Monthly Archives: August 2023

This Week’s Highlights, 8/19-25,2023

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This juvenile Marbled Godwit continues at Hill’s Beach in Biddeford, making a nice addition to my “Shorebird Big Day” effort on Tuesday.

After being thwarted by weather on a couple of days recently, I conducted a “Shorebird Big Day” on Tuesday the 22nd. I birded between Sanford and Brunswick, seeking shorebirds from near-dawn to dusk. My goal was “at least 20” species of shorebirds, so I was happy to finish my day with 22 species.  Needless to say, that day dedicated to shorebirding produced the majority of my high counts this week:

  • AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 6 adults, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • Black-bellied Plover: 126, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/22.
  • Killdeer: 17, Winding Brook Turf Farm, Alfred, 8/22.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 220, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/20.
  • Piping Plover: 3, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • Whimbrel: 3, Hill’s Beach/The Pool, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 6, Ocean Avenue, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz). One at Sanford Lagoons on 8/22 was quite out of place inland.
  • RED KNOT: 1 juv, Hill’s Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • STILT SANDPIPER: 4 (2 ad, 2 juv), Sanford Lagoons, Sanford, 8/22.
  • Sanderling: 22, Hill’s Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • BAIRD’S SANDPIPER: 1-2, Hill’s Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • Least Sandpiper: 36, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/20.
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 8, Biddeford Pool Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 3, Sanford Lagoons, 8/22.
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 600, Biddeford Pool Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 51, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/20.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 4, Ocean Avenue, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 8, Sanford Lagoons, 8/22.
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 83, Walsh Preserve, Yarmouth, 8/22.
  • “Eastern” Willet: 19, Pine Point, 8/20.
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 24, Walsh Preserve, 8/22.

A nice list of non-shorebird highlights this week also included:

  • At least 12 species of warblers have been in our yard daily this week, with a high count of 15 on the 24th. A Tennessee Warbler that I spotted while conducting our Bird Safe Open House birdwalk on the 19th was our 141st yard species.
  • Common Nighthawks have been on the move all week, with nightly sightings. My high counts included 16 over the Bates Mill in Lewiston on the 19th (with Dan and Renee Klem) and 244 in an hour over Wharton Point in Brunswick on the 23rd.
  • 1 continuing proposed TRICOLORED HERON X SNOWY EGRET X SMALL WHITE EGRET SP(P) HYBRID, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough marsh, 8/20.
  • 3 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, Green Point WMA, Dresden, 8/21 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull, Hill’s Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz)
  • Continuing mid-summer scoter Hat Trick off Biddeford Pool Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz): 2 White-winged Scoter, 2+ Surf Scoters, 75-100 Black Scoters.
  • 2 continuing adult RED-NECKED GREBES, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
  • 2 adult SANDHILL CRANES, Mayall Road, Gray/New Gloucester, 8/22.
  • 3 Great Egrets, southbound over the store on 8/24 during our Paul Doiron & Ron Joseph Maine Authors event. Yard Bird #134!

This Week’s Highlights, 8/12-8/18,2023

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This juvenile Marbled Godwit posed nicely at Hill’s Beach in Biddeford early in the morning on the 17th.

I tried to squeeze in as much time with shorebirds as I could muster this week, resulting in the following tallies. 18 (and ½) species of shorebirds was a good week’s total, especially without a visit (due to high water) to the Eastern Road Trail.

  • AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 5 adults, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/17 (with Noah Gibb); 1, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/15; 1 Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/17.
  • Black-bellied Plover: 151, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/14.
  • Killdeer: 21, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 8/14.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 392, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/15.
  • Piping Plover: 5, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/17.
  • Whimbrel: 2, Pine Point, 8/15.
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 8, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/17 (with Noah Gibb).
  • Sanderling: 17, Biddeford Pool Beach, Biddeford, 8/17.
  • BAIRD’S SANDPIPER (FOY) 1, Hill’s Beach, 8/17.
  • Least Sandpiper: 30++, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/17.
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 2, Pine Point, 8/15.
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 1, Hill’s Beach, 8/17.
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1600, The Pool, 8/17.
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 34, Biddeford Pool, 8/17.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 4, Ocean Avenue, 8/17 (with Noah Gibb).
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 79, Walsh Preserve, Yarmouth, 8/12 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • “Eastern” Willet: 14, The Pool, 8/17.
  • “WESTERN” WILLET: 1 presumably continuing, The Pool, 8/17.
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 36, Walsh Preserve, 8/12 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

A few non-shorebird highlights this week also included:

  • 6 Common Nighthawks, over Rte 136, Auburn, 8/15 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 3rd-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/17.
  • 2 White-winged Scoter, 2-3 Surf Scoters, 100+ Black Scoters – a rare mid-summer Scoter hat-trick!, Biddeford Pool Beach, 8/17.
  • 2 continuing adult RED-NECKED GREBES, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/17 (with Noah Gibb).
  • 1 immature GREAT CORMORANT, East Point, Biddeford Pool, 8/17 (with Noah Gibb).
  • Passerine migration is really ramping up, for example, I had 3 Northern Waterthrushes on our Durham property on the morning of the 18th. They don’t breed here.

TOURS AND EVENTS:

  • Tomorrow is our Bird Safe Open House event, with everything from a birdwalk to a keynote speaker. No registration is necessary. Note the Saturday Morning Birdwalk that week meets in Durham at 9:00am.

This Week’s Highlights, 8/5-8/11,2023

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One of two adult American Oystercatchers tending a downy, flightless chick (late) at Upper Green Island in interior Casco Bay, confirming our suspected breeding on this tiny island.

I have spent dreadfully little time enjoying, studying, and counting shorebirds so far this summer, so I tried to make up for that this week!  With many species approaching peak numbers, it was a good week to do so. High water in ponds and salt pannes from all of our recent rains impacted some locations and overall diversity, but my shorebird high counts this week were quite good overall:

  • AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 2 ad with 1 downy juv, Upper Green Island, Casco Bay, 8/6 (with Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours). Confirmed breeding on this tiny island after finding a flighted juvenile with adults last summer at this time. See link below.
  • Black-bellied Plover: 62, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/9.
  • Killdeer: 41, Colonial Acres Sod Farm, Gorham, 8/8.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 400-500, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Piping Plover: 1 juv, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Whimbrel: 1, Pine Point, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 2, Biddeford Pool Beach, Biddeford, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Least Sandpiper: ~50, Royal River, Yarmouth 8/6 (with Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours).
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 3, Pine Point, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1500-2000, Pine Point, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 59, Hill’s Beach, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 7, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 1, Walsh Preserve, Yarmouth, 8/7 (with Jeannette).
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 71, Royal River, Yarmouth 8/6 (with Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours).
  • “Eastern” Willet: 7, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/10 and Pine Point, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • “WESTERN” WILLET (FOY): 1, The Pool, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 24, Walsh Preserve, 8/7 (with Jeannette).

A few non-shorebird highlights this week also included:

  • 1 3rd-cycle LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, well inland at Colonial Acres Sod Farm, 8/8.
  • 1 female Black Scoter, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/10 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop tour group).
  • Daily fly-overs of Red Crossbill continue in our Durham yard, but I never seem to have a phone handy for a recording.

TOURS AND EVENTS:

This Week’s Highlights, 7/30-8/4,2023

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While by no means rare, a highlight for us this week was this Great Blue Heron stalking our pond in our Durham yard. It’s exciting to see the ecosystem we built here in less than a year! I’ve noticed a lot of Great Blue Herons undergoing post-breeding dispersal over the past week.

How is it that when you go away for a week, you fall three weeks behind? I’ve never understood that marvel of the universe. Anyway, catching up from our trip resulted in minimal birding for me over these last 6 days. However, a couple of highlights included the following:

  • Red Crossbills continue on the coastal plain. My high count this week were 7 flying over our yard on 8/1.
  • 1 House Wren, our property in Durham, 8/1 to present (our 140th Yard Bird!).
  • 1 RED-NECKED GREBE and 11 Piping Plovers, Popham State Park, Phippsburg, 8/3.
  • Oddly, a Black-billed Cuckoo was singing loudly at around 11pm on the night of the 3rd in our yard in Durham.

TOURS and EVENTS

  • Speaking of catching up, here’s (finally) my tour report from our July 22nd trip out to Seal Island.
Seal Island Tour Report, July 2023

And while observations were minimal this week, we do have a few events coming up that were worth posting.

Seal Island Tour Report, July 2023

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On July 22nd we boarded the Isle au Haut Boat Service’s The Otter for our special annual charter out of Stonington to the raucous seabird colony on Seal Island.  Our partnership began while “Troppy” the world-famous Red-billed Tropicbird that called the area home for 17 years. Unfortunately, Troppy failed to appear last year, but we ran the trip anyway, and had an amazing time!

2022 Seal Island Trip Report (The “not-so-search for Troppy), 7/23.

So we did it again this year. There’s just so much life out there, and it’s such an amazing place to visit, and so I needed an excuse for my annual visit. And sure, if that wily Tufted Puffin that’s been wandering the Gulf for the last two summers wants to be the new Troppy, that would be fine, too. But for now, we headed offshore with all sorts of high hopes.

As we left Stonington Harbor, the fog began to thicken, but not before we spotted a group of 15 Red-necked Phalaropes sitting on the water. Captain Tracy did a great job getting us closer, and then inching up to them when they relocated a short distance away. It’s a treat to get so close to phalaropes on the open water.

A handful of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were bouncing around, but the action picked up as usual as we approached Saddleback Ledge Light. A 1st summer Great Cormorant was surveying the scene, and our first Atlantic Puffin circled around us for a couple of passes.  After we ourselves circled the small island twice, we turned for Seal and immediately ran into dense fog that had slowly been creeping in. The tradeoff for calm waters is often fog, and it was pea soup today.

Not surprisingly, we saw little en route, but soon enough, we were out at Seal. While we heard – and even smelled – the tern colony before we could see the island, once along its shores, visibility was adequate. Arctic Terns put on a particularly good show for us, with several near the boat feeding and bathing. Arctic and Common Tern fledglings were everywhere, and we enjoyed their antics.  There were plenty of Atlantic Puffins in the water and on land, including several groups that were remarkably confiding as we sided up to them in the glass-calm waters. And Black Guillemots were numerous, and very busy.

Razorbills were fledgling rapidly, so we only found two on the island, but later, we had great looks at one on the water, too.

We circled around the southern end, spending some time observing the state’s last colony of Great Cormorants (and Double-crested); nests were brimming with chicks! 

We kept an eye out for migrant shorebirds in addition to the locally breeding Spotted Sandpipers, but visibility remained a challenge: 4 Short-billed Dowitchers, 3 Least Sandpipers, and some unidentified peeps was the best we could do.  A Great Shearwater made a close, but brief, pass as we were on the east side of the island before vanishing back into the fog.

Somehow, it was even foggier on our way back, so seabird sightings – even with a second visit to Saddleback Ledge – were limited to just a couple more Wilson’s Storm-Petrels.

So yeah, the fog was annoying, and did impact photos and our search for the next mega-rarity. But it also produced one of the smoothest boat rides you’ll ever be on in the Gulf of Maine and yielded lots of close puffins and some great looks at phalaropes.  And besides, any day birding from a boat is a good day in our book! Especially when a few days prior we thought this trip was going to be cancelled due to wind and thunderstorms.

Harbor Seals on the way out of the harbor.