midcoast

A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen in Georgetown.

 

 At Reid State Park there were PIPING PLOVERS and LEAST TERNS.

 

Eighty SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 6 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 2 WHIMBREL, 2

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 6 SANDERLINGS and 15 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were at

Seawall Beach in Phippsburg.

 

An albino GREATER YELLOWLEGS was seen on Westkeag marsh in Thomaston.

 

Eastern Maine

A foggy week resulted in reduced numbers of offshore sightings but there

were still a few. A NORTHERN FULMAR was seen 25 miles southeast of Mt.

Desert Rock on 7/17. GREATER, SOOTY, and MANX SHEARWATERS were seen up

inside Frenchman Bay in the fog on 7/19. WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS were seen to

within 100 ft. of shore along Ocean Drive in Acadia NP on 7/16, 18-19. The

first NORTHERN GANNET seen in two weeks was an immature bird at the mouth of

Frenchman Bay on 7/20. GREAT BLUE  HERONS are seen daily as the fly from

ponds on Mt. Desert Island to the heronry on Turtle Island, seven miles

distant and across salt water. There is a second hatch of COMMON EIDERS at

Egg Rock with flocks now showing both fully feathered fledglings and downy

chicks. The OSPREY mentioned in other reports that has been incubating on

the nest on Yellow Island daily since 5/10 is now feeding chicks. Up to six

BALD EAGLES are seen daily with a pair at the Sheep Porcupine Island nest

every day this past week. This nest has been empty up to this week but

whether or not they are attempting a late nesting is not known at this time.

Three of the four PEREGRINE FALCON fledglings were sitting in a dead tree in

the middle of the DOUBLE-CRESETED CORMORANT colony on Thrumcap Island. Small

flocks of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, 10-20 birds, were seen 20 miles south of

Schoodic Pt. on 7/16.

 

A female SPRUCE GROUSE and 6 chicks were at the Great Wass Island Nature

Conservancy area. Two BOREAL CHICKADEES were along the Mudhole Trail at the

reserve as well. At Grand Lake Stream there were both RED and WHITE-WINGED

CROSSBILLS. YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHERS were seen at Quoddy Head. NELSON'S

SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were seen at the barrier in South Lubec.

 

Upcoming Maine Audubon Trips- Please call 207-781-2330, ext 215 or email

lledoux@maineaudubon.org for more information or to make reservations.

 

Bird walks are offered every Wednesday morning at the Scarborough Marsh

Audubon Center at 7:00 a.m. No reservations are necessary for these walks.

Call 883-5100 for prices and for more information on the bird walks and all

the other programs offered at the center.

 

Puffin Cruise III

With its colorful, clown-like face and oversized bill, the Atlantic puffin

is a most charismatic seabird. Nearly extirpated from the Maine coast 30

years ago, this species has staged a significant comeback thanks to the

efforts of dedicated biologists who re-established the birds' breeding

colonies. Now puffins return each year to nest on a handful of offshore

Maine islands. This ever-popular evening boat ride sails out of New Harbor

to Eastern Egg Rock, the southernmost and most accessible puffin breeding

colony in Maine. In addition to the puffins, other alcids such as black

guillemot and common murre are good possibilities for sighting, as well as

gannets, terns and shorebirds.

The trip is timed with the sunset and the rise of the moon, making for

the perfect opportunity to combine birding and a lovely summer evening

on the Maine coast.

From New Harbor Friday, August 1 6:30-9 p.m. Led by Pete Salmansohn

$27/member, $35/nonmember Limited to 75 participants

 

 

Linda Woodard

Maine Audubon

20 Gilsland Farm Rd

Falmouth, Maine

207-781-2330 ext. 213

 

 

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