[Maine-birds] Week-long Tour Highlights, 9/10-15

Hi all,

 

Six participants joined me on my "Maine Coast and Monhegan Island in Fall" tour with WINGS.  The highlights among the 134 total species on the trip were as follows:

 

9/10:

- Sandy Point Beach, Cousin's Island Yarmouth: HUGE flight, including 500+ Blackpoll Warblers and 1 DICKCISSEL (found by Ken Klapper).

- 2 juvenile WESTERN SANDPIPERS, Biddeford Pool Beach.

- 5 "WESTERN" WILLETS and 2 Red Knots, The Pool, Biddeford Pool.

 

9/11:

- AMAZING hawk flight at Cadillac Mountain, with 350+ Broad-winged Hawks between 9 and 11:30am.  Many birds in kettles forming just in front of the mountain – really an extraordinary show!

- 32 American Pipits, Cadillac Mountain summit (mostly fly-overs).

- Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company:

1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 15 miles south of Jonesport (also single Purple Finch and an unidentified warbler while at sea).

20 Red-necked and 14 Red Phalaropes, plus 20+ unidentified.

8 Great Shearwaters

8 Wilson's Storm-Petrels

4 Atlantic Puffins

 

MONHEGAN ISLAND (9/12pm through 9/15):

- 1 BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, 9/13.  Apparent 1^st Island Record.  Photo at:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.448506911845935.114071.198877036808925&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=502265603136732&set=a.448506911845935.114071.198877036808925&type=3&theater

- 2-3 WHITE-EYED VIREOS (a participant might have photos of 2 birds)

- 1 Lark Sparrow (9/13)

- 1 Clay-colored Sparrow (9/13)

- 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (9/13).

- 12 Red Crossbills (high count on 9/15; at least 6 seen per day.  Photos and sound recordings)

- 1 Dickcissel each day, unknown if they are all the same birds.

- 2-3 Cape May Warblers each day.

- 1 Evening Grosbeak (9/14, 9/15).

- 1 Cory's Shearwater (9/15)

- 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (9/15; Photos).

- RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were by far the most abundant migrants on the island, with conservative estimates of 75-100 present each day. 

- a handful of Common Buckeyes.

 

9/15, continued:

-    3 STILT SANDPIPERS, Weskeag Marsh.

 

I'll expand some of the commentary and include photos to a blog in the next day or two.

-Derek 

 

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Jeannette and Derek Lovitch
Freeport Wild Bird Supply
541 Route One, Suite 10
Freeport, ME 04032
Ph: (207)865-6000/Fax: (207)865-6069
www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com
Visit our E-store http://store.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/