[Maine-birds] Aroostook Birds: Shorebirds at Collins Pond in Caribou

With the very low water levels we're experiencing up here in Aroostook co. we've actually been having a good shorebird  show in some places.

Collins Pond in Caribou is practically a mudflat with a stream running through it right now and has attracted quite a flock of small waders.  The diversity is pretty good with about 10-12 species and you can't beat the convenience of having the whole gang crowded into a small area you can easily see without getting out your muck boots.

The flock of Killdeer has been averaging about 50 to 60 daily for about two weeks and is the biggest concentration I've had here.  (I hear the coastal birders snickering, but this is a great horde for inland!)  The Solitary Sandpipers are quite numerous as well. Pectorals and snipe are fun to watch feeding in the open at point blank distances too.  I thought I heard a White-rumped Sandpiper here this AM but didn't spot it.

The males of Mallard flock have begun to molt from eclipse plumage back into their green headed splendor.  Most of them are easy to mistake for hybrid Black x Mallards in this early and still forming plumage...

I've attached a copy of Sunday's list below....its been a similar show most days for the past couple of weeks.  I encourage local and visiting birders to take advantage of this rare coincidence of low water and abundant birds while it lasts.

Cheers

Bill

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Bill Sheehan
Woodland, Aroostook Co., Maine
http://northernmainebirds.blogspot.com/

Collins Pond, Aroostook, US-ME
Aug 5, 2012 6:50 AM - 7:20 AM
Protocol: Area
4.0 ac
27 species

Canada Goose  13
American Black Duck  10     all molting adults
Mallard  38     about half molting adults, males starting to get some green on head again
Green-winged Teal (American)  7
Hooded Merganser  3     older juveniles
Semipalmated Plover  5
Killdeer  68     high count for me in Aroostook co
Spotted Sandpiper  1
Solitary Sandpiper  19     high count  One juvenile, the rest adults
Greater Yellowlegs  2
Lesser Yellowlegs  11
Semipalmated Sandpiper  3     adults
Least Sandpiper  28
Pectoral Sandpiper  6     high count here so far this 'fall' migration
Wilson's Snipe  1
Herring Gull  1     2nd summer
Rock Pigeon  23
Belted Kingfisher  2
Northern Flicker  1
Eastern Kingbird  1
Warbling Vireo  1     still singing
American Crow  4
Black-capped Chickadee  6     family group
Cedar Waxwing  6     flycatching around pond
Yellow Warbler  4
Common Grackle  7
American Goldfinch  5     flyovers

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

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