Name: Maine Audubon Bird Alert
Date: September 9, 2005
Area: State of Maine
Number: (207) 781-2332
Compilers: Steve Pollock and Kay Gammons
Transcriber: Maine Audubon (www.maineaudubon.org )
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A BLUE-WINGED WARBLER was seen at Sandy Point Beach on Cousins Island in
Yarmouth on September 3.
On September 6 there was a GREATER WHITE FRONTED GOOSE reported in with
CANADA GEESE. The bird was seen at half tide on the Pemaquid River, but the
origins of the bird are unknown.
On September 2 a CATTLE EGRET was found at the Bar Harbor Airport in
Trenton.
York County
There were between 4 and 6 RUBY-THOATED HUMMINGBIRDS in York.
There were 11 WHIMBRELS cruising the campus of the Wells Reserve at
Laudholm Farm on September 8.
There were 8 SANDERLINGS and 1 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD in Goose Rocks in
Kennebunk.
A female DICKCISSEL was seen on Sea Spray Drive in Biddeford on September 7.
The bird was seen on the rose hedges on both sides of the road.
There was a WESTERN SANDPIPER among the 200+ shorebirds on the end of
northern Biddeford beach and on September 3 there was a bright first-year
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. The bird was feeding in the rack up on the beach, just
before high tide.
At Hill's Beach on September 4 there were many SANDERLINGS, a few
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and PLOVERS and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. There was an
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER at the Basket Island end of the sandbar. Near the
point to the end of the beach where there was a lot of activity in the
wrack, including: SANDERLINGS and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS and PLOVERS, 2
BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, a WESTERN SANDPIPER, and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER.
Scarborough Marsh Area
A few VESPER SPARROWS were in the bushes along the path from Pine Point
Road.
A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was foraging in wrack at Pine Point/Old Orchard Beach
just south of Scarborough-Old Orchard Beach line at high tide shortly after
noon on August 3. Also seen were SANDERLINGS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 1
DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, and 2-3 WHITE-RUMPED
SANDPIPERS.
Seen on Eastern Road on September 4 were 2 STILT and a PECTORAL SANDPIPER
along with many other shorebirds.
Greater Portland and Western Maine
Birds at Sandy Point in Cousins Island in Yarmouth have been increasing
steadily. On Saturday September 3 there was a good number and diversity of
birds including: several YELLOW-BELLIED and LEAST FLYCATCHERS, many species
of warblers including a BLUE-WINGED WARBLER. On Sunday September 4 the
birding was phenomenal, there were hundreds of birds in the area, in every
tree plus flying overhead. Sixteen species of warblers were seen including
TENNESSEE, and YELLOW-BELLIED, LEAST, TRAILS and GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERS,
EASTERN WOOD-PEEWEE, SCARLET TANAGERS, and BLUE-HEADED, PHILADELPHIA,
WARBLING and RED-EYED VIREOS among others.
There was an EASTERN WOOD-PEEWEE and a RED-EYED VIREO in a yard in Portland.
Birds seen from a whale watching boat out of Portland on September 5
included: 100+ COMMON TERNS feeding around Ram Island Light, a light morph
subadult PARASITIC JAEGER pursuing and eventually catching a female PURPLE
FINCH about 2-3 miles offshore, 4 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, 1 NORTHERN GANNET,
9 GREATER SHEARWATERS,1 CORY'S, and 1 MANX SHEARWATER.
A GREAT HORNED OWL, AMERICAN BITTERN and a SORA were heard calling at
Florida Lake in Freeport on September 4.
Fifty plus COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen on Long Hill Road in Cumberland on
September 1.
Midcoast
Shorebirds seen at Popham Beach in Phippsburg on September 4 included: 1
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, 80 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 800+ SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS,
3-4 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 1 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, 40+ LEAST SANDPIPERS, 1 RED
KNOT, and GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS in the marsh.
Fifty SURF SCOTERS were seen on September 4 in the St. George River, about
half way between Port Clyde and Thomaston.
Seven AMERICAN KESTRELS and 1 MERLIN were seen at Clary Hill in Union.
Out on Monhegan there were EASTERN KINGBIRD, PURPLE FINCH, AMERICAN
REDSTART, BLACK and WHITE, PINE, YELLOW, YELLOW-RUMPED, MAGNOLIA, and
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS, NORTHERN PARULA, LEAST FLYCATCHER,
BLUE-HEADED VIREO, INDIGO BUNTING, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, AMERICAN BITTERN,
SOLITARY SANDPIPER, WOOD DUCK, BELTED KINGFISHER, 1 CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, 1
RUSTY BLACKBIRD, 1 MERLIN, AMERICAN KESTREL, PEREGRINE FALCON, COOPER'S
HAWK, OSPREY, and 2 BALD EAGLES.
In Pemaquid on September 2 there were COMMON NIGHTHAWKS. On September 6
there was a GREATER WHITE FRONTED GOOSE reported in with CANADA GEESE. The
bird was seen at half tide on the Pemaquid River, but the origins of the
bird are unknown.
Two WHIMBRELS were seen on Vinalhaven on September 3.
Central Maine
There were 3 BARN SWALLOWS and an INDIGO BUNTING in Turner on September 5.
Eastern Maine
In general there were increases in the number of COMMON LOONS in
intermediate and full winter plumage seen on Frenchman Bay the past week.
There was an increase in the numbers of first and second year COMMON EIDERS
with flocks of up to 1000 to 2000 molting birds, all of them flightless
being seen on 9/4-5. Off shore, at a point 18 miles southwest of Mount
Desert Rock on 9/3 there were large numbers of birds over a large school of
tuna. Estimated numbers were 2500+ GREATER SHEARWATERS, 25+ SOOTY
SHEARWATER, and two CORY'S SHEARWATERS. Mixed with the fish and around the
edges of the school were about 5000 WILSON'S and 150 LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS.
Five to six hundred NORTHERN GANNETS in all plumages were also seen.
GREAT CORMORANTS in Frenchman Bay are being seen daily from the inner bay
tour boat with up to 50 being counted. On September 2 a CATTLE EGRET was
found at the Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton. On September 5, 3 MERLINS, 3
NORTHERN HARRIERS, and 2 OSPREY were seen crossing Frenchman Bay in one 30
minute period. A kettle of 15 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were circling above
Ironbound Island the same day. Eight TURKEY VULTURES were circling above
Champlain Mountain on September 3. BALD EAGLES have somewhat dispersed away
from the Egg Rock nesting area but a total of 8 birds covering all plumages
are being seen daily from the tour boat. This is down from a high of 14 the
third week of July. BLACK GUILLEMOTS are all showing up to 50 to 75% winter
plumage as of September 6. Land birds at sea on the whale watch boats during
the period September 3-5 were CATBIRD, BARN SWALLOW, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH,
MAGNOLIA and BLACKPOLL WARBLER, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and AMERICAN
GOLDFINCH. All at distances of 10-40 miles offshore. In Bar Harbor there
were 10+ RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS, all immature or females, at a flower
garden on the afternoon of September 6.
Birds seen on a whale watching trip on the Friendship V on September 6
included: 50+ NORTHERN GANNETS, 1,500+ GREATER, 75+ SOOTY, and 2+ MANX
SHEARWATERS, 2,000+ WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, 2,500 + PHALAROPES: (many
flocks, 2 largest flocks were ~1,000 & ~500), all closer flocks appeared to
be pure RED-NECKED, 4+ POMARINE JAEGERS, 2 unidentified JAEGERS, 5+ ATLANTIC
PUFFINS, 1 COMMON MURRE, and 1 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE.
At Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge there were BALD EAGLE, COMMON
NIGHTHAWKS, WOOD DUCKS, 2 AMERICAN WIGEONS, RING-NECKED DUCKS, BLUE and
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN BITTERN, 70 AMERICAN WOODCOCKS, GREAT BLUE
HERON, MERLIN, and BROAD-WINGED HAWK.
In Lubec on September 2 there were 5 SANDERLINGS, 1 DUNLIN, 325
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 1 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, 150 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS,
12 WHIMBRELS, 1,000 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 20 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 12 RED
KNOTS, 25 RUDDY TURNSTONES, and 25 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS.
There were 2 BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES and a GREAT CORMORANT in East Quoddy.
Northern Maine
A BALD EAGLE was seen in Fort Kent on September 5 and on September 6 there
was a RED-EYED VIREO singing. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are still in the
area.
In Houlton there were 6-8 BLUE-HEADED VIREOS, a BALD EAGLE, and an OSPREY.
Maine's first-known breeding RUDDY DUCKS are still doing well at Lake
Josephine. Also seen here were a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, three GRAY JAYS,
and a BOREAL CHICKADEE in the same location.
At the Sinclair Waste Water District near Long Lake and turned up a couple
more BOREAL CHICKADEES.