[Maine-birds] Snow Geese

At about 4:30pm this afternoon there were about 1000 Canada Geese with
51 Snow Geese at Sherman's Farm. One of the Snow Geese was a Blue Morph.
This is right on the state line;

Pictures can be seen at https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44129317

Bob Crowley
Chatham, NH

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Snow Geese"

[Maine-birds] Prout's Pond, Scarborough, 3/31: Northern Shoveler, Am. Wigeon & other ducks

Scoped from behind the Pleasant Hill Cafe this afternoon were a drake Northern Shoveler, 11 American Wigeon, at least 30 Ring-necked Ducks, roughly 45 Common Mergansers, 4 Hooded Mergansers and only a pair of Mallards.

checklist (no photos): https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44136709

Seen at Eastern Road yesterday were 12 Green-winged Teal, 2 Northern Pintail and 6 American Tree Sparrows.  checklist (no photos): https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44136251

Also today at Pillsbury St. in South Portland was a male Merlin, who has been seen around the same tall spruce for about a month now.

Sean Smith

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Prout's Pond, Scarborough, 3/31: Northern Shoveler, Am. Wigeon & other ducks"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (31 Mar 2018) 56 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	22	204	204
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	5	55	55
Northern Harrier	1	3	3
Sharp-shinned Hawk	5	21	21
Cooper's Hawk	0	21	21
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	1	46	46
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	12	103	103
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	8	9	9
Merlin	1	3	3
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	1	1
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	1	2	2
Total:	56	472	472

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	17:00:00
Total observation time:	8.5 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Asa Paul, Derek Lovitch, Lionel Quirion, Susan Rowe, Tim Paul

Visitors:
Quite a lot of people were enjoying the park today. 47 people stopped at the hawkwatch.

Weather:
Clear skies persisted for the day today. The sun was shining bright, making for air temps in the high 40's. Having zero cloud cover felt great for observers, but made for tough spotting of birds overhead. Unfortunately there was a little stronger wind than predicted, early on, mostly from the north. As the day progressed, the winds slowly shifted to the west and eventually south and east southeast. Visibility was pretty good, with some heat distortion apparent.

Raptor Observations:
The day started off slowly, given the wind direction, but the afternoon was really fun, with a mix of different species. Birders and non birders were excited to see a male Northern Harrier fly low past the mountain in the afternoon light. We had a few other great looks at American Kestrels, during a late day Falcon flight. We could have had a nice look at a Merlin too, if it had slowed down a bit. Derek and I stayed an extra half hour, and were able to pick up a few more birds, including a group of 11 Turkey Vultures.

Non-raptor Observations:
The first of the year Tree Swallows were spotted today; 16 in total. The summit seemed unseasonably quite today. A total of only 21 species were seen or heard. Other species deemed migrating included: 332 Canada Geese 38 American Crows 14 Common Mergansers 13 Common Grackles 8 Ring-billed Gulls 7 Duck spp. 6 Eastern Bluebirds 4 American Blackducks 3 Killdeer

Predictions:
It should be another relatively clear sky day tomorrow. High temps may reach into the 50's, and winds appear to be coming from the southwest for the first half of the day, possibly changing to more westerly by the afternoon. With few clouds and plenty of sun, there could be some good thermal production in conjunction with favorable winds. Higher wind speeds and some gusts could be an issue. Tomorrow could be interesting.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (31 Mar 2018) 56 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] Common Loon

Wake up, stretch, then lunch.

Camden Harbor.

http://photosbychance.zenfolio.com/p432832521/ha72e9cd4#ha72e9cd4

Cheers,

Dave

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Common Loon"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (30 Mar 2018) 6 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 30, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	182	182
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	1	50	50
Northern Harrier	0	2	2
Sharp-shinned Hawk	3	16	16
Cooper's Hawk	0	21	21
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	1	45	45
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	1	91	91
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	1	1
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	1	1
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	6	416	416

Observation start time:	10:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	5.75 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Bob Timberlake, Jeannette Lovitch

Visitors:
9 visitors today. If anyone plans on coming to the hawkwatch this weekend, the summit trail still has some small patches of ice, and a lot of mud.

Weather:
The start of today's count was delayed by two hours, due to lingering fog, which reduced visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. The fog eventually started to clear, and there were a few breaks of sun which really heated things up, at least momentarily. The sky remained mostly cloudy with some scattered showers throughout the area. Winds shifted from SSW to NNW by the end of the count period. Temps climbed up to 50 degrees, in the shade. Visibility ran the gamut from poor to good.

Raptor Observations:
There could be a resident Red-shouldered Hawk in the park, to the east. The bird has been seen circling in the area, and today was driving away a Red-tailed Hawk, doing its display flight as it made its typical kee-aah call.

Non-raptor Observations:
The summit was very quiet today. 22 species were seen or heard. Birds deemed migrating north included: 46 Canada Geese 27 Blackbird spp. 26 American Robins 23 duck spp. 20 Great Blue Herons 12 European Starlings 1 Killdeer

Predictions:
High pressure will be moving in Saturday, from the west, bringing mostly clear skies, and temps ranging somewhere in the 40's. Winds ought to be light at around 10 mph, starting out from the NW and shifting to SW by the afternoon, which would be great for birds headed north.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (30 Mar 2018) 6 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] This Week's Highlights, 3/27-3/30

Hi all,

My sightings of note over the past 4 days included the following:

- first significant push of large flocks of Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds this week, with a definite flight of Song Sparrows on a couple of nights this week (especially overnight 3/28-29).

- 1 Great Egret (FOY), Scarborough Marsh, 3/27 (with Zane Baker)

- 2 Fish Crows, Route 1, Wells, 3/29 (with Phil McCormack)

- 1 Fish Crow, Wells Beach, 3/29 (with Phil McCormack)

- 1 DOVEKIE, 53 Red-necked Grebes, 2 Harlequin Ducks, and 6 Razorbills, Moody Point, Wells, 3/29 (with Phil McCormack).

- 42 Harlequin Ducks, 42 Purple Sandpipers, 1 continuing Yellow-rumped Warbler, etc, Marginal Way, Ogunquit, 3/29 (with Phil McCormack).

- 1 Brown-headed Cowbird (FOY), The Sweatshirt Shop, Wells, 3/29 (with Phil McCormack).

-Derek 

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

 Derek and Jeannette Lovitch

 Freeport Wild Bird Supply

 541 Route One, Suite 10

 Freeport, ME 04032

 207-865-6000

 www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com  

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

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] This Week's Highlights, 3/27-3/30"

[Maine-birds] Black-crowned Night Herons - Mercy Pond, Portland

I stopped by Mercy Pond this afternoon to see if any of the Black-crowned Night Herons were back and to my delight there were two adults.

Here is the full list and a terrible picture I got through my binoculars.

https://ebird.org/atlasme/view/checklist/S44094380

Nathan Hall

Portland, ME

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Black-crowned Night Herons - Mercy Pond, Portland"

[Maine-birds] Finch Fest

Upon further review, the ruling on the field has been reversed. I was up in the north woods last Sunday, and later posted that I had seen two black-backed woodpeckers and three American three-toed woodpeckers. But when I reviewed my video, it turned out that one pair of ATTWs foraging together was actually a BBWO and ATTW together. This is the third time I’ve seen both species foraging that closely together in the same tree.

 

The evidence is at 5:39 of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIcNwDXzurU.

 

Bob Duchesne

Virus-free. www.avast.com

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Finch Fest"

[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

RAZORBILLS & COMMON MURRES made their first foray onto the island last evening, March 29th.
They have remained overnight.
As is frequently the case when they 1st come to land, weather has been wet and foggy.

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Re: [Maine-birds] Bluebirds and FOY Spring Peepers!

Our bluebirds were gone all winter but this week they're back, singing away and checking out nestboxes.

No frogs yet--we're still all iced up here in Sidney, but the snow is receding and I have singing robins, cardinals, rw blackbirds, grackles, goldfinches and purple finches. So nice to hear birdsong after the long winter.

Julia

On Fri, Mar 30, 2018 at 7:58 AM, 'Pete Darling' via Maine birds <maine-birds@googlegroups.com> wrote:

The fields on the other side of the road from the Cape Elizabeth dump have E Bluebirds almost all winter. And FOY Spring Peepers while walking the dogs this morning!!

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 29, 2018, at 1:30 PM, Sarah Caputo <catbird338@hotmail.com> wrote:

I do not have winter resident bluebirds, but had a FOY male singing this morning.

Sarah

Center Montville

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Bluebirds and FOY Spring Peepers!"

Re: [Maine-birds] Bluebirds and FOY Spring Peepers!

The fields on the other side of the road from the Cape Elizabeth dump have E Bluebirds almost all winter. And FOY Spring Peepers while walking the dogs this morning!!

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 29, 2018, at 1:30 PM, Sarah Caputo <catbird338@hotmail.com> wrote:

I do not have winter resident bluebirds, but had a FOY male singing this morning.

Sarah

Center Montville

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Bluebirds and FOY Spring Peepers!"

Re: [Maine-birds] Bald eagle Brunswick 3/23

No, surprisingly unbothered by the comings and goings below. I'd estimate it was about 30' up with a number of branches below providing some cover.

> On Mar 29, 2018, at 9:45 PM, Sean Hatch <seanarih@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Was he attacking onlookers?
>
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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Bald eagle Brunswick 3/23"

[Maine-birds] Bald eagle Brunswick 3/23

Was he attacking onlookers?

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Bald eagle Brunswick 3/23"

[Maine-birds] Bald eagle Brunswick 3/23

Just found this lurking in my outbox. Better late than never.

Bald eagle in pine tree next to Bowdoin College admissions. Eating a squirrel and attacking lots of attention.

Steve Plumb

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Bald eagle Brunswick 3/23"

[Maine-birds] Turkey Vulture

3/29/18 - I saw my first Turkey Vulture of the year this afternoon in Guilford.

Aloyse Larrabee, Dexter

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Turkey Vulture"

Re: [Maine-birds] false alarms at bird feeders

Yes, our yard too is full of AMGOs with no Siskins in sight, but I love the finch chitter-chatter and am eager to hear FEE-BEE and OLD MAN PEABODY, PEABODY, PEABODY! I will watch and listen for a trickster BCCH. Birds never fail to amaze and intrigue. 

Maggie Strickland

Harmony, Maine

On Thu, Mar 29, 2018 at 6:21 PM, Scott Cronenweth <scottcronenweth@icloud.com> wrote:

Happy spring, birding friends! Here in the western mountains our back doors and bird feeders are reappearing from beneath the snow. I don't do much feeder-watching, but today I caught something intriguing that I never noticed before (with this particular cast of characters, anyhow). 

The most numerous single species at my feeders right now is American Goldfinch. They outnumber all other visitors combined. Often they swing by in a flock and swirl around, exhibiting a fair bit of jittery pugnaciousness and collectively putting off other visitors like Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches.

This afternoon, as I sorted through the AMGOs hoping for a Pine Siskin, I saw and heard a chickadee make an alarm call. Immediately all the AMGOs flew up into the trees. But the BCCH that raised the alarm, far from heeding it him/herself, zipped in and grabbed a seed. A few minutes later the same scenario played out: BCCH alarm, AMGO panic, BCCH leisurely nosh. The second time a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and a Downy Woodpecker seemed to be in on the game, and swooped in immediately along with the false-alarming chickadee. 

I wonder how many times that works before the AMGOs catch on...

Ah, birds — don't you just love 'em?! 

Peace & good birding,

Scott Cronenweth

Industry, ME

scottcronenweth@icloud.com

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] false alarms at bird feeders"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (29 Mar 2018) 73 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 29, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	39	182	182
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	3	49	49
Northern Harrier	2	2	2
Sharp-shinned Hawk	6	13	13
Cooper's Hawk	1	21	21
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	9	44	44
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	13	90	90
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	1	1
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	1	1
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	73	410	410

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Derek Lovitch, Lionel Quirion, Susan Rowe

Visitors:
14 people stopped by the hawkwatch today, including some very interested biology students.

Weather:
Today was about as warm as predicted, but a very light SE breeze coming off the Atlantic gave the air a slight chill. There were a few periods of direct sun on the summit, as cloud cover shifted around. By the final hour, the edge of a weather system approaching from the W darkened the sky, bringing with it some damp air.

Raptor Observations:
Another pretty good day of raptor migration. A little past midday saw the bigger flights. Today bought our first Northern Harrier of the season. The bird was spotted high, to the east, slowly and buoyantly plodding along. Turkey Vultures had a bit of a rally this afternoon, coming through in small groups of 5 to 8, maybe feeling compelled to get ahead of the approaching rain.

Non-raptor Observations:
Birds deemed migrating to the north included: 486 Blackbird spp. 372 Canada Geese 14 American Crows 13 European Starlings 11 Mallard/Black Duck spp. 7 Common Mergansers 5 Killdeer 4 Eastern Bluebirds 1 Ring-billed Gull

Predictions:
A cold front should be moving out tomorrow morning along with some precipitation. Fog could be an issue in the morning, as warmer air sweeps over the colder ground. Clouds may diminish slightly throughout the day, and temps could climb back to the 50's. Wind direction is looking pretty good currently, from the SW at 8-10mph. Hopefully things clear out on the early side, and there are some birds waiting behind the weather.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (29 Mar 2018) 73 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] false alarms at bird feeders

Happy spring, birding friends! Here in the western mountains our back doors and bird feeders are reappearing from beneath the snow. I don't do much feeder-watching, but today I caught something intriguing that I never noticed before (with this particular cast of characters, anyhow). 

The most numerous single species at my feeders right now is American Goldfinch. They outnumber all other visitors combined. Often they swing by in a flock and swirl around, exhibiting a fair bit of jittery pugnaciousness and collectively putting off other visitors like Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted Nuthatches.

This afternoon, as I sorted through the AMGOs hoping for a Pine Siskin, I saw and heard a chickadee make an alarm call. Immediately all the AMGOs flew up into the trees. But the BCCH that raised the alarm, far from heeding it him/herself, zipped in and grabbed a seed. A few minutes later the same scenario played out: BCCH alarm, AMGO panic, BCCH leisurely nosh. The second time a pair of White-breasted Nuthatches and a Downy Woodpecker seemed to be in on the game, and swooped in immediately along with the false-alarming chickadee. 

I wonder how many times that works before the AMGOs catch on...

Ah, birds — don't you just love 'em?! 

Peace & good birding,

Scott Cronenweth

Industry, ME

scottcronenweth@icloud.com

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] false alarms at bird feeders"

[Maine-birds] Bluebirds

I do not have winter resident bluebirds, but had a FOY male singing this morning.

Sarah

Center Montville

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Bluebirds"

[Maine-birds] Bowdoinham ducks

I went up to Bowdoinham to check on the ice melt... it's mostly melted! 29 Common Mergansers on the water on left over bridge (from Topsham), along with 4 Eagles and 1 Wood Duck. There were 8 Hoodies on a small inlet across from the gas station. Also, 10 House Sparrows, 1 male Cardinal and 2 Pigeons floating on an ice block along the river. About 35 C Geese flew over. The other bridge further along had 130 Mallards hanging out. Browns Point was comparatively deserted but I tallied 7 Robins, 4 Red-winged Blackbirds and 2 Mourning Doves. Sorry, I did not document the gulls.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Bowdoinham ducks"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (28 Mar 2018) 132 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 28, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	64	143	143
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	6	46	46
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	5	7	7
Cooper's Hawk	4	20	20
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	21	35	35
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	30	77	77
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	1	1	1
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	1	1	1
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	132	337	337

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Dave Fensore, Tom Downing

Visitors:
21 people stopped by the hawkwatch today. Thanks to the people who helped me spot some birds today.

Weather:
Today was calm and cool to start, the sky dark with clouds, which slowly receded, becoming mostly sunny for the better part of the day. Winds remained very light, and we actually saw a few brief moments of SW and SE which was a first for the season. Temperatures were pleasant, in the high 40's. Visibility remained clear, with a slight haze in the afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
Raptors took to the air early on and continued to increase in number, hitting their zenith around mid afternoon. Eagles put on a good show for visitors, soaring and chasing each other directly overhead, vocalizing multiple times at a young Red-tailed Hawk who was looking for a fight. Our first American Kestrel came in close to the summit, its reddish tail feathers lit up by the afternoon sun. The bird could be seen grabbing a snack in mid flight.

Non-raptor Observations:
Non raptor species also took advantage of the propitious flying weather. Birds deemed migrating included: 1005 Blackbird spp. 381 Canada Geese 38 American Crows 29 European Starlings 4 Common Mergansers 2 Killdeer (FOY) 1 Great Blue Heron (FOY)

Predictions:
Tomorrow is shaping up to be a pretty nice day. Winds don't appear to be ideal, but should remain light and from the north, with a possible shift to east by the afternoon. Temps may climb even higher than today, reaching 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Partly cloudy skies could turn to mostly cloudy as another small weather system approaches for Friday.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Also, the 2018 Hawkwatch t-shirts are now available: 

https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/product-page/bradbury-spring-hawkwatch-t-shirt

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (28 Mar 2018) 132 Raptors"

Re: [Maine-birds] Ruffed Grouse Kennebunk

I need a few of those kinds of grouse in my yard. :-)

A few years back a friend of mine had a Ruffed Grouse which came into his yard every day and ate food out of his hand.  I found it hard to believe until I saw it for myself.

Wally S.

On Tue, 27 Mar 2018 19:29:29 -0700 (PDT), Garrett Erickson-Harris wrote:

Today a family member witnessed a ruffed grouse attack a squirrel at my house. The squirrel was apparently foraging on what ground has been opened up by melting snow, and the ruffed grouse flew out of the tree and "hit" the squirrel. The grouse then began foraging on the same area of open ground the squirrel was on. This ruffed grouse was first seen at my house on Sunday, where he was feeding on the same piece of open land. He stayed for about 4 hours Sunday hanging out underneath the swingset and foraging on the open land before he wandered off into the woods and flew away.

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Ruffed Grouse Kennebunk"

[Maine-birds] Ruffed Grouse Kennebunk

Today a family member witnessed a ruffed grouse attack a squirrel at my house. The squirrel was apparently foraging on what ground has been opened up by melting snow, and the ruffed grouse flew out of the tree and "hit" the squirrel. The grouse then began foraging on the same area of open ground the squirrel was on. This ruffed grouse was first seen at my house on Sunday, where he was feeding on the same piece of open land. He stayed for about 4 hours Sunday hanging out underneath the swingset and foraging on the open land before he wandered off into the woods and flew away.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Ruffed Grouse Kennebunk"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (27 Mar 2018) 36 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 27, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	17	79	79
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	6	40	40
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	2	2
Cooper's Hawk	1	16	16
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	4	14	14
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	7	47	47
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	0	0
Merlin	1	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	1	1
Total:	36	205	205

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Derek Lovitch, Jeannette Lovitch
Observers:	Chuck Barnes, Rick Hartzell, Tom Downing

Visitors:
12 people visited the Hawkwatch today.

Weather:
A chilly start gave way to a temperate day. Light winds and clear skies to start, slowly gave way to light NE to E and cloudy skies. Winds dropped off around 3:00 EDT and with a few puffs from the south, a late afternoon pulse of birds, led by a kettle of 6 Turkey Vultures moved through.

Raptor Observations:
Local Bald Eagles were active again, but in the afternoon, an unexpected long-duration chase ensued as a very bothered 2nd cycle Bald spent over 15 minutes harassing, bombing, chasing, and otherwise pestering a 4th-cycle bird. The 4th-cycle bird would barrel roll for each dive, extending its talons in defense. After appearing well to the south over Yarmouth and continuing past the summit and disappearing beyond the Brunswick comm tower, the two individuals were counted as migrants - even if they were migrating about as inefficiently as possible.

Non-raptor Observations:
31 species were seen or heard from the summit today. Birds deemed migrating included: 56 Canada Geese 7 Purple Finches 6 American Goldfinches 3 Pine Siskins 2 Common Merganers 2 Eastern Bluebirds 2 Common Grackles 1 Horned Lark 1 American Robin

Predictions:
As we anxiously await the first "really good" day and the opening of the floodgates, we look at the next few days with optimism. While a few showers may still be an annoyance in the morning, the lights winds could turn south to southwest in the afternoon. If they do, and the day warms up enough, it could be a good day - finally. If clouds stay thick, number won't be too special, but I do expect a decent push as long as precipitation clears early enough.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (27 Mar 2018) 36 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] sightings

A deer carcass has emerged from the snowmelt on Haley Rd in Kittery and has been attracting crows, eagles, and vultures from time to time, though most of the times I drive by no birds are dining.  Sunday I was surprised to see a Greater Black-backed Gull chowing down while two TVs watched patiently. 

 

Small groups of blackbirds more common every day here.  Hawk sightings are up, especially accipiters, just from driving about.  Pileated woodpeckers seem more present too, though I mostly attribute that to luck.  At the feeder, the goldfinches are starting to yellow.  In damp areas the Canadas are starting to act domestic in pairs, breaking away from the winter flocks, and a pair of mallards in every puddle!

 

Dave Tucker, Kittery pt

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] sightings"

[Maine-birds] 30-toed Woodpeckers

I’ve been watching the weather, waiting for that perfect day to get up to the Chamberlain Lake area, scouting out my favorite woodpeckers. Today was the day. And I wanted to be there at dawn, so I went up last night and slept in the car…well, the van…well, the big van. I tried to get to sleep early, but a saw-whet owl kept piping for hours. It was so close, I could hear it through the closed doors, the little twerp. I didn’t bring a thermometer and I don’t know what the temp was when I woke up, but urine froze before hitting the ground, so I’m guessing daybreak started cold. It warmed quickly.

 

Finch fest. Chamberlain Bridge was alive at sunrise, with tons of siskins and crossbills. Most were red crossbills – type 173, I think. Purple finches were in full song. It was noisy the whole dad-gummed day. I birded my usual haunts west of there. There were just as many siskins along the road, but most of the crossbills were white-winged. And THEY were singing up a storm. At least five brown creepers were singing. Through that stretch, I encountered two black-backed woodpeckers and three American three-toed woodpeckers. That’s a total of 30 toes.

 

Officially, the calendar says it is spring. But there is still four feet of snow on the ground up there, and it was a sloppy ride home after the temperatures rose.

 

Bob Duchesne

Woodpecker Whisperer

Virus-free. www.avast.com

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] 30-toed Woodpeckers"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (26 Mar 2018) 24 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park

Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 26, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	3	62	62
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	0	34	34
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	2	2	2
Cooper's Hawk	1	15	15
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	6	10	10
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	11	40	40
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	0	0
Merlin	0	1	1
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	1	1	1
Total:	24	169	169

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Tom Downing

Visitors:
13 people came by the hawkwatch today, one of whom decided to share a personal, heartbreaking story, figuratively and literally.

Weather:
It was a beautiful day to be outdoors. The sky was almost entirely cloudless until one small cirrus cloud peaked out from around the mountain looking for a little attention. Temperatures were mild at about 40 degrees, for a high. Winds continued to be mostly from the north and northeast today. With the abundant sun came a lot of heat distortion.

Raptor Observations:
The day started very slowly, with nothing being counted for the first three hours. A few of the Red Shoulders which passed by today came in relatively close to the summit, providing great looks at the birds beautiful plumage. Other migrants gained significant altitude, making for the first real neck cramping day. Today saw the first Sharp-shinned Hawk of the season. The bird was making evasive maneuvers from a pair of crows, ducking, dipping, and diving like a small bait fish.

Non-raptor Observations:
19 species of birds were seen or heard from the summit today.

Predictions:
A ridge of high pressure is going to keep us separated from some weather to our west, making for a nice Tuesday. Cloud cover should be minimal. Temps could climb to the mid 40's. Winds are still predicted to be from the north northeast but pretty light. If tomorrow starts off where today left off, it could shape up to a decent day.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (26 Mar 2018) 24 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (25 Mar 2018) 17 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park

Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 25, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	17	59	59
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	0	34	34
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	0	0
Cooper's Hawk	0	14	14
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	4	4
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	0	29	29
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	0	0
Merlin	0	1	1
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	0	0
Total:	17	145	145

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Bill Ferdinand

Visitors:
48 visitors today, on Maine Maple Sunday.

Weather:
Blustery east northeast winds swept over the summit for the majority of the day, becoming calm by the last thirty minutes of the count. Snow flurries came and went multiple times over the coarse of the day, never amounting to anything on the ground. My brand new thermometer was working like a champ, telling me the highest air temperature of the day was a whopping 37 degrees, but the windchill made it feel closer to the high twenties. Visibility was good overall, except for the occasional snowfall.

Raptor Observations:
More Eagle activity over Pownal.

Non-raptor Observations:
Only 10 species were detected from the summit today.

Predictions:
Winds still don't appear to be ideal tomorrow, coming mostly from the north and possibly a little easterly. Wind speed however, should be relatively light, at 10 mph. It looks like the sun should be out during the day, helping to bump the temperature up to a more seasonable 40 degrees. With a bit more sun to help produce thermals, maybe we'll see the return of some more Turkey Vultures.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (25 Mar 2018) 17 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] Pileated Woodpecker

March 25, 7:45 am: There was a lovely Pileated Woodpecker just outside our kitchen window.

Aloyse Larrabee, Dexter

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Pileated Woodpecker"

[Maine-birds] FOYs Skowhegan

This morning brought 8 Canada Geese, 1 drake Bufflehead and 3 Common Goldeneyes.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] FOYs Skowhegan"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (24 Mar 2018) 4 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 24, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	2	42	42
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	0	34	34
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	0	0
Cooper's Hawk	0	14	14
Northern Goshawk	0	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	4	4
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	2	29	29
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	0	0
Merlin	0	1	1
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	0	0
Total:	4	128	128

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	7.83 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:

Visitors:
41 people visited the sight today, 1 of whom stole a piece of my equipment during the one o'clock hour. Focusing on the positive, the highlight of my day was when a pleasant women from the Caribbean came up to the summit asking for me by name. After introducing myself, she told me she was new to birding and was hoping to see a Bald Eagle while she was visiting the states. Like some kind of magic trick, I stepped backwards and told her to set her gaze upon the eyepiece of my scope, where she was treated to an immature Eagle. She was thrilled, I was thrilled, we both laughed.

Weather:
A fairly mild weather day at the mountain today. Temps climbed to the low 40's. Clouds increased quickly during the morning hours, until there was no blue sky left to be found. Visibility was good for most of the day. Unfortunately, winds were still mostly out of the north. With 15 minutes left in the day, a snow squall moved in from the east northeast, to bid me farewell.

Raptor Observations:
A Cooper's hawk was out early, performing a display flight, flapping like a giant moth it would swoop low, pull up with its wings tucked, shooting skyward like a toy bottle rocket. Other than the Coop, it was fairly slow. The two Red-tails which were counted were two of the highest migrants yet, passing directly overhead to the north. Eagles were still hanging around.

Non-raptor Observations:
A few more geese were spotted moving north this morning. Brown Creepers have begun to sing at the summit, along with Dark-eyed Juncos.

Predictions:
Clouds will most likely start the day tomorrow, with some clearing towards the end of the day. Winds are still predicted to be out of the north and maybe a little east. Temperatures could slowly climb towards 40, but winds of 10-15 mph will make that feel closer to 30. Unfortunately, with a headwind from the northeast, it could be a day of watching local birds shift around.

---

Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

---

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (24 Mar 2018) 4 Raptors"

Fwd: [Maine-birds] Eastern Rd., Scarborough today: FOY Snowy Egret & Savannah Sparrows

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Sean S <therefromhere168@gmail.com>
Date: March 23, 2018 at 8:20:02 PM EDT
To: Maine Birding List <maine-birds@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Maine-birds] Eastern Rd., Scarborough today: FOY Snowy Egret & Savannah Sparrows

Today there were a SNOWY EGRET, 3 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, a pair of Gadwall and at least 25 Northern Pintails seen by myself and Jeff Webb along Eastern Road in Scarborough, all FOY's.  Since I had my camera with me and took some photos I thought I'd attempt the eBird experience again.  Here is the list, hopefully with the Snowy included:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S43896993

I've had mega frustrations with eBird in the past, as usually when I felt inspired to start using the site regularly and in earnest, it was because of seeing something I wanted to report that they deemed too out of the ordinary to take my word on (for example a spring migratory fallout of 8 Blackpoll Warblers one morning at Essex St. Woods in Bangor).   Never extreme rarities, but eBird's gatekeepers always sternly wanted DETAILS beyond what I was able to provide, and though Louis Bevier was extremely helpful in trying to get me set up, I gave up after a couple of futile attempts. 

eBird is a worthy site whose bar charts I find especially helpful, and I understand why they're picky about unusual sightings, hopefully the photos help this time!

Sean Smith

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Read More :- "Fwd: [Maine-birds] Eastern Rd., Scarborough today: FOY Snowy Egret & Savannah Sparrows"

[Maine-birds] Correction: FOY GREAT Egret, not Snow

Before anyone helps me, I wanted to say that I caught my own obvious mistake.  We were actually looking around for Snowies today, having seen one at Eastern Road a few years back while there was still a lot of snow on the ground, I think it was in early April.   But looking at the photo, yes obviously a Great Egret.

Revised checklist:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S43896993

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Correction: FOY GREAT Egret, not Snow"

[Maine-birds] Eastern Rd., Scarborough today: FOY Snowy Egret & Savannah Sparrows

Today there were a SNOWY EGRET, 3 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, a pair of Gadwall and at least 25 Northern Pintails seen by myself and Jeff Webb along Eastern Road in Scarborough, all FOY's.  Since I had my camera with me and took some photos I thought I'd attempt the eBird experience again.  Here is the list, hopefully with the Snowy included:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S43896993

I've had mega frustrations with eBird in the past, as usually when I felt inspired to start using the site regularly and in earnest, it was because of seeing something I wanted to report that they deemed too out of the ordinary to take my word on (for example a spring migratory fallout of 8 Blackpoll Warblers one morning at Essex St. Woods in Bangor).   Never extreme rarities, but eBird's gatekeepers always sternly wanted DETAILS beyond what I was able to provide, and though Louis Bevier was extremely helpful in trying to get me set up, I gave up after a couple of futile attempts. 

eBird is a worthy site whose bar charts I find especially helpful, and I understand why they're picky about unusual sightings, hopefully the photos help this time!

Sean Smith

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Eastern Rd., Scarborough today: FOY Snowy Egret & Savannah Sparrows"

[Maine-birds] This Week's Highlights, 3/17-3/23

Hi all,

My sightings of note over the past seven days included the following:

- 1 THICK-BILLED MURRE, Lower Haraseekett River, Freeport, 3/17 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

- 2 Fish Crows (FOY), Route One, Saco, 3/18.

- 17 Brant, 2 Razorbill, 30 Purple Sandpipers, etc, East Point, Biddeford Pool, 3/18.

- 1 Merlin, Washington Avenue, Portland, 3/19 (with Jeannette).

- 1 1st-winter Iceland Gull and 12 Snow Buntings, Bath Landfill, 3/20 (with Zane Baker).

- 1 drake Wood Duck (first of spring), Bay Bridge Landing Park, Brunswick, 3/20 (with Zane Baker).

- 1 drake CANVASBACK with two female Greater Scaup, Brown's Point Road, Bowdoinham, 3/20 (with Zane Baker).

-Derek

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

 Derek and Jeannette Lovitch

 Freeport Wild Bird Supply

 541 Route One, Suite 10

 Freeport, ME 04032

 207-865-6000

 www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com  

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

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] This Week's Highlights, 3/17-3/23"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (23 Mar 2018) 15 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 23, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	40	40
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	3	34	34
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	0	0
Cooper's Hawk	2	14	14
Northern Goshawk	1	3	3
Red-shouldered Hawk	1	4	4
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	8	27	27
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	0	0
Merlin	0	1	1
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	0	0
Total:	15	124	124

Observation start time:	08:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	8 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:	Dave Fensore

Visitors:
13 visitors today.

Weather:
It was a gorgeous day at the summit of Bradbury today. This was the first time I've had a short sleeve shirt on, to allow for some gradual sun exposure. Temps were comfortable at about 40 degrees. Wind remained light, mostly from the north. Cloud cover increased throughout the day, remaining high and translucent.

Raptor Observations:
Eagles appeared suddenly, around mid morning, and remained out in front of the mountain for the rest of the day. A few Eagles passed by, but a group of eight lingered, mixing together, chasing each other, courting and on one occasion, locked talons and spiraled around a few times before disengaging. Iv'e only witnessed that display once before from this site. It was pretty impressive. We had a good look at a Red-shouldered hawk in the afternoon light, as it circled it's way to the northeast. With five minutes left on the clock, a Northern Goshawk was spotted high and to the northwest as it disappeared behind a stand of pine trees. Sorry Raphael.

Non-raptor Observations:
Not as many non raptor species as I had hoped for today. A total of 21 species were seen or heard from the summit, non of which were new for the season.

Predictions:
A cold front pushing down from the north should make for a mostly cloudy day, with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Temps should be similar to today. Wind may still be north, and blowing slightly harder than today, at around 10 mph. Rainfall isn't predicted to start until later in the day, and accumulation should be very low. Currently I think it will be a full day of hawk counting. I hope the Eagles put on a similar show for the bigger weekend crowds.

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Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (23 Mar 2018) 15 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] DcCormorant Skowhegan

The center of the river opened overnight and the first Cormorant flew by a few minutes ago.

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[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (22 Mar 2018) 1 Raptors

Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 22, 2018
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	0	40	40
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	0	31	31
Northern Harrier	0	0	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0	0	0
Cooper's Hawk	1	12	12
Northern Goshawk	0	2	2
Red-shouldered Hawk	0	3	3
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	0	19	19
Rough-legged Hawk	0	0	0
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	0	0	0
Merlin	0	1	1
Peregrine Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Accipiter	0	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	0	0	0
Total:	1	109	109

Observation start time:	11:00:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	4.75 hours
Official Counter	Zane Baker
Observers:

Visitors:
6 visitors today, many of whom were getting in some spring skiing.

Weather:
It was a truncated day of birding today, due to inclement weather. Snow, in the morning hours, diminished visibility enough to delay the start. By noon time, the majority of the snow had moved out. A few small, lingering snow squalls dropped a few flakes from time to time. Winds were mostly out of the northeast and east northeast, calming considerably by the last hour. Visibility continued to improve throughout the count. By the last thirty minutes, visibility was about as good as it gets. Large swells could clearly be seen crashing on the shore of Eagle Island and Halfway Rock, which are a little more than 14 and 18 miles away, as the crow flies.

Raptor Observations:
I'm quite embarrassed to say, I can't take credit for the one migrant which was counted today. A Pownal native enjoying the view, made a slight gesture with his arm towards the east, which turned me onto the bird. He said he didn't want to interrupt as I was greeting another visitor. I'm happy to have had the assist, but I feel a bit sheepish having missed it initially. The Coop was a beautiful adult.

Non-raptor Observations:
The first Common Merganser was spotted moving north, after the snow stopped flying.

Predictions:
Winds tomorrow, appear to be shifting back to a more north northwest direction. Temps could climb to 40 degrees by the end of the count. Clouds may increase through the afternoon hours. I'm hoping to see a few birds moving tomorrow, ahead of a small weather system predicted to move through this weekend.

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Report submitted by Jeannette Lovitch (freeportwildbird@yahoo.com)
Bradbury Mountain State Park information may be found at: www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/hawkwatch.asp
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (22 Mar 2018) 1 Raptors"