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

To: <BIRDEAST@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: [BIRDEAST] Maine Bird Alert March 3, 2004

Date: Friday, March 05, 2004 3:14 PM

 

Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert

 

Date: March 3, 2004

 

Area: State of Maine

 

Number: (207) 781-2332

 

Compilers: Steve Pollock and Kay Gammons

 

Transcriber: Maine Audubon (birdalert@maineaudubon.org)

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

 

The migration kicked in this week with arrivals of COMMON GRACKLES and

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS in southwestern and midcoastal regions. Single

TURKEY VULTURES were reported from several locales. We also received

isolated reports of FISH CROW, EASTERN MEADOWLARK, KILLDEER, NORTHERN

PINTAILS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and SNOW GEESE from Scarborough marsh and

south. The MEADOWLARK actually made it to central Maine and an extremely

early EASTERN PHOEBE was seen in Wilton. A KILLDEER in Farmington

yesterday afternoon (March 3) was totally unexpected & extremely early.

A lone male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD on Mar. 2 in Canaan was also very early

for this part of the State.

 

The SNOWY OWL continues to be seen in Clinton. Another SNOWY OWL was at

Pine Point. A GOLDEN EAGLE was reported from Warren.

 

York County

 

Seen at the Nubble Light in York were THICK-BILLED MURRE, DOVEKIE,

HARLEQUIN DUCK, and PURPLE SANDPIPERS. A GRACKLE and 2 RED-WINGED

BLACKBIRDS were seen in York.

 

HARLEQUIN DUCKS were at the Cliff House in Ogunquit.

 

The KING EIDER continues to be seen at Wells Harbor. A GREAT BLUE HERON

flew over Rte 1 at twilight on Saturday in Wells. Two WOOD DUCKS were in

Wells along the Island Road.

 

A TURKEY VULTURE was seen along the McGuire Road in Kennebunk and

another TURKEY VULTURE was seen over the turnpike. A RED-WINGED

BLACKBIRD was seen elsewhere in Kennebunk.

 

A TURKEY VULTURE was in Arundel.

 

A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was seen in Cape Porpoise.

 

A SNOWY OWL was seen sitting on a branch in a backyard in Biddeford on

Sunday afternoon. It was located across from 9 Sky Oaks Drive in

Biddeford (off West Street, Route 9 side). There was a FISH CROW on

Tuesday morning, at 445 Main St. (Community Partners, Inc.), in

Biddeford, as well as the CAROLINA WREN. Also COMMON GRACKLES and

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were on the Saco River at Decary Rd., Biddeford.

 

At the Saco Yacht Club there was a Bald Eagle perched on a tree on the

little island in the river and a pair of Hooded Mergansers and 5 Common

Mergansers. Also a flock of +/-30 RED-WINGED BLCAKBIRDS was on Boom Rd.

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were along the Ferry Road and 5 HOODED MERGANSERS

and 2 COMMON MERGANSERS were on the river below Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Approximately 200 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were in Laurel Hill Cemetery in

Saco.

 

Greater Portland and western Maine

 

A SNOWY OWL was seen on 3/3 at Pine Point in Scarborough on the roof of

the second house from the shore -- can be seen from the parking lot at

the Fisherman's Coop. Seven BRANT were also at Pine Point. Eleven SNOW

GEESE were on Scarborough marsh down from the Audubon center. Also at

the marsh were NORTHERN PINTAILS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and a KILLDEER. A

TURKEY VULTURE was seen at Scarborough marsh. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were

seen on Bickford Street in Scarborough. The pair of MUTE SWANS is back

on Grondin Pond on the ice.

 

At Winslow Park in Freeport there were 7 BARROW'S GOLDENEYES.

 

A GOSHAWK were in Pownal.

 

Two BALD EAGLES were seen in Green.

 

Three GRAY JAYS were seen at Sandy River Plantation at a feeding

station.

 

In Brownfield there were at least 15 bald eagles.

 

Over in Bridgton there were 4 COMMON REDPOLLS, 1 RAVEN, and TREE

SPARROWS.

 

The list from Wilton included an extremely early EASTERN PHOEBE, 6 PINE

GROSBEAKS, 25 COMMON REDPOLLS, and 20 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

 

Midcoast

 

In Dresden there was a CAROLINA WREN and a flock of 20 COMMON GRACKLES

in a large poplar on the Blinn Hill Road, half a mile up from Rte 27. An

EASTERN MEADOWLARK was seen flying west along the Reed Rock Road, off

Rte 128, in the vicinity of Goranson's farm also in Dresden.

 

In Bath, around the Stinson Cannery, there was an adult Bald Eagle, 80

Common Mergansers, 2 Iceland Gulls, and 2 Glaucous Gulls.

 

At Clary Hill in Union there were 40 SNOW BUNTINGS and a TURKEY VULTURE.

 

In Bristol at Pemaquid Point there were 40 PURPLE SANDPIPERS, and a

NORTHERN SHRIKE.

 

In Belfast, a COOPER'S HAWK surveyed gulls, pigeons, and starlings.

 

In Stockton Springs a lone GREATER SCAUP was swimming with about 500

Herring Gulls and a handful each of Common Goldeneyes and Buffleheads at

Fort Point Cove.

 

Central Maine

 

One hundred fifty BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were on the Bowdoin campus in

Brunswick. At a yard in North Brunswick, approximately 50-90 COMMON

REDPOLLS were present. Also at the same feeder 31 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS

briefly visited. Observed on the Androscoggin River off River Rd were: 1

BARROW'S GOLDENEYE; 1 Hooded Merganser, and a Bald Eagle. Just upriver

near the Worumbo Mill in Lisbon Falls, a juvenile GREAT CORMORANT was

found. Approximately30 SNOW BUNTINGS were in the muddy/grassy area in

front of the old Ames at Cooks Corner in Brunswick, which then flew onto

the iced-over holding pond in back of Ames. Also there were about 10

COMMON GRACKLES that flew over.

 

Eighty BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were in Richmond. Twenty TURKEYS were north of

Richmond along 295.

 

The first RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS of the season arrived Mar 2, on

Hollywood Blvd., in Whitefield. Also there was a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK

soaring over fields in the area.

 

There were 125 COMMON REDPOLLS and  a NORTHERN FLICKER in Augusta along

with BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS.

 

At the Augusta dump there was an ICELAND GULL and 18 TURKEYS.

 

Six COMMON REDPOLLS and a PINE SISKIN were seen in Belgrade.

 

Two BARROW'S GOLDENEYES were at Shawmut dam north of Fairfield.

 

Another BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was seen in Winslow at Fort Halifax.

 

Along the Hinckley Road in Clinton there was an early EASTERN

MEADOWLARK, 15 HORNED LARKS, and 15 LAPLAND LONGSPURS.

 

In Hampden, on Feb. 26 a BARRED OWL was watching the area under a feeder

for mice at dusk. At the Hampden landfill there were 4 GLAUCOUS and 2

ICELAND GULLS.

 

In Bangor, on Feb. 27 an adult male PEREGRINE FALCON was seen diligently

plucking a small unidentified passerine. A group of 80+ BOHEMIAN

WAXWINGS is roaming the west side of Bangor. Six PINE GROSBEAKS and

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were on State and Broadway in Bangor.

 

Northern Maine

 

There were plenty of signs of bird amore with the drumming woodpeckers,

singing chickadees, nuthatches and crossbills and more displaying ducks.

Common Goldeneyes continue to display on the Aroostook River in Presque

Isle. A Bald Eagle was seen over the Aroostook River in Presque Isle. A

Sharp-shinned Hawk is still being seen in Castle Hill.

 

Barred Owls were heard in northern Baxter State Park near South Branch

Pond. Also seen in Baxter Park were Boreal Chickadees, 70+ Pine

Grosbeaks, and several small flocks of Red Crossbills. One Crossbill was

singing. Numerous drumming woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy and Pileated) were

heard and a Golden-Crowned Kinglet was seen near Trout Brook.

 

A Black-backed Woodpecker was seen off of Route 11 in T8 R5 near Otter

Pond. American Crows are being seen in numbers throughout the county as

they begin to return to the area. A Raven was seen carrying a stick near

Matagamon Lake. Small flocks of American Tree Sparrows and Snow Buntings

are being seen throughout the area.

 

At a feeder in Woodland, a small flock of 14 Common Redpolls continues

to be seen and a few pine Grosbeaks are still regular.

 

Eastern Maine

 

Within a five-mile radius of Mount Desert Rock on March 1 were: 3

Red-throated Loon,11 Common Loon, 2 Horned Grebe, 20 Red-necked Grebe,

50+ Northern Fulmar, 100+ Great Cormorant, 2000+ Common Eider, 8 King

Eider, 10 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Black Scoter, 50+ Purple Sandpiper,

Herring Gulls, 150+ Great Black-backed Gulls, and 25 Black-legged

Kittiwakes

 

Offshore there are Northern Fulmars being seen in the vicinity of Mt.

Desert Rock, up to 100 on 2/28. A skein of 50 or so Canada Geese were

passing off Schoodic Pt. heading northward on 2/18. Two of the six

reported Harlequin Ducks were off Schoodic the same day. A flock of

30-40 shorebirds flying off the Thunderhole area of Acadia National Park

on 2/29 were probably Purple Sandpipers but they did not stop and

disappeared around Otter Pt. A Dovekie was found dead in the cockpit of

a lobster boat at Bass Harbor on 2/20. It had apparently hit the boat

during the night. There have been scattered reports of Turkey Vultures

around Mt. Desert Island, all of the sightings were of a single bird

(one bird??) during the past week. Two Black-legged Kittiwakes were off

Otter Pt. in Acadia National Park on 2/28.

 

Forty Common Mergansers were in the St. Croix River in Calais on 2/28.

 

Three Wild TurkeyS were seen in Beddington on the Hancock-Washington

county line on 2/28.

 

A flock of 100+ Snow Buntings were seen in Wesley on 2/29.

 

We received a report of 1 WINTER WREN in Machiasport.

 

 

 

 

Linda Woodard

Maine Audubon

20 Gilsland Farm Rd.

Falmouth, Maine

207-781-2330 ext 213

lwoodard@maineaudubon.org

 

For Birdeast archives, and to join, leave, or change address, see:

http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdeast.html