Mount Desert Island Birds: Pacific Loon
Sand Beach, Hancock, US-ME
Oct 29, 2012 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Kristina and I worked around Sand Beach to Otter Cove during the heightening of the TS Sandy. Winds blowing hard from the East. Flying in those winds were Northern Gannets moving very fast over the water. Mostly adult birds and a few Juveniles. Many Red-necked Grebe where found along the coastal shore especially in Newport Cove and in the lee of Great Head. Numbers are going up for Sea duck in other locations but besides COEI, it is pretty quiet on the eastern shore. One Pacific Loon was found in a very choppy sea but we both located this bird several times and eliminated the two likely candidates, Common and Red-throated.
11 species
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 1 behind sand beach
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 65
Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) 1 Clearly seen in the scope for an extended period as the conditions diminished. The first detail that caught my eye was the small size and the clearly small and straight bill. It has been a few years since we last had a Pacific at this location. More observations of this bird will be attempted tomorrow. The seas were very choppy and it was last seen just west of Old Soaker and Northeast of Thunder Hole.
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 2
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) 14
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) 25+ moving very fast past us with strong 45-50 knot winds
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 5
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 35 Everyone was hunckered down on the Eastern MDI granite, surprisingly in the lee of strong gusting easterly wind from Sandy.
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 6
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 4
Thunder Hole , Hancock, US-ME
Oct 29, 2012 11:10 AM - 11:50 AM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Kristina and I worked along the eastern shore spending some time focused on the Great Cormorant continuing on Old Soaker
11 species
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 150
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 3
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) 15
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) 30
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 7
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) 2 continuing now for several weeks
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 2
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 65
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 5
Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) 3
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 5 foraging in the intertidal zone
Otter Cove access Road , Hancock, US-ME
Oct 29, 2012 12:10 PM - 12:40 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Otter Cover was in the Lee of TS Sandy as the outer edges of the storm continues to blow out of the east.
5 species
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 43
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 3
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) 22
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) 20
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 3
Hadley Point MDI , Hancock, US-ME
Oct 29, 2012 1:09 PM - 1:34 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Here we encountered increasing winds and deteriorating conditions. no surprises and also not many birds because of the winds.
9 species
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 300
White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca) 15
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 2
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) 10
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 2
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 3
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 25
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 4
Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) 1
Northeast Creek Outlet, Hancock, US-ME
Oct 29, 2012 1:30 PM - 1:45 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: Cruising the northern route we stopped by Northeast Creek outlet and found a few birds in this protected location. A Hooded Merganser flock and a couple of Bufflehead were actively catching fish while a Great Blue Heron hunkered down along the tidal stream.
9 species
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 3
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 200 In the protected shallows west of Thomas Island
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 3
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 9
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 2
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 10
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 5
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Alley Island overlook, Hancock, US-ME
Oct 29, 2012 1:55 PM - 2:20 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments: This side of the island was loaded with birds especially Horned Grebe,, with several hundred found. Intermixed with these were a large number of Long-tailed Duck and one Surf Scoter. Six Bonaparte's were foraging along the Indian Point shoreline.
16 species
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) 15
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) 15
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) 1 clearly seen in the scope for K, who had little experience with these northern nesters.
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) 75
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) 23 all femals scattered around Blue Hill Bay
Common Loon (Gavia immer) 1
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) 500 These were counted birds.. One very large flock and many birds spread out through the Bay.
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) 25
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) 2
Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) 6 foraging along the Indian point shoreline towards Clark Cove.
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 65
Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 2
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 2
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 3
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 2
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 10 on Old County Road
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President Down East Nature Tours
Founder and Director Research and Development
14th Acadia Birding Festival, May 31-June 3, 2012
Co-founder Penobscot Watershed Eco Center
39 COTTAGE STREET
Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
207-288-8128 / 207-479-4256
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