Hi all,
-- Yesterday, the 2018 field season on Mt. Desert Rock wrapped up and I'm currently writing from Bar Harbor to sum up my observations. It's been a long time since I last wrote, and I apologize for that, but it's been a very busy season out there. First off, there have been many more whales seen this year than last, which is encouraging as a sign of more food in the area, which then brought in more birds.
Pelagic species were nearly daily, with Great Shearwater easily being the most numerous of those, although all four regular species were seen, along with a day or so of 5000 Wilson's Storm-Petrels, but usually less. All three jaeger species were seen with moderate regularity in the second half of the season. Skuas were surprisingly common (get that...common!) throughout the season with a total of 35 minimum sightings, all of which were South Polar or Skua sp, with no confirmable Great Skua at this point. Northern Gannets were also frequent with a high count of 60. One Great Cormorant stopped by to rest with some Double-crested Cormorants for a day or two.
Nineteen species of shorebirds were seen, with an early Purple Sandpiper, and two goodies for the county, American Golden-Plover and Baird's Sandpiper. Phalaropes also started coming through with a couple hundred Red-necked and a few Red mixed in with them.
I didn't do a formal count of Herring Gull nests, but I estimate between 75-100 were active this year, with only 9 Great Black-backed Gull nests. Funny as it is, there were almost always more Great Black-backed Gulls present on the island, with a high of 1273 on 8/29 and only 615 Herring Gulls on 7/31. Lesser Black-backed Gulls also made 20 appearances throughout the season. There were also 5 Great Blue Herons and one Great Egret.
Raptors included an Osprey, a juvenile Peregrine Falcon, and 5 Merlin.
As for passerines, there was an OK push in the later part of the season. Flycatchers were not all too regular, but we did have a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, a couple Least Flycatchers, and some other unidentified Empidonax sp. Eastern Kingbirds were also recorded a few days. There were five species of swallows seen, including a rare-for-the-county Purple Martin and a Petrochelidon sp. that still has me thinking.
Red-breasted Nuthatches were almost omnipresent, with a day high count of 16, which likely signals a very good breeding year!
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher showed well for an evening and morning, constantly flitting about everywhere it went. You would often hear the high trill of a Cedar Waxwing, even though you wouldn't always see them. Purple Finches also became regular later on and an American Goldfinch also joined them.
There were few sparrows, but they included good species such as a Lark Sparrow in mid July, and a Nelson's Sparrow in August. An excellent bird, and one that I read about as being a fairly common migrant back when they banded at the Rock, were two Yellow-breasted Chat that both appeared the same day, but only one remained until I left yesterday.
15 warbler species visited the island, which included a few goodies. Two Prairie Warblers stopped by at different dates, which are rare for the county, as well as a Mourning Warbler, which is always nice to see. By far though, the best warbler was an adult male Prothonotary Warbler that had an extended stay of 6 days. What a treat that was! Tennessee and Cape May Warblers also showed but for a few days.
In the last week, we were also visited by, as I believe it, four different Dickcissels, so keep an open ear out for those guys.
The last new bird of the season, which took me by surprise as we were packing up, was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. It was not long before then that the winds had shifted to the North, and when that happened, Monarch Butterflies started filling the island, with a high count of 16! Good thing we have a Rosa rugosa bush and a couple asters for them...
Overall, there were 92 species seen on or around the island, with 2 provisionals.
Here's to a great season on the rock, even though I wish I could stay longer. I will, hopefully, go back there in a few days with a class, but that's not set in stone yet. There may be more chances later in the year, and I'm gonna jump on that as quick as I can.
And thanks for the shoutout from Craig Kesselheim from an earlier post, and Tammy & Rob Packie as well. I appreciate it a whole lot! Hope to see you guys around!
Thanks a whole lot, and as always, good birding!
Nathan
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