Maine birds And MOAC mountainbiking

Thursday, 31 May 2012

[Maine-birds] Popham Beach shorebirds - May 31

A thick ground-clinging fog enveloped Popham Beach when I hit it at low tide this afternoon. It made finding shorebirds in the lagoon a little dicey. Near as I could count, there were these:5 Semipalmated sands2 White-rumped sands 5 BB Plovers1 Semi Plover1 Willetand some Herring Gulls15 minutes later over at Ft Popham, there were 100s of gulls feeding on an upwelling of something in Atkins Bay. A few Bonies,...

[Maine-birds] MDI Birdathon results

Yesterday, I lead a birdathon team – Ed Hawkes, Chad Propst, Rob Packie, and last-minute addition William Nichols – on a day-long effort to find birds on Mount Desert Island (all proceeds benefit Downeast Audubon’s education program, sending local youths to summer camp). All day long, the birds came slow and with much effort. By the end of the day, we tallied 95 species! We do this Birdathon every year, so next year we will try...

[Maine-birds] Seawall Beach this week

We're at Seawall Beach, Phippsburg for the week:birds of interest include:Roseate Tern: 2Black Tern: 1 adult, unexpected in spring.Common Tern: 40+Black-bellied Plover: 170+Semi Sandpiper: 300+White-rumped Sandpiper: at least 5, annual here in spring.One adult Razorbill off the beach was a treat.A White-eyed Vireo reported singing off the southwest end of the beach.A few Dows, Leasts, turnstones, etc..Seems like very few B-t Greens...

[Maine-birds] an apology

This past Sunday I posted a video of a Clay-colored Sparrow that had been spotted by some local experts. In my zeal to allow people to see and hear this bird that is rare to our area, I believe I used poor judgement in recording it and then posting that recording to this group. Let me assure all of you that I have learned from this experience and will be much more sensitive in these matters in the future. Jim McCree...

[Maine-birds] Bank Swallows and ABA

I got a chance to observe a village ofBank Swallows for a few momentsat one of my favorite wildlife locations. It seemed to me that the slightest erosioncould wipe out the entire colony! Precarious! http://photosbychance.zenfolio.com/p501323621/h1c396f95#h1c396f95 I'd also like to thank everyone who recentlyposted a link to "Principals of Birding Ethics".Birds make up a large number of my photographic subjects,...

[Maine-birds] Birds and Birders Betrayed by Central Maine Power - please help!

Hi all, Back in the fall, you may remember when I came to you asking for phone calls to help pressure Central Maine Power to temporarily halt and then limit the clearing of cover at Sandy Point, Cousin's Island, Yarmouth which hosts a regionally significant concentration of migrant passerines each fall. Thanks to pressure from the birding community, we stopped the cutting until after the vast majority of birds passed...

[Maine-birds] Clarry Hill changes

I walked the dirt access road to the Clarry summit this morning. A few singing song sparrows, 3 buzzing savannah sparrows and 3 sets of vesper sparrows. There are obvious declines in sparrow numbers in recent years. This area has undergone drastic habitat changes within the 30+ years I have birded it. The quantity of grassland has been gradually but planfully converted into vine cultivation. We must remember, afterall, that this...

[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

Quite a heavy movement through here last night; a combination of passerines and shorebirds. So far I haven't seen anything unusual but the BAYBREASTED & CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLERS continue in numbers, as well as COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, female REDSTARTS & mixed FLYCATCHERS. The night movement of shorebirds seemed to be mainly phalaropes, the same as the previous night. The main difference was the ratio of species. Tuesday...

Wednesday, 30 May 2012

[Maine-birds] Red-shouldered Hawk, Cuckoos - New Gloucester

A beautiful, adult Red-shouldered Hawk was teed up on a snag at the cattle ranch on Fickett Rd this morning, as the fog was lifting. As I stopped the truck, it flew to another snag, then north into the woods, calling all the while. The woods between the tracks north of Penny Road featured: both Cuckoos (1 ea.), several Alder Flies1 Least Fly12 spp of warblersbut nothing of interest in the large marsh next to...

[Maine-birds] Matinicus Rock trip

Hi All, We still have space on the Matinicus Rock trip. Please see below for details and feel free to email me with questions. Jan Pierson and Peter Vickery are leading. Friday Jun 8, 2012 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM New Harbor, ME Members: $80.00 Non-members: $100.00 A 32-acre island 18 miles offshore at the mouth of Penobscot Bay, Matinicus Rock is one of Maine's most important seabird nesting colonies. Here, Atlantic puffins, razorbills,...

[Maine-birds] WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 5/30

Hi all, While leading a birdwalk as part of our Leica Day events at the store, Cameron Cox and I found a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at Wharton Point in Brunswick (Delorme Map 6: C-3). We believe the bird was a 1st Spring bird, or a very pale adult, but we need to look more carefully at the photos. This is a great bird in the spring! It was associating with a small mixed flock of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Plovers, and/or...

[Maine-birds] BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO - Essex Woods - Bangor

6:45AM-8AM - FINALLY, after several attempts, I caught up with the recently reported BB Cuckoos at the corner, on the north end of the west side trail. Heard them a few days ago but no glimpses until this AM. Heard short soft call right at the corner, but had to wait for 10-15 minutes before the first one revealed itself. The two birds foraged from mid-level to just above ground. Yahooo! Rob Speirs Cumberland,...

[Maine-birds] Common Nighthawk on MDI

Hi all -- Monday night around 8:15 I had a lone Common Nighthawk overhead in SW Harbor (audible and seen). I'd gone outside for a small errand, and was glad I did.Craig K -- Maine birds mailing list maine-birds@googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds https://sites.google.com/site/birding207...

Re: [Maine-birds] Mount Desert Island birdathon wants you....

I would like to join you but may be pushed against the Acadia Birding Festival time crunch which starts Thursday. Good luck. Let me know if you have space and I'll see what I can do Michael From: rich@thenaturalhistorycenter.com Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 12:18 PM To: 'Maine Birds' Subject: [Maine-birds] Mount Desert Island birdathon wants you.... Tomorrow is the big day...

Tuesday, 29 May 2012

[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

Tuesday was a dull, semi-wet day but it brought BAY BREASTED & CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLERS, PARULAS, THRUSHES, JUNCOS & FLYCATCHERS. Also 3 Eagles and a hunting Peregrine Falcon. We just experienced a pretty good thunder cell with lots of lightening and some heavy rain. Along with the storm came lots of shorebirds, most of which seem to be Phaloropes. Also visible overhead in the lightening flashes were Gulls, Shearwaters,...

[Maine-birds] Fw: eBird Report - Penjajawoc Marsh, Bangor, May 29, 2012

Today, I was able to find the clay color sparrow. Also had a breeding pair of brown thrashers. They were carrying nesting material. Then I had a sharp shinned hawk being chased by smaller birds across the marsh. Not to bad of a day at the Penjajawoc Marsh. http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulc2402/7297132656/ Paul CorcoranBangor Maine ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "do-not-reply@ebird.org" <do-not-reply@ebird.org>...

[Maine-birds] Mount Desert Island birdathon wants you....

Tomorrow is the big day for the Mount Desert Island team on the Downeast Audubon Birdathon. One of our team members has had to cancel last minute, so if anyone would like to spend the day birding with us, we have a slot available. We will be starting at 2:00 a.m. and go until we have see all of the birds or run out of steam (usually it is the latter, and that is by about dusk). And it is not too late to contribute. All proceeds...

[Maine-birds] Another Chuck-wills-widow

I have received a report of another possible Chuck-wills-widow. Heard only but reported to be unmistakable as to identification. The evening of 5/28 and again at 4 in the morning on 5/29. Location was Swans Island. -- Check our nature, family, and other photos at: www.fotki.com/townsend-maine Updated recently with a sample of Bill's eagle pictures. -- Maine birds mailing list maine-birds@googlegroups.com http://groups.g...

[Maine-birds] Re: Gannets on Machias Seal Island, NB, CA

I forgot to mention that the trip out of Eastport, ME into the Passamaquoddy Bay was chartered by Eastport Windjammers aboard the Lady H. On May 29, 9:48 am, Barry <be...@yahoo.com> wrote: > Hello folks, > > On Sun, May 28th, I had the privilege of going to Machias Seal > Island (via Bold Coast Tours, Cutler, ME) with the Road Scholar group > of the Downeast Birdfestival. We...

[Maine-birds] RE: Gannets on Machias Seal Island, NB, CA

Hello folks, On Sun, May 28th, I had the privilege of going to Machias Seal Island (via Bold Coast Tours, Cutler, ME) with the Road Scholar group of the Downeast Birdfestival. We were eager to see to see all of the alcids......but were equally excited about the possibilty of seeing a Northern gannet nest (as previosly reported by Ralph Eldridge). Well, I got lucky and was placed in the blind that had a view of the nest. My...

[Maine-birds] Chuck Will's Widow-Jefferson

Report from a naturalist I know in Jefferson, ME, that I thought worthy of passing along in case anyone else hears a CWW: > Chuck's will-widow song heard twice, about mid-May and this morning May 28. > Song here seems slightly variant to online versions. Kristen -- Kristen Lindquist 12 Mount Battie St. Camden, ME 04843 www.klindquist.blogspot.com -- Maine birds mailing list maine-birds@googlegroups.com http://group...

Re: [Maine-birds] Clay-colored Sparrow in Bangor

Oops... a draft email and notes were inadvertently sent out after shutting the computer down here at DENT. Sincere apologies on this interesting subject of taping birds and photography. Reiterating Stella's statement: We can all benefit from re-reading the ABA guidelines for responsible birding at: http://www.aba.org/about/ethics.html Michael ...

[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

Light winds of Monday continue at this hour (03:30) along with light rain that started a couple hours ago. There are a few migrants setting down but no siginificant numbers. This is a storm petrel night. The LEACHES STORM PETRELS go to and from their nests every few nights. Although lots are here every night, there are some nights, especially calm nights like tonight when the numbers jump way up. These are the nights when it's...

Monday, 28 May 2012

[Maine-birds] Monhegan Island, May 28, 2012

Additions to our weekend trip list for our last morning on Monhegan. We finally pinned down some crossbills for a positive ID on at least one flock of the many out there. As of this morning, the white-eyed vireo and Tennessee warbler were still singing in their usual spots, and still just as elusive to the eye. Other interesting birds reported today but not seen by us: White-crowned sparrow-1 (Robby Lambert) Olive-sided flycatcher-1,...

[Maine-birds] Hummers again

Oh boy! I got two quick visits to the hummingbird feeder today - one at 2pm and the other around 5:30pm (Cape Neddick west of turnpike circa mile marker 13.2.) Another hummer kept poking into the new growth tips of my blue spruce, have no clue as to why. While working in the garden, these guys are too quick for this "advanced beginner" to even go for the binocs or even raise them. But I'm tickled they're back. Also ID'd a...

[Maine-birds] birders and photographers

Both "bird-watchers" and bird photographers are birders in my book. There are good and bad of both. Have not many of us, in our zeal to see a rare bird, pushed (or pished!) the envelope of birding ethics from time to time? But we all know people who do it far too often. The important thing is to not do it in the wrong places and times. Each of us has his/her own definition of birding ethics, regardless...

[Maine-birds] Stratton YBFL

First of the Yellow-bellied Flycatchers arrived today. Stella -- Maine birds mailing list maine-birds@googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds https://sites.google.com/site/birding...

[Maine-birds] Great Creasted Flycatcher

Thank you to all who answered my requestfor Id help on this bird. And for all theresource suggestions...your response was overwhelming.Now here it is correctly identified.http://photosbychance.zenfolio.com/p501323621/he99075a#he99075a Cheers,Dave -- Maine birds mailing list maine-birds@googlegroups.com http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds https://sites.google.com/site/birding207...

Re: [Maine-birds] Re: Clay-colored Sparrow in Bangor

Hi Bob, For reasons as you have mentioned, I often don't report sightings to the list and only post them to ebird weeks later. I am a birder and a photographer and I rarely use calls. Photographers, like birders, should be patient and wait for the opportunity. Anyway, I hope you aren't taking too much flak. Chuck Sent from my iPhone... So please forgive typographical errors, message brevity and any strange word choices...