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

To: <BIRDEAST@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: [BIRDEAST] Maine BirdAlert 11/24

Date: Sunday, November 30, 2003 10:56 AM

Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert

Date: November 24, 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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On Friday, November 21 at 4:03 p.m. the GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen

in the fields off of Rt. 235 in Union. It was also seen last Saturday.

Other uncommon and out of season birds included an adult MARBLED GODWIT and

a late juvenile HUDSONIAN GODWIT both were seen at Wells marsh. Apparently

they were seen at separate times leaving some to believe a misidentification

had been made.

A late GREAT EGRET was seen on Gooserocks marsh in Kennebunk. Two GREATER

YELLOWLEGS were at Goosefare Brook in Kennebunk.

A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was at Biddeford Pool.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was along the trails of Village Crossings at Cape

Elizabeth's Assisted Living Center off of Scott Dyer Rd. It was loosely

associating with a flocks of chickadees and titmice.

York County

A KING EIDER and about 20 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were at the Cliff House in Ogunquit.

At Biddeford Pool there were NORTHERN GANNETS, RUDDY TURNSTONES, DUNLIN, 1

GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 1 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, 1 ATLANTIC PUFFIN, BLACK

GUILLEMOTS, 2 RED-THROATED LOONS, HORNED LARKS, RUBY and GOLDEN-CROWNED

KINGLETS, and PURPLE FINCH.

Good birds at Gooserocks beach in Kennebunk included 50 DUNLIN, 1

SANDERLING, 20 HORNED LARKS, and 25 PINE SISKINS.

Greater Portland and western Maine

Birds of note at Pine Point included BONAPARTE'S GULLS, 6 BLACK-BELLIED

PLOVER, 40 DUNLIN, 15 PINE SISKINS, 2 GREAT BLUE HERONS, and 7 PURPLE

FINCHES. A NORTHERN HARRIER was at Dunstan Landing. Along Eastern Road there

were 8 HORNED LARKS, 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and HOODED MERGANSERS. A

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen at Scarborough Downs.

At the Village Crossings in Cape Elizabeth there was a COMMON RAVEN and a

flyover flock of about 25 COMMON REDPOLLS. Other highlights from Cape

Elizabeth included, 2 RAZORBILLS from the Lobster Shack, 1 SHORT-EARED OWL

at Crescent Beach and 1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT at Crescent Beach State Park. A

good flight of birds passed by Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth in SE/S winds at

~20kts, the visibility was less than 1 mile in rain and mist. The birds

included 300+ NORTHERN GANNETS, in a nearly constant stream passing south, 1

GREATER SHEARWATER, 2 GREATER SCAUP, PURPLE SANDPIPERS, 1 light morph JAEGER

species, 35 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, 25 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, 11 RAZORBILLS,

and 6 BLACK GUILLEMOTS.

COMMON REDPOLLS were in evidence at several locations Saturday in the

Portland area, either flying over or feeding in birch trees, sometimes with

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. The largest flock was ~14 at the Dragon fields in

Portland. There was also a flock of 8 feeding in birches along West

Commercial St. in Portland, and a few have been around in Cumberland. Also

along West Commercial St. were a female AMERICAN REDSTART and an immature

female BALTIMORE ORIOLE in the huge bittersweet patch on the hill.

A NASHVILLE WARBLER was seen with CHICKADEES at the Portland Country Club in

Falmouth. A few COMMON REDPOLLS and 3 PINE SISKINS were on Mackworth Island

also in Falmouth.

A flock of 12 SNOW BUNTINGS were in a field along Eisenhower Drive, at IDEXX

Labs in Westbrook.

A GREAT BLUE HERON was seen in Freeport.

A HOUSE WREN was found in Cumberland.

On Nov. 19 there was a SHORT-EARED OWL over Rte. 95 in the Yarmouth area.

One BRANT was seen with CANADA GEESE in North Yarmouth.

A BALTIMORE ORIOLE was found in Standish.

In the Naples - Bridgton areas there were 1 GREAT BLUE HERON, 2 COMMON

MERGANSERS, and 9 TURKEYS.

The list from Wilton included 10 COMMON REDPOLLS, 15 PINE SISKINS, 8 EVENING

GROSBEAKS, 45 SNOW BUNTINGS, 4 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and a NORTHERN GOSHAWK.

Midcoast

Popham Beach sightings included over a dozen RED-THROATED LOONS, over 30

HORNED GREBES, 53 SANDERLINGS, 24 SNOW BUNTINGS, 1 NORTHERN GANNET, 2

BALD EAGLES, and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

An immature NORTHERN SHRIKE was on the power lines near the corner of Millay

Rd and Clarry Rd.. Also in the same vicinity there was an AMERICAN KESTREL.

In South Thomaston, there was a NORTHERN SHRIKE at feeders harassing the

birds on Sunday morning.

Eastern Maine

In the vicinity of Blue Hill Peninsula & Mount Desert Island there were ~30

PINE SISKIN which flew over Blue Hill Mountain. Many other flocks were being

encountered last week here and about. An EASTERN TOWHEE was at a feeder on

Pertville Road, Sedgwick on 11-7. It stayed the day here on the blueberry

barrens to refuel. A GRAY JAY was seen on 11-6. in East Blue Hill. A SNOW

BUNTING flock of ~35 was seen here on Pertville Rd.

The heavy winds of the past week brought in large numbers of NORTHERN

GANNETS. There were up to 50 birds at various times off Schoodic Point and

along Ocean Drive in Acadia National Park. A small but distinct HAWK

migration continues with 14 RED-TAILED and 2 ROUGH-LEGGED passing over

Cadillac Mt. on 11/13, 5 RED-TAILED, a late AMERICAN KESTREL, and a late

TURKEY VULTURE were seen on 11/15 before the high winds took over. A

PEREGRINE FALCON took a pigeon on the Town Pier in Bar Harbor on 11/16.

There was a report of a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in Bass Harbor on Mt. Desert

Island during the past week. A total of 122 AMERCIAN ROBINS were counted

feeding on apples and berries in a one block area of downtown Bar Harbor on

11/18. Three BALTIMORE ORIOLES were feeding in an apple tree in Bar Harbor

on 11/17. A small flock of six GRACKLES were in Bar Harbor on 11/16. On Nov.

23, a trip around Schoodic Point produced 2 RED-THROATED LOONS, 2 GREAT

CORMORANTS, 2 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, 3 BALD EAGLES, and 12 PURPLE SANDPIPERS.

A FOX SPARROW with a white head was seen in Ellsworth on 11/17.

Notables at Roque Island included 1 LITTLE GULL, 1 SPRUCE GROUSE, 1 LAPLAND

LONGSPUR, 2 PINE GROSBEAKS, 100 COMMON REDPOLLS, 10 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS,

5 SNOW BUNTINGS, 19 HORNED LARKS, 6 BOREAL CHICKADEES, and 200 RED-BREASTED

NUTHATCHES.

At Grand Lake Stream there were 3 PINE GROSBEAKS, 12 COMMON REDPOLLS, and

8 RUFFED GROUSE.

Three BALD EAGLES were seen at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge and 6

EVENING GROSBEAKS were found in Dennysville

Central Maine

In Turner there were 70 SNOW GEESE, 2 PINE SISKINS, HORNED LARKS along with

a few COMMON REDPOLLS.

A COOPER'S HAWK was seen in Augusta.

A GREEN-WINGED TEAL was on Messalonski Lake.

Seven EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen in Belgrade.

A BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was seen in Fairfield.

A RED-TAILED HAWK was in Clinton.

Two YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a HERMIT THRUSH were seen in Dixmont.

Northern Maine

Seen in Houlton were 3 BALD EAGLES feeding on a deer carcass. Elsewhere in

Houlton were 2 PINE SISKINS.

Single COMMON LOONS are lingering on the larger lakes (Madawaska, Long, and

Portage).

CANADA GEESE are holding strong across central Aroostook. A flock of 1500

was seen in Caribou on Saturday.

A high count of 31 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were seen with 54 Common

Mergansers were on Madawaska Lake in T16R4.

On Lake Josephine in Easton a single LESSER SCAUP remained with COMMON

GOLDENEYES, and two lingering GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

A late DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, a very late AMERICAN COOT, BALD EAGLES, and

11 HOODED MERGANSERS were seen on Long Lake in Sinclair. Gull numbers seem

to have peaked and 7 lingering RING-BILLED GULLS were present in a

concentration at Long Lake which included over 700 Herring Gulls and 400

Great Black-backs.

Adult BALD EAGLES were seen on the Aroostook River in Presque Isle. At least

three dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were present in Caribou and Presque

Isle. Three first winter ICELAND GULLS were at Collins Pond in Caribou

through the weekend.

A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in Presque Isle.

GRAY JAYS were seen in Woodland and Stockholm. Single AMERICAN ROBINS are

still being seen throughout the area. Two RUFFED GROUSE were on an apple

tree in Woodland. GOLDEN CROWNED KINGLETS were also seen in Woodland

Very few sparrows are left with AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS,

and a lingering SONG SPARROW in Woodland. However, very large flocks of SNOW

BUNTINGS are now present in the area. A flock estimated at 1,200 was seen in

a field in Presque Isle and another of 650 near the St. John River in Grand

Isle.

HORNED LARKS were seen in Limestone, Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle.

Finches continue in fair numbers with PINE GROSBEAKS numbers still

increasing. EVENING GROSBEAKS, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, WHITE-WINGED

CROSSBILLS and COMMON REDPOLLS were seen but in low numbers. PURPLE FINCHES

and PINE SISKINS have decreased markedly though both are still being seen

regularly.

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