Saturday, 17 June 2017

[Maine-birds] Great birding in Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument on Wednesday

Thanks to Jeff for that awesome description of birding at Katahdin woods and waters. I'm planning to head up there soon. If anyone wants to write a letter of support for the park they can go to https://nrcm.salsalabs.org/kwwcomments/index.html

Leda Beth Gray 
Blue Hill 

 


Sent from my iPod

On Jun 16, 2017, at 2:38 PM, maine-birds@googlegroups.com wrote:

Kathryn Davis <kedavis4@gmail.com>: Jun 16 10:03AM -0700

Yesterday evening about 6:30 pm, I stopped to try and see the male and
female King Rails on Elldridge Rd in Wells Maine. Within minutes both the
male and female stepped out of the marshes into a small ditch right in
front of me. The female spotted me and went back into the reeds but the
male just walked away from me staying in the ditch. I watched him off and
on for about 10 minutes before he finally disappeared back into marsh.
Having both male and female there at the same time, it was easy to see the
differences between the two with the male being much larger and having a
more vivid overall appearance.
Charles Duncan <charles.d.duncan@gmail.com>: Jun 16 09:57AM -0700

Most birders who have visited Monhegan island met the inimitable Tom Martin on the Island at some point. Tom died in December at age 95. All are invited to the memorial, tomorrow from 12:30 - 2:30 pm at the Monhegan Island Church. (In other words you can come out on the 10:30 boat from Port Clyde and return on the 4:30 boat.) Hope to see many of you there.
Jeff Wells <jeffwells@borealbirds.org>: Jun 16 01:53PM

On Wednesday, June 14, I had the pleasure of birding from about dawn until early afternoon in parts of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and while there also ran into birders Anita Mueller from Millinocket and Lance Benner from California (but who grew up in Waterville). I had 58 or so species and collectively I think the list is probably close to 70 species. Much of the area is loaded with Magnolia Warblers, Nashville Warblers, Canada Warblers, Winter Wrens, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Swainson's and Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers and, in the hardwood dominated areas, lots of Black-throated Blue Warblers, Scarlet Tanagers, and Eastern Wood-Pewees. There are, of course, Black-and-white Warblers, American Redstarts, Chestnut-sided Warblers, Pine Warblers, Blackburnian Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-headed Vireos, and lots of White-throated Sparrows.
 
I had a Gray Jay along the road that leads south right before the Sandbank Campsite and some White-winged Crossbills overhead there. There is a beautiful pond in there and near that I had a cooperative Palm Warbler and several Yellow-bellied Flycatchers.
 
In the area near Sandbank Campsite and along the road that juts off to the right before the bridge near the entrance sign to the Loop Road, I had a Bay-breasted Warbler and Anita said that she had at least three further up that side road. I also saw a displaying pair of Goshawks and Lance later saw one carrying food there. Further down that side road all three of us independently had an Olive-sided Flycatcher belting out it's "Quick-Three-Beers" song. Anita mentioned that there was a Black-backed Woodpecker in that area (we had one there in past years) as well as Spruce Grouse although I don't think any of us found one on Wednesday. I had a couple of White-winged Crossbills flying overhead there as well.
 
I had a Black-backed Woodpecker at Lynx Pond near the beginning of the Loop Road where I also had an Olive-sided Flycatcher, Rusty Blackbird (but watch out as there are also Common Grackles there), Wilson's Warbler, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher on the side across the road from the pond. I was interested to see a pair of Chimney Swifts again this year there in this area where there are no chimneys only natural hollow tree cavities for them to nest in. There were also lots of flowers, frogs, dragonflies, damselflies, tiger beetles, butterflies (incredible numbers of swallowtails) for those inclined towards those other parts of the biota!
 
I find it so wonderful to bird on the National Monument lands because you know you are on public lands so you are free to wander around without worry of getting in the way of any industrial activities or private lands. It is also really fun to go up there now and explore to find out where some of the best places are for certain birds-- birders have only scratched the surface so far as it is a big place!
 
I believe that Lance and Anita bumped into Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke when they were birding at Sandbank Campsite and were interviewed by media about their great birding experiences. I arrived a little after noon at the famed Katahdin lookout (which provides truly spectacular views of the mountain and surrounding landscape all the way down to Millinocket Lake) where I intended to eat my lunch. When I got there I discovered Secretary Zinke having a press conference surrounded by a gaggle of media with Mount Katahdin in the background. I listened in to the press conference while I looked for birds and enjoyed watching a singing male Chestnut-sided Warbler in the scope as Zinke was speaking. Allison and I noticed on the interview with him on this morning's Maine Public Radio that there was a Northern Parula singing in the background as he spoke and I wonder if that was recorded at the Katahdin lookout while I was there?
 
In this time of much negative stuff going on, I would urge individual birders as well as every Audubon chapter and birding club in the state to consider a birding trip to the National Monument as a way to use our love of birds and birding to show positive support for the National Monument as an important bird conservation effort and to put some money into the local economy by staying overnight at local businesses, eating in local restaurants, and buying gas and supplies at local stores. Let your binoculars be seen and/or tell the businesses that you are there to go birding in the National Monument. This would be a way to engage in the activity that we love while having it provide positive benefits to the economy and people of the region, not to mention the birds.
 
If you do go up you might consider sharing photos and video through various social media channels (if you are so inclined) and tagging those who should be aware of all these positive experiences and benefits and to be encouraging of more birders and naturalists visiting the National Monument.
 
I would add that it is only about a 30 minute drive in to the National Monument from either the Millinocket or Sherman exit off of I-95 so it is very accessible and the Park Service has done a good job with signage and ensuring the dirt roads are well maintained.
 
And, yes, I will get my sightings into eBird soon so the locations can be seen there!
 
Jeff
 
Jeff Wells, Ph.D.
Science and Policy Director, Boreal Songbird Initiative
Kristen Lindquist <kelindquist@gmail.com>: Jun 16 02:20PM

Thank you so much for sharing this detailed, thorough account of your
birding adventures in KWWNM, Jeff! I really appreciate learning what
species may be found there and am now even more excited to visit the area
myself.
 
I also really appreciate your recommendation to publicize positive
experiences (like yours!) on these new public lands. If you love Maine
birds, the value of places like the new monument, where there is no threat
of future development or potential resource destruction, cannot be
overstated, and (hopefully) transcends politics. Many many of our favorite
birds, as you've listed here, depend on Maine's North Woods, and your
account is a wonderful reminder of its critical importance to the continued
existence of the birds we love.
 
Kristen
 
On Fri, Jun 16, 2017 at 9:54 AM Jeff Wells <jeffwells@borealbirds.org>
wrote:
 
 
--
Kristen Lindquist Website: kristenlindquist.com Haiku blog:
www.klindquist.blogspot.com
David Small <docfinsdave@gmail.com>: Jun 16 06:41AM -0400

Yesterday looking for the snowy plover, but no. Lots of other rewards
though!
 
http://photosbychance.zenfolio.com/p432832521/h8d8802b3#h8d8802b3
 
Cheers,
Dave
You received this digest because you're subscribed to updates for this group. You can change your settings on the group membership page.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it send an email to maine-birds+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
Posted by at

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)