[Maine-birds] Sears Island yesterday: N. Saw-whet Owl, Warblers & Flycatchers galore, Merlin, etc.

Yesterday afternoon from about 5:20 PM until 7:40 at Sears Island in Searsport was VERY productive for birds, although as seen from my very inaccurate counts below, it was almost impossible to keep a handle on numbers.  Suffice it to say, the trees and bushes along the main road were positively swarming with Warblers and Flycatchers.  They were bouncing like raindrops off the tall trees, especially favoring the tall oaks where the sunlight exposure was best.  It was very difficult to keep tabs on any one bird as they were all so actively feeding and fly-catching.  Numbers seemed to be in the low hundreds of Flycatchers and probably into the THOUSANDS of Warblers.  For every one we got binoculars on there were, conservatively speaking, ten more at least.  And with all the activity along the road, we didn't have time to look for shorebirds.  In other words, I'm sure we missed some goodies!

 

In addition to the passerines were a very approachable Merlin toward the end of the island (see attached photo) and on the way back at dusk, a Northern Saw-whet Owl which flew (Woodcock-like but silently) from a very low (maybe 2 feet off the ground) perch in a tangle of trees into the deeper woods.  There was also an adult Osprey feeding 2 nestlings on the gas buoy/platform thing close to shore off the tip of the island. 

 

Also 3 BATS seen flying along the road about the same time the Owl was seen. 

 

Species: 45 (at least)

 

Great Blue Heron - 1

Black Duck - 4

Osprey - 3

Merlin - 1

unidentified shorebird (med. size) - 1

Ring-billed Gull - x

Herring Gull - x

Greater Black-backed Gull - x

Laughing Gull - 2

Northern Saw-whet Owl - 1

Downy Woodpecker - 1

Hairy Woodpecker - 1

N. Flicker - 1

Pileated Woodpecker - 1

E. Wood-Pewee - ~7

Alder Flycatcher (calling "pip") - 3

"Traill's" Flycatcher - ~10

Least Flycatcher - ~10

E. Phoebe - ~5

Blue Jay - x

Am. Crow - x

B-C Chickadee - ~10

W-B Nuthatch - ~3

R-B Nuthatch - ~2

Winter Wren - 2

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 4

Golden-crowned Kinglet - x

Hermit Thrush - 2

Am. Robin - 1

Gray Catbird - ~8

Cedar Waxwing - ~10

Blue-headed Vireo - 1

Nashville Warbler - ~20

N. Parula - ~15

Chestnut-sided Warbler - ~20

Magnolia Warbler - 1

Bl-thr. Green Warbler - ~40

Yellow-rumped Warbler - ~4

Blackpoll Warbler - ~4

Black-and-White Warbler - 1

Am. Redstart - 2

C. Yellowthroat - ~10

Song Sparrow - ~10

Swamp Sparrow - 1

Purple Finch - 3

Am. Goldfinch - ~10

 

Sean Smith