Maine birds And MOAC mountainbiking

Sunday, 2 December 2018

[Maine-birds] GREAT BLACK HAWK, 12/2 am update.

Hi all,
I just received a report that the black hawk is present and accounted for in the cold rain at dawn in the southwest corner of Deering Oaks Park.
-Derek

Sent from my iPhone

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Saturday, 1 December 2018

[Maine-birds] Got it!

Hi all,

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped me organize my trip up to Portland to see the hawk. I was not disappointed. Got great looks and some good photos of a new state, world, and US life bird, Yeah! And to top it off right afterwards I finally got my state nemesis Snowy Owl, Yeah again! It only took about 30+ years! Well worth the trip even if I hadn't gotten an additional two RI state birds on the way home:-)

Andrew

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Re: [Maine-birds] GREAT BLACK HAWK - Portland, 12/1

End of the day (1 Dec) update: the Great Black Hawk was last seen going to roost around 4:00PM in the Norway Spruces in the same corner (Deering Ave / Park Ave) of Deering Oaks Park that it has been favoring.

The bird was seen at the end of the day eating a pigeon that had earlier been caught by a Cooper's Hawk. The black hawk carried the carcass over to the catalpa tree it has frequently been seen in, which is also where it ate the squirrel yesterday. With its affinity for this southern tree, I wanted to reiterate my encouragement for onlookers to stay on the south or west sides of the path that borders these trees. Here is the map again that Rob O'Connell made showing this area: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/maine-birds/AbbclXwSywM/ORCvwRRhCgAJ Crowds did a great job today but people should stay out of that area even when the bird is foraging elsewhere (so it can return here to eat without people in the way).

Good birding,

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

> On Dec 1, 2018, at 12:35 PM, 'Doug Hitchcox' via Maine birds <maine-birds@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> Just wanted to send a quick update that the bird is still showing well at Deering Oaks Park as of 12:32PM. Same corner (near Deering and Park Ave).
>
> Good birding,
>
>
> Doug Hitchcox
> Maine Audubon
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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[Maine-birds] GREAT BLACK HAWK - Portland, 12/1

Just wanted to send a quick update that the bird is still showing well at Deering Oaks Park as of 12:32PM. Same corner (near Deering and Park Ave).

Good birding,

Doug Hitchcox
Maine Audubon

Sent from my iPhone

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Re: [Maine-birds] Great Black Hawk info

If you have a good camera with a zoom, sometimes a person with only a phone will appreciate a promise to send a good photo, and will give you their email address. It's worth a try.

On Sat, Dec 1, 2018 at 6:51 AM Evan Glynn <eaglynn2@gmail.com> wrote:

Bird being seen now in first light in the red circle on the map that Doug shared.
Corner of Park and Deering.

Good birding,
Evan
York, ME

On Fri, Nov 30, 2018, 10:47 PM 'Doug Hitchcox' via Maine birds <maine-birds@googlegroups.com wrote:
Hi all:

It was a great day to be following a Great Black Hawk around Deering Oaks. Many thanks to everyone who posted updates today and helped folks get on this bird. With the weekend ahead, I wanted to share a few tips for observing the bird:

First of all, GIVE THE BIRD SPACE. There were opportunities throughout today, particularly when the bird was perched in a Norway Spruce along Park Ave, when it was especially easy to see and photograph, but keep in mind this was following it flying into a window. Later in the day, back in the park, there were a few times that people got too close and flushed it several times before it settled into its usual corner. I'm very appreciative of everyone who followed our directions in giving the bird space but if we want to see this bird in the future I hope everyone will help enforce this. The Great Black Hawk definitely favors the southwest corner of the park (near the Deering Ave / Park Ave intersection) and particularly spends time in the catalpa tree near there. I strongly recommend birders stay on the path (or on the outside border of it) to give this bird space to roost and forage. The path is visible in the map that Rob O'Connell shared last night here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/maine-birds/AbbclXwSywM/ORCvwRRhCgAJ

In the afternoon the hawk spent nearly an hour eating a squirrel at the base of one of the cedars in that area until a King Middle School student ran through and deliberately flushed the bird. The teachers at King have done a great job bringing students out throughout the day and most have really appreciated getting to see the bird - if you see students, please share your scope, binoculars, etc, and get these kids interested. After flushing from its prey, the bird sat in an oak (through at least 3:30PM when I left) watching the carcass. Despite many attempts, it was difficult to get people to clear the area that the bird was eating in. The Park Division of Portland have been notified and are putting up signage to keep people out of this area that the hawk has been frequenting. I'm likely preaching to the choir through this listserv but I hope everyone will help regulate the large crowds that are likely to come over the weekend and keep this bird's well-being a priority. News coverage has attracted many "non-birders" so please use this opportunity to teach them about the bird and the space they need. My best advice, teach them to digiscope a photo from the path rather than walking right up to the bird with their cell phone.

Thanks all for a great day birding this Portland park. Let's work together to keep this bird around for many more people to see!

Good birding,

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

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[Maine-birds] Sad but possibly interesting non-avian wildlife spotting

Think I sent this to wrong address earlier, if not, I apologize for redundancy.

Early Thurs night I saw that a Bobcat had recently been killed on Rte 115 near the Windham-Gray line. I stopped and pulled it over. It was in great shape so a recent kill but cold. It also appeared to have been quite healthy - beautiful animal. I've never seen one in the wild - and wish it had been in different circumstances.

Judy Scher

Re: [Maine-birds] Great Black Hawk info

Bird being seen now in first light in the red circle on the map that Doug shared.

Corner of Park and Deering.

Good birding,

Evan

York, ME

On Fri, Nov 30, 2018, 10:47 PM 'Doug Hitchcox' via Maine birds <maine-birds@googlegroups.com wrote:

Hi all:

It was a great day to be following a Great Black Hawk around Deering Oaks. Many thanks to everyone who posted updates today and helped folks get on this bird. With the weekend ahead, I wanted to share a few tips for observing the bird:

First of all, GIVE THE BIRD SPACE. There were opportunities throughout today, particularly when the bird was perched in a Norway Spruce along Park Ave, when it was especially easy to see and photograph, but keep in mind this was following it flying into a window. Later in the day, back in the park, there were a few times that people got too close and flushed it several times before it settled into its usual corner. I'm very appreciative of everyone who followed our directions in giving the bird space but if we want to see this bird in the future I hope everyone will help enforce this. The Great Black Hawk definitely favors the southwest corner of the park (near the Deering Ave / Park Ave intersection) and particularly spends time in the catalpa tree near there. I strongly recommend birders stay on the path (or on the outside border of it) to give this bird space to roost and forage. The path is visible in the map that Rob O'Connell shared last night here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/maine-birds/AbbclXwSywM/ORCvwRRhCgAJ

In the afternoon the hawk spent nearly an hour eating a squirrel at the base of one of the cedars in that area until a King Middle School student ran through and deliberately flushed the bird. The teachers at King have done a great job bringing students out throughout the day and most have really appreciated getting to see the bird - if you see students, please share your scope, binoculars, etc, and get these kids interested. After flushing from its prey, the bird sat in an oak (through at least 3:30PM when I left) watching the carcass. Despite many attempts, it was difficult to get people to clear the area that the bird was eating in. The Park Division of Portland have been notified and are putting up signage to keep people out of this area that the hawk has been frequenting. I'm likely preaching to the choir through this listserv but I hope everyone will help regulate the large crowds that are likely to come over the weekend and keep this bird's well-being a priority. News coverage has attracted many "non-birders" so please use this opportunity to teach them about the bird and the space they need. My best advice, teach them to digiscope a photo from the path rather than walking right up to the bird with their cell phone.

Thanks all for a great day birding this Portland park. Let's work together to keep this bird around for many more people to see!

Good birding,

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

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