[Maine-birds] WINGS tour report: 8 birding days,158 species.

Hi all,

I just completed my biennial, 10-day comprehensive Maine-New Hampshire tour for WINGS Birding Tours Worldwide.  All but 24 hours of the 8 (very) full days of birding are in Maine.  This year, the trip finished with 158 (average ~160) species, but we missed almost nothing of significance to the group members. 1300+ miles round trip from Portland, from Mt. Washington to Machias, and almost every habitat in between.

- 23 species of warblers, including Mourning, Bay-breasted, and Louisiana Waterthrush (no Cape May; did not go for Blue-winged).

- 13 species of sparrow, 7 species of thrushes (Bicknell's in NH only); 6 species of flycatchers (low); 5 species of terns; 5 species of vireo (Philadelphia Vireo only in NH); 4 species of alcids, 

- Black-backed Woodpecker, Spruce Grouse, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee (NH only), etc. Olive-sided Flycatcher was our only boreal "miss"on the itinerary. 

- only tubenose on a whale watch out of Bar Harbor was Wilson's Storm-Petrel (30+).

- unexpected/out of place/rarities:

1 1st summer Common Merganser, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 6/15.

1 LITTLE EGRET, Tidewater Preserve Falmouth, then followed to Providence Avenue, Falmouth. 6/15.

3 immature GREAT CORMORANTS, Quoddy State Park, Lubec, 6/19.

1 1st summer male Black Scoter, Quoddy State Park, 6/19.

2 fly-over RED CROSSBILLS, Moosehorn NWR - Edmunds Division, 6/20.

1 immature GREAT CORMORANT, Sand Beach, Acadia National Park, 6/21.

And lots of lobster was consumed.

-Derek

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 Derek and Jeannette Lovitch

 Freeport Wild Bird Supply

 541 Route One, Suite 10

 Freeport, ME 04032

 207-865-6000

 www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com  

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