[Maine-birds] waders today

Howie Nielsen and I had an interesting day in the Portland area. 

At the Pine Point parking lot at low tide we found a whimbrel, several black-bellied plovers, a bright juvenile dunlin, two greater yellowlegs, 10 to 12 short-billed dowitchers, 2 or 3 common terns, 2 or 3 least sandpipers, and a handful of white-rumps among the semi/semis.  A peregrine falcon took 6 or 8 passes at the whimbrel but wouldn't take the bird out of the water.  The whimbrel waded into the water and hunkered down as the peregrine came close.  Peregrines do this with ducks as well, and won't crunch them in the water but instead take them out of the air if they fly.  One lucky whimbrel.  A bit later a merlin shuffled the shorebird deck as well.

According to four other birders, there were also three oystercatchers on the Ferry Beach side of the Scarborough River, but the peregrine scared them away before I get a scope on them.  My luck here continues :).

Hills Beach at mid-tide harbored sanderlings among the semi/semis and at least 6 white-rumps.

Biddeford beach was more of the same, but with the addition of a couple of leasts.

Cheers,
bab

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Bruce Bartrug
Nobleboro, Maine, USA
bbartrug@gmail.com
www.brucebartrug.com

The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.  - Albert Einstein

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