I have had territorial Prairie warblers 'nesting' behind the first Air Farce Backscatterer north of Montegal Pond and Centerville (at the NW end - three different years during a five year study between 1998 and 2002 plus a few visits in 2003 and 2004 when they were present), several location along Pineo Ridge north of Harrington and North of Cherryfield (these were not on point counts but were picked up between 1998 and 2004), near Pretty Pond (three of five years, same study - located just as you emerge onto the barrens from the southern direction) and one near Pretty Barrens next to Cherryfield Foods cranberry beds (one year in the same study). These were picked up on 5 minute point counts. I had one other singing male behind the third Backscatterer near the 'Bombing Range' (circa 2000) (T-19),
When doing the point counts in Washington Co barrens, I had may points next to smaller kettlehole bogs (1/2 acre to 10 acres), I never picked up any over a five year period (plus two addition years on about half of them in 2004 and 2005.
I also had one on a point count near West Grand Lake circa 2001 and one on a point count in Indian Township (circa 2005). Also, I had one two years ago in a gravel pit just west of Big Musquash Marsh along the Grand Lake Stream Road on the right just past the the marsh system (about 1/3 to 1/2 mile heading toward Grand Lake Stream; it is the first right turn in that direction). I did not have any while conducting point counts in Dead Stream Bog attached to Fourth Machias Lake and Nicatous Bog by Nicatous Lake. There was one in a gravel pit near the road to Pocumcus Lake (spelling) (road to Poky Dam off the Fourth Machias Lake Road).
These were all breeding season birds but I made no effort to confirm their breeding status in any of them. That takes time.
I visited the Backscatterer site over a five week period and they were present during most visits. They moved around a large area that exceeded my hearing distance range.
Finally, I had a singing bird one time at the Cutler Navy base in the VLF field that did not stay around to nest. When I went on my only 'Big Day' during the first Maine Audubon Big Day, the first bird I encountered after emerging from my house in Machiasport was a prairie warbler. It woke me up and caused a copious release of adrenalin. This was a good sign in that I over-slept and did not start until I staggered out of my house at 5:30 AM.
In regards to bogs, I conducted line-transcent count supervising 8 trained observers in large bogs in Washington County in the late 1980s.
Great Heath
Denbo Heath
Harrington Heath
Jonesport Heath, multiple sections
Lower Beddington Heath
Centerville Bog or 'Big Heath'
These bogs were mostly over one hundered acres with the larger ones over 500 acres.
During the late 1990's and early 2000's, I did extensive point counts for a five year period in the following bogs:
Great Heath? on MDI near the Wonderland Trail
Allen Heath South of Rt 9 near the Machias River T-24?
Pretty Pond Heath T-24
Corea Heath
Great Wass Island Three different bogs
Quoddy Head Bog - Bog with boardwalk
West Carrying Place Cove Bog in S Lubec
Boot Cove Bog at Boot Head in South Trescott
Three bogs north of the Bold Coast Reserve in Cutler (mid 1990's doing point counts over a two year interval)
Hamilton Cove Bog in Lubec
Two bogs in Cutler on Ridge Road near the Navy Station
Eagle Hill Bog on Campobello Is (two different ends of the bog off of two different roads)
Petit Manan Point
Several small bogs along the one-way road at Schoodic Point
Finally, I did point counts during the same time period in 8 very large bogs in the Acadian Peninsula in northern New Brunswick. I did not have any up there nor did I expect any. I did have a clay-colored sparrow nesting in a mined portion of Shippagan Bog four of five years ...nice spot!
Most recently, I have been conducting point counts in portions of five smaller bogs (less than 50 acres) in the Indian Township area near Princeton over the last two years (plus 2004 and 2005) and will be surveying them this breeding season. No prairie warblers (rusty blackbirds in a couple plus a fox sparrow in one).
I think the point I am making is I do not think they routinely breed in Washington and Hancock County bogs and are fairly uncommon in the extensive blueberry barrens and gravel excavations north of Route 1. These bogs have been surveyed more than any other regional sets of bogs in Maine. There are many other small bogs in that area that I visited many times over the years during the nesting season without running into any.
I forgot, in the early 1980s, I was looking for rare birds and plants at Sunkhaze Bog (now Sunkhaze Meadows NWR), Chem Bog (very large bog) and Passadumkeag Bog (also greater than 1,000 acres) with five other censusers who conducted line transect counts through out thousands of acres of open peatlands. I used to bird in the Bangor Bog (or Orono Bog) off Stillwater Ave for many years during the 1970s and never heard or saw one. Likewise, I used to bird Crystal Bog in Crystal Station in the mid 1970;s and never heard any. I was surprised to find a chipping sparrow nesting in the bog. Also, I looked for rusty blackbirds in a number of bogs and other wetland types on the east, west and northwest sides of Moosehead Lake and did not hear any. Bob should confirm their absence in that area. And, I searched Hermon Bog off of the Bangor Airport for rare birds one summer.
Norm Famous from Augusta
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-- On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 2:07 PM, Down East Nature Tours <info@downeastnaturetours.com> wrote:
--Hi Bob,Your asking an interesting question that went around a few weeks ago.... How far north in Maine do we find Prairie Warblers?? ... MDI has sporadic birds here through the summer and presumed nesting but only a small number are ever reported and I have not yet heard of any located on MDI so far this spring. Go East toward Stueben and we have found them and East along the coastal mainland and probably? up the Penobscot to the Orono Bog that you have reported. The problem for a census is getting into most bogs without a boardwalk! What about the great Heath near Cherryfield?? Another interesting bird with little known about the detail here in the North.Do you find Prairie Warbler in Washington County??Thanks for asking the question again. Looking forward toMichaelFrom: Bob DuchesneSent: Monday, June 04, 2012 9:36 PMTo: 'Maine Birds'Subject: [Maine-birds] Prairie Warbler x 3--OK. So just how many Prairie Warblers are in the Orono Bog Boardwalk? While guiding 11 Texas birders today, we watched two foraging silently in the woods just before the boardwalk breaks into the open. Meanwhile, I could hear the usual suspect singing from his usual spot on the far side of the boardwalk.
Also, a Willow Flycatcher is (finally) appearing on the highway side of Essex Woods.
Bob Duchesne
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Norman Famous, Wetlands and Wildlife Ecologist
513 Eight Rod Road
Augusta, ME 04330
(207) 623 6072
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