[Maine-birds] Re: (Maine Birds) Mount Desert Island Birds: Greater Yellowlegs territorial fighting, Lesser Yellowlegs as well

Mount Desert Island Birds:  Greater Yellowlegs territorial fighting

Alley Island overlook, Hancock, US-ME
Apr 30, 2013 9:07 AM - 9:32 AM
0.2 mile(s)
Comments:     Nico and I watched three Greater Yellowlegs, one male actively driving another away while performing  territorial flights and displaying. The dominate male was calling weat-eo-o,  weat-eo-o, weat-eo-o  than flying towards and behind the other male calling loud chip notes. After 10 minutes, the 2nd male retreated to the opposite side of the salt marsh. The dominate male settles briefly and walks towards and mixes with the slightly larger female. In general the females are larger than  males.  No negative reaction….so she must like him!  There have been many Yellowlegs around this spring which has not always been the case. Many times they shoot around or over MDI choosing other stop over locations.  This overlook is a truly unique head of the island salt marsh,   perfect for these long legged Tringa with recurved bill for probing.   Cuba still had both Lesser and Greater in small numbers from April 5-17.   Having just returned from Cuba on the 17th, I have been impressed with the activity on MDI with Northern Parula here slightly early with a male calling at Three Pines.  The ocean had a nice surprise with a flock of Surf Scoters, which I have not seen all winter! in these waters, FOY ,I think. .  After December they were far and few between around MDI having moved most likely to more southerly climes. Red-Breasted Mergansers males were a treat.
17 species

American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)  4
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata)  38     good looks at males  spread out over the water in mixed flocks
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  2
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)  3
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  1
Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)  3     size difference between male and female distinctive
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)  5
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  10
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)  1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)  1     in flight
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  4
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  5

Hamilton Pond, Hancock, US-ME
Apr 30, 2013 1:30 PM - 1:35 PM
Comments:     One quick stop for a listen and a Pine Warbler territorially calling, Double-crested Cormorant has been here for a few days.  A sign that there may still be good food sources for other diving ducks.
8 species

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)  4
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)  1
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)  2     Swift and nimble flyers . Only one other bird flys
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)  1
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)  1     These two birds were almost Duetting,  which I have heard with other similar combinations of YRWB and PIWB
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)  1
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  1

Babson Creek MCHT , Hancock, US-ME
Apr 30, 2013 5:10 PM - 6:10 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Graham Good and myself spent a little quiet time in the marsh. One Lesser Yellowlegs foraging in a salt pond with a Belted Kingfisher diving into the salt ponds and tidal streams around the entire marsh.
9 species

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)  2
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)  1     I suspect that these are nesting somewhere on the Long Pond watershed
Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)  1
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)  1
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)  1
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)  1
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)  2
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)  1
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)  1

Three Pines Bird Sanctuary 2013, Hancock, US-ME
Apr 30, 2013 7:48 PM
Protocol: Incidental
Comments:     Last bird of the day with Hermit Thrush giving a dusk call, the "Last Call" of the evening.  Many of you know of this phenomenon when the forest birds give one final call before settling down for the night.
1 species

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)  1

 

Michael J. Good, MS
President Down East Nature Tours
Founder and Director Research and Development
15th Acadia Birding Festival, May 30-June 2, 2013
Co-founder Penobscot Watershed Eco Center
39 COTTAGE STREET
Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
207-288-8128 / 207-479-4256

info@DownEastNatureTours.com
www.DownEastNatureTours.com
facebook@DownEastNatureTours.com

info@AcadiaBirdingFestival.com
www.AcadiaBirdingFestival.com
facebook@AcadiaBirdingFestival.com