[Maine-birds] This Week's (plus) Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 7/27 - 8/2

Hi all,

 

My observations of note from the past seven days were as follows:

- 2 Red-necked Grebes continuing, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 7/28 (with Phil McCormack).

- 2 presumed TRICOLORED HERON x SNOWY EGRET HYBRIDS, Eastern Road, Scarborough Marsh, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).  Photos at link below.

- 1 continuing WHITE-FACED IBIS, Eastern Road, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).  Photos at link below.

- 1 continuing TRICOLORED HERON, 85 Snowy Egrets, 60 Great Egrets, 40 Glossy Ibis, 39 Little Blue Herons, and 9 Great Blue Herons, Eastern Road, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

- 1 Merlin, Eastern Road, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

- 1 continuing Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Old Town House Park, North Yarmouth, 8/1.

- 1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wards Hill Road, Gorham, 8/2.

 

Meanwhile, with shorebird season now in full swing, I will return to my "shorebird high counts this week" synopsis for those who are interested:

Black-bellied Plover: 20 - The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 7/28 (with Phil McCormack).

Semipalmated Plover: 155 - Hill's Beach, Biddeford, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Piping Plover: 4 (two adults, 2 juveniles) - Hill's Beach, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Killdeer: 27 - Rte 237, Gorham, 8/2.

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 4 (two adults with 2 juveniles) - Pine Point, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Greater Yellowlegs: 55 - Eastern Road, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz)

Lesser Yellowlegs: 8 - Eastern Road, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

"Eastern" Willet: 57 - The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 7/28 (with Phil McCormack).

Spotted Sandpiper: 3 - McNeil Road, Fryeburg Harbor, 7/30 (with Jeannette).

Whimbrel: 5 - Pine Point, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Ruddy Turnstone: 4  - Hill's Beach, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Red Knot: 1 - Hill's Beach on 7/28 (with Phil McCormack) and two there on 7/31 (with Luke Seitz; photos at link below).

Sanderling: 8 - Hill's Beach, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Semipalmated Sandpiper: 296 - Pine Point, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Least Sandpiper: 25++ - Eastern Road, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

STILT SANDPIPER: 1 adult - Hill's Beach, 7/28 (with Phil McCormack), and 3 adults - Eastern Road, 7/31 (with Luke Seitz).

Short-billed Dowitcher: 196 -  The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 7/28 (with Phil McCormack).

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, SPP HENDERSONII:  2-3 at Hill's Beach on 7/28 (with Phil McCormack; photos at link below) and 1-2 there on 7/31 (with Luke Seitz; photos at link below).

 

And finally, last week, Jeannette and I guided for our soon-to-now-be-annual "Birding By Schooner Tour" out of Camden.  We tallied 83 species in 6 days, including a visit to Seal Island (Leach's Storm-Petrels, Manx Shearwaters, alcids, etc, but no Red-billed Tropicbird) and a pelagic out of Mt. Desert Rock (large numbers of Great Shearwater and Red-necked Phalarope, Manx Shearwater, alcids, etc).  A summary of the trip, complete birdlist, and photos of both scenery and birds can be found here:

http://mebirdingfieldnotes.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/birding-by-schooner-2103/

 

As for the photos referenced above, they can be found at the following links:

1) hendersonii Short-billed Dowitchers on 7/28:

http://mebirdingfieldnotes.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/shorebird-pseudo-big-day/

 

2) hybrid herons, White-faced Ibis, hendersonii Short-billed Dowitchers, etc on 7/31:

 http://mebirdingfieldnotes.wordpress.com/2013/07/28/biddeford-in-shorebird-season/

 

-Derek

 

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Jeannette and Derek Lovitch
Freeport Wild Bird Supply
541 Route One, Suite 10
Freeport, ME 04032
Ph: (207)865-6000/Fax: (207)865-6069
http://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/
Visit our E-store http://store.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/