[Maine-birds] Birding By Schooner, 8/4-9 (RBTR, MASH, PAJA, shorebirds, etc)

Hi all,

I returned yesterday from my 6-day, 6-night "Birding By Schooner Aboard the Lewis R. French" tour out of Camden. Plagued by light winds, our sailing was limited (as was tubenose activity) and our later departure date resulted in a few misses and fewer landbirds (due to the lack of singing). Nonetheless, we tallied 78 species, including a nice assortment of shorebirds, and the following highlights of interest:

8/4 - Camden to Seal Island:

3 Wilson's Storm-Petrels

8/4-8/5 - Seal Island:

1 RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD

1-2 Parasitic Jaeger

numerous Leach's Storm-Petrels overnight

11 species of shorebirds including 1 White-rumped Sandpiper

12+ Great Cormorants

8/5 - Seal Island to Matinicus Rock:

5 Red Phalaropes

2 unidentified jaegers

28 Wilson's Storm-Petrels

Matinicus Rock:

1 Manx Shearwater

Matinicus Rock to Port Clyde, via Metinic Green:

1 Parasitic Jaeger

110+ Wilson's Storm-Petrels

8/6 - Port Clyde to North Haven:

7 species of shorebirds

16 Wilson's Storm-Petrels

2 Snowy Egrets

8/7 - North Haven (Amesbury Point) to Calderwood Island:

7 species of shorebirds

8/8 - Indian Point, North Haven to Gilkey Harbor, Islesboro:

74 Bonaparte's Gulls

8/9 - Gilkey Harbor to Camden:

7 Common Loons

The complete rundown, triplist, and photos of the tropicbird are on my blog, here:

 http://mebirdingfieldnotes.wordpress.com/2014/08/10/birding-by-schooner-2014/

-Derek

 

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Derek and Jeannette Lovitch
Freeport Wild Bird Supply
541 Route One, Suite 10
Freeport, ME 04069
207-865-6000
www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com

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