Folks,
Just returned from a week of birding Monhegan Island. Monday-Wednesday provided some great birding (particularly Monday) both in terms of numbers of species and their abundance. As long as the shadbush and wild apples are flowering don't hesitate to hit the islands wilder eastern side as the birding there on Wednesday was phenomenal! By Thursday bird abundance noticeably was waning (though diversity remained good) and by Friday things slowed to a snails pace. It's always easier to leave on days like that :)
Highlight from the week included:
Mon (pm)- 54 species / 17 warblers incl. Bay-breasted / Philadelphia Vireo; White Crowned Sparrow
Tue- 64 species / 17 warblers incl. Tennessee & Prairie / Virginia Rail; White-eyed Vireo; Field Sparrow; Clay-colored Sparrow; Summer Tanager; Orchard Oriole
Wed- 78 species / 16 warblers / Greater Yellowlegs; Olive-sided Flycatcher; Warbling Vireo; Eastern Bluebird; Scarlet Tanager (orange variant!)
Thu- 64 species / 17 warblers incl. Cape May / adult male Orchard Oriole
Fri (am)- 54 species / 16 warblers / a quiet day... had to work for this list / eye candy included the continuing adult male Orchard and adult male Indigo Bunting
Additional Notes / Island Highlights:
Great stay at the Trailing Yew... good company and great food (still thinking about Tuesday nights blueberry pie and Thursdays thanksgiving dinner!). There is a great article in the current issue of Down East magazine called "Last of the Monhegans." The island, for me (and I hope you) isn't just a totally kuhl place to bird and twitch all do all that other nonsense we birders do... you should read the article! This year marks the Village's quadricentennial! How cool is that!
Locals are quite concerned (and so should you be) about the wind power test site proposed to be established just a couple miles south of the island (they'll be over 600 feet tall) for more information visit this site http://www.fomb.me/
During the week there were at least 4 summer tanagers (3 female and one male)
The Clay-colored Sparrow put on quite the show and was singing his heart out around the Lupine Gallery, watched him devour dandelion heads
The White-eyed Vireo was towards the end of the Burnt Head Trail well passed the Underhill Trail intersection
There was a Big Brown Bat foraging over the meadow on Wednesday night as I sat in vigil for the rails to call (there are as many as three Virginia Rails!)
Harbor seals were breaching and fin-slapping in the coves around Pebble Beach (precursor to mating)
Good Migrations,
Chris
Concord, NH
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