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Recent Highlights, 4/20– 4/26/2024

April 26, 2024 8:35 pm

 Although it had moved further away by the time I arrived, I managed a few phone-scoped photos of the Loggerhead Shrike that graced Chandler Brook Preserve and nearby yards in North Yarmouth on 4/21.

It was a great week of birding, with an impressive fallout on Saturday morning, a local mega rarity, and more new spring arrivals. My highlight of the week was catching an incredible early-season fallout at Florida Lake Park in Freeport on 4/20 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group). I eventually settled on a guestimate of 400 Palm Warblers and 125 Yellow-rumped Warblers. The full report can be found here.  75+ Palm Warblers and 50+ Yellow-rumped Warblers were present on the 24^th, but on both dates the only other warbler – as expected for the date – were Pine (3 each day).

My other observations of note over the past seven days included:

• 1 Fish Crow, over our property in Durham, 4/20 (Yard Bird #150!)

• 1 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, Chandler Brook Preserve, North Yarmouth, 4/21. Found earlier in the afternoon and seen by several of us in the evening. I don’t chase very often, but when I do, I prefer it to be only 15 minutes out of the way on my way home from the store!  It was only my second in Maine.

• 6 Red Crossbills (1 male, 2 female, 3-4 juvenile. Type 12 as per Matt Young), here at the store, 4/24.

Additional personal first-of-years this week also included:

• *1+ CLIFF SWALLOW, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/20 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
• 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Florida Lake Park, 4/20 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
• 1 Blue-headed Vireo, Morgan Meadow WMA, Raymond, 4/21.
• *1 NORTHERN PARULA, Morgan Meadow WMA, 4/21.
• 2 SANDHILL CRANES, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/21.
• 1 Rusty Blackbird, Florida Lake Park, 4/24.
• 1 adult LITTLE BLUE HERON, Cousin’s River Marsh, Freeport/Yarmouth, 4/24 (as viewed from Freeport Café’s parking lot).
• 1 Eastern Towhee, feeders here at the store, 4/24.
• 1 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Papermill Trail, Lisbon, 4/26.
• 1 Black-throated Green Warbler, Papermill Trail, 4/26.

*Numerous very early arrivals of regular migrants are likely also tied to the overshoot event that brought southern vagrants to locations up and down the state’s coast.

TOURS AND EVENTS:

Feathers Over Freeport This Weekend!

Saturday, April 27^th at Bradbury Mountains State Park and Sunday, April 28^th at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. All events FREE with park entry!

From birdwalks and a hawkwatch workshop to kids’ arts and crafts and a food truck, join us for two activity filled days in the 13^th year of Feathers Over Freeport!  A full schedule of events can be found here.

Note our regularly scheduled Saturday Morning Birdwalk meets at Bradbury on the 27^th.

Posted by Derek

Categories: Birding in Maine, Week Reports

Tags: Birding, birds, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, Chandler Brookj Preserve, Cousins River March, Freeport, Little Blue Heron, Loggerhead Shrike, migration, North Yarmouth, Pownal, Sandhill Crane, spring

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