Maine birds And MOAC mountainbiking

Friday, 30 September 2016

RE: [Maine-birds] Re: notes on viewing the Swainson's Hawk

And to hop on the chain. I stayed with it a bit longer. Kyle and I had diverted to check a flock of Horned Larks in the cemetery before he left and then I walked back to my truck. The hawk was foraging nearer the airport and there were some people out on the tarmac taking pictures. I decided to see if there was a decent view from there. The gentleman who works at the airport stated that there were a few areas inside the fence we could go as long as we checked in with him first and exercised extreme caution so their presence was not surprising. When I got to the airport office the bird had taken off and returned down to the northwest corner of the airport. When I started walking the fence line back towards the large rock in that area, there was a freshly killed Ruffed Grouse along the fence line. It did not look like a car strike, more like a bird kill as there were many feathers scattered near the bird but not between the road and the spot. This had not been there earlier in the day when we had originally walked the fence. I have no idea what else would have killed the bird and left it so was wondering if it may have been a territorial kill by the hawk. More than happy to discuss the notion offline.

I left the bird about 5:15 and it was still foraging in the northwest corner.

Cheers and thanks for the reports on this stunning bird.

Rob O'Connell

From: maine-birds@googlegroups.com [mailto:maine-birds@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Kyle Lima
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2016 9:25 PM
To: Maine birds <maine-birds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Maine-birds] Re: notes on viewing the Swainson's Hawk

Hello all,

Just wanted to add to what Doug said, and throw out an update on the bird. When I arrived just before 2:00PM the bird was perched on the fence along the Medway Road, so it had returned by that time. The fellows with the model planes were flying them throughout most of the 2.5 hours I spent there, and the bird continued to forage seeming to not mind their presence too much. It was still there when I left chasing grasshoppers inside the fence closer to the airport offices at 4:15PM.

Hopefully it sticks around!

-Kyle Lima

On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 8:49:46 PM UTC-4, Doug Hitchcox wrote:

Hey everyone:

Given the lack of updates I thought I'd post some tips from my (and other's) experiences looking for the Swainson's Hawk in Millinocket today:

Location:
In the nearly 5 hours we spent looking for/watching the hawk, it never left the northwest region of the Millinocket Municipal Airport. We first found the bird around 7:30AM roosting in the trees (I think a hemlock) on the north side of a grassy field between the airport and the 'Saint Martin of Tours Cemetery' - the bird apparently was last seen on the 29th in this same grove so it likely roosted there. The bird flew towards the airport around 8:30AM and then would perch on the fence between foraging attempts on the ground. The bird covered more ground walking/running after grasshoppers than it did flying around. I just created an eBird hotspot for the Millinocket Municipal Airport so this should help with directions and consolidating reports: http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L4958878

People:
Around 2:00PM today there was a post on the MAINE Birds Facebook Group that the hawk was seen flying out of the area but it did return about 10 minutes after being "a speck in the thermals". Apparently the bird flew off when some people arrived to fly their model planes. I can't imagine there are that many model plane enthusiasts in Millinocket but beware that their presence may be increased at the airport over the weekend (just as the number of birders will be too). Also be conscious of the fact that this bird seems to be very approachable. It was an amazing viewing experience (often through the fence) but there were a few people today (including drive-by locals with camera phones) that seemed to get too close to the bird. Use your best judgement and give the bird space to forage.

Here is a link to our checklist with more notes and photos: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31826769 I recommend watching the video that Louis digiscoped showing the bird's foraging behavior of running on the ground and snatching grasshoppers.

Good luck to anyone who makes the trip for this bird!

Doug Hitchcox

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[Maine-birds] Re: notes on viewing the Swainson's Hawk

Hello all,

Hopefully it sticks around!

-Kyle Lima

On Friday, September 30, 2016 at 8:49:46 PM UTC-4, Doug Hitchcox wrote:

Hey everyone:

Given the lack of updates I thought I'd post some tips from my (and other's) experiences looking for the Swainson's Hawk in Millinocket today:

Location:
In the nearly 5 hours we spent looking for/watching the hawk, it never left the northwest region of the Millinocket Municipal Airport. We first found the bird around 7:30AM roosting in the trees (I think a hemlock) on the north side of a grassy field between the airport and the 'Saint Martin of Tours Cemetery' - the bird apparently was last seen on the 29th in this same grove so it likely roosted there. The bird flew towards the airport around 8:30AM and then would perch on the fence between foraging attempts on the ground. The bird covered more ground walking/running after grasshoppers than it did flying around. I just created an eBird hotspot for the Millinocket Municipal Airport so this should help with directions and consolidating reports: http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L4958878

People:
Around 2:00PM today there was a post on the MAINE Birds Facebook Group that the hawk was seen flying out of the area but it did return about 10 minutes after being "a speck in the thermals". Apparently the bird flew off when some people arrived to fly their model planes. I can't imagine there are that many model plane enthusiasts in Millinocket but beware that their presence may be increased at the airport over the weekend (just as the number of birders will be too). Also be conscious of the fact that this bird seems to be very approachable. It was an amazing viewing experience (often through the fence) but there were a few people today (including drive-by locals with camera phones) that seemed to get too close to the bird. Use your best judgement and give the bird space to forage.

Here is a link to our checklist with more notes and photos: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31826769 I recommend watching the video that Louis digiscoped showing the bird's foraging behavior of running on the ground and snatching grasshoppers.

Good luck to anyone who makes the trip for this bird!

Doug Hitchcox

[Maine-birds] notes on viewing the Swainson's Hawk

Hey everyone:

Given the lack of updates I thought I'd post some tips from my (and other's) experiences looking for the Swainson's Hawk in Millinocket today:

Location:

In the nearly 5 hours we spent looking for/watching the hawk, it never left the northwest region of the Millinocket Municipal Airport. We first found the bird around 7:30AM roosting in the trees (I think a hemlock) on the north side of a grassy field between the airport and the 'Saint Martin of Tours Cemetery' - the bird apparently was last seen on the 29th in this same grove so it likely roosted there. The bird flew towards the airport around 8:30AM and then would perch on the fence between foraging attempts on the ground. The bird covered more ground walking/running after grasshoppers than it did flying around. I just created an eBird hotspot for the Millinocket Municipal Airport so this should help with directions and consolidating reports: http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L4958878

People:

Around 2:00PM today there was a post on the MAINE Birds Facebook Group that the hawk was seen flying out of the area but it did return about 10 minutes after being "a speck in the thermals". Apparently the bird flew off when some people arrived to fly their model planes. I can't imagine there are that many model plane enthusiasts in Millinocket but beware that their presence may be increased at the airport over the weekend (just as the number of birders will be too). Also be conscious of the fact that this bird seems to be very approachable. It was an amazing viewing experience (often through the fence) but there were a few people today (including drive-by locals with camera phones) that seemed to get too close to the bird. Use your best judgement and give the bird space to forage.

Here is a link to our checklist with more notes and photos: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31826769 I recommend watching the video that Louis digiscoped showing the bird's foraging behavior of running on the ground and snatching grasshoppers.

Good luck to anyone who makes the trip for this bird!

Doug Hitchcox

[Maine-birds] Capisic Pond - FISP and WCSP

Despite the continued construction at Capisic, there was plenty of activity there this morning. Seven species of sparrow tallied total, including a Field Sparrow and two immature White-crowned Sparrows. Most of the activity was around the wooden bridge, near the trail down from Rockland Ave.

eBird checklist;

http://ebird.org/ebird/me/view/checklist/S31825394

Good fall birding!

[Maine-birds] SWAINSONS'S HAWK - Millinocket, 9/30

The SWAINSON'S HAWK is continuing this morning on the west side of Medway Road in Millinocket, across from the airport. Louis, Josh, and I got here before sunrise but the bird didn't show until 7:30AM.

Good birding,

Doug Hitchcox

Sent from my iPhone

Thursday, 29 September 2016

[Maine-birds] SWAINSON'S HAWK - Millinocket, 9/29

Hey everyone:

Rhonda Little-Aifd just posted some stunning photos of a SWAINSON'S HAWK on the MAINE Birds Facebook Group that were taken at the Millinocket airport (Medway Road in Millinocket). She posted the bird "has been there a few days and probably will be there tomorrow."

Photos are available here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MAINEBirds/permalink/1095683360513765/

Good birding!

Doug Hitchcox

Portland, ME

[Maine-birds] Petition for bird-friendly glass on new University of New England campus in Biddeford

Hi all,

I'm not usually a fan of online petitions, but I think this one could make a difference. I also think it's one of the examples where the Maine birding community could effect the plans for a potentially very destructive building near one of the state's most popular birding destinations.

Please sign (and share widely!) this petition to encourage the University of New England in Biddeford to add bird-safe glass to their new building. They are currently planning a wall made entirely of glass, which will pose a significant and deadly threat to perhaps thousands of birds a year.

Located in one of the premier birding destinations in Maine that hosts concentrations of birds at all season - but especially during spring and fall migrations - all birders who care about birds anywhere and birding in the Hill's Beach-Biddeford Pool area need to support this. A switch to bird-safe glass (more and more products are becoming available on a regular basis) would only add marginally to overall cost, but save countless birds' lives, and make UNE an exemplified leader in bird-safe building guidelines that we can all celebrate.

Thank you for your consideration and support.

https://www.change.org/p/petition-for-bird-safe-glass-for-new-building-on-university-of-new-england-campus?recruiter=21223457&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Sincerely,

Derek

*****************************************

Derek and Jeannette Lovitch

Freeport Wild Bird Supply

541 Route One, Suite 10

Freeport, ME 04032

207-865-6000

www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com

****************************************

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

[Maine-birds] Biddeford: Marbled Godwit and Caspian Terns

Hi all,

I birded the Basket Island Causeway, Hills Beach, Biddeford on the
falling tide from 11am-1pm today.

Here are some highlights:

1 Northern Harrier
1 Bald Eagle
80+ Black-bellied Plovers
1 American Golden-Plover
1 Marbled Godwit
15 Ruddy Turnstones
6+ Red Knots
60+ Dunlin
2 White-rumped Sandpipers
3 Caspian Terns (2 adults, 1 juvenile)
1-2 Peregrine Falcons
1 Horned Lark (flyover)
1000+ Tree Swallows (mostly on/over Basket Island and Stage Island)

Complete checklist here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S31783266

Wildly,
Josh

Inspiring Nature Connection in New England
joshfecteau.com | patreon.com/JoshFecteau

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[Maine-birds] Brown Creeper

In February and March of last winter, for the first time in thirty years I had a Brown Creeper coming to a window feeder, take one husked sunflower seed and leave for the day. I a put that feeder up recently and today I had a Brown Creeper come and take one seed and leave. Same bird. I hope so.

Bob Crowley
Chatham, NH

[Maine-birds] Monhegan yesterday

I had a wonderful blue-sky day yesterday wandering Monhegan village by myself. Birds were plentiful, especially flickers, nuthatches, and sapsuckers were everywhere. At the Ice Pond I watched what I believe was a Solitary Sandpiper, foraging along the shore. At the same spot was a Brown Thrasher, Catbird, Brown Creeper (on a birch), waxwings, and a zillion yellow-rumps.

In the center of town was a flock of Rusty Blackbirds giving good looks and demonstrating their "song".

Always a good place to have a look around! The season is still going on out there.

Nancy Dickinson

Re: [Maine-birds] Bob Knight want to share 10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you

Hi Birders,

Somebody hacked my email account yesterday and sent this phishing letter out to 790 people in my email lists, and unfortunately it got onto this

list serve. Sorry . Just ignore or delete it.

Bob Knight

On Monday, September 26, 2016 at 1:39:26 PM UTC-4, Steve Plumb wrote:

This seems suspicious. The dropbox address is lubovna.eu in the EU domain and "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016)" doesn't sound bird related.

Is this spam?

-------
Steve Plumb
Nobleboro, ME 04555

On Sep 26, 2016, at 11:51 AM, Bob Knight <b...@knightarchitect.com> wrote:

Hi,

Bob just shared a folder called "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you using Dropbox."

Enjoy!
- The Dropbox Team

© 2016 Dropbox

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Monday, 26 September 2016

[Maine-birds] Rusty blackbird

Feeding under our feeder-- a first for me!

Mary Lou in Sullivan

Sent from my iPad

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[Maine-birds] Sandy Point Morning Flight, 9/26 (over 1300 plus two DICK)

Hi all,

A great flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin's Island, Yarmouth this morning. Far too under the weather yesterday to make it on what was undoubtedly also a great flight, I hoped to pick up the dregs this morning. Instead, the flight greatly surpassed my expectations. Birds were coming in waves at all levels and on both sides, at least 3 Merlins were hunting the crossing, and a stiff (and rather chilly!) wind kept a lot of birds low. It was a tough morning for counting and identifying, but it was a lot of fun - especially when a Merlin nabbed something so close to our heads we heard the impact!

6:35-10:45.
40F, NW 13mph to NNW 7.8, mostly clear.

343 Unidentified
265 Northern Parulas
122 Black-throated Green Warblers
115 Northern Flickers
102 Yellow-rumped Warblers
71 Blackpoll Warblers
47 Palm Warblers
24 American Redstarts
20 Red-breasted Nuthatches
20 Cedar Waxwings
20 Dark-eyed Juncos
18 Canada Geese
18 Black-capped Chickadees
16 Golden-crowned Kinglets
15 Red-eyed Vireos
15 Black-and-white Warblers
14 Nashville Warblers
12 White-throated Sparrows
10 Tennessee Warblers (*2nd highest count)
8 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
7 Blue-headed Vireos
7 American Goldfinches
6 Common Loons
6 White-breasted Nuthatches (* new record count!)
5 Eastern Phoebes
5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
4+ Merlins (one migrant, 3+ hunting including at least 3 successful catches)
4 Blue Jays
4 Yellow Warblers
4 Magnolia Warblers
3 Sharp-shinned Hawks
3 American Robins
2 American Pipits
2 Black-throated Blue Warblers
2 Common Yellowthroats
2 DICKCISSELS
2 White-crowned Sparrows
1 Osprey
1 unidentified vireo
1 unidentified thrush
1 Brown Creeper
1 Bay-breasted/Blackpoll warbler
1 Indigo Bunting
1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Baltimore Oriole

T= 1348

-Derek

*****************************************

Derek and Jeannette Lovitch

Freeport Wild Bird Supply

541 Route One, Suite 10

Freeport, ME 04032

207-865-6000

www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com

****************************************

Re: [Maine-birds] Bob Knight want to share 10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you

I immediately trashed it

Bill

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 26, 2016, at 1:39 PM, Steve Plumb <voiceofthefair@gmail.com> wrote:

This seems suspicious. The dropbox address is lubovna.eu in the EU domain and "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016)" doesn't sound bird related.

Is this spam?

-------
Steve Plumb
Nobleboro, ME 04555

On Sep 26, 2016, at 11:51 AM, Bob Knight <bob@knightarchitect.com> wrote:

Hi,

Bob just shared a folder called "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you using Dropbox."

Enjoy!
- The Dropbox Team

© 2016 Dropbox

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Re: [Maine-birds] Bob Knight want to share 10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you

Thanks for pointing this out, Steve. Everyone on Maine-birds should be advised to NOT click on any links unless you know where you are being directed. Anything that seems suspicious or directs you to an unknown site should be deleted.

We have been fortunate to have very little spam come through Maine-birds. Google does a great job flagging suspicious message and I am fairly surprised this made it through.

Thanks,

Doug Hitchcox

Maine-birds Moderator

On Sep 26, 2016, at 1:39 PM, Steve Plumb <voiceofthefair@gmail.com> wrote:

This seems suspicious. The dropbox address is lubovna.eu in the EU domain and "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016)" doesn't sound bird related.

Is this spam?

-------
Steve Plumb
Nobleboro, ME 04555

On Sep 26, 2016, at 11:51 AM, Bob Knight <bob@knightarchitect.com> wrote:

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Re: [Maine-birds] Bob Knight want to share 10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you

This seems suspicious. The dropbox address is lubovna.eu in the EU domain and "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016)" doesn't sound bird related.

Is this spam?

-------

Steve Plumb
Nobleboro, ME 04555

On Sep 26, 2016, at 11:51 AM, Bob Knight <bob@knightarchitect.com> wrote:

Hi,

Bob just shared a folder called "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you using Dropbox."

Enjoy!
- The Dropbox Team

© 2016 Dropbox

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[Maine-birds] Bob Knight want to share 10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you


	Hi, Bob just shared a folder called "10295 Rev. H (26-Sept-2016) with you using Dropbox." View files Enjoy! - The Dropbox Team

Sunday, 25 September 2016

[Maine-birds] Monhegan Island, 9/19-24

Hi all,
I enjoyed six glorious days on Monhegan Island with my biennial WINGS tour. We finished with 111 species on the island.

Highlights for our group each day included:
9/19: Balmy Days ferry from Boothbay Harbor:
- 1 Long-tailed Duck (FOF)
- 1 Pomarine Jaeger
- 1 Cory's Shearwater

Island:
- 1 female Orchard Oriole
- 1 Lark Sparrow
-1 Clay-colored Sparrow
- 1 Carolina Wren

9/20:
- 1 CONNECTICUT WARBLER
- 2 juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Herons
- 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- 1 Lark Sparrow
- 1 Clay-colored Sparrow
- 2 American Golden-Plovers
- 1 Cory's Shearwater
- 1 Greater Shearwater
- 1 Carolina Wren

9/21:
- 1 CONNECTICUT WARBLER
- 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
- 3 Dickcissels
- 1 Clay-colored Sparrow
- 10 Cory's and 12 Great Shearwaters plus 125 large shearwater sp.
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Eastern Kingbird
- 1 Warbling Vireo

9/24:
- 1 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
- 1 Yellow-throated Vireo
- 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
- 2 Dickcissels
- 1 American Golden-Plover
- 1 Clay-colored Sparrow
- 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- 1 Carolina Wren

9/23:
- 1 Black-billed Cuckoo
- 2 Dickcissels
- 2 Cory's Shearwaters
- 1 White-crowned Sparrow (FOF)
- pair of Pine Warblers were our 18th species of warbler on the week (a little low).

9/24:
- 2 American Pipits (FOF)
- 1 Dickcissel

Ferry back to Boothbay Harbor:
- 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (about half way)
- 2 White-winged Scoters

-Derek

Sent from my iPhone

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[Maine-birds] Broad-winged Hawks over Casco Bay

I spent about an hour after lunch watching hawks ( On Cliff Island). 13 Sharp shinned, 9 kestrel, 2 Perigrine, 1 merlin, 4 bald eagles, 5 Harrier, 4 Osprey. This is typical for the island with this wind in mid September. I usually do not see many Buteos over the bay. Then 11 Broad wings came by. Then just after three pm I looked up from work I was doing and started counting - 47 Broad-wing followed soon by 75-80 more. I wonder how many passed when I wasn't looking. About half were adults and the rest juvenile.

[Maine-birds] Ruddy Ducks

9 or 10 Ruddy Ducks, most, if not all, males, were at Sebasticook Lake this afternoon; easily visible from the boat landing in Newport. Not much else. The water level is still too high.

Wally S.

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[Maine-birds] Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle continues to be seen every few weeks from the 101 bridge traveling from NH to Maine, always on the Maine side in a dead tree. Again last night, late evening sky and pretty far away but sure was beautiful!

Deb

https://www.flickr.com/photos/143862779@N08/29924988245/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/143862779@N08/29924988465/in/dateposted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/143862779@N08/29890031776/in/dateposted-public/

Re: [Maine-birds] Mt. A hawks

I have had similar experiences in past years. Over my house in Portland about 25 years ago I counted 640 in roughly two hours on September 12th. I was seeing so many hawks I had to stop mowing the lawn and watch.

Approximately 10 years ago on September 11th I counted 1040 in three hours over my house in Cumberland. One kettle was very high. My estimate was 500+ birds. I was counting in blocks of 50 and could only see the birds against this one cloud in a clear blue sky.

I am quite surprised to hear the big push of birds over Agamenticus came so much later than in my experiences. I assume late summer warmth and a lack of north winds contributed.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 24, 2016, at 9:45 PM, Joanne Stevens <joshawk@maine.rr.com> wrote:
>
> Great day at Mt. Agamenticus with almost 1000 Broadwings. Almost all of the birds came between 1:30 and 2:30 with two kettles that joined to make 300 and another of 500. Most birds were far and high, some streaming overhead. Other species, especially Sharpies and Kestrels zipping by on nice NNW and NW winds.
>
> Joanne
>
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[Maine-birds] Midcoast warblers anyone?

I seem to be having a repeat of last year locally in Nobleboro. So I wonder if anyone knows of places where the migration has been at least steady. Somewhere between Bath and Rockland, preferably within half hour drive of the Pemaquid Peninsula. Cousins Island sounds very decent, but it's a ways. Thanks in advance, bab

Bruce Bartrug
Nobleboro, Maine, USA
bbartrug@gmail.com
www.brucebartrug.com

•The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. - Albert Einstein

•In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. -Martin Luther King

Saturday, 24 September 2016

[Maine-birds] Mt. A hawks

Great day at Mt. Agamenticus with almost 1000 Broadwings. Almost all of
the birds came between 1:30 and 2:30 with two kettles that joined to
make 300 and another of 500. Most birds were far and high, some
streaming overhead. Other species, especially Sharpies and Kestrels
zipping by on nice NNW and NW winds.

Joanne

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[Maine-birds] Birding at Pinkham Bay, Steuben, Washington County

This afternoon in Pinkham Bay we observed (among other birds) 3 Great Blue Herons, an unsuccessful Osprey fishing near the boat landing, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, 35+ Semipalmated Plovers, 8 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 40+ Semipalmated Sandpipers, 12+ Least Sandpipers, 1 Dunlin and 2 Laughing Gulls. What a beautiful day to go birding and still see shorebirds!

Merle and Anne Archie, Harrington

[Maine-birds] Yellow-crowned night-heron, Eastport

My daughters and I flushed a juvenile yellow-crowned night-heron at Hillside Cemetery in Eastport today. We saw the bird land in a nearby spruce tree and took some photos of it. This is the first YCNH that I've seen in Washington County.

A little while later we passed Woody Gillies and friends who were on a Fundy Chapter of Maine Audubon outing and so we stopped and led them to the night-heron. It's nice to see other birders in Eastport.

A photo of this YCNH can be seen here:

https://flic.kr/p/MxZRVB

Cheers,

Chris Bartlett

[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

I returned to MSI on Wednesday last but I've had little time or opportunity for birding due to construction work (lighthouse renovation) that's underway. That's also keeping most birds away from the immediate vicinity of the buildings.

Some migrants are obvious; FLICKERS for example, and CEDAR WAXWINGS.

RED BREASTED NUTHATCHES are still very abundant with several frequently in view. However, raptors are foremost.
With generally fair weather, they haven't been stopping much but yesterday produced both high through-traffic as well as lots of birds stopping to catch a meal or two.
We escaped most of the rain until afternoon but then there were periods of heavy precipitation between 14:00 and 18:00. Nonetheless, the raptors didn't slow their hunting and with several continuously cruising the island, the prey had little respite.
At one point there were 2 MERLINS and 1 HARRIER on the front lawn, each consuming a luckless victim and not at all deterred from hunting in even very heaviest rain.
There were frequently 1 to 3 KESTRELS perching on our patio, and making forays after insects (and birds) around the lawn & boardwalks.
I have no idea how many raptors may have moved through during the whole day, but at one moment I counted 6 KESTRELS, 4 HARRIERS, 3 MERLINS, 3 PEREGRINES & 2 SHARP SHINNED HAWKS as well as an (apparently) local EAGLE hunting nearby.

This morning is bright, damp and cold ..... definite Fall weather ...... and several Raptors are hunting. I've confirmed 3 different PEREGRINES, 2 HARRIERS & 3 KESTRELS present since daylight and presumed to have over-nighted here.

Along with the birds, our other fliers, mainly RED ADMIRAL and MONARCH BUTTERFLIES, are trickling through, with a stronger pulse late Thursday.

Friday, 23 September 2016

[Maine-birds] Matinicus Seal Island 9/21

Standouts included:

1 peregrine (with unidentified prey)
20 sanderling
3 black bellied plovers
2 immature bald eagles (1 live, 1 dead)
1 immature lesser black backed gull
1 lesser yellow legs (heard)

1 minke whale
Most harbor porpoise I've ever seen

Richard Podolsky

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Thursday, 22 September 2016

[Maine-birds] Schoodic Point

Passerine chips passing over campus (North Parking Lot) at about 10 chips per minute.
Interrupted by calling Northern Saw-whet Owl.
(8:30 to 9 PM). Star-filled night sky here at that time.

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Re: [Maine-birds] 2 more Great Skuas on Sept.18 GOM ferry crossing

Thanks Louis!

I hope your west coast trip went well.

Our ferry trip crossings last week could not touch the super-successful Maine Audubon trip on 9/17, but we did pretty well for six birders on a new commercial ferry.

I have a GPX track file and audio notes, on a minute-by-minute recorded log.

The LTJA which I saw monday (I had lots of jaegers on 9/12) on this ferry was a spectacular adult (flight, shape, plumage, short bill), and with long tail streamer.

Will get back to you in two days with full info.

Tom

trips33.blogspot.com

On Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 6:59 PM, Louis Bevier <lrbevier@colby.edu> wrote:

Hi Tom,

Great trip! Long-tailed Jaeger is the real star. Was that in Maine waters? If so, it's a review species and would be something good to document (photos or at least description).

Cheers,

Louis

On Sep 22, 2016, at 1:42 PM, Thomas Robben <robben99@gmail.com> wrote:

GREAT SKUAS SEEN ALONG 210-MILE "CAT" FERRY CROSSING OF GOM

Hi Everyone:

September 17-18
was the only weekend we could schedule this long Gulf Of Maine "overnight pelagic"
round-
trip for, and sorry for the
Saturday
conflict with the excellent annual Maine Audubon pelagic trip, but we (6 observers
assembled
together with only one week lead time) did okay with the birds, including our #1 target, GREAT SKUA; we got two of them, fairly close
to the ship on 9/18. As noted in 3 places below, I also ran a preparatory trip on this route on Sept.12th and filled-in a few additional species (Fulmar, Cory's and one more Great Skua):

Northern Fulmar - 0, 0

(10 on Monday 9/12 prep trip).
Cory's Shearwater - 0, 0

(1 on Monday 9/12).
Great Shearwater - 20, 85.
Sooty Shearwater - 0, 0.
Manx Shearwater - 3, 2.
Wilson's Storm-Petrel -200, 40.
Leach's Storm-Petrel - 0, 2.
Northern Gannet - 32, 32.
Double-crested Cormorant - 1, 0.
Red-necked Phalarope - 2, 0.
phalarope species - 12, 14.
Black-legged Kittiwake - 2, 0.
Bonaparte's Gull - 10, 0.
Herring Gull - 7, 3.
Great Black-backed Gull - 15, 9.
Lesser Black-backed Gull - 2, 1.
tern species - 31, 6.
Arctic Tern - 13, 0.
GREAT SKUA - 0, 2

(
plus
1 on Monday 9/12)
Pomarine Jaeger - 3, 2.
Long-tailed Jaeger - 1, 0.
jaeger species - 3, 16.
Atlantic Puffin - 1, 0.

The pairs of numbers shown are for birds seen on 9/17 and
on
9/18
, the two legs of our GOM ferry round trip, 210-miles each way
. Harbor birds are excluded.

We also confirmed that the new CAT ferry (formerly called Alakai
Superferry
, when it was working in Hawaii) is more bird
er-
friendly than we expected. Even at high speed (35 knots) the ship is stable and has less vibration than we expected. The front views from behind glass are good, and the two side views from open decks are excellent and a full 180 degrees wide. The open rear deck is a good place to sit and relax, but hot exhaust from the engines
can
blur parts of that rear view. All onboard facilities are very good, and the crew is very friendly and helpful.

http://www.ferries.ca/thecat/

Thanks to our collaborative team of
six
Observers
that worked well together
:
Nicole Giambro, Christine Howe, Anthony Laguidara, Dan Nickerson, Dave Pettee, Tom Robben.

Thanks to HAS (Hartford Audubon Society
, CT
) for enabling this trip, and thanks to Bay Ferries Ltd for working closely with us on this project.

For more trip details and photos, see this website:
http://trips33.blogspot.com

And see David Pettee eBird reports on 9/18/2016 for skua photos.

Thanks and good birding,

Tom Robben
robben99@gmail.com

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