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

To: <BIRDEAST@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: [BIRDEAST] Maine Bird Alert  2/26/04

Date: Tuesday, March 02, 2004 8:44 AM

 

Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert

 

Date: February 26, 2004

 

Area: State of Maine

 

Number: (207) 781-2332

 

Compilers: Steve Pollock and Kay Gammons

 

Transcriber: Maine Audubon (birdalert@maineaudubon.org)

 

 

 

A GOLDEN EAGLE was reported from Munsungan Lake in Northern Maine. The

Golden was apparently feeding on a beaver carcass on the ice. We have 3

SNOWY OWL reports, one each from southern central and northern Maine. A

SNOWY OWL has been in the fields on the right hand side of Rte 236 in

Eliot, ME after the middle school. Go through the light and look on the

right. It hangs out quite toward the back or on the fence posts in the

field. The SNOWY OWL continues to be reported from Clinton. An adult

Snowy Owl (the first for this season in Aroostook) was reported off

Route 2 in Dyer Brook.

 

York County

 

For those still looking for a KING EIDER one has been regular in Wells

Harbor. It is reported to be almost a guarantee at high tide mixed in

with the commons. The nice thing is that it is usually a close up view

on calm water

 

A pair of AMERICAN PIPITS was on Middle Beach in Kennebunk. They were on

the rocks toward Mother's Beach rather than on the middle point or the

Gooch's Beach side.

 

A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hovering in the area of Drakes Island Beach.

 

Eighty BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 20 CEDAR WAXWINGS, and a BARRED OWL were found

in York.

 

At Biddeford Pool there were 3 BRANT, 4 BLACK GULLEMOTS, 32 PURPLE

SANDPIPERS, and 2 EAGLES.

 

A pioneering COMMON GRACKLE arrived at a Saco feeder on the 21st. At the

Saco Yacht Club there were COMMON MEGANSERS. Thirty CEDAR WAXWINGS were

in Laurel Hill Cemetery.

 

Greater Portland

 

BOHEMIAN and CEDAR WAXWINGS were seen along Sawyer Street in

Scarborough. A KING EIDER was found in a raft of COMMON EIDERS off Ferry

Beach in Scarborough. Also a TURKEY VULTURE was seen over Black Point

Rd. A trip from Scarborough to Portland on the 21st produced the

following highlights: 2 adult Bald Eagles, perched together on a snag

near Eastern Road, Scarborough Marsh; 3 Hooded Merganser at Eastern

Road, Scarborough Marsh; 2 Brant at Pine Point; 25 Cedar Waxwings at

Dunstan Landing Road (off Pine Pt. Rd); 1 Northern Shrike at Kettle

Cove; 20+ Horned Lark with one Lapland Longspur in the Strawberry Fields

off Kettle Cove Rd, Cape Elizabeth; 2 Harlequin Duck at Two Lights State

Park, Cape Elizabeth; 1 close Razorbill, at the Lobster Shack near Two

Lights (poor visibility); 1 adult Iceland Gull in the cove along Shore

Rd in South Portland; 2 Glaucous Gulls (One adult, one 1st winter) at

Mill Creek Cove, South Portland; 1 adult Iceland Gull at East End Beach,

Portland. Village Crossings, in Cape Elizabeth was plentiful with birds:

60+ Cedar Waxwing; 1 Bohemian Waxwing; 30 Robins; and 4 White-throated

Sparrows.

 

Previously at Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth there were 3

HARLEQUIN DUCKS. Over at Kettle Cove there was 1 NORTHERN GOSHAWK, a

NORTHERN SHRIKE taking a mouse beside the Kettle Cove parking lot, a

NORTHERN HARRIER flying over the area, an immature BALD EAGLE flying

over the Village Crossings of CE (old Chandlers Gardens), and in the

strawberry fields on Two Lights Road there were 30 HORNED LARKS. A

NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen at Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth near the path

that goes to the bathrooms. A BARRED OWL was elsewhere in Cape

Elizabeth.

 

A BALD EAGLE was at East End Beach and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen

along 295 in South Portland.

 

In Yarmouth there were 175 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

 

Thirty two BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were on the University of Southern Maine

campus in Gorham.

 

Forty AMERCIAN ROBINS and a BALD EAGLE were seen in Falmouth. Nine

DUNLIN were roughing it in the near-frozen mud along Route 1 at Martin's

Point in Falmouth.

 

Western Maine

 

In Rangeley Plantation along South Shore Drive sightings included 6 PINE

GROSBEAKS (3 pairs of males & females) and 12 COMMON REDPOLLS. In

Rangeley there were 50 COMMON REDPOLLS and 2 BOREAL CHICKADEES.

 

Two GRAY JAYS were seen at Saddleback.

 

Seventy five COMMON REDPOLLS and 50 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in

Wilton along with a BARRED OWL, 6 PINE GROSBEAKS, 6 COMMON MERGANSERS,

and SAW-WHET OWL.

 

Central Maine

 

Birding the Harpswell, Brunswick and Topsham area produced PINE GROSBEAK

near Stover's Cove, Harpswell.

 

At the Brunswick High School there were 350 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

 

A BALD EAGLE was seen in Topsham. About 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were

shopping around at the Topsham Fair Mall. In Topsham there were 100

AMERICAN ROBINS.

 

Seventy BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in Richmond.

 

A HORNED LARK was in Turner.

 

A SHORT-EARED OWL was in Monmouth along State Route 135 (directions: 4.0

miles south on Route 135 from its intersection with US Route 202. The

bird was seen three times during the day flying, sitting on the road

shoulder and on top of a fence post at the Rise and Shine Bed &

Breakfast (former Woolworth Estate).

 

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in Vassalboro.

 

The SNOWY OWL was again seen in Clinton along with HORNED LARKS, SNOW

BUNTINGS, and 18 LAPLAND LONGSPURS.

 

A BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was on the Kennebec in Fairfield.

 

In trees at the edge of the parking lot across the street from the

Bangor Public Library, there were ~400 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

 

In Orland there were 125 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

 

In Hudson at a feeder on Beachwood Avenue another HOARY REDPOLL arrived.

This was the fourth of the season and was frostier than the previous

individuals, being kind enough to display the white rump, finer streaks,

and shorter bill.

 

Northern Maine

 

As last reported, there is about 1 foot of snow on the ground and most

water remains frozen. In Allagash there were 4 RAVENS and a BALD EAGLE.

 

A few PINE GROSBEAKS and COMMON REDPOLLS were seen in Fort Kent.

 

The list from Houlton included 4 PINE GROSBEAKS, 6 PINE SISKINS, TREE

SPARROWS, 40 REDPOLLS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and a BROWN CREEPER.

 

A single, first-year Common Goldeneye remains at the Caribou Dam in

Caribou, but a flock of over 30 has congregated on open water on the

Aroostook River in Presque Isle. The drakes are doing their head bobbing

display to impress the females of the group.

 

Adult Bald Eagles were reported from Fort Kent and in the North Maine

Woods at Munsungan Lake (actually in T8 R10 in extreme northern

Piscataquis County).

 

A previously reported Sharp-shinned Hawk continues to maraud a feeder in

Castle Hill.

 

A Ruffed Grouse is visiting a yard in Woodland. Other than a lingering

flock of about 30 Bohemian Waxwings that was seen in Mt Chase, it

appears this species has moved on from the area. The 3 Boreal Chickadees

are still hanging out in a yard and both species of Nuthatches are

regular as well.

 

Snow Bunting flocks continue to be seen throughout the area with flocks

as big as 130 birds seen in Ashland, Caribou, Hersey, Presque Isle and

Woodland. About 10 am. Tree Sparrows are regulars at feeders.

 

As for the finches, there are still plenty of Pine Grosbeaks and Common

Redpolls to be found, though they seem to be declining slightly. Large

numbers of both species were seen in Ashland.

 

Midcoast

 

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and a BALD EAGLE were seen in Bath. Also in Bath were

4 GLAUCOUS and 1 ICELAND GULL.

 

Eighteen COMMON REDPOLLS, 80 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 1 NORTHERN SHRIKE, and a

BARRED OWL were located in Phippsburg.

 

A YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was in Damariscotta and an ICELAND GULL was in

Pemaquid.

 

At Westkeag marsh in Thomaston there were 30 COMMON REPOLLS and a

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

 

A KING EIDER and PURPLE SANDPIPERS were seen in Boothbay. On Fisherman's

Island in Boothbay there was a NORTHERN HARRIER and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

 

 

A BLACK-HEADED GULL was in Rockland Harbor.

 

SNOW BUNTINGS were on the road up to the top of Clary Hill in Union.

 

Eastern Maine

 

An all white COMMON EIDER was seen along Ocean Drive in Acadia National

Park.

 

Common Loons are being seen up to 20 miles south of Mt. Desert I.

Twenty-one were off Mt. Desert Rock on 2/19. 100+ Northern Fulmars were

seen on 2/19-20 in the vicinity of Mt. Desert Rock and along a line to a

point 15 miles east. 40-50 Great Cormorants are present on Mt. Desert

Rock this past week. 15 Greater Scaup have been in Frenchman Bay near

the Ferry terminal 2/17-20. An albino Common Eider was seen along Ocean

Drive in Acadia National Park, between Thunder Hole and Otter Point on

2/21. A male King Eider was seen in the same vicinity on 2/17 but has

not been seen thereafter. Four Harlequin Ducks are being seen off

Schoodic Pt. this past week. Long-tailed Duck numbers seem to be low

this month but are being seen daily in Frenchman Bay. Red-breasted

Merganser numbers are higher and 30-50 may be seen daily between Hancock

Pt. and Sorrento Harbor.

 

The pair of Peregrine Falcons continues to be seen daily in downtown Bar

Harbor as they feed on the abundant pigeons. Purple Sandpipers have been

seen on the end of Great Head, Otter Point, and off Wonderland, all in

Acadia National Park on 2/21-22.

 

Six Iceland Gulls were in with Herring and Great Black-backed at the

Stinson Factory in Prospect Harbor on 2/24. Four Dovekies were seen five

miles east of Mt. Desert Rock on 2/19. Two immature PUFFINS were just

off the east end of Mt. Desert Rock on 2/19. A single unidentified Murre

was flying off the end of the Bar Harbor breakwater on 2/22. Barred Owls

were calling at Sieur de Mont Spring in Acadia National Park on 2/17.

This is where they nested last year. Hairy Woodpeckers started courtship

drumming at Bar Harbor on 2/15. Two male Pileated Woodpeckers have been

battling over the attention of a female near the children's wading pool

at Bar Harbor since 2/17. An American  Robin was calling at Bar Harbor

on 2/22. Feeder birds in downtown Bar Harbor this past week included

NORTHERN Cardinal, Common Redpoll, House Finch, Purple Finch, Pine

Siskin, DARK-EYED Junco, a few (very few) Tree Sparrows, and a single

White-throated Sparrow.

 

In Dennysville there were 20 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and 2 BALD EAGLES.

 

A BARRED OWL was seen in Charlotte.

 

 

 

Linda Woodard

Maine Audubon

20 Gilsland Farm Rd.

Falmouth, Maine

207-781-2330 ext 213

lwoodard@maineaudubon.org

 

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