[Maine-birds] Saco to Dyer pt birds (Dovekie, etc)

Hi everyone

Winter break ends tomorrow, so I'm back in Maine, and figured I'd get some birding in before classes start tomorrow. First stop was to find the previously reported Barrow's Goldeneye and Glaucous Gull in Saco, but I struck out on both accounts. Plenty of gulls, but just the expected species, and only 2 Common Goldeneyes, in with the dozens of Mallards. Other than than, lots of ice and not much open water. 

In South Portland, I had a drake Green-winged teal at Mills Creek, and an Iceland Gull, but still no Glaucous Gull. From Thomas Knight Park, under the Casco Bay Bridge, I saw plenty of Common Goldeneyes and Buffleheads as well as several Common Loon, 2 Red-throated Loon, and 4 more Iceland Gulls. A Barrow's Goldeneye was visible from the Greenbelt trail behind the Evergreen Credit Union, and a Hooded Merganser behind the Bay Harbor Car Wash on the other side of Broadway. 

In Cape Elizabeth, I found the continuing Lapland Longspurs in the parking lot of the middle school, on a parked car(!), and the Lark Sparrow along the Greenbelt trail behind Village Crossing, at the previously mentioned feeder in front of the pale green house. 21 Pine Grosbeaks were also present in the parking lot of the Village Crossings Assisted Living Center.

The highlight of the day, however, came when I failed to find the drake King Eider at Dyer Point, and instead found a Dovekie swimming amongst one of the eider flocks between Two Lights SP and Dyer Point. It was diving and preening when I first found it, but then spent about 20 minutes just floating on the surface, drifting to within 10 feet of shore! It seemed to be tilting to one side much of the time, and seemed perilously close to shore, just beyond the breakers. I managed to snap one mediocre but identifiable picture before my battery died completely:

http://flic.kr/p/dLsjzN

Other birds of note included at Dyer Point an American Pipit, a Red-throated Loon, 4 Great Cormorants, 20 or so Harlequin ducks and 40-50 Black Scoters flying south.

--
David Rankin

University of New England

Graduate Student

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