Birding By Schooner 2013!

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Jeannette and I were once again had the honor and pleasure to have the opportunity to be the guides on a 6-day birding tour aboard the Lewis R. French out of Camden, Maine. This was our third tour together (I also was aboard for a private charter last year), and we have been looking forward to this trip since the last time we stepped off the boat. While this blog entry will obviously focus on the birding and wildlife aspects of the trip, I will not be able to do this tour justice with words nor pictures. It is truly a unique experience from start to finish.

After boarding the boat the night before, we awoke to sunny skies in Camden Harbor on Day 1 of the trip, July 22^nd. Captain Garth and I chatted about possible destinations, and after another check of the forecast, we decided to take advantage of the benign conditions to make a run way out to SealIsland, off of Matinicus. We have a total of four islands that feature breeding seabirds – with Atlantic Puffins being the prime target – in three different directions, so with every trip, we hope to hit at least one of them. Seal is the most remote, and the most extraordinary – featuring not just lots of puffins, but Razorbills, Common Murres, Great Cormorants, Arctic and Common Terns, and for the past seven years – a Red-billed Tropicbird. A few pairs of Manx Shearwaters also breed there, as do many Leach’s Storm-Petrels. Unlike the other islands, it also offers a fairly sheltered cove for anchoring, and the opportunity to host the island’s seabird biologists for dinner and conversation. (Note: you can double-click on the photos for larger images)

The Schooner French, a National Historic Landmark built in 1871 is not mechanized. This means there is plenty of ways to burn a few calories before the next scrumptious meal, such as cranking the anchor…

…or raising the sails

As we departed the harbor, we started our trip list with common species such as Mallards, Double-crested Cormorants, Laughing Gulls, and a smattering of landbirds. Osprey nests were passed and Black Guillemots were in their usual abundance. Common Eiders were common, as were Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, along with a scattering of Common Loons and Common Terns. Many of these, especially the gulls, cormorants, eiders, and especially the guillemots would be constant companions throughout the trip, especially in in- and nearshore waters.

Amanda serving lunch; all meals were, as usual, fantastic. Lunch was “simple:” soup, a salad, fresh baked bread, and desert.

As we left the shelter of Penobscot Bay, the wind died off completely. This would be the first of what was, unfortunately, a few days where we were forced to use our powered yawl boat to push the French along (Although we still use a tiny fraction of the gas as any other pelagic birding trip out there!). En route, we encountered a single Leach’s Storm-Petrel that provided a nice view, and a Manx Shearwater passed by – our first two target species spotted, and we hadn’t even reached Seal Island yet!

I prepare the chum

The waters around Seal were teeming with birds: lots’o’puffins, Razorbills, a handful of Common Murres, Great Cormorants, and a boat-load of Black Guillemots. Hundreds of Arctic Terns were wheeling about the island, with many birds making close passes of the boat. It did appear, however, that Common Terns had already mostly fledged, as we didn’t see too many. Three Common Ravens were a surprise, but Song and Savannah Sparrows singing from the island were expected. A few migrant shorebirds were darting about, including Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, a few Ruddy Turnstones, and at least one Semipalmated Plover. Spotted Sandpipers foraged along the shore, too, the only shorebird that breeds out here.

Razorbills

Puffins!

Arctic Tern

Unfortunately, the famous Red-billed Tropicbird did not put in an appearance. We were in position for his afternoon bath, but later we learned he often skips it when it isn’t sunny. “He’s a fair weather bather,” one of the biologists later told us.

But our spirits were not dampened. After all, this is not a hard-core listing trip. Although everyone would have liked to have seen the tropicbird, this tour is more about taking what the weather and the birds provide, and enjoying a relaxed, casual bird-watching experience.

And just in case anyone was upset about dipping on the tropicbird, dinner was soon served – Amanda and Amber’s meals always put a smile on people’s faces – and we welcomed our special guests, the seabird biologists of SealIsland. It’s a treat for us to ask them questions about life and birds on this remote rock, and no doubt a treat for them to get a brief break from the rigors of island life.

Black Guillemot with Rock Eel

Chatting with the biologists on Matinicus Rock…aka “nah, nah, we’re on a schooner!”

As night fell, and a near-full moon rose, many of the birders on board delayed retiring to their bunk until Leach’s Storm-Petrels – who only visit their burrow nests under the cover of night – began to vocalize. There were only three of us left on deck by 10:00, when I turned in. The one birder, our good friend Chris, however, stayed topside (and another birder slept on deck) for a while longer. Not too long after I gave in to sleep, fog rolled in, and that really got the storm-petrels to call. Chris was rewarded for his stamina with a cacophony of somewhat-disconcerting cackling chatters.

That fog was still around at sunrise, which unfortunately meant we would leave without the tropicbird. Even if he did come out for his morning bath, we wouldn’t have seen him – heck, we couldn’t even see his cove from the boat. So we just had to suffer through more puffins. It’s a tough life.

Fog and occasional rain reduced visibility as we headed for shelter inshore, but we spotted the occasional commuting puffin and a few Northern Gannets.

We passed around the west side of Vinalhaven Island, and dropped anchor off of North Haven in the Fox Islands Thorofare. An evening walk in “town” added landbirds to the list, including a few Purple Finches at a feeder and a Cooper’s Hawk.

A Great-horned Owl called throughout much the night, and come dawn, we shuttled ashore for a birdwalk on Vinalhaven Island.

Garth suggested a loop trail that was a short walk away from the dock, but we barely made it to the trailhead – the road in was just too birdy! A Swainson’s Thrush foraged on the beach, a Blackburnian Warbler sang near the dock, and as we walked the road, we came across a variety of the common birds of these Red Spruce-dominated islands. Magnolia Warblers and Golden-crowned Kinglets; Winter Wrens and Dark-eyed Juncos. One little patch of alder scrub at the edge of a meadow exploded with birds with just a little pishing: two family groups of Black-throated Green Warblers, a pair or two of American Redstarts and Common Yellowthroats, a band of Golden-crowned Kinglets, White-throated Sparrows, and one Alder Flycatcher. We had to hustle back to the boat in time for breakfast.

We rounded Vinalhaven clockwise, and came out of the fog for a time as we crossed East Penobscot Bay. We were back into the sun as we traversed Merchant’s Row, but once again we found ourselves without even a puff of wind.

While an island with terns and alcids is usually the highlight of our sail, over the years, the colony of Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls and Double-crested Cormorants of Southern Mark Island has provided us with some entertainment. Here, Bald Eagles travel to hunt the colony, and in years past, we have seen some incredible shows. As we slowed down to view the island, two Bald Eagles rapidly approached right on cue. One landed in the center of the island, presumably to look for unattended gull chicks. This time, both eagles were driven off empty-taloned.

Small flocks of southbound migrant shorebirds were also encountered here and there, such as these Semipalmated Sandpipers

Burnt Cove Harbor on Swan’s Island would be our harbor of refuge for the night, and an after-dinner dusk stroll in the village and out to the lighthouse added a couple more species to our growing list.

It was with anxious anticipation that I went to bed that night, as Garth had decided that – weather forecast holding true of course – we were going to head offshore yet again, perhaps all of the way out to Mount Desert Rock. It was time for some true pelagic birding! And just to hedge the bet, we picked up some more bait for chumming.

Common Terns were common

A light northeasterly wind helped us get offshore, but yet again, the wind died offshore and we needed the assistance of our yawl boat. A very long 2-3 foot swell was hardly noticeable in our heavy wooden boat, and as we headed into deeper water, the birding really began to heat up.

About a mile away from Mount Desert Rock, we hit pay dirt: massive rafts of Great Shearwaters. We sailed through them, and then back through them. The lack of wind was keeping them on the water, and most just paddled away from our slow-moving ship. I began to chum. You could say it worked. It worked really, really well.

Great Shearwaters took the bait, literally, and followed us closely. Now under sail, the silence afforded us the opportunity to hear these surprisingly-vociferous birds as they fought over morsels, and jockeyed for position. Many birds were coming within only a few yards of the boat, and many of them were not bothering to fly – just walking on water with wings flapping. They would plunge in after slowly-sinking chunks of Herring (I really wish I had cut things smaller, the chum bucket was going down way too fast!) and we were close enough to see them underwater.

Great Shearwater

Northern Gannet

Molting adult Red-necked Phalaropes

Juvenile Arctic Tern

OK everyone, grab your copy of Howell’s ‘Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America and use molt patterns to age this Great Shearwater!

Sooty Shearwater

Mmmm…herring

Great Shearwater coming in for a landing…I think this is my favorite photo of the trip!

Adult Northern Gannet

Simply put, this was a lot of fun. And when all was said and done, and we left the hotspot, we had tallied an impressive 764 Great Shearwaters. They were joined by at least 4 Sooty Shearwaters, and one Manx Shearwater cruised by – not pausing for long, as usual. A total of 19 Northern Gannets were counted, and Razorbills (9), 2 Common Murres, and more Atlantic Puffins (4+) added to the show. Although overshadowed by the rafts of shearwaters, Red-necked Phalaropes were in abundance – I estimated at least 400 birds, most of which in tight flocks spinning in floating mats of wrack. I didn’t pull out any Red Phalaropes from the bunches, but it wouldn’t have surprised me to find some mixed in. Surprisingly, not a single Wilson’s Storm-Petrel was seen – a bird that we somehow didn’t even see all trip! Where the heck are they this year? It’s usually the most common tubenose on our tour!

If we didn’t have some important plans for dinner, we would have spent more time out here I am sure, as this was really a great experience. Even the non-birders aboard were more than impressed by the show. Unfortunately, only one Fin Whale was briefly spotted. A feeding frenzy of birds that I spotted in the distance were clearly excited by something feeding – either whales or perhaps tuna, but by the time we made it to the area, the birds had settled into the massive rafts we sailed through.

We skimmed the mouth of BlueHillBay, checking our Harbor Seals basking on ledges exposed by the low tide, and happening upon a few large rafts of molting Common Eiders.

We dropped anchor off of McGlatheryIsland south of Stonington, and rowed ashore for one of the non-birding highlights of the trip – a lobster bake on the beach!

After the feast, we moved the boat to a safer anchorage off of Hell’s Half-Acre, where we spent the night. Rain fell in buckets, and continued on and off through much of the next day. However, for the first time, we had some solid winds to do some real sailing, and after donning our rain gear, many of us stayed on deck for much of the day as we crossed East Penobscot Bay and tacked our way around North Haven. Slowly but surely, however, most of us made our way to the wood-burning-stove-warmed galley for snacks, tea, and conversation…and a few games.

The rain cleared and fog lifted in the afternoon, and it was a lovely evening in the shelter of Pulpit Harbor. Although we had seen plenty of Ospreys on this trip, the Ospreys that nest atop the rock (the “pulpit”) that guards the entrance to the harbor are particularly noteworthy – the explorer and cartographer Samuel de Champlain noted an Osprey nest atop this very rock sometime between 1604 and 1607! The one still-present juvenile that was being watched by an adult had no idea what a historic nest it was raised in.

July 27^th, our 6^th and final day of the tour, dawned on Pulpit Harbor under clearing skies, calm winds (again), and warmer temperatures. Barn Swallow, likely a migrant, was added to our trip list as we sailed northeast into Camden Harbor. Chimney Swifts overhead and a singing Yellow Harbor from the shoreline were our 82^ndand 83^rd – and final – species of the trip (an “accounting error” led to a mistaken tally of 78 species announced at the end of the trip; sorry folks, update your notes!) but still a tally held down a little by fewer walks ashore (one due to our deep-water pelagic, and the other due to heavy rain). However, our seabird list was fantastic, and quite a few of the birders added life birds – the Leach’s Storm-Petrels and Manx Shearwaters in particular. And perhaps, sucked in by the fun of it all, one or two life lists were born.

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The always bittersweet return to the lovely port of Camden.Sure I have birding tours that see more birds, and are more reliable for the most sought-after target birds, but this trip is one of my most favorites (only Monhegan Island can compete). Yeah, we kept a list, and a few people added some lifers, but this trip is truly about enjoying whatever birds we come across in a really unique way. The Schooner Lewis R. French is a beautiful boat, with an amazing crew, serving great food and good times. In this case, the birding is actually the icing on the cake. The complete trip list, in order of appearance:
American Crow
Mallard
Canada Goose
Tufted Titmouse
American Goldfinch
Rock Pigeon
Song Sparrow
Black-capped Chickadee
Cedar Waxwing
Blue Jay
European Starling
Belted Kingfisher
Double-crested Cormorant
Common Loon
House Sparrow
Mourning Dove
House Finch
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Osprey
Common Eider
Black Guillemot
Laughing Gull
Common Murre
Razorbill
Northern Gannet
Common Tern
Leach’s Storm-Petrel
Arctic Tern
Atlantic Puffin
Razorbill
Common Raven
Great Cormorant
Common Tern
Manx Shearwater
Spotted Sandpiper
Savannah Sparrow
Semipalmated Plover
Least Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
White-throated Sparrow
Red-eyed Vireo
American Robin
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Cooper’s Hawk
Purple Finch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-winged Blackbird
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Chipping Sparrow
Great Horned Owl
Common Yellowthroat
Gray Catbird
Blackburnian Warbler
Northern Parula
Swainson’s Thrush
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Magnolia Warbler
Winter Wren
Nashville Warbler
American Redstart
Alder Flycatcher
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Dark-eyed Junco
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Bonaparte’s Gull
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Hermit Thrush
Great Blue Heron
Great Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Red-necked Phalarope
American Black Duck
Tree Swallow
Greater Yellowlegs
Barn Swallow
Chimney Swift
Yellow Warbler
*************************

Our “Birding By Schooner” Tour aboard the Lewis R. French has been run every three years. However, thanks to increasing interest and demand, we are going to likely be offering this one-of-a-kind birding experience on an annual basis! Keep an eye on our “Travel, Tours, and Workshops” page at http://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/birdingtoursinMaine.asp for information about the possible 2014 (but likely definitely in 2015) sailing dates.

Biddeford in Shorebird Season

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“Shorebird Season” is in full swing, and the greater Biddeford Pool area is one of the best places in the state to observe and study shorebirds. Although numbers usually pale in comparison to the Lubec Flats and Scarborough Marsh, and diversity usually lags well behind the latter as well, the area often provides some of the best opportunities to study shorebirds, between Ocean Avenue and Biddeford Pool beach on the high tide, and Hill’s Beach at low tide.

Today, Phil McCormack and I birded the area thoroughly, beginning with viewing of the extensive mudflats of The Pool itself. Birds were already well dispersed by the time we arrived this morning, so it was a challenge to really study and sort through the masses, but our tally was as follows:
196 Short-billed Dowitchers
~75 Semipalmated Sandpipers
57 “Eastern” Willets (plus one distant bird that may have been a “Western”)
~ 20 Black-bellied Plovers
~10 Semipalmated Plovers
4 Whimbrels (first of fall for me)
4 Least Sandpipers
2 Greater Yellowlegs
1 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Ruddy Turnstone

At dead low, Biddeford Pool Beach was shorebird-free (which is often the case, as birds take advantage of the ephemeral mud and sand flats of The Pool and Hill’s Beach), but as we birded the neighborhood and Ocean Avenue, we picked up a few birds of note, led by 2 breeding-plumaged Red-necked Grebes. Three Black-crowned Night-Herons and a few migrant passerines such as two Eastern Kingbirds and an Indigo Bunting were also noted.

As the tide began to turn, we headed over to Hill’s Beach, and hit it perfectly! Here, the rapidly approaching water pushed birds towards us, and concentrated them in the highest spots for last-minute feeding. We were able to carefully and critically sort through each individual, checking for rarities and studying variation. Our effort turned up a few “good” birds, led by a trio of “Hendersonii” Short-billed Dowitchers (the prairie subspecies), a fairly-rare-but-regular stray to Maine.

The third bird we found, was the brightest of the lot, and was very obvious with its rufous coloration throughout its underparts.

(Phone-scoped Photos)

The other two were quite a bit paler, so were a little tougher to tease out. I managed a crummy photo of one of them.

(Phone-scoped Photo).

Another highlight was a single adult Stilt Sandpiper, along with an adult Red Knot. The complete tally was as follows:
119 Semipalmated Sandpipers
114 Short-billed Dowitchers (ssp griseus)
6 Black-bellied Plovers
3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS (ssp HENDERSONII)
2 Ruddy Turnstones
2 Sanderlings
2 Least Sandpipers
1 STILT SANDPIPER
1 Red Knot

So if the shorebird show was quite good, the tern show was simply great. At least a hundred Common Terns, including many begging juveniles were present, along with at least 30 Roseate Terns. A few Least Terns also joined the fray, including this adult standing watch on its fledgling.

(Phone-scoped photo).

A Summer Visit to the Kennebunk Plains

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It was a perfect morning at the Kennebunk Plains. Dry, Canadian High Pressure has finally built in, dropping dew points to non-saturated-shirt levels. A light northerly breeze was just enough to keep bugs at bay, too.

Eastern Meadowlarks (10), Grasshopper Sparrows (12+), and Upland Sandpipers (4-5) were particularly conspicuous today. All of the other regular Plains denizens, from Field and Vesper Sparrows to Prairie Warblers and the pair of American Kestrels were present and accounted for, although Vesper Sparrows still seem fewer and farther between here this year. Unfortunately, no sign of the Clay-colored Sparrow today.

Wood Lilies were in full bloom…

…and the first few Northern Blazing Stars were beginning to bloom.

But my goal of the day was to improve our collection of Upland Sandpiper images. Although I was really hoping to see some chicks, these photos made the trip more than worth while.

And one Grasshopper Sparrow was particularly confiding.

Here’s a female Eastern Towhee

A Field Sparrow in full song

More importantly, I always find a visit to the Kennebunk Plains to be good treatment for the birding soul, so this morning was refreshing in more ways than just the weather.

Since I was in the area, I took a swing out to the Sanford Sewerage Facility. Not surprisingly with all of the rain of late, the water levels were very high, and therefore shorebird habitat was virtually non-existent. There were plenty of Spotted Sandpipers, however: 14 in all, including juveniles. Wood Ducks were even more aplenty, with a total of 45 individuals from adult males in eclipse plumage down to only-week-or-so-old downy chicks. And the late summer flocks of blackbirds are beginning to build; about 200 Red-winged Blackbirds have already coalesced here. Meanwhile, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was still present along the edge of the facility.

Lastly, I stopped in at WoodlandCemetery in Biddeford, to check on a nest I found here in early June. After seeing a displaying pair of Merlins in the area a week or so before, I looked around for nest sites, and happened up on a perfectly-sized twig nest in a Red Pine. Unfortunately, after three visits, it does not appear that this is an occupied nest this year – by a Merlin or anyone else. I did have 6 Fish Crows nearby, however, as a consolation prize.

The 2013 Bicknell’s Thrushes of the White Mountains Tour

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Over the past weekend, I was back in the White Mountains of New Hampshire to visit with Bicknell’s Thrushes. This time, it was for our annual weekend van trip for a “quick hit” for those looking for the thrush – one of the most range-restricted breeders in all of North America. Between two dedicated efforts for the thrush, I also try and find a few other target birds for participants, so we bird all day both days, but in a pleasantly relatively-relaxed pace.

We headed straight for the hills on Saturday, picking up three Fish Crows in Windham, and a Peregrine Falcon just outside of Crawford Notch as we headed over to Pondicherry National Wildlife Refuge. There, a friend turned me onto an area of early-successional forest that yielded our first target bird: Mourning Warbler. With just a little squeaking and pishing (no tapes), one male popped up and sat in the open on a bare twig for over five minutes (of course, my camera was in the car…someone had to take one for the team!). It really was one of, if not the, best view I have ever had of this species on the breeding grounds.

Afterwards, we took a stroll along the Mud Pond Trail, which is such a pleasant place to take a walk, with the raised boardwalk and platform into the bog the reward at the end of the short trail. A couple of Canada Warblers were a reward as well. Then, with time to spare, we walked some of the diverse habitats along Hazen Road in Whitefield, which yielded Bobolinks, Savannah Sparrows, and the expected common warblers. A pair of Bank Swallows and a few Hooded Mergansers were in and over a pond, but the highlight were the dozens of Hummingbird Clearwings (sphinx moths) feeding on roadside weeds. I don’t think I have ever seen so many in such a short stretch. The expected rain began just as we were walking back to the car at our last stop.

After an early dinner (at which time the rain was really coming down), it was finally time to get to work for real, and we joined the good folks at the Mount Washington Auto Road for a private charter up the Auto Road after hours. The rain was finally clearing as we headed up hill, and it was actually partially clear, and with a fairly light wind when we got out at the alpine meadow around 6,000ft up – quite the contrast from when I was here two weeks ago and we could barely open the van doors.

Unfortunately, we did not see any American Pipits this evening. The summit was enshrouded with clouds but with “only” a 30mph wind and no rain, it was far from unpleasant out.

But enough with these shenanigans, it was finally time for me to get my game face on. As we rolled downhill a bit to my new favorite thrush spot on the mountain, it began to rain. And then it rained harder. It was a downpour. I don’t think we were stuck in the vans for more than about 10, maybe 15, minutes, but it felt like forever to me! Rain this hard would make thrush-watching impossible. I was seriously stressing. Luckily, it began to let up as quickly as it arrived, and we moved into position. As the first Bicknell’s Thrush of the evening was just about at the edge of the road, a strong gust of wind blew through, pushing the thrush deeper into the krummholz. And it was not coming back out.

Further down the road, we eventually had success, with one bird flying back and forth across the road a few times, occasionally pausing in view. Everyone saw it fairly well, but it was almost always moving quickly, and although everyone claimed to be satiated, I was far from convinced that everyone was satisfied.

But as we walked to the van, one of the participants saw a thrush walking around. Although it was a Swainson’s, the bird flew across the road. As we were about to start getting back into the van again, two birds hopped out into the road. Hmm, they did not look like Swainson’s, so I moved a little closer, and sure enough two BICKNELL’S THRUSHES were out in the wide open!

One bird was picking on the road (I couldn’t help but wonder if it was finding dead insects hit by cars over the course of the day, as this is now the third time I have seen such behavior here), and the other was following it closely. My impression is that a female was the bird feeding, while the male was “attending” her, mostly to make sure her foray away from the nest was not a chance for another male to “visit” with her (or, her to “visit” with him). Regardless of what was going on, we now all had our great looks, and we rolled down the hill and into Gorham fully satiated…well, with the bird – a lifer for all – but not necessarily satiated fully until a celebratory drink at the bar. It’s always a good sign when a group, after a long and tiring day, wants to go out for a post-birding drink!

On Sunday morning, we began at the Caps Ridge Trail for a sampling of the area’s boreal breeders. It was rather quiet – it was the end of June afterall – but there was actually more birdsong than when I was here two weeks before. Quite a few Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were calling, and we had some great looks at Blackpoll Warblers in particular. Three Great Blue Herons flying high overhead seemed like an odd sight as we were peering over the forest.

Then it was time for another trip into the realm of the Bicknell’s Thrush. This is my “back-up” in case I missed them on Mount Washington (like if that downpour didn’t stop in time), but it has always been just a second serving of this enigmatic species. And, my “secret spot” did not disappoint, as we had a brief, but enjoyable view of a single bird, while hearing two others. As we looked for Boreal Chickadees nearby, a few thrushes started calling and singing, and over the next 20 minutes, we were treated to quite a show as the birds settled their little territorial dispute. One bird even perched in the open at the edge of a trail for a moment, but my camera only took sharp photos of the twigs in the background. But it was really a great experience, and no one minded that we never did run into a Boreal Chickadee.

Just what I like to see, a tour full of smiling faces!

After my “secret” Philadelphia Vireo spot yielded a bird immediately, it was time to move on, and begin our trip home, breaking for a late lunch at the Moat Mountain Smokehouse in North Conway, and for custard in Naples – a perfect dessert to cap a fantastic weekend.

2013 Maine-New Hampshire Tour for WINGS

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My Maine-New Hampshire Tour for WINGS is designed to take a comprehensive look at the wide range of breeding birds of northern New England, from Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows at sea-level to Bicknell’s Thrushes on the 6200ft Mount Washington. From Grasshopper Sparrows and Upland Sandpipers in the blueberry barrens of the Kennebunk Plains to Boreal Chickadees and Gray Jays in the boreal forests, and from Spruce Grouse and Bay-breasted Warblers “Downeast” to Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills on MachiasSealIsland, this tour enjoys them all.

Over the course of 7 full days of birding and just about 1200 miles traveled (by van, not including what we did by foot and boat!) amassed 163 species, including 20 species of warblers, 4 species of alcids, 9 species of flycatchers, and 14 species of sparrows. An outstanding whale/bird watch trip that produced 9 Fin Whales, over 150 Great Shearwaters, 6 Sooty Shearwaters, and an impressive 18 Leach’s Storm-Petrels among over 500 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels. Breathtaking scenery. Great food, especially lots of fresh lobster. Moose and a Wood Turtle, too. What’s not to like about this all-inclusive experience in the state where our motto is “The Way Life Should Be?” I think our tour left in full agreement with the accuracy of this.

We began on Day One in the saltmarshes of Scarborough Marsh, comparing Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows. “Eastern” Willets voiced their complaints, while Least Terns foraged nearby. The nearby sandy beaches afforded an opportunity to study Roseate Terns and Piping Plovers, with lingering White-winged Scoters and a Red-throated Loon offshore. Our first surprise of the trip was a Brant standing on a sandbar off of Pine Point – not a typical summer bird here in Maine. As we scanned the sandflats for lingering shorebirds (just four Black-bellied Plovers), we spotted two distant American Oystercatchers. Just as we started to strain to see them, one flies by right off the end of the pier!

By mid-morning, we had arrived in the Kennebunk Plains, surrounded by the state’s largest population – by far – of Grasshopper Sparrows and Upland Sandpipers with goodly amounts of Vesper Sparrows, Prairie Warblers, and the continuing Clay-colored Sparrow. After a picnic lunch at a particularly birdy spot, we began our climb into the White Mountains. Our first stop was at an active Black-backed Woodpecker nest, where patience produced visits by both adults, and views of two hungry youngsters bursting out of the hole. As this was a major target bird of the trip, I added quite a few miles and minutes to today’s marathon to assure us a look at this often secretive (at least away from the nest) boreal specialty.

And as if this wasn’t enough, we had yet another major target yet to bag. An after-hours private charter up Mount Washington into the realm of Bicknell’s Thrush was rewarded with exceptionally good views, and a chance to experience the winds and weather of the summit.

Day two began on the Caps Ridge Trailhead, with Gray Jays, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, and Blackpoll Warblers, before we headed up another mountain for a second helping of Bicknell’s Thrush. After telling folks that “there’s no way we’ll see a Bicknell’s better than we did last night,” I was made out to be a liar by crippling views of this thrush.

We also picked up a Philadelphia Vireo at one of my “secret spots,” and enjoyed some “bugs.”

(Harris’s Checkerspot).

(Modest Sphinx moth).

Heading back into Maine, we spent the night in Rangeley, and come morning, Gray Jays dropped in to clean up after our picnic breakfast. Kirk Betts joined us for a few hours of birding the Boy Scout Road, where Boreal Chickadees and an Olive-sided Flycatcher were well seen, and as we began our trek eastward, Purple Martins, Black Terns, and two (admittedly ridiculously distant) Sandhill Cranes at Messalonskee Lake nicely broke up the drive.

By the beginning of the fourth day, we were far Downeast in Machias. We dipped on our first attempt at Spruce Grouse, but all was forgiven when we boarded our boat for MachiasSealIsland on a beautifully warm and sunny day. Thousands of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, and many hundreds of Common Murres – many within just a few feet of the observation blinds. How do you describe this magical place? I simply cannot; it must be experienced. I will let these pictures do the talking.

Immature Common Murre.

After lunch, we were joined by Chris Bartlett as we worked our way along the BoldCoast to West Quoddy Head and back to Machias. On the hot summer afternoon, we didn’t see many of our targets, but we were adding birds to our list. Unfortunately, we had yet to add Spruce Grouse.

Therefore, on the 5^th morning of the trip, Operation Fool Hen (the colloquial name for Spruce Grouse) went into full effect. The formerly most-reliable place in the state was no longer reliable (0-3 here), and I had pretty much resigned myself to failure by the time we entered the woods at one last place. We were cleaning up some “dirty birds,” (birds not seen by the whole group), and while I was trying to get some people a look at a Swainson’s Thrush, a hen Spruce Grouse walks out behind me, about 10 feet away and starts preening. The grouse walks even closer to the growing group, including a family that enjoyed the show, patiently waiting to pass. We watched for well over 15 minutes before she sauntered off.

Relieved and ecstatic, we continued down the trail. On our way back, that family, now ahead of us, points to where we saw the hen grouse. We acknowledged it, they moved on, and instead we see a spiffy male standing just off the trail. He started walking towards us, we all froze, and he actually walks around a few people in order to take a dust bath within a few feet of us – in the very same spot that we saw the hen. This guy was not going to be deterred!

Time flies when you’re having fun with Spruce Grouse, so our time was limited in Moosehorn NWR. Luckily, we did see Bay-breasted Warbler, but before we knew it, it was time to move on and head towards Bar Harbor, where we enjoyed a lobster dinner the way lobster should be (abundant; and on paper plates with bibs and lots of napkins).

(Dawn on the Summer Solstice from the Back Porch).

Our second boat trip of the tour departed Bar Harbor on the morning of Day 6, and we headed towards Petit Manan to enjoy yet more puffins, Razorbills, and Common Murres. And unlike Machias Seal, the tern colony here is present and active, with thousands of Common and Arctic Terns wheeling through the air, and at least a few more Roseates. Heading further offshore, pelagic birds began to increase. A conservatively-estimated 500 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were joined by at least 18 Leach’s – probably my best-ever tally from a non-dedicated (no-chumming) pelagic. 150+ Great Shearwaters and 6 Sooty Shearwaters joined the party…oh yeah, and 9 Fin Whales! It was one of my best pelagic bird shows on this 4-hour trip, and the Fin Whale show was dramatic as well.

Great Shearwaters.

Fin Whale.

Leach’s Storm-Petrel.

The view from the summit of Cadillac.

Day seven was our last day of birding, and a lot was on the agenda once again. A picnic and walk at Sieur de Monts Spring was highlighted by a great look at a day-hunting Barred Owl, and the scenic Auto Loop Road filled some holes in our list, and surprised us with a lingering immature Great Cormorant!

Heading towards Portland, we stopped for lobster rolls at the world famous Red’s Eats before birding around Brunswick, still adding some birds to our list, such as some rare-for-the-season Long-tailed Ducks.

LL Bean, Freeport Wild Bird Supply (of course to add a few more species to the list at the feeders), the world’s Largest Rotating Globe at Delorme, a colony of Fish Crows, and last but not least, a scrumptious dinner in Portland brought this remarkable trip to a grand finale.

I hope you’ll consider joining me on this tour when we run it again in 2015. As with all of our trips and tours, stay tuned to www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/birdingtoursinMaine.asp for more information.

3 Days of Breeding-Season Private Guiding.

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So here it is, my first blog entry as I re-enter the blogosphere. I hope that you enjoy it.

It’s been a busy, and challenging, week for me. As is often the case in June, I spend a lot of my time guiding, both for private clients and on organized tour. In fact, I begin my 9-day comprehensive Maine and New Hampshire tour for WINGS tomorrow. That tour will take us from Scarborough Marsh to the top of Mt. Washington, across the boreal forest, out to Machias Seal Island, and through Acadia National Park. Lots of great birding, good food, and majestic scenery will be enjoyed.

This week, however, my guiding work kept me closer to home. While I hardly dodged all of the raindrops this week, the weather cooperated for my one-day tour on Monday for two couples from Oregon. This was their first birding trip to the Northeast, so there was a wide array of target birds, especially a diversity of warblers. Of course, the challenge at this time of year is seeing warblers, not just hearing them. But we did very well with visual observations of a host of species, all without the use of audio recordings. By positioning ourselves in the right places, we got a look at a very large percentage of what we heard. It just takes a little more patience.

We spent the morning in all of my favorite patches: Florida Lake Park, Hidden Pond Preserve, Old Town House Park, and Hedgehog Mountain Park. By doing so, I was able to capitalize on my familiarity with each park to focus on where specific species were on territory.

I didn’t have high hopes for seeing secretive Black-billed Cuckoos, but when one bird momentarily perched in the open shortly after our arrival, I knew we were going to have good fortune. The cuckoo was the first of many life birds on the day for our visitors. Additionally, we took time to look at everything our local habitats had to offer, from a hen Hooded Merganser with five chicks at Florida Lake Park to the occupied mud nests of Cliff Swallows at The Hog. The highlight, however, was the nest-full of baby Blue-gray Gnatcatchers at OTP – three chicks were absolutely bursting from the round, lichen-encrusted nest. While I didn’t have my camera with me today, my friends were firing away.

On Wednesday morning, however, I returned with another client, and we both had an excellent photo session. The chicks had left the nest by now, but I found them a few trees away. All three were doing well, and we watched the female bring a series of tasty treats to two of the cuties.

In the afternoon, we stopped at Simpson’s Point in Brunswick to take a look at an over-summering Common Loon, and I was surprised to find a raft of 52 Black and 3 Surf Scoters, along with 4 Long-tailed Ducks as well. Simpson’s Point once again hosts truant Arctic-nesting sea ducks for a reason that I have yet to ascertain.

Rain was falling steadily on Tuesday morning, as I began a two-day tour with a client from Kentucky. Unlike the more general nature of the efforts on Monday, we were very specifically targeting four species on this two-day tour. However, we filled them time in between with additional birding, showcasing all of the species that our area has to offer.

First up was Scarborough Marsh for Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows. I was definitely a little stressed as we arrived with steady rain still falling, and an easterly breeze beginning to pick up. I didn’t want to waste time, so I headed straight for my favorite spot and we were rewarded with excellent views of both species – as well as a presumed hybrid thereof – in surprisingly short order (once again, sans the need for tapes). One particular pair of Nelson’s Sparrows were too busy going about their business to pay us much attention, so we were able to follow the two for many minutes as the male crept along behind the foraging female, who rewarded him for his persistence by inviting a total of five copulations. It was a rare window into the world of another secretive species.

Roseate Terns, Piping Plovers, 16 lingering Black-bellied Plovers; the birding was good, but the rain had soaked to our bones, and with saturated clothing, we begrudgingly departed the marsh, stopped for hot chocolate, and then enjoyed a leisurely and warming lunch at Hot Suppa in Portland. While I pride myself on feeding my clients well when we are on tour, a lengthy sit-down lunch is either a really good sign (we got what we came for) or a really bad sign (the weather was terrible). Today, it was both.

Afterwards, I once again headed up to Brunswick to take advantage of the diversity of lingering sea ducks to bolster our day list. While we only had 30 Black Scoters today, we did add a fifth Long-tailed Duck. A single Semipalmated Sandpiper was at Wharton Point, and then we headed into the fields to enjoy Bobolinks.

On Wednesday, Vicki and I were back at it, and at least the rain had let up for a while. Heading inland, we took a stroll at Intervale Marsh to study Willow and Alder Flycatchers, and then headed into the woods nearby to tick off Blackburnian Warbler. With a little spare time, I revisited Old Town House Park for photo ops, which included quality time with the aforementioned gnatcatchers (see photos above).

Following an afternoon break, we hit the road for New Harbor. Somehow, the weather gods had done us a favor. The northwesterly winds of the day flattened out the 5+ foot seas of the day before, and with a light wind, and only some scattered showers en route, we were aboard the Hardy Boat for their evening Puffin Cruise. I had been worried for two days about getting out to Eastern Egg Rock (or planned Tuesday evening trip was cancelled), but things were looking up as Vicki, her friend Hanno visiting from the Netherlands, and I crossed the calm bay and arrived at the island.

Black Guillemots, Common, Arctic, and Roseate Terns were a’plenty, but we had made it ¾ the way around the island before we finally got a look at a puffin. I was getting worried, and as I later found out, so was Captain Al! But the last ¼ of the circumnavigation produced some close views of multiple puffins, and with the second of two lifers of the trip for Vicki accomplished, I finally relaxed and settled into some photography…with my mission being in-focus underwings of flying Black Guillemots. Here are a few of my shots from the evening.

Of course, before the boat departed, we spent some time at Pemaquid Light…

…where I proved I run a full-service guiding outfit.

My New Blog!

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With the apparent demise of my Field Notes blog on Mainetoday.com, I thought it was time to begin anew. We will continue to use Facebook (www.facebook.com/freeportwildbird) for “micro-blogging,” including daily bird sightings and short trip reports, conservation news, store news, and more. Here, however, will be the new home for the lengthier essays, and especially photo-filled trip reports. I will also archive my rare bird sightings in posts here.

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Maine Birding Field Notes

Trip Reports, Essays, Rare Bird Reports, and More from Derek Lovitch's and Freeport Wild Bird Supply's birding in Maine and beyond.

Birding By Schooner 2013!

Biddeford in Shorebird Season

A Summer Visit to the Kennebunk Plains

The 2013 Bicknell’s Thrushes of the White Mountains Tour

2013 Maine-New Hampshire Tour for WINGS

3 Days of Breeding-Season Private Guiding.

My New Blog!