From: "Linda Woodard"
<lwoodard@MAINEAUDUBON.ORG>
To: <BIRDEAST@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: [BIRDEAST] Maine Bird Alert 2/18/04
Date: Monday, February 23, 2004 2:57 PM
Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert
Date: February 18, 2004
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 SNOWY OWL was seen again along the Hinckley Road in
Clinton, near the
Poverty Flats airport.
Spring activity is starting to crank up. There were the
first reports of
COMMON GRACKLES, AMERICAN KESTREL, singing CAROLINA
WRENS, drumming
woodpeckers, and a FISH CROW.
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS are still widely spread in small to
large sized
flocks. The number of COMMON REDPOLL reports was somewhat
lower this
week.
York County
A BARRED OWL and a BROWN CREEPER were found in downtown
York.
A BARRED OWL was at Laudholm Farm in Wells.
A CAROLINA WREN was loudly singing at 6 am on Lunt St. in
Biddeford
today. Lunt St. is off outer Main St. (heading toward
Rotary Park), on
the left, between Western Ave. and Maplewood Ave.
At Biddeford Pool there were RAZORBILL, BLACK GUILLEMOT,
5 SCAUP, and a
CAROLINA WREN. Two COMMON REDPOLLS were at Hills Beach.
Several hundred BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were along the Goose
Rocks Road.
Several hundred BOHEMIAN and CEDAR WAXWINGS were seen
eating the fruits
on the ornamental trees on the Mausoleum side of Laurel
Hill Cemetery in
Saco. Several other BOHEMIANS were seen eating along the
Road to the
Saco Yacht Club. Six COMMON MERGANSERS were at the Saco
yacht club.
COMMON and HOODED MERGANSERS and a BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
were along Water
Street in Saco.
PINE SISKINS were along the Ferry road in Saco.
An AMERICAN
KESTREL was seen along the industrial park spur of I 95 in
Saco.
Greater Portland and western Maine
A MERLIN, a NORTHERN SHRIKE and HORNED LARKS were seen at
Seavey's
Landing in Scarborough. Seventeen HOODED MERGANSERS were
at Dunstan in
Scarborough. At the Scarborough industrial park the
season's first 3
COMMON GRACKLES were sighted along with a NORTHERN
GOSHAWK. Five EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS, 2 COMMON REDPOLLS, and a few PINE SISKINS were
seen at
Grondin Pond in Scarborough. CEDAR and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS
were along the
Sawyer Road in Scarborough.
At Village Crossings in Cape Elizabeth on Scott Dyer Rd,
about 35 CEDAR
WAXWINGS were there again along with about 10 ROBINS.
A lucky birder picked a FISH CROW out of about 1000
COMMON CROWS in
Evergreen Cemetery in Portland.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen hovering by I-95 Bridge over
Fore River by
Thompson's Point.
At the fish pier in Portland there was a GLAUCOUS GULL.
A PEREGRINE FALCON flew over I-295 in Portland from
MarginalWay area
toward Back Bay.
Twenty BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were on the University of
Southern Maine campus
in Gorham.
A daily walk around a neighborhood in Falmouth produced 2
CAROLINA
WRENS, 1 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, 3 PURPLE FINCHES, 1
WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW, and a RAVEN.
There were 100 or so BOHEMIAN WAXWINGSS in the upper
Terison orchard in
W Cumberland. There
In South Freeport there were 7 BARROW'S GOLDENEYES.
About 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in Pownal.
In Sandy River Plantation on the Houston Road there was a
NORTHERN
SHRIKE and 10 COMMON REDPOLLS.
In the Jay and Farmington areas there were 50 BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS and a
BALD EAGLE.
In the Carabassett Valley there was 1 HOARY in with
COMMON REDPOLLS.
One NORTHERN SHRIKE has been consistently seen near the
"Sweden House"
East Wilton.
Central Maine
A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was seen in Turner.
BOHEMIAN and CEDAR WAXWINGS were seen in Richmond.
In Dixmont this past week there were COMMON REDPOLLS and
TREE SPARROWS.
A NORTHERN SHRIKE was found in Bangor.
A COOPER'S HAWK flew across the Parkway South in
Brewer. To add to the
BOHEMIAN WAXWING sightings, there were ~70 in rural
Hampden on 1/31, ~35
in residential Brewer on 2/9, and ~150 along the River
Rd. in Orrington
today, 2/12.
In Old Town on the Bennoch Road sightings included 95
Bohemian Waxwings
near the Stillwater Post Office.
In Millinocket there were at least 10 Bohemian Waxwings
feeding on the
berries on small trees outside the side entrance to the
Millinocket
Memorial Library.
Midcoast
BARROWS and COMMON GOLDENEYES, PEREGRINE FALCON, ICELAND
and GLAUCOUS
GULLS, and a first year BALD EAGLE were seen in Bath near
the boat ramp.
The PEREGRINE put on a great show.
A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen at Seawall Beach in
Phippsburg.
Northern Maine
Hardly any changes in the bird species being seen in the
past couple of
weeks, though the numbers of some species still appear to
be increasing.
This has already been an awesome winter for Northern
Shrikes, Pine
Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, and a good showing for
Bohemian Waxwings.
Waterfowl flocks in the area have dwindled in the few
spots that still
have open water. Only 6 Common Goldeneyes are being seen
at Caribou Dam.
One Common Goldeneye remains with the 20 or so Black
Ducks and Mallards
on Presque Isle Stream near the treatment plant. No
mergansers have been
sighted recently. An adult Bald Eagle was reported in
Presque Isle not
far from the area where the ducks concentrate.
Black-capped Chickadees reached high numbers for the
season in a yard in
Woodland over the weekend with 50+ birds being my best
estimate. At
least 3 Boreal Chickadees are moving around the yard with
the large
flock, but do not come to the feeders. Northern Shrikes
are still being
seen regularly, with adult birds seen in Woodland,
Caribou, Presque Isle
and Mt Chase. The season's first sightings of this
species were back in
October, making this the fifth month in a row that
shrikes have been
seen in C. Aroostook.
Common Raven pairs are being seen throughout the area.
American Tree
Sparrows are increasing, with a regular flock of 12+
birds at a feeders.
One small flock of Bohemian Waxwings was seen in Mapleton
but no others
were reported.
Pine Grosbeaks are widespread, but in moderate numbers,
with small
flocks of up to 12 birds seen in Chapman, Woodland,
Limestone, Easton,
Portage Lake and Presque Isle. A few Evening Grosbeaks
are being seen
but their numbers seem to be dwindling. Common Redpolls
continue in good
numbers. A flock of 60+ birds is regular at a feeder
station. The only
new species (for 2004) are 2 Pine Siskins that are
feeding with the
flock of redpolls.
In Houlton this past week there were 70-80 COMMON
REDPOLLS, 12 PINE
SISKINS, and a BALD EAGLE.
SNOW BUNTINGS and 25 PINE GROSBEAKS were found in Fort
Kent.
Linda Woodard
Maine Audubon
20 Gilsland Farm Rd.
Falmouth, Maine
207-781-2330 ext 213
lwoodard@maineaudubon.org
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