[Maine-birds] Snowys, Razorbills etc., Scarborough and Biddeford Pool

Had to go to Scarborough in the middle of the day and took the slow route back to Kennebunk, via Scarborough Marsh, Pine Point, and East Point/Biddeford Pool. Record high tide at the marsh (shortly after noon); parking lot at the Maine Audubon Nature Center was pretty well flooded, and no doubt water got into the building as well. (I assume this is known to MA staff?)

Nothing wildly unusual in the way of birdlife, but a good sampling of winter species: Common Goldeneye (~dozen) on the marsh north of the Nature Center; Horned Grebes in various spots; a young eagle in transitional plumage; several female Red-breasted Mergansers.

At Pine Point the expected Eiders and Long-tails were plentiful, but numbers of Horned Grebes were not far behind -- at least a couple dozen. What was probably the same eagle made another appearance across the water (looking back towards the marsh). A small flotilla (~12-15) of White-winged Scoters was across the river at the estuary. Four or five Common Loons were also in the estuary.

The best finds were a East Point/Biddeford Pool. One Snowy Owl was present on Wood Island, sitting on a short white post of some sort right in front of the lighthouse. (Sorry for the folks from Portland who were packing up as I was heading out and who dipped on Snowys!) Again, large numbers of Eiders; numerous Longtails; more Horned Grebes; the occasional Common Loon; a few Scoters; a few more Goldeneyes, etc. The big treat, though, was a group of four Razorbills, in the water alongside the trail heading out to the point.

Driving back out, another Snowy was sitting on the roof of one of the first houses on the right after The Former Hattie's, along Mile Stretch. Both owls I saw were heavily striped.

--pfw

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Paul F. Wells
West Kennebunk, ME
USA

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats."
                                                             --Albert Schweitzer

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