[Maine-birds] York County Audubon at Popham Beach with Mike and Cindy Fahay 9/7/12

Popham  Beach, Sagadahoc, US-ME

Sep 7, 2012 4:15 PM - 7:15 PM

Protocol: Traveling

2.0 mile(s)

Comments:     York County Audubon fieldtrip with Mike Fahay leader.  The hoped for rarities were scarce this evening.  High surf due to ocean storms delayed the tide.  Earlier appearances of Peregrin and Merlin may have made the peep, gulls and terns skittish.   We observed large groups take to the air several times only to resettle in the same general area.

20 species (+1 other taxa)

 

Common Eider (Atlantic)  X

Double-crested Cormorant  X     great many on the nearby islands, a few dozen closer

Great Blue Heron  3

Great Egret  1     Mike says they are uncommon at this location

Snowy Egret  2

Black-bellied Plover  20

Semipalmated Plover  200     likely many more in with other peep

Sanderling  X

Semipalmated Sandpiper  200     likely many more in with other peep.  One individual appeared to have oil or tar on its breast making it appear black chested.  The bird was preening the breast vigorously, bathing, jumping up and down and flying from place to place apparently trying to clean itself.

White-rumped Sandpiper  7

peep sp.  700     large flocks dispersed all over the place, some behind dunes some flying around plus dim light, difficult to count but our best guess was 7-800 minimum.

Bonaparte's Gull  3

Laughing Gull  11

Ring-billed Gull  X

Herring Gull  X

Lesser Black-backed Gull  1     Adult non-breeding or moulting bird roosting on sand with Great Black-backed Gulls, head streaked, back was grey, not black, bill appeared lighter but distance was too far to see leg color or mirrors.

Great Black-backed Gull  200     There were far more than 200 but did not attmpt to count them

Common Tern  20

Forster's Tern  4     at least two adults and two juvenile birds roosting in mixed flock with Common on flats and bathing in lagoon.

Mourning Dove  1

Belted Kingfisher  1

 

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

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