- RBA
* Maine
* Southcoastal
* December 21, 2006
* MESC0612.21
- Species Mentioned:
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
MUTE SWAN
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
CANVASBACK
RED-CRESTED POCHARD (presumed escapee)
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
GREATER SHEARWATER
Red-throated Loon
PACIFIC LOON
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Ring-necked Pheasant
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Wilson’s Snipe
Unidentified “peep”
Purple Sandpiper
Pomarine Jaeger
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Glaucous Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Razorbill
DOVEKIE
Snowy Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Common Raven
Carolina Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
“Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow
LINCLON’S SPARROW (Lincoln County)
Swamp Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
BALTIMORE ORIOLE
American Goldfinch
- Transcript:
Hotline: Southcoastal Maine Rare Bird Alert
(Internet Only).
Date: Thursday, December 21, 2006 compiled at:
3:30pm.
To report: (207) 846-8002, or
wbcbirds_AT_yarmouthbirds_dot_com. (Please note new
email address)
Coverage: York, Cumberland, and Sagadahoc
Counties.
This is Derek Lovitch welcoming you to the
Southcoastal Maine Rare Bird Alert, sponsored by the
Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth at 500 Route One,
Yarmouth, Maine. All locations not found in A
Birder’s Guide to Maine by Pierson, et al. are
referenced to the Delorme Maine Atlas. Transcripts of
current and past reports can be found at
www.yarmouthbirds.com.
Weather Summary: The El Nino-influenced zonal flow
pattern (which keeps Arctic air to our north)
continued to provide temperatures 10-20 degrees above
normal through Mon. Weak cold fronts Fri (producing a
few showers) and Sun night (only a few sprinkles) did
little to reduce temps. However, colder air finally
began to filter in behind Mon night’s cold front, but
“colder” only meant high temps a few degrees above
normal (normal equals 35/17F) before warming again to
50F on W winds on Thurs. Mild weather has produced
more birds and more birding activity this week, for a
record long SCMRBA.
The Portland Christmas Bird Count was conducted on
Saturday, the 16th. Unbelievably mild weather
increased participation and helped to produce 106
species (plus two count week), a new record (old
record was 101). Highlights included: a GREATER
SHEARWATER (3rd Count Record), PACIFIC LOON (it has
not been relocated) and 5 DOVEKIES off of Two Lights
State Park in Cape Elizabeth; 6 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS
in Cape Elizabeth; 3 TURKEY VULTURES (2nd Count
Record); a dark-morph adult ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK over
Richmond Island in Cape Elizabeth; 1 VIRGINIA RAIL
(1st count record) and 2 WILSON’S SNIPE near the
sewage treatment plant at the north end of Eastern Rd
in Scarborough Marsh (2nd count record); an
unidentified peep (1st count record of any peep) along
the Eastern Rd Trail through Scarborough Marsh; 477
PURPLE SANDPIPERS, 17 RAZORBILLS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE
off of Rte 77 in Cape Elizabeth; a lingering GRAY
CATBIRD on Peak’s Island; an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
(2nd Count Record) along West Commercial St, in
Portland; 38 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (34 of which were
on Richmond Island); a CHIPPING SPARROW (2nd Count
Record) in a yard on Frederic St. in Portland; two
SAVANNAH SPARROWS; 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS along the
Eastern Rd Trail through Scarborough Marsh; and one
male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD that continues in a
Scarborough yard.
Waterfowl also made headlines, with large numbers and
great diversity. Prout’s Pond hosted 2 drake
GADWALL (and three on 12/17), and single pairs of
AMERICAN WIGEON and RING-NECKED DUCKS (both still
present through at least 12/17). Grondin Pond (see
directions from last week’s SCMRBA) hosted – all
continuing from last week, and seen through at least
12/17 – a hen CANVASBACK, both LESSER and GREATER
SCAUP, 22 RUDDY DUCKS, and 10 AMERICAN COOTS. Other
waterfowl highlights included 3 BRANT; 1 SNOW GOOSE
off of Mackworth Island, a WOOD DUCK at the Portland
Municipal Golf Course, and a GREEN-WINGED TEAL in
Spurwink Marsh, with new high counts of CANADA GOOSE
(911), HARLEQUIN DUCK (19), and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
(670).
Other record high counts included: 15 RED-THROATED
LOONS, 141 RED-NECKED GREBES; 2-3 DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANTS; 15 BALD EAGLES; 3 PEREGRINE FALCONS; 52
DOWNY WOODPECKERS; 12 COMMON RAVENS (previous high was
4); 27 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS (previous high was 10); 4
SWAMP SPARROWS; 147 NORTHERN CARDINALS; and 616
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES. The 3 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 4
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 4 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, 4
CAROLINA WRENS, and 2 HERMIT THRUSHES tied previous
record high counts.
The Lower Kennebec CBC (mostly in Sagadahoc County,
but also Lincoln County) was also conducted on 12/16,
recording 84 species. A TURKEY VULTURE over Phippsburg
and a LINCOLN’S SPARROW in Southport were first count
records, while the 1194 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 68
RED-THROATED LOONS, and 232 RED-NECKED GREBES set new
record highs. Other highlights included two
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (4th count record); a NORTHERN
PINTAIL in the Little River in Georgetown; 1
RING-NECKED DUCK (4th Count Record); 6 BARROW’S
GOLDENEYES; 1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, 1 AMERICAN KESTREL; a
BLACK-HEADED GULL in Phippsburg; 169 BLACK-LEGGED
KITTIWAKES and 183 RAZORBILL, most of which were
tallied off of Small Point in Phippsburg; a SNOWY OWL
in Westport or Woolwich; a CAROLINA WREN in a
Georgetown yard, and a MARSH WREN at Small Point.
The Southern York County CBC was held on Monday,
12/18. 74 species were recorded. Highlights included:
2 MUTE SWANS in the Ogunquit River in Moody Beach; a
NORTHERN PINTAIL; 89 HARLEQUIN DUCKS; a PACIFIC LOON
(no details were available at this time); a KILLDEER;
a very impressive 16 DOVEKIES (8 from Ogunquit’s Cliff
House) and 71 RAZORBILLS; 4 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS; 4
CAROLINA WRENS all in Ogunquit/Moody; 26 EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS; two YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS; a CHIPPING
SPARROW on Kimball Lane in Wells; and two “IPSWICH”
SAVANNAH SPARROWS on Ogunquit Beach.
Meanwhile, away from the Christmas Counts . . .
Six SNOW GEESE were at Laudholm Farms in Wells
12/13-15, while an estimated 1000 CANADA GEESE spent
the evening of 12/15 in Portland’s Back Cove.
A drake AMERICAN WIGEON was along Portland’s Eastern
Promenade on 12/20.
While there’s little doubt that the origins of this
bird involve captivity, a RED-CRESTED POCHARD is quite
the sight at a Falmouth feeder (and small backyard
pond) as part of a small flock of MALLARDS that visits
daily.
A dark-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was over Two Light’s
State Park in Cape Elizabeth on the 17th, likely the
same bird seen at Richmond Island the day before on
the CBC. Meanwhile, an AMERICAN KESTREL is hanging
around fields on Gray Rd in Falmouth (Delorme Map 5:
D-4) and a MERLIN was seen on multiple occasions this
week in Portland’s Evergreen Cemetery.
Approximately 300 PURPLE SANDPIPERS were roosting off
of Ocean Ave in Biddeford Pool on 12/19.
1-2 POMARINE JAEGERS were spotted from Dyer Point in
Cape Elizabeth (Delorme Map 3: B-5) on the 17th.
A 2nd Cycle GLAUCOUS GULL arrived at Reid State Park
in Georgetown on 12/19.
In addition to the great CBC totals, some good alcid
counts included 5-6 DOVEKIES (two very close to shore)
and 40+ RAZORBILLS off of Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth
on 12/17, and 1 DOVEKIE and 47 RAZORBILLS passing
Biddeford Pool’s East Point Sanctuary on 12/19.
An immature male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was detected
in Evergreen Cemetery (at the south end of Summit Rd)
on the 20th.
Other late passerines included: a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
at Pratt’s Brook Park in Yarmouth (off of North Rd;
Delorme Map 5: D-5) on 12/16; a HERMIT THRUSH and a
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in the Biddeford Pool
neighborhood on 12/19; a CHIPPING SPARROW at a
Cumberland feeder on 12/19; single tardy COMMON
GRACKLES at feeders in Topsham on 12/17 and Cumberland
on 12/18; and an immature male BALTIMORE ORIOLE that
was found in the “chat lot” on Sheridan St. in
Portland (near its western end at Walnut St; Delorme
Map 73: E-4) on the 15th.
- End transcript
_______________________________________________________________________
Jeannette and Derek Lovitch
Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth
500 Route One, Yarmouth, Maine
207-846-8002
www.yarmouthbirds.com
_______________________________________________________________________
* Maine
* Southcoastal
* December 21, 2006
* MESC0612.21
- Species Mentioned:
Canada Goose
Snow Goose
Brant
MUTE SWAN
Wood Duck
Gadwall
American Wigeon
American Black Duck
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
CANVASBACK
RED-CRESTED POCHARD (presumed escapee)
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
GREATER SHEARWATER
Red-throated Loon
PACIFIC LOON
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Ring-necked Pheasant
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Virginia Rail
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Wilson’s Snipe
Unidentified “peep”
Purple Sandpiper
Pomarine Jaeger
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Glaucous Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Razorbill
DOVEKIE
Snowy Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Common Raven
Carolina Wren
Marsh Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
Gray Catbird
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
“Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow
LINCLON’S SPARROW (Lincoln County)
Swamp Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
BALTIMORE ORIOLE
American Goldfinch
- Transcript:
Hotline: Southcoastal Maine Rare Bird Alert
(Internet Only).
Date: Thursday, December 21, 2006 compiled at:
3:30pm.
To report: (207) 846-8002, or
wbcbirds_AT_yarmouthbirds_dot_com. (Please note new
email address)
Coverage: York, Cumberland, and Sagadahoc
Counties.
This is Derek Lovitch welcoming you to the
Southcoastal Maine Rare Bird Alert, sponsored by the
Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth at 500 Route One,
Yarmouth, Maine. All locations not found in A
Birder’s Guide to Maine by Pierson, et al. are
referenced to the Delorme Maine Atlas. Transcripts of
current and past reports can be found at
www.yarmouthbirds.com.
Weather Summary: The El Nino-influenced zonal flow
pattern (which keeps Arctic air to our north)
continued to provide temperatures 10-20 degrees above
normal through Mon. Weak cold fronts Fri (producing a
few showers) and Sun night (only a few sprinkles) did
little to reduce temps. However, colder air finally
began to filter in behind Mon night’s cold front, but
“colder” only meant high temps a few degrees above
normal (normal equals 35/17F) before warming again to
50F on W winds on Thurs. Mild weather has produced
more birds and more birding activity this week, for a
record long SCMRBA.
The Portland Christmas Bird Count was conducted on
Saturday, the 16th. Unbelievably mild weather
increased participation and helped to produce 106
species (plus two count week), a new record (old
record was 101). Highlights included: a GREATER
SHEARWATER (3rd Count Record), PACIFIC LOON (it has
not been relocated) and 5 DOVEKIES off of Two Lights
State Park in Cape Elizabeth; 6 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS
in Cape Elizabeth; 3 TURKEY VULTURES (2nd Count
Record); a dark-morph adult ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK over
Richmond Island in Cape Elizabeth; 1 VIRGINIA RAIL
(1st count record) and 2 WILSON’S SNIPE near the
sewage treatment plant at the north end of Eastern Rd
in Scarborough Marsh (2nd count record); an
unidentified peep (1st count record of any peep) along
the Eastern Rd Trail through Scarborough Marsh; 477
PURPLE SANDPIPERS, 17 RAZORBILLS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE
off of Rte 77 in Cape Elizabeth; a lingering GRAY
CATBIRD on Peak’s Island; an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
(2nd Count Record) along West Commercial St, in
Portland; 38 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (34 of which were
on Richmond Island); a CHIPPING SPARROW (2nd Count
Record) in a yard on Frederic St. in Portland; two
SAVANNAH SPARROWS; 10 LAPLAND LONGSPURS along the
Eastern Rd Trail through Scarborough Marsh; and one
male RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD that continues in a
Scarborough yard.
Waterfowl also made headlines, with large numbers and
great diversity. Prout’s Pond hosted 2 drake
GADWALL (and three on 12/17), and single pairs of
AMERICAN WIGEON and RING-NECKED DUCKS (both still
present through at least 12/17). Grondin Pond (see
directions from last week’s SCMRBA) hosted – all
continuing from last week, and seen through at least
12/17 – a hen CANVASBACK, both LESSER and GREATER
SCAUP, 22 RUDDY DUCKS, and 10 AMERICAN COOTS. Other
waterfowl highlights included 3 BRANT; 1 SNOW GOOSE
off of Mackworth Island, a WOOD DUCK at the Portland
Municipal Golf Course, and a GREEN-WINGED TEAL in
Spurwink Marsh, with new high counts of CANADA GOOSE
(911), HARLEQUIN DUCK (19), and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER
(670).
Other record high counts included: 15 RED-THROATED
LOONS, 141 RED-NECKED GREBES; 2-3 DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANTS; 15 BALD EAGLES; 3 PEREGRINE FALCONS; 52
DOWNY WOODPECKERS; 12 COMMON RAVENS (previous high was
4); 27 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS (previous high was 10); 4
SWAMP SPARROWS; 147 NORTHERN CARDINALS; and 616
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES. The 3 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 4
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 4 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, 4
CAROLINA WRENS, and 2 HERMIT THRUSHES tied previous
record high counts.
The Lower Kennebec CBC (mostly in Sagadahoc County,
but also Lincoln County) was also conducted on 12/16,
recording 84 species. A TURKEY VULTURE over Phippsburg
and a LINCOLN’S SPARROW in Southport were first count
records, while the 1194 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 68
RED-THROATED LOONS, and 232 RED-NECKED GREBES set new
record highs. Other highlights included two
GREEN-WINGED TEAL (4th count record); a NORTHERN
PINTAIL in the Little River in Georgetown; 1
RING-NECKED DUCK (4th Count Record); 6 BARROW’S
GOLDENEYES; 1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, 1 AMERICAN KESTREL; a
BLACK-HEADED GULL in Phippsburg; 169 BLACK-LEGGED
KITTIWAKES and 183 RAZORBILL, most of which were
tallied off of Small Point in Phippsburg; a SNOWY OWL
in Westport or Woolwich; a CAROLINA WREN in a
Georgetown yard, and a MARSH WREN at Small Point.
The Southern York County CBC was held on Monday,
12/18. 74 species were recorded. Highlights included:
2 MUTE SWANS in the Ogunquit River in Moody Beach; a
NORTHERN PINTAIL; 89 HARLEQUIN DUCKS; a PACIFIC LOON
(no details were available at this time); a KILLDEER;
a very impressive 16 DOVEKIES (8 from Ogunquit’s Cliff
House) and 71 RAZORBILLS; 4 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS; 4
CAROLINA WRENS all in Ogunquit/Moody; 26 EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS; two YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS; a CHIPPING
SPARROW on Kimball Lane in Wells; and two “IPSWICH”
SAVANNAH SPARROWS on Ogunquit Beach.
Meanwhile, away from the Christmas Counts . . .
Six SNOW GEESE were at Laudholm Farms in Wells
12/13-15, while an estimated 1000 CANADA GEESE spent
the evening of 12/15 in Portland’s Back Cove.
A drake AMERICAN WIGEON was along Portland’s Eastern
Promenade on 12/20.
While there’s little doubt that the origins of this
bird involve captivity, a RED-CRESTED POCHARD is quite
the sight at a Falmouth feeder (and small backyard
pond) as part of a small flock of MALLARDS that visits
daily.
A dark-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was over Two Light’s
State Park in Cape Elizabeth on the 17th, likely the
same bird seen at Richmond Island the day before on
the CBC. Meanwhile, an AMERICAN KESTREL is hanging
around fields on Gray Rd in Falmouth (Delorme Map 5:
D-4) and a MERLIN was seen on multiple occasions this
week in Portland’s Evergreen Cemetery.
Approximately 300 PURPLE SANDPIPERS were roosting off
of Ocean Ave in Biddeford Pool on 12/19.
1-2 POMARINE JAEGERS were spotted from Dyer Point in
Cape Elizabeth (Delorme Map 3: B-5) on the 17th.
A 2nd Cycle GLAUCOUS GULL arrived at Reid State Park
in Georgetown on 12/19.
In addition to the great CBC totals, some good alcid
counts included 5-6 DOVEKIES (two very close to shore)
and 40+ RAZORBILLS off of Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth
on 12/17, and 1 DOVEKIE and 47 RAZORBILLS passing
Biddeford Pool’s East Point Sanctuary on 12/19.
An immature male YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was detected
in Evergreen Cemetery (at the south end of Summit Rd)
on the 20th.
Other late passerines included: a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
at Pratt’s Brook Park in Yarmouth (off of North Rd;
Delorme Map 5: D-5) on 12/16; a HERMIT THRUSH and a
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in the Biddeford Pool
neighborhood on 12/19; a CHIPPING SPARROW at a
Cumberland feeder on 12/19; single tardy COMMON
GRACKLES at feeders in Topsham on 12/17 and Cumberland
on 12/18; and an immature male BALTIMORE ORIOLE that
was found in the “chat lot” on Sheridan St. in
Portland (near its western end at Walnut St; Delorme
Map 73: E-4) on the 15th.
- End transcript
_______________________________________________________________________
Jeannette and Derek Lovitch
Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth
500 Route One, Yarmouth, Maine
207-846-8002
www.yarmouthbirds.com
_______________________________________________________________________