[Maine-birds] Greater White-fronted and Snow Geese plus shorebirds at Scarborough

The same adult Greater White-fronted Goose that was at Smiling Hill farm in Westbrook around Halloween was present in a big grassy field on the Willowdale Golf Course in Scarborough today. Peter Vickery, Don Mairs, Robby Lambert, and I saw the bird with about 270 Canada Geese and an adult Snow Goose in a field that is just east of the eastern pond/impoundment on the golf course. This field is 0.54 miles from the parking area at the end of Eastern Road when traveling toward Scarborough marsh from Black Point Rd. (heading southwest by west if that helps). Some geese also gather in the field as one drives toward the parking area on Eastern Road for the trail access, and one might do well to check there too.

Over the course of the high tide, the four of us and Margaret Viens (for part of the time), saw a huge gathering of Dunlin and many other shorebirds in the pannes off the Eastern Trail. We estimated 400 Dunlin, most being birds of the year. Also surprisingly common were White-rumped and Pectoral Sandpipers. At least 5 Long-billed Dowitchers were there too and great treat to see. A couple of late Semipalmated Sandpipers rounded out the list. Along the leading edge of the flooding water, we watched a flock of Ring-billed and Bonaparte's Gulls foraging madly. They might have been gobbling up an amphipod that was abundant in the water there.

The gray and black clouds of the passing front provided a spectacular backdrop under which to see all this. Those White-rumps are still thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in southeastern South America, one of the longest migrations of North American breeders. Boa sorte e boa viagem passerinhos! Until next year.

Here is our list from the marsh:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15603784

And from the goose fields:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15599039

Louis Bevier
Fairfield

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