[Maine-birds] Maine Bird Atlas - Weekend Challenges, 7/13

Hi everyone:

Can you believe the first breeding season is actually starting to wrap up?! I'll have much more on this next week as we move out of the "safe dates" for some of our early nesters but for now you can see an update of how the project is going in the latest newsletter (Spring/Summer 2018): https://www1.maine.gov/wordpress/ifwbirdatlas/2018/07/11/black-capped-chronicle-issue-2-maine-bird-atlas-update/

Before the new challenges, let's see how you did last week…

Herring Gull - A nice increase but still some noticeable gaps with these birds. Keep looking for these birds before they fledge and leave their natal grounds. Anyone going boating in Penobscot Bay this weekend?

Chimney Swift - Only 2 more blocks got confirmed this week. Along with the recommendations from last week, maybe start asking friends and neighbors who's got birds making a mess in their fireplaces.

Missing Species - Excellent work - 10 new species got confirmed records this week. There is still some low-hanging fruit out there - find them before the season wraps up!

NEW CHALLENGES:

1) Keep Birding For Bruce - Let's finishing out this weekend with a big push for Bruce. If you missed my earlier email, Bruce Barker who is an avid birder and atlaser is having a tough battle with an aggressive cancer - you can share your checklists with the username "BirdingForBruce" which will be shared with him early next week. https://ebird.org/atlasme/news/birding-for-bruce

2) Cedar Waxwing - One of our latest-nesting birds, these birds are starting to nest and already have an impressive 45 blocks confirmed. Watch for nest building and beware of courting birds. Twice this past week, I've encountered "begging" behavior that at quick glance looked like a fledgling begging for food but both times were adults engaged in courtship behavior.

3) House Sparrow - I know non-native species are easy to overlook but this is a good chance to get a pulse of how these species are thriving (or not) in Maine. Double-check old bird houses or gaps in siding, any cavity that could fit a House Sparrow. For fun, compare the current breeding map of House Sparrows (https://ebird.org/atlasme/map/houspa) to the Maine population by square mile (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Maine_population_map.png).

Good birding and happy atlasing!


Doug Hitchcox
Maine Bird Atlas - Outreach Coordinator
Maine Audubon - Staff Naturalist
207-781-2330 x237
dhitchcox@maineaudubon.org

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