Tag Archives: Raymond

This Week’s Highlights, 5/4– 5/10/2024

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This Ovenbird on our property paused for a moment as it enjoyed a snack it pulled from the leaf litter.

The migratory floodgates really opened this week, as expected, with the diversity of Neotropical migrants increasing dramatically. Days like the 7th and 8th are truly special, but any day birding – especially in May! – yields its own rewards. My observations of note over the past seven days also included:

  • 10 species of warblers (FOY) led by ~40 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 25+ Black-and-white Warblers, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6 (with Jeannette).
  • 15 species of warblers (FOY) led by 100+ Yellow-rumped Warblers and 13 Black-and-white Warblers, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/7.
  • 1 continuing TRICOLORED HERON (FOY), Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 5/7.
  • 15 species of warblers led by 50+ Yellow-rumped Warblers and 15-20 Black-throated Green Warblers, our property in Durham, 5/8.
  • 15 species of warblers led by 35+ Yellow-rumped Warblers and 20+ Black-and-white Warblers, our property in Durham, 5/10.

As is typical of early May, new arrivals were the headliners of most days of birding. Additional personal first-of-years this week also included:

  • 1 Yellow Warbler, Hidden Pond Preserve, Freeport (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • ~40 Chimney Swifts, over downtown Portland at dusk, 5/4 (with Jeannette).
  • 4+ Common Terns, Curtis Farm Preserve, Harpswell, 5/5 (with Harpswell Heritage Land Trust birdwalk group).
  • 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird, our property in Durham, 5/6.
  • 1 Cape May Warbler, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6 (with Jeannette).
  • 5 Common Yellowthroats, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Solitary Sandpiper, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler, our property in Durham, 5/6.
  • 1 YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (a little early), Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6 (with Jeannette).
  • 3 Least Flycatchers, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/7.
  • 3 Magnolia Warblers, Florida Lake Park, 5/7.
  • 2 American Redstarts, Florida Lake Park, 5/7.
  • 1 Scarlet Tanager, Florida Lake Park, 5/7.
  • 1 Veery, Florida Lake Park, 5/7.
  • 1 Blackburnian Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/7.
  • Since I had not been in Scarborough Marsh in a few weeks, a number of personal first-of-years on 5/7 for me that have been present for a while now included Lesser Yellowlegs, Glossy Ibis, Willet, and Least Sandpiper, while more recent arrivals included 1 Least Tern (Pelreco Marsh) and 1 Spotted Sandpiper (Pelreco Marsh).
  • 1 Warbling Vireo, our property in Durham, 5/8.
  • 1 Wilson’s Warbler, our property in Durham, 5/8.
  • 2 Bobolinks, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 5/9 (with Dan Nickerson).
  • 3 Prairie Warblers, Bowdoin Sand Plain, Brunswick Landing, 5/9 (with Dan Nickerson).
  • 1 Canada Warbler, our property in Durham, 5/10.
  • 1 Lincoln’s Sparrow, our property in Durham, 5/10.

TOURS AND EVENTS:

Nothing like the splash of color from a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the feeding station to brighten a gray day in the backyard.

This Week’s Highlights, 5/6 – 5/12, 2023

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With my guiding season now in full swing, I have no choice but to be out in the field a lot, regardless of my shoulder situation. And with much finer weather and some good nights of especially Saturday and Thursday nights, the arrivals of migrants caught up to the date quite rapidly. Many new arrivals – as well as a lot of personal first-of-years since I had not been getting out much – resulted in a nice long list of highlights for me -and my clients – over the past 7 days. 

My observations of note over the past seven days included:

  • 10 Greater Yellowlegs, our property in Durham (thanks to a flood in our field), 5/5 diminishing to 3 by 5/7.
  • 250-300++ White-throated Sparrow in impressive fallout, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 1 female Red Crossbill, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 10 species of warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain). This tied my latest date for reaching 10 species at one place in one morning for the first time of the season.
  • 1 WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (looking very out of place) and a pair of RUDDY DUCKS, Sanford Lagoons, Sanford, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 drake Northern Shoveler, Dunstan Landing, Scarborough Marsh, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 pair LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Morgan Meadow WMA, Gray/Raymond, 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).

The long list of my personal FOY’s this week also included:

  • 1 Ovenbird, Florida Lake Park, 5/6 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Common Yellowthroat, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 1 Nashville Warbler, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 3 Chimney Swifts, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 2 Yellow Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 1 American Redstart, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 1 Green Heron, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 1 Prairie Warbler, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with client from Spain).
  • 20+ Field Sparrows, Kennebunk Plains, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 3 Vesper Sparrows, Kennebunk Plains, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Eastern Meadowlark, Kennebunk Plains, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 2 Solitary Sandpipers, Sanford Lagoons, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Spotted Sandpiper, Sanford Lagoons, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Least Tern, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 30+ Common Terns, Pine Point, Scarborough, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 4-6 ROSEATE TERNS, Pine Point, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Eastern Kingbird, Dunstan Landing, Scarborough Marsh, 5/8 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Northern Waterthrush, Florida Lake Park, 5/9.
  • 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/9.
  • 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow (finally, extremely late for my first of the year, and this one was not due to lack of visitation of its habitats), Florida Lake Park, 5/9.
  • 1 Veery, Florida Lake Park, 5/9.
  • 1 Cliff Swallow, Florida Lake Park, 5/9.
  • 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird, our yard in Durham, 5/9.
  • 1 White-crowned Sparrows, feeders here at the store, 5/10.
  • 14 Least Flycatchers, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 2 Great Crested Flycatcher, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 3-4 YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS, Morgan Meadow WMA. 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Scarlet Tanager, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Warbling Vireo, Durham River Park, Durham, 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Bank Swallow, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/11 (with clients from Spain and Maine).
  • 1 Wood Thrush, our property in Durham, 5/12.
  • 1 Canada Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/12.
  • 1 Wilson’s Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/12.

TOURS AND EVENTS:

This Week’s Highlights, 4/15-21/2023

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For the third week of April, this is not a very impressive report – especially in terms of new arrivals! However, we were in Boston for three days cheering on Jeannette in the Boston Marathon (she did great…Go Jeannette!) and well, now I have frozen shoulder. So, field time remains woefully limited.  Nonetheless, I had some observations of note (in Maine) over the past seven days:

  • ~40 Yellow-rumped Warblers (FOY), 40+ Palm Warblers, 8 Pine Warblers, etc, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/15 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 3 EVENING GROSBEAKS, our feeders in Durham, 4/19-20.

My other personal FOY’s this week also included:

  • 2 Swamp Sparrows (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/15 (with Saturday Morning birdwalk group).
  • 1 Pied-billed Grebe, Morgan Meadow WMA, 4/21
  • 1 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Morgan Meadow WMA, 4/21.
  • 1 Broad-winged Hawk, over I-295, Yarmouth, 4/21 (with Jeannette. Finally! I have really been missing spending time at the Brad!)

TOURS AND EVENTS:

Next weekend (April 29-30) is the 13th Annual Feathers Over Freeport that we sponsor with public and private partners at Bradbury Mountain and Wolfes Neck Woods State Parks. We have a full slate of events all day, each day once again, plus a Thursday night (4/27) kick-off presentation at Patagonia in Freeport!

The entire schedule and more information can be found here. All events are free with park admission.