Thursday, 5 December 2013

Re: [Maine-birds] Snowy Owls map update


I'm guessing that most owls are moving through Maine and that the relatively large numbers will diminish.  I birded Seawall Beach, Popham, mouth of the Kennebec yesterday and saw a single owl off Small Point.  There were 5 - 7+ reported from this area in the past week or so.  It was a lovely day and I don't think the owls were hiding.    It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Best, Peter

Also, I'd note that 10 Snowy Owls were seen in the border area between NB and NS on 2 Dec 2013.  So they're certainly present in that part of the Maritimes.   This from the NB list serve.


Norm Belliveau, Rose-Alma Mallet, Cécile Légère and I birded from Shediac
to Cape Tourmentine today.

We were very pleased to see 10 SNOWY OWLS (Harfang des neiges) along the
coast between Shediac and Cape Tourmentine.

Our first 2 Snowy Owls of the day were seen at the Pointe du Chêne wharf
around 9:30am with Stuart Tingley.

In early afternoon, we found a 3rd Snowy Owl at the wharf in Petit Cap.

While we were looking at the owl at the wharf in Petit Cap, I sent Stuart a
message to let him know we had found another owl since I knew he was in the
same area. He replied back telling me he was looking at 3 Snowy Owls at
the Petit Cap dune so we drove over there and managed to see all 3 of those
birds.

Our last stop of the day was at the wharf in Cape Tourmentine where we
managed to see 4 more Snowy Owls,

I can only imagine how many Snowy Owls are probably present in the province
at the moment, especially with all the birds being reported in NF and NS
(and likely on PEI as well but I haven't checked for sightings there yet).

Gilles Belliveau 


On Dec 5, 2013, at 2:08 PM, "Smith, Michael" <Michael.Smith@maine.gov> wrote:

Yes I was thinking the same thing.  The dearth of sightings north of MDI is likely due to it being in the 'shadow' of Nova Scotia as birds fly south and west.
 
===============================
Michael Smith MS GISP
State GIS Manager, Maine Office of GIS
State of Maine, Office of Information Technology
michael.smith _at_ maine.gov 207-215-5530

Board Member, Maine GeoLibrary
Education Chair, Maine GIS Users Group
State Rep, National States Geographic Information Council
<image001.jpg>

State House Station 145
51 Commerce Drive
Augusta, ME 04333-0145
69o 47' 58.9"W  44o 21' 54.8"N
From: Jon S. Greenlaw [mailto:jgreenlaw@earthlink.net] 
Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2013 1:28 PM
To: Smith, Michael; maine-birds@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Snowy Owls map update
 
From: Jon Greenlaw
Expat Maine birder
Tampa, Florida
 
Re: Snowy Owl occurrences in Maine to date
 
To all,
 
I follow the Maine birding scene with considerable interest, but I normally let Maine birders comment on mail posted to their listserv.
 
Peter V. earlier passed on a report of Snowy Owls arriving at Cape Race, Newfoundland, some of which were observed coming in off the ocean. Michael's summary map of Snowy Owls concentrating along Maine's southwest coast from MDI southward is worthwhile and notable. These owls are so conspicuous that I assume the sample of known occurrences so far also reflects relative absence along the Down East coast from Schoodic east to the Lubec area, and from northern and eastern inland Maine. This does not mean that no Snowy Owls have appeared in these places this season, but only that the existing pattern is accurate overall and certainly noteworthy.
 
I am entertaining the thought that these owls so far have been moving south and west from Newfoundland north- and perhaps northeastwards (Greenland?), south through Nova Scotia, and (apparently) directly across the Gulf of Maine from the west end of NS towards the central and southwestern Maine coastline. One might test this hypothesis by looking for owls on the New Brunswick coast along the north side of Fundy. Absence of owls from Lubec so far suggests that they are not following the coastline around from the eastern Maritimes. Yet, they clearly are piling up on the western coast of Maine and southward into northern New England.
 
In short, I suspect that the pattern you guys are documenting reflects a travel 'footprint' into Maine. That pattern may change later in the winter as owls from other sources arrive in the state. Michael's map is most interesting and should be updated. But it would be wise to treat maps on a monthly or seasonal basis. Alternatively, the current, cumulative map should be inspected for evidence that apparent geographic holes are starting to fill in, at which point a new map can be created. Of course, as has been pointed out, eBird maps may reflect the same picture; one can query the eBird database for maps by month if so desired. It would be interesting to examine patterns of first occurrence of this species in Maine in earlier years.
 
Does this make sense?
 
Jon
 
   
 
Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 5:41 PM
Subject: [Maine-birds] Snowy Owls map update
 
 
 
===============================
Michael Smith MS GISP
State GIS Manager, Maine Office of GIS
State of Maine, Office of Information Technology
michael.smith _at_ maine.gov 207-215-5530

Board Member, Maine GeoLibrary
Education Chair, Maine GIS Users Group
State Rep, National States Geographic Information Council
<image001.jpg>

State House Station 145
51 Commerce Drive
Augusta, ME 04333-0145
69o 47' 58.9"W  44o 21' 54.8"N
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