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

To: <BIRDEAST@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: [BIRDEAST] Maine Bird Alert 8/6/03

Date: Saturday, August 09, 2003 4:18 PM

Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert

Date: August 6, 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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Two adult SANDHILL CRANES were seen in Leeds. They were in the field on

Rt. 106. When you turn onto Rt. 106 from Rt. 202, the field is 5.2 miles on

the left. Also a pair of NORTHERN HARRIERS was cruising above the northern

part of the field.

An AMERICAN AVOCET was seen in the Areys neck area of Vinalhaven, walking

around in the mud flats.

Another SANDHILL CRANE was seen in Belgrade.

One hundred twenty-five WHIMBRELS were counted in Jonesport.

York County

A BALD EAGLE was at the Hiram Falls Nature Study Area in West Baldwin plus

A pair of COMMON RAVENS.

At Laudholm Farm in Wells, there were COMMON and LEAST TERNS, SANDERLINGS,

SEMIPALMATED and PIPING PLOVERS, 14 BOBOLINKS, 1 BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO,

GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, BROWN THRASHER, and EASTERN MEADOWLARKS.

On the Webhannet Golf Course in Kennebunk there were 55 TREE SWALLOWS

fledged in four weeks. So far 18 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS have been banded at that

location.

At the Hills Beach section of Biddeford Pool there were 20 ROSEATE TERNS,

5 HUDSONIAN GODWITS, BLACK-BELLIED and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, RUDDY

TURNSTONES, and BONAPARTE'S GULLS.

Scarborough Marsh Area

At Pine Point in Scarborough there was a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, and

COMMON, ROSEATE and LEAST TERNS. On the beach at Pine Point there were

SANDERLINGS. Sixteen BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS and 15 GREAT EGRETS were on

the clam flats along with SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and

SANDPIPERS, WILLETS and WHIMBRELS. Along Eastern Road in Scarborough, among

the many peeps were SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 1 WILSON'S PHALAROPE, 2

WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, 4 STILT SANDPIPERS, and 5 LITTLE BLUE HERONS. In

the pannes off Route 1 near Anjon's there were GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS

and a STILT SANDPIPER. A HUDSONIAN GODWIT was on Stratton Island.

Greater Portland and western Maine

A CAROLINA WREN was in a yard in Portland.

At the sod farms in Fryeburg Harbor there were 1 NORTHERN HARRIER, 12

KILLDEER, 2 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 11 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 1 SOLITARY

SANDPIPER, 1 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, 6 CLIFF SWALLOWS, many TREE and BARN

SWALLOWS, and 1 AMERICAN BITTERN flying over.

At the Brownfield Bog there were 2 BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS, 1 COMMON

YELLOWTHROAT, 4 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and 1 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.

Midcoast

On the flats at Maquoit Bay in Brunswick there were SANDERLINGS,

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

In Reid State Park there were PIPING PLOVERS, COMMON and LEAST TERNS,

a variety of SANDPIPERS, and a COOPER'S HAWK.

A leucistic LESSER YELLOWLEGS was at Weskeag Marsh (Buttermilk Lane,

Thomaston, behind Dragon Cement) Saturday afternoon. It is almost entirely

white with some barring visible as very light grey. Legs are bright yellow.

Other species around include: GREAT and LITTLE BLUE HERONS, SNOWY and

GREAT EGRETS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (~30), KILLDEER (~5), SHORT-BILLED

DOWITCHER, (~30), GREATER (~5) and LESSER (~100) YELLOWLEGS, STILT SANDPIPER

(2), SEMIPALMATED(~100) and LEAST (~50) SANDPIPERS.

Forty COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were migrating through Winterport.

Eastern Maine

In spite of thick fog along the immediate coast, a number of whale watch

trips have been finding up to a half-mile visibility offshore. There has

been an increase in NORTHERN FULMARS seen on the feeding area 25 miles

southeast of Mt. Desert Rock. 4 -5 are seen daily. On 8/2 there were an

estimated 5000 GREATER SHEARWATERS, 400 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, and 2 MANX

SHEARWATERS seen in a feeding concentration 30 miles south of Schoodic

Point. WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS are being seen far up into Frenchman Bay,

sometimes within 100 yards of the mainland off Hancock Pt. A LEACH'S STORM

PETREL was found sitting on the water in upper Frenchman Bay off Hulls Cove

the evening of 8/3, when approached it flew off toward Calf Island in

Sorrento. NORTHERN GANNET numbers remain low considering the amount of fish

being seen offshore, only 1-2 are being seen on each offshore trip right through

8/4. On any of the two hour scenic trip around Frenchman Bay up to 20

immature GREAT CORMORANTS are being seen. An immature GREEN HERON is being

seen daily at the children's wading pool at Glen Mary in Bar Harbor. It is

apparently feeding on the abundant Spring Peepers in the area. Four BLACK

SCOTERS were seen off Ironbound Island on 8/1. Three of the four PEREGRINE

FALCONS raised on the Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park continue to

make regular stops at the Cormorant nesting area on Thrumcap Island. The

MERLIN nesting on the Maine Maritime Academy campus in Castine has fledged

it young. Migrating flocks of 10 - 20 YELLOWLEGS were seen passing the mouth

of Frenchman Bay on 7/29, 8/1,2,4. Twelve RUDDY TURNSTONES were on the Bar

Harbor bar on 8/4. About 20 LEAST SANDPIPERS were in the flooded area behind

Sand Beach in Acadia National Park on 8/1. The first immature LAUGHING GULLS

started showing up in Frenchman Bay on 7/30. There has been a significant

increase in this species this summer and with the numbers of small herring

in the bay up to 50 have been roosting on Egg Rock (2 or 3 is the usual

number) daily. A COMMON TERN was seen flying right down Main St. in downtown

Bar Harbor on 8/4 (in thick fog). A WHIP-POOR-WILL was calling at the old

catholic cemetery in Bar Harbor during the day on 7/30. CLIFF SWALLOWS are

still feeding young in Anemone Cave in Acadia NP where there were still two

active nests on 8/2.

At West Quoddy Head there were WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS.

Central Maine

The list from Turner included SOLITARY and LEAST SANDPIPERS, BLACK-BELLIED

and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and a YELLOW WARBLER.

On Messalonski there were BLACK TERNS, PURPLE MARTINS and SWALLOWS.

Six RED CROSSBILLS were noted in Richmond.

In Leeds there was an AMERICAN BITTERN, INDIGO BUNTING and AMERCIAN KESTRELS.

A BALD EAGLE was in a tree on an island in Androscoggin Lake (also seen from

Rt. 106), and two OSPREY nests with 1 and 2 young testing out their wings

and 4 adults, all visible from the southern end of Cobbosseecontee Lake.

A GREAT EGRET on Sabattus Pond.

EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, RED-EYED VIREO and a WOOD THRUSH were seen in Augusta.

Birds in Dixmont included BLACK-THROATED GREEN and MAGNOLIA WARBLERS,

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, WOOD THRUSH, and a BARRED OWL.

There was quite a variety of migratory shorebirds this afternoon at the

first pond on Taylor Road (The Taylor Road is off Stillwater Avenue on the

right, coming out of Orono going toward Bangor) they include 6 LESSER

YELLOWLEGS, 3 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS, 5 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 12+ SEMIPALMATED

SANDPIPERS, 3 WESTERN, 1 DUNLIN, 5 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 8 KILLDEER, and 3

SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS.

Northern Maine

A NORTHERN GOSHAWK flew over Limestone.

Up in Fort Kent a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was still incubating eggs. Also

In Fort Kent there was a AMERICAN KESTREL.

At Pittston Farm along the Golden Road there was a BOREAL CHICKADEE. Near

Gole Pond there were 2 adult and 3 young NORTHERN HARRIERS, an OSPREY,

MERLIN, SHARP-SHINNED, COOPER'S, BROAD-WINGED and RED-TAILED HAWKS, and

BLACK-THROATED BLUE and MAGNOLIA WARBLERS.

There are still a few Wednesday morning bird walks at the Scarborough Marsh

Audubon Center. We meet at 7:00 a.m. at the Nature Center and scout the

area for migrating birds. If you would rather see the birds by canoe, join

us for a canoe tour every day at 10:00 a.m. Participants will see and hear,

Sharp-tailed sparrows, Marsh Wrens, Snowy and Great Egrets, Glossy Ibis and

an assortment of migrating shorebirds. For the costs and further

information call 207-883-5100.

Upcoming Maine Audubon Birding Trips, please call 207-781-2330, ext. 215 or

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

Fall Migration on Appledore Island

This weekend trip offers an unusual opportunity to explore the biological

diversity of a complex and unspoiled island that has attracted the interest

of scientists for decades. Lying six miles off the Maine and New Hampshire

coasts, 95-acre Appledore Island is the largest of the nine Isles of Shoals.

While towns have flourished at different times on the islands, all permanent

communities now have disappeared. The island is home to the Shoal's Marine

Laboratory, an undergraduate marine field station established by faculty of

Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire and offering an

extensive program of adult and family education programs. The trip coincides

with the fall songbird migration, particularly of flycatchers and warblers,

but at least 125 species of birds are known to have used the island as a

migratory resting spot. Extensive birding and bird banding demonstrations

are planned, and opportunities for photography are excellent. We will stay

in the field station's simple but comfortable two-person dormitory rooms

And eat in the lab's cafeteria-style dining hall. Cost of the trip includes

accommodations, boat transportation to Appledore Island, leadership and

all meals (Friday lunch and dinner; Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner;

and Sunday brunch).

From Portsmouth, N.H.

Friday, September 5 at 11 a.m. to Sunday, September 7 at 1 p.m.

Led by Lysle Brinker

$275/member, $300/nonmember

Limited to 12 participants

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