[Maine-birds] Re: Androscoggin County Snow Geese, American Woodcock, Long-tailed Duck etc

Thanks for the info, Dan. 

As of 2:00 this afternoon (Saturday), the Long-Tailed Duck was still feeding in the same spot near the bridge, sometimes flying back upriver when she'd drifted too far south.  I just checked and it looks like I first reported her on the 16th, meaning that this Monday will make two full weeks that she's been at it!  (And this even as the nature of the remaining duck population seems to have changed drastically over the last few days.) In other transient duck news, I haven't seen the Gadwall since the 16th (though several others apparently have), and the Ring-Necked Ducks I saw on Wednesday weren't anywhere in evidence today, either.  In fact, other than the substantially diminished herd of Mallards (including the handful of oddball hybrids, semi-domesticateds, and leucistics), and a pair of American Black Ducks, I spotted but two Goldeneyes (of the Common variety), and no Mergansers (of any variety).  Lots of gulls, though.

Also...on the topic of Woodcocks:  Being new to the area (and having yet to see a Woodcock this year), I would love to know where on N. River Road I might be able to see them do their "slow shimmy thing."  I've been able to see a lot of birds over the past several months through random encounters here in Androscoggin County, mostly by simply walking the streets of Lewiston and Auburn or driving around.  Woodcocks, on the other hand, I'd probably have to specifically seek out, so any advice on reliable spots in which to see them would be most welcome and appreciated!

Thanks,

Gary Jarvis
Lewiston




On Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 7:19:07 AM UTC-4, ravenwatcher wrote:

Hello All,

Along with my monthly river survey scouted a few other locations, yesterday.

Long-tailed Duck continues on Androscoggin River below Great Falls Lewiston/Auburn.

American Woodcock observed doing that slow shimmy thing that they do along North River Road, Auburn.  I had always thought that this might be a way of disturbing prey in the soil as a way of foraging but this bird was doing it as it walked away from me.  Also flock of 45 Bohemian Waxwings in flight.

High pitched calls of Snow Geese alerted me to the presence of at least 400 flying very high overhead over North River Road.  There could have been many more as I had a difficult time locating them and some had passed before I could count.

Bald Eagles appeared not to have eggs or young yet but both on nest adjusting nest material.

An hour of hawk-watching on Upper Road Turner yielded one Red-tailed Hawk apparently migrating, eight Turkey Vultures and one dark eagle at a distance that I could not conclusively identify that descended into some trees on the far side of a hill.

FOY Grackle and Red-winged Blackbirds on Bowie HIll Road in Durham and a lone Northern Shrike on Davis Road in same spot I had observed on a month ago in the fields a few hundred yards southwest of the junction with Bowie Hill Road.

Dan Nickerson

Freeport ME 04032

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