[Maine-birds] 9th Annual Rarity Roundup Results, 11/4

Hi all,

As we have done every year for the past 9 years, a group of us set out to comb the southern coast of Maine between Kittery and Portland.  Eight teams covered as many nooks and crannies as possible, concentrating on migrant traps, microhabitats, and warm microclimates in the hopes of turning up something out of the ordinary.  We had a very productive day overall, with good diversity and some good birds.  No "Megas" again this year, however. 

 

Collectively, we tallied (preliminary total) 123 species (plus 2 subspecies), which ties for our best RR day list.  Even after all of these years, we added an impressive 5 species to the all-time list:

1 Rufous Hummingbird

2 Swainson's Thrushes

1 Prairie Warbler

1 Bohemian Waxwing

1 Scarlet Tanager

 

We also set or tied high counts for 15 other species:

22 Harlequin Ducks (tie)

5 Black-crowned Night-herons

3 Peregrine Falcons (tie)

2 American Golden-Plovers

17 Red Knots

8 Red-bellied Woodpeckers

8 Northern Flickers (tie)

1 Western Kingbird (second ever)

14 Carolina Wrens

5 Winter Wrens (our previous high was 1!)

20 American Pipits

8 Chipping Sparrows

9 Lapland Longspurs

1,011 Common Grackles

1 Common Redpoll (second ever)

 

51 White-winged Crossbills were our second highest total.  We also tallied 6 species of butterflies on the day.

 

Here is a breakdown of the sectional highlights:

1)      Kittery-York (Denny Abbot, Davis Finch, Don Green, and Chris Borg):

1 MUTE SWAN, Legion Pond.

1 American Coot, Legion Pond.

1 Common Redpoll, Fort Foster.

Air Force One, Fort Foster.

 

2)      Ogunquit and Kennebunkport (John Berry, Phil McCormack, and Gordon Smith):

1 Gadwall, Cape Porpoise

1 Northern Pintail, Phillips Cove pond.

2 American Coots, Phillips Cove pond.

1 SWAINSON'S THRUSH, Marginal Way.

 

3)      Wells (Doug Suitor and David Ladd):

14 Red Knots

1 Northern Shrike

 

4)      Biddeford-Saco (Pat Moynahan, Marian Zimmerman, Joanne Stevens, Doug Hitchcox, Marie Jordan, and Pat Sanborn):

2 American Golden-Plovers, Saco River jetty.

3 Red Knots, Saco River jetty.

1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Biddeford Pool Yacht Club.

1 WESTERN KINGBIRD, Mile Stretch, about ½ way between the bridge and Hattie's.

1 Northern Shrike, East Point.

1 Gray Catbird, South Point Preserve.

1 Common Yellowthroat, Timber Point.

1 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, continuing at Hill's Beach.

 

5)      Scarborough (Ed Hess, Leon Mooney, and Noah Gibb):

2 Lesser Scaup, Grondin Pond.

20 Ruddy Ducks, Prout's Pond.

1 Black-crowned Night-Heron, Pine Point.

2 American Coots, Prout's Pond.

1 Lesser Yellowlegs, Eastern Road Trail.

1 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, Prout's Neck Cliff Walk.

 

6)      Cape Elizabeth (Robby Lambert and the International Man of Mystery)

1 American Woodcock, Spurwink Marsh.

1 Gray Catbird, Village Crossings.

1 "Yellow" and 1 "Western" Palm Warblers, Rte 77.

1 Eastern Towhee, Spurwink Marsh.

1 Indigo Bunting, Private property.

1 PRAIRIE WARBLER, Village Crossings.

 

7)      South Portand (Turk Duddy and Dan Nickerson):

3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers

3 Hermit Thrushes

 

8)      Portland (Derek Lovitch, Jeannette Lovitch, and Kristen Lindquist):

4 Black-crowned Night-Herons, Mercy Pond.

1 Gray Catbird, West Commercial Street.

1 Common Yellowthroat, Capisic Pond Park.

1 SWAINSON'S THRUSH, West Commercial Street.

1 SCARLET TANAGER, Sheridan Street.

1 BOHEMIAN WAXWING, Eastern Promenade. 

-Derek

 

------------------
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/