Maine birds And MOAC mountainbiking: May 2013

Friday, 31 May 2013

[Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - MDI High School, 5/31, No

For the record, with periodic checks of the ponds throughout the day there were no sightings of the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks today, 5/31. Three of the five birds went undetected for the earlier half of yesterday so the group may be someplace else... but that place may not be in Maine.

Good birding,

Doug Hitchcox
Hollis, ME

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[Maine-birds] Black Tern-- Scarborough

There was a Black Tern mixed in with Common and Least Terns this eve at the mouth of the Libby River, Scarborough Marsh. Friday, 7:30 pm. Will be curious to hear if it ends up on Stratton tonight....

Lucy LaCasse

52 Old Neck Rd

Scarborough, ME 04074

207-883-3637

207-928-3637 (Stoneham)

207-650-4770 (cell)

wnder@aol.com

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[Maine-birds] Evergreen Cemetery Status Question

Has anyone been there the last couple of days? I'd like to know if it's worth a trip tomorrow morning. And I apologize if, not having checked, I missed a message about this. Thanks!!

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[Maine-birds] Additional Highlights This Week, 5/25-5/31

Hi all,

Observations of note from me in the past seven days, in addition to what I previously posted here, included:

- 182 Short-billed Dowitchers, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 5/25 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk Group).

- 6 Common Nighthawks, over Route 1 in Waldoboro, 5/28 (with Jeannette).

- 1 continuing CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, 6 Upland Sandpipers, 20 Grasshopper Sparrows, 24 Prairie Warblers, 14 Vesper Sparrows, etc, Kennebunk Plains, 5/30 (with client).

- 1 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, 1 drake Blue-winged Teal, and 1 pair Blue-gray Gnatcatchers,Sanford Sewerage facility, 5/30 (with client).

- 1 pair Merlins, including displaying male, near intersection of Rte 1 and Rte 111 in Biddeford, 5/30 (with client). Surprising at such a sprawl-y area, but there was not much doubting the behavior. Could this be the southernmost breeding pair in the state of this expanding (especially in urban areas) species?

- 1200+ Semipalmated Sandpipers and 50+ Dunlin, Pine Point, Scarborough, 5/30 (with client).

- 2 Common Nighthawks, over our yard in Pownal, 5/30.

- 1 Mourning Warbler, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/31.

- 1 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER and only 270+ Semipalmated Sandpipers, Pine Point, 5/31.

-Derek

------------------
Jeannette and Derek Lovitch
Freeport Wild Bird Supply
541 Route One, Suite 10
Freeport, ME 04032
Ph: (207)865-6000/Fax: (207)865-6069
www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com
Visit our E-store http://store.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/

Re: [Maine-birds] Good news for 26,000 red knots!

I just got back from a trip to Delaware Bay-Bombay Hook NWR and Pickering Beach. While there, i saw quite a few red knots feasting on the horseshoe crab eggs. It was quite a sight to see. Here is one image I took of several red knots in flight. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindacullivan/8873169619/

It was quite exciting to see this.

On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 9:36 AM, Norman Famous <nfamous@maine.edu> wrote:

Hi all,

This is really good news for the red knot. A friend sent me this link to a summary of this years red knot migration through Delaware Bay. They stop in Delaware Bay for 10-14 days eating horseshoe crab eggs to refuel prior to the final leg of their transcontinental migration from the tip of South America to their Arctic breeding grounds. This stop is critically important because they need to deposit enough fat for both their flight as well as holding them over during cold conditions when they arrive.

Conservation effort seem to be benefiting both horseshoe crabs and all species of shorebirds stopping over at the bay. Aside from red knots, significant populations of ruddy turnstones, semipalmated sandpipers, dunlin, short-billed dowitchers and sanderlings feast on horseshoe crab eggs. .

If you are into shorebirds or just massive numbers of birds viewed at close range, visit the impoundments at Heislerville Wildlife Management Area in NJ along Delaware Bay where more than 50,000 semipalmated sandpipers, 10,000 short-billed dowitchers and thousands of sanderlings and dunlins rest at high tide at very close range.

On a visit 4 or 5 years ago, we saw 5 different curlew sandpipers (based on 4 photographed and a fifth with different plumage characteristics) and over 800 roosting black skimmers on an island in the lagoon. Great spot!

Happy shorebirding,

Norm

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <daveaeldon@aol.com>
Date: Fri, May 31, 2013 at 3:22 AM
Subject: Check out Report from the Bay: Red knots at 26,000
To: nfamous@maine.edu, er4aker@att.net

Report from the Bay: Red knots at 26,000

David A Eldon

--
Norman Famous, Wetlands and Wildlife Ecologist

513 Eight Rod Road

Augusta, ME 04330

(207) 623 6072

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[Maine-birds] Good news for 26,000 red knots!

Hi all,

This is really good news for the red knot. A friend sent me this link to a summary of this years red knot migration through Delaware Bay. They stop in Delaware Bay for 10-14 days eating horseshoe crab eggs to refuel prior to the final leg of their transcontinental migration from the tip of South America to their Arctic breeding grounds. This stop is critically important because they need to deposit enough fat for both their flight as well as holding them over during cold conditions when they arrive.

Conservation effort seem to be benefiting both horseshoe crabs and all species of shorebirds stopping over at the bay. Aside from red knots, significant populations of ruddy turnstones, semipalmated sandpipers, dunlin, short-billed dowitchers and sanderlings feast on horseshoe crab eggs. .

If you are into shorebirds or just massive numbers of birds viewed at close range, visit the impoundments at Heislerville Wildlife Management Area in NJ along Delaware Bay where more than 50,000 semipalmated sandpipers, 10,000 short-billed dowitchers and thousands of sanderlings and dunlins rest at high tide at very close range.

On a visit 4 or 5 years ago, we saw 5 different curlew sandpipers (based on 4 photographed and a fifth with different plumage characteristics) and over 800 roosting black skimmers on an island in the lagoon. Great spot!

Happy shorebirding,

Norm

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <daveaeldon@aol.com>
Date: Fri, May 31, 2013 at 3:22 AM
Subject: Check out Report from the Bay: Red knots at 26,000
To: nfamous@maine.edu, er4aker@att.net

Report from the Bay: Red knots at 26,000

David A Eldon

Norman Famous, Wetlands and Wildlife Ecologist

513 Eight Rod Road

Augusta, ME 04330

(207) 623 6072

[Maine-birds] Cherryfield Waxwings

Many Cedar Waxwings along the west side of the Narragaugus (between the bridges) this AM; thought I'd report this as I have not noticed many CW posts this spring. I saw 10-12, but there was suggestive fluttering in many other trees.

Miscellaneous others:

12-15 Common Nighthawks a couple of evenings ago, over the river near the Mathews Store.

Hermit Thrush

Barn Swallow

Chimney Swift

Alder Flycatcher (finally)

At Rich Willey's tree farm recently, all in the air at the same time:

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-Tailed Hawk

Northern Goshawk

Joel Wilcox

Cherryfield

[Maine-birds] Hermit Thrush

I have not heard a Hermit Thrush since my beloved kitty, Sir Edmund, died 2 years ago. It was such a magical evening: his song echoing through the tall pines, sunset pinks and golds mirrored on the river, shining through the trees. My grandson placing Eddy's body in a basket at the foot of two ancient oak-sisters.

Have not heard the Hermit Thrush since then...until this morning! His song carrying me from dreaming to waking. Joyful awareness dawning. Harbinger of transformation.

Thursday, 30 May 2013

[Maine-birds] Another ask for ID - a hawk this winter

This hawk was hanging around for a while, we have a nice tree down at the end of a hedgerow, close to the marsh. Wonderful vantage point for red tail hawks and we usually have one several times a week thru the winter. This one I noticed an immediate difference because the breast was so white. I first saw it from the back (first photo) and that prominent white was down the side. Then it resettled on another branch and I got the front. Was surprised not seeing any barring. So is this an immature red tail or something else?

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/nkathleena/Birds/Hawk1_zps37eb0a6e.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/nkathleena/Birds/Hawk2_zpsa6e18050.jpg

Thanks again, Nancy

[Maine-birds] Glossy Ibis Pics ?? Am I seeing White Faced or not??

From the Spurwink Marsh in Cape Elizabeth - this Glossy Ibis about 15 feet from my deck.......I had 8 others this morning and two this afternoon/tonight but too far away for a closer photo. Is that white around the eye what I've read about in prior posts or are they all like this? I always feel so blessed when interesting birds wander in to my yard. I'm really not familiar with marsh birds tho. This year we just mowed the field in the yard down close to the marsh and now the marsh birds are finding the low/wet spots and coming up to feed.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/nkathleena/Birds/GlossyIbis_zps4c9a3178.jpg

and close up -

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/nkathleena/Birds/GlossyIbis-FaceCloseUp_zps98ba5c9d.jpg

and a little closer but blurry

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/nkathleena/Birds/GlossyIbis-FaceCloseUp2_zps5dece975.jpg

Thanks for your help! Nancy

[Maine-birds] Re: Maine Bird Photos

Thanks Jeff - I enjoyed your gallery.

On Tuesday, May 28, 2013 10:07:53 PM UTC-4, Jeff wrote:

Here is a link to some photos from a trip to Maine over Memorial Day weekend.

Maine Bird Photos:
http://bit.ly/11wzLnI

I couldn't have picked a wetter weekend to enjoy Maine but we made the best of it with 88 species for the trip. They even cancelled our boat trip to Petit Manan because of weather. Highlights included a pair of Gray Jays and a Moose north of Kakadjo, a Spruce Grouse in Baxter NP, Black Guillemots and Common Eiders at Acadia NP and Warblers everywhere. We relocated an Iceland Gull at Thompson Island thanks to a tip from Steve that volunteers at the Peregrine watch on Acadia. I looked through many Black-capped Chickadees, but was unable to find any Boreals.

Jeff Lemons
Charlotte, NC

[Maine-birds] New Home

A couple of weeks ago I posted a request for a new bird- friendly home. My current Land lord does not like me feeding the birds.
So I went online and immediately found a wonderful new home in Indian Point in Georgetown. Now I will have a whole house to myself and be in walking distance of 7 private beaches! The house and new LL are wonderful ...and they don't mind my feeding the birds. The whole new situation is vastly better than the old--for the same rent! The Universe works in mysterious ways...using the birds to wing me on my way to a new and better home. Does anyone know what birds to watch for on Sagadahoc Bay?

Re: [Maine-birds] massive morning flight, Biddeford Pool, Thur 30 May

I guessed wrong this morning, and hit the interior...the New Gloucester area Intervale Marshes. Actually, I felt the singing might have been impeded by the early heat. A group of nine Com Nighthawks was my highlight.

I was assuming tonight was going to produce something big, so am camping at Hermit Island, hoping for bedlam tomorrow morning. Now I'm curious about the lower Phippsburg Peninsula THIS morning. Anybody witness to a big movement?

On Thu, May 30, 2013 at 2:09 PM, Chuck Homler <needsmoreritalin@gmail.com> wrote:

I was fortunate enough to bump into Marshall this AM as I checked on the plovers before work.

Three Piping plovers. 4 eggs on the nest. Many semipalmated sandpipers and about a dozen bb plovers.

When I got to the car 2 Green Herons flew over and that's when I said Hi to Marshall. He pointed out a Mourning Warbler, Empid, and a GC flycatcher.

Chuck

Sent from my iPhone... So please forgive typographical errors, message brevity and any strange word choices my phone decides were better than what I actually typed.

On May 30, 2013, at 1:04 PM, Louis Bevier <lrbevier@colby.edu> wrote:

> Figuring the morning fog might lead to a good flight along the coast, Marshall Iliff found 5000+ landbirds passing over Biddeford Pool this morning. He only caught part of the flight; so many more were missed. Most birds were seen from the boat ramp area that lies on the Biddeford Pool side across from Hills Beach, but the flight extend south of there too. Most birds seemed to concentrate along the north shore of the point, however.
>
> 15 Mourning Warblers
> double digit Canada and Wilson's Warblers
> 1000+ Redstarts and Magnolia Warblers (those are the easy ones to ID in flight and so get #s)
> 20+ Yellow-bellied Flycatchers among 100+ Empidonax flycatchers
>
> Marshall will likely have an eBird list available later today or tonight that will give the numbers.
>
> Louis Bevier
> Fairfield
>
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RE: [Maine-birds] Recent ornithological literature: Arctic Terns fly record distances

And if you have 4 million Arctic Terns each flying about 56,000 miles per year, that comes to 224 billion total miles. 61 times the distance from the Sun to Pluto. 19 times the distance from us to Voyager 1. 4/100ths of a light year.

===============================
Michael Smith MS GISP
State GIS Manager, Maine Office of GIS
State of Maine, Office of Information Technology
michael.smith _at_ maine.gov 207-215-5530

Board Member, Maine GeoLibrary
Education Chair, Maine GIS Users Group
State Rep, National States Geographic Information Council

State House Station 145
51 Commerce Drive
Augusta, ME 04333-0145
69^o 47' 58.9"W 44^o 21' 54.8"N

-----Original Message-----
From: maine-birds@googlegroups.com [mailto:maine-birds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Louis Bevier
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 5:13 PM
To: Maine Birds List Serve
Subject: [Maine-birds] Recent ornithological literature: Arctic Terns fly record distances

Those flights are impressive, but a recent paper in the journal Ardea reports the flight tracks of five Arctic Terns from colonies in the Netherlands suggesting even longer flights over a lifetime are possible. Using geolocators, light-weight data loggers that record sun angle and time, researchers found that the total travel distances during the non-breeding period for each tern was 90,000 km +/- 2000 km (about 56,000 miles each year). Given the oldest known breeding Arctic Tern is 34 yrs-old, a 20 yr-old bird like B95 could have flown the distance to the moon and back 6 times and be halfway back on its 7th roundtrip this year.

The total distance flown by these birds over the non-breeding period includes flights within staging and wintering areas. The total migration distances are still impressive, being 48,700 km. It terns out these birds don't fly straight down and back. Instead, they stage in the central North Atlantic, then move south to the Benguela Current off e. South Africa, then fly to another staging area in the central-southern Indian Ocean, and finally spend the winter in the region of Wilkes Land off e. Antarctica. One bird flew as far as New Zealand. An abstract of this paper is here: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5253/078.101.0102

The most recent issue of The Auk features several papers on these and other new technologies to track and understand migrant birds. Next time you see a shorebird or a migrant tern, or any of our Neotropical migrants, I hope stories like this move you to act strongly in their defense and amazing feats. By the way, if there are 4 million Arctic Terns, a rough estimate of the world population, then about 500 tons of terns are moving back and forth across our globe each year.

Louis Bevier

Fairfield

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[Maine-birds] Recent ornithological literature: Arctic Terns fly record distances

Arctic Terns were already known to fly record distances, being the long-distance champions before we knew about shorebirds, like the famous Red Knot B95. That knot is now called moonbird because he has been tracked over 20 years to have flown as far as the moon and at least halfway back during annual migrations (see this article by Manomet Center for Conservation Science: http://www.manomet.org/iconic-red-knot-b95-resighted-delaware-bay). I wrote about the physiological feats of shorebird migrants last year for Midcoast Maine Audubon and how some fly nonstop over the middle of oceans to reach their destinations. (Article here: http://www.midcoastaudubon.org/newsletters/Bulletin_aug_2012.pdf)

Those flights are impressive, but a recent paper in the journal Ardea reports the flight tracks of five Arctic Terns from colonies in the Netherlands suggesting even longer flights over a lifetime are possible. Using geolocators, light-weight data loggers that record sun angle and time, researchers found that the total travel distances during the non-breeding period for each tern was 90,000 km +/- 2000 km (about 56,000 miles each year). Given the oldest known breeding Arctic Tern is 34 yrs-old, a 20 yr-old bird like B95 could have flown the distance to the moon and back 6 times and be halfway back on its 7th roundtrip this year.

The total distance flown by these birds over the non-breeding period includes flights within staging and wintering areas. The total migration distances are still impressive, being 48,700 km. It terns out these birds don't fly straight down and back. Instead, they stage in the central North Atlantic, then move south to the Benguela Current off e. South Africa, then fly to another staging area in the central-southern Indian Ocean, and finally spend the winter in the region of Wilkes Land off e. Antarctica. One bird flew as far as New Zealand. An abstract of this paper is here: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5253/078.101.0102

The most recent issue of The Auk features several papers on these and other new technologies to track and understand migrant birds. Next time you see a shorebird or a migrant tern, or any of our Neotropical migrants, I hope stories like this move you to act strongly in their defense and amazing feats. By the way, if there are 4 million Arctic Terns, a rough estimate of the world population, then about 500 tons of terns are moving back and forth across our globe each year.

Louis Bevier
Fairfield

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Re: [Maine-birds] massive morning flight, Biddeford Pool, Thur 30 May

I was fortunate enough to bump into Marshall this AM as I checked on the plovers before work.

Three Piping plovers. 4 eggs on the nest. Many semipalmated sandpipers and about a dozen bb plovers.

When I got to the car 2 Green Herons flew over and that's when I said Hi to Marshall. He pointed out a Mourning Warbler, Empid, and a GC flycatcher.

Chuck

Sent from my iPhone... So please forgive typographical errors, message brevity and any strange word choices my phone decides were better than what I actually typed.

On May 30, 2013, at 1:04 PM, Louis Bevier <lrbevier@colby.edu> wrote:

> Figuring the morning fog might lead to a good flight along the coast, Marshall Iliff found 5000+ landbirds passing over Biddeford Pool this morning. He only caught part of the flight; so many more were missed. Most birds were seen from the boat ramp area that lies on the Biddeford Pool side across from Hills Beach, but the flight extend south of there too. Most birds seemed to concentrate along the north shore of the point, however.
>
> 15 Mourning Warblers
> double digit Canada and Wilson's Warblers
> 1000+ Redstarts and Magnolia Warblers (those are the easy ones to ID in flight and so get #s)
> 20+ Yellow-bellied Flycatchers among 100+ Empidonax flycatchers
>
> Marshall will likely have an eBird list available later today or tonight that will give the numbers.
>
> Louis Bevier
> Fairfield
>
> --
> --
> Maine birds mailing list
> maine-birds@googlegroups.com
> http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds
> https://sites.google.com/site/birding207
>
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> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maine birds" group.
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Re: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

Thanks for the great summary, Jon. If one looks in the 1957 edition of the AOU checklist, one gets the clear impression that the Black-bellied Whistling- (er, Tree-) Duck is a bird of that barely makes it to the U.S. from Mexico and then mainly to s. Texas. Looking in Thomas Burleigh's Georgia Birds published in 1958, one cannot find an entry for Black-bellied Whistling (or Tree) Duck. Last year, Georgia reported an all-time high count of 150 at one locality (North American Birds 66 (2): pg 256). Amazing! So, yes, we could be seeing birds from the Southeast and not from Texas. I think that is likely.

This pattern is similar in some ways to the range expansion of Cave Swallow, except for the fall dispersal of those. Another species to be on the lookout for and showing a similar dispersal and vagrancy pattern in Neotropic Cormorant. Those spread north from South America on one front and from Middle America (Mexico to the Gulf Coast, thence east and west). They are spreading in the West Indies, and there are now many far northern occurrences in the Midwest. Later this summer, we really ought to keep this stealth bird in mind. It will mean wading through lots of Double-crested Cormorants.

Lastly, I answered Michael privately, but his question about these being the same group should be addressed. The flocks of these whistling-ducks that have been seen were 5 in 2010 and again, over a wider area, in 2011. But there wasn't a group like that last year. My guess is that small groups travel together even when moving long distances. There are also single birds that disperse.

Louis Bevier
Fairfield

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[Maine-birds] massive morning flight, Biddeford Pool, Thur 30 May

Figuring the morning fog might lead to a good flight along the coast, Marshall Iliff found 5000+ landbirds passing over Biddeford Pool this morning. He only caught part of the flight; so many more were missed. Most birds were seen from the boat ramp area that lies on the Biddeford Pool side across from Hills Beach, but the flight extend south of there too. Most birds seemed to concentrate along the north shore of the point, however.

15 Mourning Warblers
double digit Canada and Wilson's Warblers
1000+ Redstarts and Magnolia Warblers (those are the easy ones to ID in flight and so get #s)
20+ Yellow-bellied Flycatchers among 100+ Empidonax flycatchers

Marshall will likely have an eBird list available later today or tonight that will give the numbers.

Louis Bevier
Fairfield

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Re: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

Hi All,

With respect to the following thread on Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and the possible source of occurrences of the species in the Northeast: Texas is not the only potential source of long-distance vagrants into the Northeast. Florida also has a large and growing population (see below).

I have not looked in detail in North American Birds at the record of occurrences of this species outside its potential source regions , but in a quick examination of several recent spring issues, I see this in NAB 65(3):414, 2011, by Mitra et al. for the Hudson-Delaware Region: "...increasing northward occurrence evident for over a decade." This remark was written in relation to a group of five of these whistling-ducks that were present in May 2011 on both sides of the river border between Orange County, NY, and Sussex Co., NJ.

eBird does not show many details, but a "track" of dispersal may be evident through the mid-continent and northeastward. Considering that the Florida population is expanding now, I would not be surprised if that source also may contribute birds northward.

Indeed, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are now common and widespread in many parts of Florida, and they continue to expand and increase in abundance within the state. The following is the species account for Florida that will appear in an as yet unpublished book by Greenlaw et al. entitled The Robertson and Woolfenden Annotated List of Florida Birds.

Jon

Jon S Greenlaw

jgreenlaw@earthlink.net

Tampa, Florida

The species account for Florida:

1. BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK Dendrocygna autumnalis

Uncommon to abundant, somewhat local permanent resident in the peninsula, primarily the cen. portion. First known from six observed near Sarasota, 14 Aug 1943 (Longstreet 1944). The early foothold of this species evidently was achieved by visitors from Mexico to the cen. peninsula. Reported escapes from waterfowl collections such as at Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade Co. (Owre 1973) may have had had little or no impact on the population increase (FOC 1993–2012). By the early 1980s, a maximum of 90 individuals wintered on ponds east of Sarasota and presumably dispersed from there widely over the w.-cen. peninsula (Palmer 1991, R&W 1992). Range expansion continues, with the first report northeast to Duval Co., 3–14 May 2003 (FOC, FFN 31:83, 2003) and west to Santa Rosa Co. (26 Jun 2003, FOC, FFN 32:34, 2004) and Escambia Co. (7 May 2011, FOC, FFN 39:142, 2011). Flocks of hundreds now occur in cen. Florida during winter (e.g., 500 near Venice, Sarasota Co., 28 Feb 2000, FOC, FFN 28:129, 2000; 200 wintered near the s. shore of Lake Istokpoga, Highlands Co., 2005–06, G. E. Woolfenden pers. comm. to JSG; and 350 wintered at Dade City, Pasco Co., 2010–11, B. Pranty pers. obs.). The breeding season (mostly broods) is Jun–Oct (Palmer 1991, Bergstrom 1999, FOC 1993–2012).

Specimen: UF 45220 (D. a. fulgens; voucher), Brevard Co.: n.l., 24 Jun 2006, salvaged. Published Photograph: (adults with 12 well-grown young; first breeding record), Hardee Co.: CF Industries mine, 8 Sep 1990, J. Sampson (Palmer 1991:80). Photograph: TTRS P519, Sarasota Co., east of Sarasota, winter 1986–87, L. S. Atherton.

Jon S Greenlaw (Tampa, Florida)

From: Smith, Michael

Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 9:35 AM

To: maine-birds@googlegroups.com

Subject: RE: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

Is anyone else out there curious what the odds are of BBWD showing in Maine twice and on both occasions it being a group (5 last time, 6 this time – well, now 5). Does it seem likely this the same group both times and we just missed them last year?

From: maine-birds@googlegroups.com [mailto:maine-birds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of rob speirs
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 8:20 PM
To: Maine birds
Subject: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

Hello Listservers,

You expect them along the lower Rio Grande, in South Texas, but in Maine, WHOA!!!!! These exotics are rare, rare, rare in Maine.

If you're able, its worth the trip to the Mount Desert Island (MDI) High School ponds to see these birds.

There is plenty of Duckweed to hold them but they make their own schedule and who knows what their travel plans might be. I say, "Get up early, and go....you just might be rewarded with a great state, or life bird. No excuses for Acadia Birding Festival participants and guides. Go get'em

rob speirs cumberland, me

[Maine-birds] Maine Audubon trip to Matinicus Rock, Friday 6/7

Maine Audubon's annual trip to Matinicus Rock is on Friday, June 7th. There are still a few spots available. Information about the trip can be found on our website.

Mike Windsor

[Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck still there!

Yesterday, as I was co-leading a Downeast Boreal Big Day with Bob Duchesne, I was chomping at the bit all day with curiosity as to whether the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were still at the MDI High School ponds. Having been part of the group that initially found them on Tuesday, I was relieved to read late last night the day’s emails confirming their presence. So, of course, I made a quick trip there this morning and the birds were still there. Doug Hitchcox was photographing them and other birders were there, as well. We only saw two this morning, coupled with the dead one reported by Seth Benz, leaves three unaccounted. I do find it entertaining that Maine’s two groups of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck were both reported from waste-water treatment ponds. Hmmm….

Richard MacDonald

The Natural History Center

6 Firefly Lane, "On the Village Green"

P.O. Box 6

Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

207/801-2617 (store)

207/266-9461 (mobile)

Rich@TheNaturalHistoryCenter.com

www.TheNaturalHistoryCenter.com

www.facebook.com/TheNaturalHistoryCenter

RE: [Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Get up early and GO!

Hello Listservers,

You expect them along the lower Rio Grande, in South Texas, but in Maine, WHOA!!!!! These exotics are rare, rare, rare in Maine.

If you're able, its worth the trip to the Mount Desert Island (MDI) High School ponds to see these birds.

rob speirs cumberland, me

[Maine-birds] Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - MDI High School, 5/30, Yes

Two of the BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS are still present in the pond behind the Mount Desert Island High School this morning (8:50am).

Good birding,

Doug Hitchcox
Hollis, ME

Sent from my iPhone

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[Maine-birds] Spurwink Marsh CE Glossy Ibis

We have a low spot on our land leading down to the marsh and its pretty wet right now. I just took a couple of photos of 9 glossy ibis feeding around the edges. Earlier this morning we had just one very close to our deck, who flew off later. He seems to have invited all his friends now.

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Wednesday, 29 May 2013

Re: [Maine-birds] BBWD appear to have left MDI HS

Hello,

Have looked at the photos of the birds I found at the ponds tonight and they are both Males. The DEAD one looks to be a female based on the photos I have taken and will post on Acadia birding Festival FACEBOOK page after this note. They should be up when you wake up....

I surmise that the other three could have been a similar sex ratio arrangement and they either moved on or they will be there at 5 am on Thursday and we will all rejoice!!

The DEAD BBWD images are also posted for comparison. facebook@AcadiaBirdingFestival.com

Michael

Michael J. Good, MS
President Down East Nature Tours
Founder and Director Research and Development
15th Acadia Birding Festival, May 30-June 2, 2013
Co-founder Penobscot Watershed Eco Center
39 COTTAGE STREET
Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
207-288-8128 / 207-479-4256

info@DownEastNatureTours.com
www.DownEastNatureTours.com
facebook@DownEastNatureTours.com

info@AcadiaBirdingFestival.com
www.AcadiaBirdingFestival.com
facebook@AcadiaBirdingFestival.com

The story and plot thicken.....

From: Down East Nature Tours

Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 10:49 PM

To: SETH BENZ ; Louis Bevier

Cc: Maine Birds

Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] BBWD appear to have left MDI HS

Hi Louis and Seth, and Black-Bellied Whistling Duck watchers or want-to see-ers,

I managed to find the dead Black-bellied Whistling Duck on the south side and wondering about best way to deal with it because of where it has been for the last 24 hours. I have it box up and on Ice but will try to get it in the COA freezer tomorrow morning.

Two LIVE BBWD are still at the Pond as of sundown. Scott Cronenweth and I bagged the DEAD bird as it was getting dark and two LIVE birds were still foraging hard when we left...... the fate of the other three is at this time unknown but they could have been off in another location and will get to get together for cocktails later, Perhaps at Side Street Café.....

See you all tomorrow and let's hope for other rarities this weekend. There is still a good batch of weather coming towards us with a southerly flow... too bad for the LIVE Black-bellied Whistling Ducks that need to fly the opposite direction.

I also agree with Louis that the Mallards did not kill this bird but rather exposure or hunger?

See you soon

Michael

PS: Thank the turtles for eating the trachea which moved the Duck and allowed us to see it.

From: SETH BENZ

Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 5:03 PM

To: Down East Nature Tours

Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] BBWD appear to have left MDI HS

Did you retrieve the dead one?

I see that someone reported seeing 6 today! Did the dead one come back to life?

Seth Benz

stbenz22@gmail.com

seth@sercinstitute.org

207-322-8549 mobile

On May 29, 2013, at 4:56 PM, "Down East Nature Tours" <info@downeastnaturetours.com> wrote:

Just heard from Rob Speirs and they have been seen. I am heading out asap to see what's up.... we want them to stay!!

Michael

From: Shannon Byers

Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 4:50 PM

To: Nancy Larson

Cc: maine-birds@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] BBWD appear to have left MDI HS

As of 4:20pm today, the ducks are still there. 5 were on the far edge of the first pond and 1 was on the close edge.

Shannon

Sent from my iPod

On May 29, 2013, at 10:42 AM, Nancy Larson <nlarson51@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello,
The ducks were not found at the MDI HS btween 10:15 and 10:45 today.
Nancy
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[Maine-birds] Maine RBA - May 28, 2013

Name: Maine Audubon Rare Bird Alert
Reporting Period: May 21 – 28, 2013
Area: State of Maine
Compilers: Doug Hitchcox

Noteworthy Species Mentioned:
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck+
Pink-footed Goose+
Red-billed Tropicbird+
Tricolored Heron
White-faced Ibis+
American Golden-Plover
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Eurasian Collared-Dove+
Red-headed Woodpecker
Acadian Flycatcher
Blue-winged Warbler
Hooded Warbler
American Tree Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Summer Tanager
Blue Grosbeak
Dickcissel
Orchard Oriole

(+ Details requested by Maine Bird Records Committee)

York County

An ACADIAN FLYCATCHER was well documented at Fort Foster in Kittery on the 21st.

On the 26th, a BLACK TERN was seen from the beach at Biddeford Pool.

A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, first reported on the 20th, was seen again on the 27th in a Hollis yard.

Greater Portland

A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was present in a Pownal yard beginning on the 22nd and continuing until at least the 24th.

Rare in the spring, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER were reported in the Scarborough Marsh on the 26th, the plover continued on the 27th. A TRICOLORED HERON and possibly two WHITE-FACED IBIS continue to be seen around the marsh.

Maine's first EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE spent the 28th at 51 Carroll Street in Falmouth. The bird was seen visiting the feeders here then spent the day roosting in trees around the yard.

Kennebec River Valley (Augusta-Waterville)

A BLUE-WINGED WARBLER continued at the Bond Brook Recreation Area in Augusta on the 23rd.

Midcoast

On the 23rd, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was reported from Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg. A SUMMER TANAGER was seen here on the 25th.

A PINK-FOOTED GOOSE was photographed at the Great Salt Bay Wildlife Preserve in Damariscotta on the 25th.

Highlights from Monhegan Island this week included: a late AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW on the 23rd, a HOODED WARBLER on the 25th, an ACADIAN FLYCATCHER on the 25th and 26th, a WHITE-EYED VIREO on the 27th and an ORCHARD ORIOLE seen almost daily.

Penobscot Bay

Returning for the 9th year, a RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD has returned to Seal Island as of May 14th.

Downeast

Six BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCKS were found at the ponds at the Mount Desert Island High School on the 28th. This could represent only the second documented occurrence of this species in Maine. These birds may have been present the day before at Echo Lake in Mount Desert.

Western Mountains

A DICKCISSEL was seen off Harbor Road in Fryeburg on the morning of the 24th.

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Re: [Maine-birds] BBWD appear to have left MDI HS

Hi Louis and Seth, and Black-Bellied Whistling Duck watchers or want-to see-ers,

I also agree with Louis that the Mallards did not kill this bird but rather exposure or hunger?

See you soon

Michael

PS: Thank the turtles for eating the trachea which moved the Duck and allowed us to see it.

From: SETH BENZ

Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 5:03 PM

To: Down East Nature Tours

Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] BBWD appear to have left MDI HS

Did you retrieve the dead one?

I see that someone reported seeing 6 today! Did the dead one come back to life?

Seth Benz

stbenz22@gmail.com

seth@sercinstitute.org

207-322-8549 mobile

On May 29, 2013, at 4:56 PM, "Down East Nature Tours" <info@downeastnaturetours.com> wrote:

Just heard from Rob Speirs and they have been seen. I am heading out asap to see what's up.... we want them to stay!!

Michael

From: Shannon Byers

Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 4:50 PM

To: Nancy Larson

Cc: maine-birds@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] BBWD appear to have left MDI HS

As of 4:20pm today, the ducks are still there. 5 were on the far edge of the first pond and 1 was on the close edge.

Shannon

Sent from my iPod

On May 29, 2013, at 10:42 AM, Nancy Larson <nlarson51@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello,
The ducks were not found at the MDI HS btween 10:15 and 10:45 today.
Nancy
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[Maine-birds] Re: Hairy woodpecker?

I have two Hairy woodpeckers ay my feeder that have buff color where they are normally white. I guessed that they were "dirty" from their nesting cavity. I did not photograph yet. Don
On Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:33:32 PM UTC-4, David Small wrote:

I believe this is a hairy woodpecker, but I'm at a
loss to explain the brownish color where you'd
normally see white. Could someone please, help me out
with this. Thanks.

http://photosbychance.zenfolio.com/p501323621/h65eef63f#h65eef63f

Confused as usual,

Dave