[Maine-birds] great day in Androscoggin County

Ed Jenkins and I decided to spend a day in Androscoggin County, where neither of us had spent much time birding. A late-night email to Camden Martin seeking for parking directions to a particular hotspot proved fortuitous, as he offered to guide us for the day. 

We started at the Papermill Trail in Lisbon at 6am and birds were everywhere. One of the first we set eyes on was a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in the middle of the river, an unexpected start and one of the 74 species we tallied along the trail and up to the fields off Mill St., including OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (one of four on the day, two more than the total I had recorded in Maine until then), BOBOLINKS, fourteen species of warbler, a coyote, and many more. 

Camden then escorted us through the trails behind the school he works at and down to the banks of Lake Auburn, where we added to our tally with open country birds like PRAIRIE WARBLER, FIELD SPARROW, BROWN THRASHER, and others. After a few more stops (none of which we would have found without Camden) we were sitting on 98 species for the day at around 1:20pm. 

Camden had to head out, but Ed and I wanted to stick it out for the century mark, with only about forty minutes to spare before we too had to head home towards family obligations. We stopped at Thorncrag in hopes of pulling out a Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hermit Thrush, or White-throated Sparrow, but things were hot and quiet. We debated turning south but decided to swing by Sabattus to see if there were any lingering waterfowl.

There weren't, but there was a huge flock of gulls loafing in the water and circling above the south end of the lake, visible from the dirt boat launch. Ed and I jumped out of the car and were simultaneously on two different gulls -- mine a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS (number 99) and Ed's a smaller gull with a full black hood circling the lake. We figured it for Laughing, but were struck by the bright white visible in the wing tips and the limited black. FRANKLIN'S GULL! The bird continued to circle for a few minutes and then flew off south and out of sight by about 1:50pm. However, a continuous stream of Herring Gulls were flying in from the south to join the flock on the water, giving hope that the Franklin's might be refound. 

All in all one of the most fun days birding I've had in a long time. A single BARN SWALLOW at Sabattus was our fifth swallow species and put us at 101 total species in Androscoggin for the day. Immense thanks to Camden Martin for his kindness and local knowledge! 

Nick

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