After last week’s rarity insanity, this was a tamer, more “normal” week for mid-May. While several great songbird flights occurred this week, concentrations were few, but there were “new” birds arriving most every day. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.
- 1 continuing RUFF (REEVE), Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 5/10 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
- 1 ORCHARD ORIOLE (FOY), 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, etc, Green Point WMA, Dresden, 5/13 (with Jeannette).
- 1 immature male ORCHARD ORIOLE, feeders here at the store, 5/14.
- 1 continuing hen CANVASBACK, Great Pond, Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, 5/15.
My personal “first of years” this week also included:
- 1 Bobolink, Thornhust Farm, North Yarmouth, 5/10 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
- 1 Red-eyed Vireo, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/12 (with Jeannette).
- 2 Spotted Sandpipers, Florida Lake Park, 5/12 (with Jeannette).
- 1 Canada Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/12 (with Jeannette).
- 2 Green Herons, Green Point WMA, Dresden, 5/13 (with Jeannette).
- 7 Short-billed Dowitchers, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 5/13 (with Jeannette).
- 1 Scarlet Tanager, our property in Durham, 5/14.
- 1 Blackpoll Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/14.
- 4 Laughing Gulls, East Point, Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, 5/15.
- Numerous Common Terns, Biddeford Pool environs, 5/15.
- 2 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 5/15.
- 5 Roseate Terns, East Point/Ocean Ave, Biddeford Pool, 5/15.
- 26 Ruddy Turnstones, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 5/15.
- 2+ Semipalmated Plovers, The Pool, 5/15.
- 82 Black-bellied Plovers, The Pool, 5/15.
- 150 Semipalmated Sandpipers, The Pool, 5/15.
- 4 Marsh Wrens, Cobboseecontee Lake Causeway, 5/16.
Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch
The Week 8 report can be found here. The report for the final week, finishing on Thursday, can be found here.
Maine Birding Field Notes 
Hello! This is a question for an opinion. When I moved here 37 years ago, we had bobolinks in the field (about 1 acre) behind my house. I did mow a path around the acre, and one thru it. in several years, no more bobolinks. But then my neighbors who had larger tracts seemed to lose theirs; one was probably mowing too early. Couldn’t explain the other piece, but it’s being farmed now, so no bobolinks). Is the disappearance due to disturbance or are there fewer bobolinks? I know this is just a guess, but I’d love to know what you think! Thanks so much!
Linda Nevins
While there are fewer Bobolinks now overall, mowing that occurs at the wrong time causes a population to die out slowly (one of the largest reasons for the decline throughout their range). Our ever-earlier growing season often results in mowing at the worst time possible for the birds to survive. I doubt that your path had much to do with the issue, but more likely your 1 acre was “spillover” from the larger field whose colony has now been extirpated. Other factors include disturbance, predation, stem density, and plant composition.