Monday, 30 April 2018

[Maine-birds] Request for assistance - recordings of migrating Mourning Warbler songs

It is year 4 of this project and I am writing once again to post an opportunity to participate in a Citizens Science Project that involves recording migrating Mourning Warbler songs. I am interested in whether different song populations of Mourning Warblers (Western, Eastern, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland) migrate together or separately to their respective areas of the species' breeding range. All you need is a smartphone with a voice recording app and some luck. The web page link below describes the project and how to make recordings on your Smartphone in more detail. There is also a link to the map with previous year's results based on recordings from many volunteers.

https://mowasongmapper.weebly.com/

Here is a link to the recent national Audubon Society story on this research.

Audubon Society reporting
http://www.audubon.org/magazine/spring-2017/this-guy-mapping-how-warblers-migrate-just

Please send song recordings to the Mourning Warbler Sound Lab (jpitocchATanselm.edu).

I would really appreciate your help and contributions this year to this Citizens Science Project.

Dr. Jay Pitocchelli
Biology Department
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH 03102


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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Request for assistance - recordings of migrating Mourning Warbler songs"

[Maine-birds] Fw: Bradbury Mountain State Park (30 Apr 2018) 20 Raptors



Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2018
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture0360564
Osprey8275275
Bald Eagle02075
Northern Harrier27578
Sharp-shinned Hawk1321342
Cooper's Hawk04869
Northern Goshawk036
Red-shouldered Hawk03076
Broad-winged Hawk512281228
Red-tailed Hawk081184
Rough-legged Hawk000
Golden Eagle000
American Kestrel3233242
Merlin13336
Peregrine Falcon022
Unknown Accipiter067
Unknown Buteo056
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor01315
Total:2027343206


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official CounterDerek Lovitch, Jeannette Lovitch
Observers:



Visitors:
8

Weather:
For the second day in a row, what sounded like a near-total washout was anything but. Other than very light rain between 11:25-12:00pm, and a few sprinkles later, precipitation developed off to our west. Unfortunately, the wind forecast was spot on, with SE winds becoming E by day's end but remaining light.

Raptor Observations:
It wasn't the best day for hawk counting, but it was a fantastic afternoon for hawk watching. Local birds were exceptionally active in the pm, with lots of Broad-winged Hawk displays, courtship flights, and calls. Bald Eagles were everywhere (up to three pairs in view on several occasions), including a pair perched for at least 30 minutes along the ridge line of Little Bradbury. A 4th-cycle eagle pursued a fish-toting Osprey for nearly 10 minutes. When it looked like the eagle had given up, the Osprey began to return towards the coast, only to have the same eagle reappear and resume it's pursuit. The Osprey had enough and the eagle's kleptoparasitism was successful. Local Red-tailed Hawks were active all day, and Jeannette had the local Red-shouldered Hawk in the morning.

Non-raptor Observations:
32 species were seen and/or heard from the summit, including a dueting, barking, and "monkey-calling" pair of Barred Owls. Other species deemed migrating were limited to: 53 Double-crested Cormorants 2 Common Loons 1 Barn Swallow 1 Tree Swallow

Predictions:
Tomorrow's word of the day is "improvement." Light northwest winds are supposed to turn to the southwest by mid-morning according to one forecast, but taking until the early afternoon according to another. Regardless, they will remain light and not from the east. Temperatures will return to the mid to upper 50's as well. The day will be better than the last two, but how much better will be dictated by the timing of the wind change.


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



Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fw: Bradbury Mountain State Park (30 Apr 2018) 20 Raptors"

Re: [Maine-birds] Whimbrel, greater yellowlegs, etc, Passamaquoddy Reservation, Washington County

Also heard that courtship vocalizing here in Freeport. Had only heard it before on breeding grounds. A nice wild sound.
Dan Nickerson Freeport 

On Mon, Apr 30, 2018 at 4:00 PM Chris Bartlett <christophabartlett@gmail.com> wrote:
There were at least 42 greater yellowlegs this afternoon at the Passamaquoddy Reservation's sweetgrass field pond.  Several were trying out their rolling courtship song, which I seldom hear.  My previous high count for yellowlegs at this location was 15.  One whimbrel was the odd one out, and that was a first spring record for me in Washington County.  I'm guessing that most whimbrels fly overland in the spring and hug the coast in the fall? I'll have to look that up. 

Here's full list from this outing with one grainy flight shot of the whimbrel:  https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45108906

Cheers,

Chris Bartlett
Eastport 

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Whimbrel, greater yellowlegs, etc, Passamaquoddy Reservation, Washington County"

[Maine-birds] Whimbrel, greater yellowlegs, etc, Passamaquoddy Reservation, Washington County

There were at least 42 greater yellowlegs this afternoon at the Passamaquoddy Reservation's sweetgrass field pond.  Several were trying out their rolling courtship song, which I seldom hear.  My previous high count for yellowlegs at this location was 15.  One whimbrel was the odd one out, and that was a first spring record for me in Washington County.  I'm guessing that most whimbrels fly overland in the spring and hug the coast in the fall? I'll have to look that up. 

Here's full list from this outing with one grainy flight shot of the whimbrel:  https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S45108906

Cheers,

Chris Bartlett
Eastport 

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Whimbrel, greater yellowlegs, etc, Passamaquoddy Reservation, Washington County"

[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

So far it's been shaping up as one of those, "Don't blink or you'll miss it." type of spring migrations out here. Little pulses with some of the most common species just serve to highlight the scarcity or absence of other expected arrivals.

SONG SPARROWS have put on a strong showing but are tapering off now. JUNCOS were also strong but have virtually disappeared. Those two species have been pretty much replaced by the influx of SAVANNAH SPARROWS. WHITE THROATED SPARROWS have been at a modest level for about a week.

FLICKERS are still trickling through. Saturday, one of those tried the old "fly through a wall" trick to escape a raptor. When he came to he was inside a dark plastic pail ...... my bird revival room. A half hour later I released him, screaming and (fingers crossed) with no serious injury.
Tonight (3AM Monday) there is a Flicker trying to roost on a living room window, about 3 feet from my head. He's switching between head-tucked snoozing and anxiously eyeing me. I expect that caution will soon move him to a less stressful perch.

Several species have been notable for their scarcity, to date. Perhaps it's just a slow start.
Saturday saw a single INDIGO BUNTING and a VEERY pop by briefly. Mostly, though, it was hard to see a single passerine for all of that day. Even our patio SAVANNAH SPARROWS deserted for reasons unknown. There weren't any predators around so it was a bit odd.

Sunday morning was dripping wet after a second night of dense fog with rain in between.
However, the lawns were alive with birds. Most were Savannah Sparrows but there was also a sprinkling of SONG SPARROWS, ROBINS, FLICKERS and Thrushes.
A quick check around the boardwalks and other structures revealed numerous VEERYS; several SWAINSON THRUSH; at least one WOOD THRUSH; 4 CATBIRDS; 6 COWBIRDS; 3 RED WINGED BLACKBIRDS; a few YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS; 3 or 4 PALM WARBLERS: all probable new Saturday night arrivals.

Sunday's Bird Of The Day: a single bright male BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

Sunday continued to be a day of hectic feeding, interspersed with occasional bouts of posturing and squabbles. The thick weather apparently blocked any raptors.
That changed when a brief period of clearing, just before dark, brought first one and then a second male HARRIER.
For near an hour, until full dark and thick fog intervened, the raptors lived up to their name, driving flocks of sparrows and panicked Flickers back and forth the island.

Somewhat surprisingly, there is no sign of the Harriers this morning (Monday). They were here right up to nightfall yesterday. I doubt that they would embarque on an over-water flight, in full dark with low ceiling and dense fog, even with a full moon. Nonetheless they are gone; either a night flight or a dawn departure without breakfast.

Thanks to the harrying, I can say with some certainty that on Sunday there were 23 Flickers, 11 Robins, 9 Cowbirds & 4 RW Blackbirds on the island.
I didn't see any kills and I was a bit surprised that the Harriers seemed to ignore the alcids. I can see that a Razorbill or Murre might be intimidatingly large but a Puffin is just manageable. Admittedly, every Harrier that I've seen kill a Puffin has been a female so perhaps their extra size is enough to give the females the advantage.
In any event, the alcids weren't very alarmed by the male Harriers.       

Alcids are settling into their colonial routines.

I ran across three PURPLE SANDPIPERS on Sunday, the 1st that I've seen for some time.

I also found a freshly dead HARBOUR SEAL pup. It was newborn, with cord still attached. At first glance I thought it must be a very late GREY SEAL but it proved to be a very early Harbour.

Gulls are increasingly present and some are pairing up. Some of them haunt the seabird colony, looking for any opportunity to get a meal.
GLAUCOUS GULLS are still evident in above usual numbers. It's been a rare day that 1 or 2 couldn't be seen at a moment's glance. 2, 3 or 4 together have been common and I've seen as many as 10 at once.
This is the first winter that I've seen Glaucous outnumber ICELAND GULLS.

Very little over-the-water migration has been visible due to fog these past days. However, occasional flocks of DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS,  some SCOTERS & EIDERS or an occasional GREAT BLUE HERON either over-flies or passes close to the island. 7 CANADA GEESE stopped momentarily on Friday.

Some 25-30 HARLEQUIN DUCKS remain, routinely mixing with the Alcids on the water.

Today's Bird-of-the-Day: FOY RUBY CROWNED KINGLET.


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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT"

[Maine-birds] foy rt hummingbird~Gorham

We put out our hummingbird feeders on Saturday and had a male stopping by at lunchtime today. Needless to say, we were all delighted to see him!

the Hasbroucks

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[Maine-birds] Tricolored Heron spotted by Richard Garrigus over at Capisic Pond

Very active, feeding on both shorelines and near the end of the drain

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Tricolored Heron spotted by Richard Garrigus over at Capisic Pond"

[Maine-birds] Woodcock Kennebunk

There were 2 American Woodcocks in Kennebunk performing their peent call last night (4/29) around 7:50 PM. Birds were in a very wet field off of Thompson Road.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Woodcock Kennebunk"

[Maine-birds] Vesper, etc

This morning in Hollis: vesper,field,grasshopper sparrows. Also, kestrals are back along with the thrashers and meadowlarks, towhees.

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[Maine-birds] Purple Martin

April 30, 8 am - The Purple Martins are back on Route 43 in Corinna.

Aloyse Larrabee, Dexter

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Purple Martin"

[Maine-birds] Weskeag on April 30

Hi,

A continuing glossy ibis with several snowies and great blue herons in the front panne area this morning. Greater yellowlegs and several killdeer also present; singing swamp sparrow.

Don
Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Weskeag on April 30"

[Maine-birds] Tricolored Heron (TRHE) continues at Fore River Sanctuary

Hello all,

The Tricolored Heron found by Kathleen Toomey yesterday is still present as of 7am this morning
when I left. It is in the section of the marsh between Capisic Street and the RR tracks. I walked the tracks to reach it but there's a trailhead off Starbird Street that has you in fairly close proximity to start. Of course it's a creature with wings....

Some distant shots at:


Noah Gibb discovered this bird here two years(?) ago. I'm going to look into that

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Tricolored Heron (TRHE) continues at Fore River Sanctuary"

Sunday, 29 April 2018

[Maine-birds] BH Vireo, Winter Wren, Lincolnville, 4.29.18

Visiting friends near Moody Mt. in Lincolnville today, we heard singing Blue-headed Vireos, Winter Wren, Purple Finch, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a calling Red-shouldered Hawk, which we later saw fly over. Our friends say the RSHA been around for a few weeks now, so perhaps staying for the season. Also, a pair of bluebirds active at a nesting box. And FOY Mourning Cloak.

Kristen 
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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] BH Vireo, Winter Wren, Lincolnville, 4.29.18"

[Maine-birds] Blue-headed vireo 28Apr Bar Harbor

The first of the year in our Town Hill yard :-)
Hermit Thrush has been singing for several days.
Finally, there is a small but enthusiastic "dawn chorus".

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Blue-headed vireo 28Apr Bar Harbor"

[Maine-birds] pileated woodpecker, Lewiston

A pileated woodpecker has been foraging in a dead tree in the couple of acres of woods behind my house, and making quite a racket.  No signs of excavating nearby, so I assume the nest is some distance away.

Does anyone know how far a pileated might fly for food? 
My house is between Thorncrag sanctuary (a mile away) and the Androscoggin River (half a mile away).  But otherwise this part of Lewiston is pretty well filled with houses.
Anne Williams

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[Maine-birds] Spring Point Shoreway, So. Portland: Ruddy Ducks & BCNH's

Late this afternoon along the Spring Point Shoreway on the SMCC campus, near the boat-mooring area between Spring Point & Cushing Point there were 3 RUDDY DUCKS close to shore near some Eiders and Canada Geese.  Also 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS (in subadult plumate) flew in and landed near the docks.  One of them was escorted closely by one of the Osprey pair who are making their nest on a pole sticking up out of the water.   The Osprey followed the Night Heron until it landed, then circled back to its nest area.

Since the Spring Point Shoreway is not heavily birded (according to eBird anyway), fo those unaware I should mention that this is a bona fide hotspot for BCNH's during the summer.   Every evening I walked my dog there last summer I would see several there skulking on the rocks at the small beaches between the piers, or flying nearby.


Sean Smith

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Spring Point Shoreway, So. Portland: Ruddy Ducks & BCNH's"

Re: [Maine-birds] Hermit Thrush

Nothing exciting, but there was a Great Blue Heron at Number One Pond in Sanford today. Also a Canada Goose possibly on a nest. There is a family there every year.
Keeping an eye out nesting cardinals, phoebe, titmouse, chickadee and Red bellied Woodpecker; all calling in my neighborhood.
Barbara. Sanford
Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 29, 2018, at 7:42 PM, Monika Riney <monikariney@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Two Hermit Thrush, a Rusty Blackbird, an Eastern Bluebird and a Blue Heron at the Case Road bog in East Winthrop on Saturday, April 28.
>
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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Hermit Thrush"

[Maine-birds] Hermit Thrush

Two Hermit Thrush, a Rusty Blackbird, an Eastern Bluebird and a Blue Heron at the Case Road bog in East Winthrop on Saturday, April 28.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Hermit Thrush"

[Maine-birds] FOYs in Holden

Blue-headed vireo singing in back yard and White-throated sparrow, always after the Song sparrows here.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] FOYs in Holden"

[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (29 Apr 2018) 3 Raptors



Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 29, 2018
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture0360564
Osprey1267267
Bald Eagle02075
Northern Harrier07376
Sharp-shinned Hawk1320341
Cooper's Hawk04869
Northern Goshawk036
Red-shouldered Hawk03076
Broad-winged Hawk012231223
Red-tailed Hawk081184
Rough-legged Hawk000
Golden Eagle000
American Kestrel0230239
Merlin13235
Peregrine Falcon022
Unknown Accipiter067
Unknown Buteo056
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor01315
Total:327143186


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 6.67 hours
Official CounterZane Baker
Observers:



Visitors:
37 visitors

Weather:
Fog, in the morning, slowly moved out towards the coast, stalling over the shoreline for most of the day. There was some slight clearing mid morning, and it looked as the though the sun might break through. The cool damp air disappeared momentarily and temps climbed up to about 55. The warm temps were short lived however, and clouds closed back in and brought passing showers for the rest of the count. The count was closed an hour and fifteen minutes early, due to bringing dense fog moving in from the coast.

Raptor Observations:
Not much movement today. A few local birds were out displaying or foraging. A Merlin showed up right on cue, after a group of people inquired about the small fierce Falcon.

Non-raptor Observations:
The morning hours were more productive in hearing and seeing other species. I tallied a total of 35 different species, which were seen or heard from the summit. There were two new arrivals to the mountain, which were, a Black-and-white Warbler, and a Black-throated Green Warbler. Double-crested Cormorants were on the move today. I tallied 678 in total.

Predictions:
More rain is predicted for tomorrow, along with winds from the SSE. Temperatures may be similar to today, in the low 50's.


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



Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (29 Apr 2018) 3 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] Saw-whet owl in Holden

Discovered a little saw-whet owl peeking at me from a duck box today. I'm hoping there is a family underway!

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Saw-whet owl in Holden"

Re: [Maine-birds] Blue Grosbeak-MDI high school YES

Thanks Margaret - 

Bird was also present around 3 p.m. today, in shrubs directly across from the pump house b/w first and middle pond. Also, high #s of Palm Warblers (minimum 15) and Savannah Sparrows (minimum 8).

Craig K

On Sun, Apr 29, 2018 at 1:10 PM, Margaret Viens <margaretviens@gmail.com> wrote:
Seen well by back ponds and north athletic field about 11:20

Margaret Viens

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Blue Grosbeak-MDI high school YES"

[Maine-birds] Evergreen Cemetery, Portland

I birded Evergreen Cemetery this AM and was delighted to find a somewhat vocal BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (FOY), a seemingly reluctantly vocal BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (FOY), and a tea-peddling EASTERN TOWHEE.

But what was a real treat was watching a RED FOX and her curious pup. The pup sat and watched me with what seemed to be as much interest as I had in it.

My full eBird checklist is here:

And for those curious, my iNaturalist entry for the foxes is here:

Nathan Hall
Portland, ME

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Evergreen Cemetery, Portland"

[Maine-birds] Re: Laughing Gulls

FOY Laughing Gulls in Yarmouth as well.

On Sunday, April 29, 2018 at 12:48:14 PM UTC-4, J T wrote:
 FOY Kettle Cove , Cape Elizabeth
John Tobin

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Re: Laughing Gulls"

[Maine-birds] Piping plover

Three birds this week or so to get caught up on..
Last week I saw two piping plovers on Mile Beach, Reid State Park.
A sharp-shinned hawk on a neighbors lawn a few houses from mine and Friday, four Wilson's snipes in a swampy field near the Old Town Airport.



Cheers,
Dave

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Piping plover"

[Maine-birds] Bremen surprise

What a delight to look out on the cove on this gray day and see an elegant Snowy Egret resting - it's little yellow feet partially showing above the mud!

All the usual migrants have returned except for the Ruby-throated Hummingbird - waiting patiently!

Juanita Roushdy
Bremen, ME

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Bremen surprise"

[Maine-birds] Blue Grosbeak-MDI high school YES

Seen well by back ponds and north athletic field about 11:20

Margaret Viens

Sent from my iPhone

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[Maine-birds] Laughing Gulls

 FOY Kettle Cove , Cape Elizabeth
John Tobin

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Laughing Gulls"

Saturday, 28 April 2018

[Maine-birds] Barred Owl recording On April 28th, 2018.mp3

Be sure to turn the volume all the way up to hear the owls over the peepers! 

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Barred Owl recording On April 28th, 2018.mp3"

[Maine-birds] Barred Owls in Scarborough

A pair of Barred Owls were hooting back and forth for what felt like an hour last night around 1:00am. I was able to get a great recording, but don't know how to share it.

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[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (28 Apr 2018) 125 Raptors



Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 28, 2018
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture0360564
Osprey11266266
Bald Eagle22075
Northern Harrier27376
Sharp-shinned Hawk31319340
Cooper's Hawk64869
Northern Goshawk036
Red-shouldered Hawk23076
Broad-winged Hawk5212231223
Red-tailed Hawk381184
Rough-legged Hawk000
Golden Eagle000
American Kestrel12230239
Merlin33134
Peregrine Falcon022
Unknown Accipiter167
Unknown Buteo056
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor01315
Total:12527113183


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official CounterZane Baker
Observers: Dave Gulick, Derek Lovitch, Don Thompson, Katrina Fenton, Levi Burford, Steve Barker, Susan Rowe



Visitors:
Today was the start of the 2 day Feathers Over Freeport event. The mid morning Hawk Watch workshop, held at the summit, attracted a good sized crowed of 28 people, of all ages. 54 other visitors stopped by the site today, to ask questions and point out what they were seeing. We also had a cameo appearance from my mentor and former Bradbury counter, Katrina Fenton.

Weather:
Today started with poor visibility due to fog. By mid morning the fog had begun to recede, and a few breaks of blue sky became visible. Clearing skies continued into the afternoon, becoming mostly sunny. Temps climbed to about 60 degrees. Winds were light, mostly WSW for the first half of the day, switching to SSE and SE for the second half, also increasing in speed, slightly.

Raptor Observations:
Birds were scattered about the sky today. Local birds were back at it, displaying and hunting around there respective territories. We're begining to see a few more young birds trickle in, including Cooper's Hawks, Red-tails, and Red-shoulders.

Non-raptor Observations:
37 species were seen or heard from the summit today. Birds deemed migrating included: 56 Double-crested Cormorants 42 Tree Swallows 23 Common Grackles 17 Blackbird Spp. 17 Great Blue Herons 9 Red-winged Blackbirds 6 American Goldfinches 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers 3 Barn Swallows 2 Common Loons

Predictions:
There is some wet weather in the works for tomorrow. There is a chance of rain for the entire day, with more steady rain predicted for the afternoon. Temps will likely be much cooler than today, possibly in the mid to low 50's. Winds will be less than ideal, coming mostly out of the NE and E


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



Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Fwd: Bradbury Mountain State Park (28 Apr 2018) 125 Raptors"

[Maine-birds] Gyrfalcon?

I'm at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland. My daughter spotted a large bird of prey sitting in the top of an evergreen. From our vantage point, it appeared nearly white on the breast, some face patterning reminiscent of a peregrine, and I saw a dark wing edge. It flew, of course, out of sight. All I could see between the trees as it flew were long, grayish speckled wings that seemed broad. Could I have seen a Gyrfalcon? Any other candidates? That breast really seemed snowy white. Oh, and my daughter saw its feet and said they were large and fuzzy. (She's not a birder.)

Sent from my iPhone

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Gyrfalcon?"

[Maine-birds] Re: Coming soon to a flyway near you.

Also this from Toronto's Globe & Mail:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-birds-packing-high-tech-gear-help-scientists-understand-the-migratory/


On Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 6:15:32 AM UTC-4, J. Michael wrote:

"The global collapse of migratory shorebird populations is much more than a calamity facing a group of exquisitely evolved birds.
 It also tells us that our global network of aquatic systems is fraying."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/27/opinion/shorebirds-extinction-climate-change.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

I don't post often, or get out as much as I should, but I do appreciate all those who share their birding adventures here.

thanks, Mike


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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Re: Coming soon to a flyway near you."

[Maine-birds] Carolina Wren in Augusta

Carolina Wren singing and briefly on the bird feeder in my backyard near the rail trail in Augusta.

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Re: [Maine-birds] Broad-winged Hawks Cape Neddick

A pair in Harmony this morning also.

Maggie Strickland
Harmony, Maine

On Sat, Apr 28, 2018 at 11:48 AM, Denise Johnson <dpj113@maine.rr.com> wrote:

Another pair tumbling, circling and calling above my house 4/28 11:30am. I'm a short fly to Mt A.

Sent from my iPhone

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Broad-winged Hawks Cape Neddick"

[Maine-birds] Broad-winged Hawks Cape Neddick

Another pair tumbling, circling and calling above my house 4/28 11:30am. I'm a short fly to Mt A.

Sent from my iPhone

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Broad-winged Hawks Cape Neddick"

[Maine-birds] Blue Grosbeak - MDI

Hi all,

Fyn Kynd and I found an immature male Blue Grosbeak around 10am in the northern most field at MDI High School. It was foraging near the portable toilet in that field.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Blue Grosbeak - MDI"

[Maine-birds] Blue Grosbeak- Drakes Island, Wells

Maine Birders:

I just had an immature male Blue Grosbeak along the road at the intersection of Island Beach Road and Blueberry Lane on Drakes Island in Wells. Photos and an eBird list will be posted later.

Best,
Will Sweet
Drakes Island, ME/ Sharon MA

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Blue Grosbeak- Drakes Island, Wells"

[Maine-birds] Common Yellowthroat Timber Point

My first COYE of the year was spotted. eBird considered it early, but I think it's only early by a couple of days. Also a lot of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. 

-Seth

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Common Yellowthroat Timber Point"

[Maine-birds] Re: meadowlark in Waterville

Sat April 28th at 630 AM heard one meadowlark singing on telephone wire on Eight Rod Road then watched it fly into the field and noticed it was soon joined by another meadowlark.  

Julia, thank-you for your postings in the Waterville/Sidney area!

Diane W

On Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 8:49:12 AM UTC-4, Julia Hanauer wrote:
Yesterday I enjoyed watching and listening to a FOY meadowlark on Eight Rod Road in Waterville. Made the grocery run much more enjoyable.

Julia

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Re: meadowlark in Waterville"

[Maine-birds] Coming soon to a flyway near you.


"The global collapse of migratory shorebird populations is much more than a calamity facing a group of exquisitely evolved birds.
 It also tells us that our global network of aquatic systems is fraying."

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/27/opinion/shorebirds-extinction-climate-change.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

I don't post often, or get out as much as I should, but I do appreciate all those who share their birding adventures here.

thanks, Mike


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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Coming soon to a flyway near you."

Friday, 27 April 2018

Re: [Maine-birds] Maine Bird Atlas - Weekend Challenges, 4/27

Thanks for the Atlas tips, Doug. A note regarding bald eagles:

- MDIFW is thoroughly monitoring bald eagle nests as part of the every 5-year post-delisting process for this species. 

- We have a pretty good handle on most nesting eagle pairs in the state, so request caution of observers getting too close to these nests for recording purposes. If you feel you have a new nest, I recommend contacting your regional wildlife biologist (like me in southern Maine) for guidance. www.maine.gov/ifw

- For those interested in the nesting pair of bald eagles in York Harbor, please do NOT try to approach this nest by trying to get a closer look on Route 103. We have received many calls and complaints of people causing traffic delays and problems with birders getting too close to this nest. We flew over this nest a few weeks ago and it was active then. An influx of folks trying to get closer looks and photos can be counter-productive and even result in nest abandonment. The same goes for the nest at the Prouts Neck golf course in Scarborough. When bald eagles were recovering in the 80s and 90s, we recommended a 650 ft buffer for disturbance purposes. Though our intentions are mostly altruistic, if observers get too close, it can result in poor outcomes. Please take your photos from the parking lot on the eastern side of 103.

Exercise common sense and we can enjoy the birds while they provide us with enjoyment during the critical breeding season. 

Thanks,

Brad Zitske 
MDIFW



On Apr 27, 2018, at 8:36 PM, Doug Hitchcox <dhitchcox@mac.com> wrote:

Hi everyone:

Heading into the last weekend of April I wanted to pose a couple Maine Bird Atlas challenges to all you birders:

1) Find American Woodcocks displaying.
This is a great time to go out listening for American Woodcocks. Visiting a wet field or meadow near you shortly after sunset should give you decent odds of hearing a calling woodcock. As a reminder, only hearing the "peent" call should be coded as "S-Singing Bird" but some extra effort to observe the flight display will let you bump that report to probable using the "C-Courship, Display, Copulation" code. This species will be a tougher one to confirm breeding but we should be able to do a good job filling in blocks with probable records. The maps looking okay along the coast right now but surely someone can find them in a couple York County blocks this weekend: https://ebird.org/atlasme/map/amewoo?neg=true&env.minX=-72.72492675781251&env.minY=42.872356225986&env.maxX=-64.81477050781251&env.maxY=45.402707262711615&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=EBIRD_ATL_ME_2018

2) Report occupied Bald Eagle nests.
The breeding map for Bald Eagles is filling in nicely but there are quite a few blocks with active nests missing. Take a look at the map (https://ebird.org/atlasme/map/baleag?neg=true&env.minX=-76.63118897499999&env.minY=42.62331720382407&env.maxX=-60.810876474999986&env.maxY=47.596410627322854&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=EBIRD_ATL_ME_2018) and see if there are any nests near you that you could check over the weekend. 

3) Check on nest boxes.
Eastern Bluebirds have already been nest building in a few blocks, and Tree Swallows shouldn't be too far behind. I also saw a report of an active Wood Duck box this past week so watch for them coming and going to boxes. Don't forget that all species count, even House Sparrows taking over boxes should be reported.

I picked up a couple new confirmed breeders today:
The Herring Gulls in Portland have been pairing up over the past couple weeks and I observed a pair copulating on my apartment building's roof on Tuesday. But the real excitement came this morning when the pair was gathering nesting material from the side of the street: https://ebird.org/atlasme/view/checklist/S44998117
And during Maine Audubon's Chapter Congress at Bates I took a quick walk over to "Lake Andrews" where Common Grackles were also gathering nesting material: https://ebird.org/atlasme/view/checklist/S44997016
Both of these birds are ahead of their safe dates but remember that probable and confirmed breeding code supersede safe dates.

And it is good to double-check that your checklists with breeding codes get entered into the Maine Bird Atlas portal. I wrote up some quick instructions on how to change any of your eBird checklists with breeding codes into the atlas portal here: https://ebird.org/atlasme/news/changing-portals.

Good birding and happy atlasing!


Doug Hitchcox
Maine Bird Atlas - Outreach Coordinator
Maine Audubon - Staff Naturalist
207-781-2330 x237
dhitchcox@maineaudubon.org

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Read More :- "Re: [Maine-birds] Maine Bird Atlas - Weekend Challenges, 4/27"

[Maine-birds] Maine Bird Atlas - Weekend Challenges, 4/27

Hi everyone:

Heading into the last weekend of April I wanted to pose a couple Maine Bird Atlas challenges to all you birders:

1) Find American Woodcocks displaying.
This is a great time to go out listening for American Woodcocks. Visiting a wet field or meadow near you shortly after sunset should give you decent odds of hearing a calling woodcock. As a reminder, only hearing the "peent" call should be coded as "S-Singing Bird" but some extra effort to observe the flight display will let you bump that report to probable using the "C-Courship, Display, Copulation" code. This species will be a tougher one to confirm breeding but we should be able to do a good job filling in blocks with probable records. The maps looking okay along the coast right now but surely someone can find them in a couple York County blocks this weekend: https://ebird.org/atlasme/map/amewoo?neg=true&env.minX=-72.72492675781251&env.minY=42.872356225986&env.maxX=-64.81477050781251&env.maxY=45.402707262711615&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=EBIRD_ATL_ME_2018

2) Report occupied Bald Eagle nests.
The breeding map for Bald Eagles is filling in nicely but there are quite a few blocks with active nests missing. Take a look at the map (https://ebird.org/atlasme/map/baleag?neg=true&env.minX=-76.63118897499999&env.minY=42.62331720382407&env.maxX=-60.810876474999986&env.maxY=47.596410627322854&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=EBIRD_ATL_ME_2018) and see if there are any nests near you that you could check over the weekend. 

3) Check on nest boxes.
Eastern Bluebirds have already been nest building in a few blocks, and Tree Swallows shouldn't be too far behind. I also saw a report of an active Wood Duck box this past week so watch for them coming and going to boxes. Don't forget that all species count, even House Sparrows taking over boxes should be reported.

I picked up a couple new confirmed breeders today:
The Herring Gulls in Portland have been pairing up over the past couple weeks and I observed a pair copulating on my apartment building's roof on Tuesday. But the real excitement came this morning when the pair was gathering nesting material from the side of the street: https://ebird.org/atlasme/view/checklist/S44998117
And during Maine Audubon's Chapter Congress at Bates I took a quick walk over to "Lake Andrews" where Common Grackles were also gathering nesting material: https://ebird.org/atlasme/view/checklist/S44997016
Both of these birds are ahead of their safe dates but remember that probable and confirmed breeding code supersede safe dates.

And it is good to double-check that your checklists with breeding codes get entered into the Maine Bird Atlas portal. I wrote up some quick instructions on how to change any of your eBird checklists with breeding codes into the atlas portal here: https://ebird.org/atlasme/news/changing-portals.

Good birding and happy atlasing!


Doug Hitchcox
Maine Bird Atlas - Outreach Coordinator
Maine Audubon - Staff Naturalist
207-781-2330 x237
dhitchcox@maineaudubon.org
Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Maine Bird Atlas - Weekend Challenges, 4/27"

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



Bradbury Mountain State Park
Pownal, Maine, USA

Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 27, 2018
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture0360564
Osprey5255255
Bald Eagle01873
Northern Harrier17174
Sharp-shinned Hawk12288309
Cooper's Hawk24263
Northern Goshawk136
Red-shouldered Hawk02874
Broad-winged Hawk911711171
Red-tailed Hawk078181
Rough-legged Hawk000
Golden Eagle000
American Kestrel3218227
Merlin22831
Peregrine Falcon022
Unknown Accipiter156
Unknown Buteo056
Unknown Falcon011
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor01315
Total:3625863058


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 6.83 hours
Official CounterZane Baker
Observers: Dave Fensore, Derek Lovitch



Visitors:
17 Visitors today.

Weather:
It was borderline hot, and a little muggy when I arrived this morning. The sun was shinning bright onto the summit, despite the sky being mostly cloudy with Cirrus clouds. Winds were calm, from the SW, but slowly transitioned to the S, eventually coming around the SE and increasing in speed. Clouds became more densely packed and darker as the rain approached from the S. Temps began to fall rapidly as the rain got closer and wind off the ocean increased. The count ended about an hour earlier than scheduled due to rainfall.

Raptor Observations:
Lots of local birds were out and about in the calm air this morning: Turkey Vultures, Eagles, Broad-wings, and Cooper's Hawks. Multiple pairs of Broad-wings were continually spotted displaying, muddying the waters when it came to picking out the migrants. The first immature Northern Goshawk was spotted by Derek Lovitch, mid morning.

Non-raptor Observations:
Upon my arrival to the summit, I was greeted by an Eastern Towhee in some Juniper bushes. The bird hung around, scratching through the leaf-litter for a good portion of the day. Other first-of-season birds included: 1 Rusty Blackbird 1 Blue-headed Vireo 1 Scarlet Tanager

Predictions:
Tomorrow is the start of the annual Feathers Over Freeport event, and the weather looks decent to kick things off.Clouds may be present in the morning, slowly diminishing during the day, before increasing again. Winds should remain light, starting out from the SW and shifting to SSE by the end of the count period. Temps could climb into the high 50's.


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



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

[Maine-birds] Common Loon, Wesserunsett Lake, Madison - FOY

Saw one Common Loon in the open water off  the Lakewood beach on the west shore this morning. Had a report of loons calling from elsewhere on the lake earlier.
Lake is still mostly ice-covered.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Common Loon, Wesserunsett Lake, Madison - FOY"

[Maine-birds] This Week's Highlights and New Arrivals, 4/21-27

Hi all,

My observations of note over the past seven days, as the migratory floodgates finally opened, included:
- 6 Dunlin, Winslow Park, Freeport, 4/21 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
- 7 Lesser Scaup, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 4/23 (with Zane Baker).
- 125+ Yellow-rumped Warblers, 60+ Palm Warblers, 15+ Swamp Sparrows, 8+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 1 Great Egret, etc, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/24.
- Wharton Point, Brunswick, 4/25.
1 continuing imm. SNOW GOOSE
2 drakes and 1 hen NORTHERN SHOVELERS continuing 
200+ White-winged Scoter
~100 Scaup (~45 Greater, ~35 Lesser, ~25 too far)
- 5 species of warblers, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/26: 250+ Yellow-rumped, 100+ Palm, 4+ Pine, 1 Black-and-white (FOY), and 1 Black-throated Green (FOY); 20+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets, etc.

And my other personal FOY's this week were:
- 1 Barn Swallow, Florida Lake Park, 4/22.
- 1 Spotted Sandpiper, Florida Lake Park, 4/24.
- 1 Rusty Blackbird, Florida Lake Park, 4/24.
- 1 Snowy Egret, Wharton Point, 4/25.
- 1 PURPLE MARTIN, Florida Lake Park, 4/26.
- 4 Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Florida Lake Park, 4/26.
- Eastern Towhee, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/27: my 134th Patch Bird! 

And don't forget about Feathers Over Freeport this weekend (see yesterday's post). The full schedule is here: www.maine.gov/feathersoverfreeport

-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 and New Arrivals, 4/21-27"

[Maine-birds] Nesting Chickadees and Nuthatches and FOY Greater Yellowlegs

I went to Winslow Park today to walk my pup and wear her out so I could go birding all weekend! After last nights lecture on Breeding Bird Atlas I walked SLOWLY by the water on the marsh side. Sure enough I hadn't gone far when I stopped to watch 2 chickadees. One was going back and forth with nesting materials into a small hole on a broken tree. How lucky. Then later and further down I stopped on a bench to allow a group of walkers by and I spotted 2 White breasted Nuthatches also carrying stuff. I finished up on the beach side to have a Greater Yellowlegs scolding adamantly. 23 species altogether. Not bad for mid day walk

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Nesting Chickadees and Nuthatches and FOY Greater Yellowlegs"

[Maine-birds] Snowy Owl in Sedgwick

Snowy Owl still here.  10-11 AM this morning on Christy Hill in Sedgwick. right where Christy Hill Rd. turns off from the Old County Road.
Here are coordinates  44˚19'27" N  68˚38'18" W  
He/she was sitting on a pile of rocks all morning.  Have picture but dont have time to  post it just  yet.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Snowy Owl in Sedgwick"

[Maine-birds] FOY E. Towhee

Cape Neddick, West. First in many years to hear and see him. He seemed fine with chickens and roosters all around him in the forsythia hedge.
Yesterday a couple of Broad-winged Hawks fly over ( and possible prey caught, about 4 miles sw of here off Mountain Road).
Spring is busting out all over!


Sent from my iPhone

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] FOY E. Towhee"

[Maine-birds] Spotted Sandpiper, Skowhegan

He flew toward our shore where he usually works the cattails but they and the dock are under water so it flew on. Also had a 1st yr eagle perched next to the house where it could look down on the ducks. Yesterday we had the 1st N Flicker.

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Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Spotted Sandpiper, Skowhegan"