Bird Watching Pine Point

Clear skies and a temperature of 22 F. greeted us at Scarborough’s Pine Point this morning. Very light northwest winds made it bearable. In the distance, Mt. Washington’s snow covered peaks along with ponds in the area that are ice covered, reminded us that winters’ icy grip is not too far behind.

Sharon and I birded with Bob Malbon this morning. (Bob, by the way, has some great birding pictures at his site.) While Bob and I went one way on the beach in search of birds to photograph, Sharon strolled along the Pine Point Neck looking for Harbor Seals. With an outgoing tide concentrating fish through the neck, the Seals had a wonderful feast. Sharon saw no fewer than 21 Seals and a slew of White Winged Scoters on her side of the beach.

Meanwhile, Bob and I stalked a few Black Bellied Plovers and Dunlins. A large group of Buffleheads did not feel photogenic, and felt obligated to head for the middle of the harbor before we got within a hundred yards of them. These ducks are very difficult to get near, and most of the time, nothing short of popping up in the middle of them with a submarine will get you anywhere near them. It also does not help with duck hunting season being back in progress.

A strange sight this morning had us scratching our heads as we were driving back to Route 1 via Black Point Road. A large flock of Canada Geese were standing on the ice on a pond. This, in itself, is not unusual but among them were 4 wild Turkey. This situation had me wondering what the Turkeys were doing on the ice and what would happen if the ice broke and they fell into the water. As far as I know, Turkeys are not good swimmers.

All and all not a bad morning as you can see with the following species list.

Location:     Pine Point, Scarborough
Observation date:     11/18/07
Notes:     Clear skies, light NW winds with a morning temp of 22 F. Observers: John Briggs | Sharon Briggs | Bob Malbon
Number of species:     26

Canada Goose     22
American Black Duck     12
Mallard     3
Common Eider     8
White-winged Scoter     16
Long-tailed Duck     4
Bufflehead     30
Common Merganser     1
Red-breasted Merganser     2
Wild Turkey     7
Common Loon     4
Horned Grebe     1
Great Blue Heron     1
Black-bellied Plover     6
Semipalmated Plover     1
Dunlin     175
Mourning Dove     2
Blue Jay     4
American Crow     10
Black-capped Chickadee     5
White-breasted Nuthatch     1
Northern Mockingbird     2
Snow Bunting     9
Northern Cardinal     1
Pine Siskin     2
House Sparrow     20

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2

While nothing spectacular was photographed, I did happen across a very late Semipalmated Plover who was very friendly. Enjoy our bird pictures by clicking a thumbnail for a larger view.

Note: Sharon and I will be in Pennsylvania for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday, until Sunday November 25th. Our bird report and any photos from the Keystone state will be the following week.

Happy birding!

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Maine Audubon Rare Bird Alert: Nov. 15

A new feature here at Birding In Maine will be the posting of the Maine Audubon Rare Bird Alerts. Many thanks go to Eric Hynes, Staff Naturalist / Gilsland Farm Center Manager, Maine Audubon.

Of Special Note

This week was dominated by continued reports of good numbers of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and PINE GROSBEAKS with scattered reports of arriving COMMON REDPOLLS.  Waterfowl numbers continued to build along the coast. NORTHERN SHRIKE reports continued state-wide.

Notable finds this week included a WESTERN GREBE, and the winter’s first GLAUCOUS and ICELAND GULLS.  A HUDSONIAN GODWIT and WESTERN KINGBIRD continue at Pine Point. A YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continues at Fortunes Rocks.

Lingering migrants included CAPE MAY, PINE and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.

York County

In Biddeford, a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER continued in the shrubs along Etherington Pond on Fortunes Rocks Road through November 12 and a female CAPE MAY WARBLER is reported at a series of feeders on Hills Beach Road.

A single COMMON REDPOLL visited a feeder in Berwick this past weekend.

Three PINE GROSBEAKS were seen along Rt. 25 in Cornish at the north end of the county on November 11.

Greater Portland

An Aechmophorus Grebe, likely a WESTERN, was videotaped and photographed off of Pine Point Beach in Scarborough late on November 9. The bird has not been relocated. A sub-adult ICELAND GULL is also being seen sporadically in this area.

Elsewhere at Pine Point, a LITTLE GULL was found near the Lobster Co-op on November 12, mixed with about 200 Bonaparte’s Gulls.  An AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER and a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER joined the HUDSONIAN GODWIT and the hundreds of Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers foraging on the flats there.

The lingering WESTERN KINGBIRD continues but is not reliably found at the end of Dunstan Landing Road, off of Pine Point Road, in Scarborough. 

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen at Village Crossings in Cape Elizabeth on November 11.

On November 13, a BALTIMORE ORIOLE foraged briefly in the apple orchard behind the environmental center at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth.  A very cooperative PINE WARBLER was gleaning insects just outside the front door of the environmental center on November 15.

Birds at Florida Lake Park in Freeport this week included two RED CROSSBILLS on November 10 and two BOREAL CHICKADEES on November 14.  Other birds at this site included a RUFFED GROUSE, PIED-BILLED GREBE, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and PINE GROSBEAKS.

Western

COMMON REDPOLLS have been showing up at feeders in the Wilton area.

Androscoggin Valley - Lewiston

A juvenile NORTHERN SHRIKE and a small flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were noted at Leavitt High School in Turner on November 12.

An impressive concentration of ducks, including 643 RUDDY DUCKS and a NORTHERN SHOVELER, were tallied at Sabattus Pond in Sabattus on November 12.

Midcoast

A PEREGRIN FALCON was pursuing pigeons over the parking lot of Fort Andros in Brunswick on November 11, marking the 7th year one has wintered at that site.  Another PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at Spirit Pond in Phippsburg on November 14.

A male RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was seen at a suet feeder on River Road in Topsham and a second at feeders in Woolwich.

A late BLUE-WINGED TEAL as well as a GADWALL and a NORTHERN PINTAIL were reported at the mouth of the Abbagadasset River in Bowdoinham on November 12.  Other birds at this site included numerous GREEN-WINGED TEAL and AMERICAN COOTS, PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, seven GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and three GREAT BLUE HERONS.

A lingering PINE WARBLER is visiting a yard in Georgetown.

Kennebec Valley - Augusta

An ICELAND GULL was seen from Route 8 in Smithfield.

Five BARROW’S GOLDENEYES were with COMMON GOLDENEYES on the Kennebec River at Fort Halifax in Winslow on November 9.

Two GLAUCOUS GULLS and one ICELAND GULL were at the Hatch Hill Landfill in Augusta on November 13.

Twenty PINE GROSBEAKS were feasting on a fruiting tree along a back road in Benton.

In Benton, at least 80 COMMON REDPOLLS were foraging on birch catkins on November 15.

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and PINE GROSBEAKS have been visiting a crabapple tree in the village of Purgatory in Litchfield.

A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER has been visiting a feeder in Winthrop each afternoon since November 13.

PINE GROSBEAKS are frequenting the Skowhegan area and several were found in Whitefield as well.

Central - Bangor

Orono topped the BOHEMIAN WAXWING reports this week with 160 – 170 at the Post Office, 100 more at the University of Maine gardens, and another 15 in the area of the Bangor Mall.  PINE GROSBEAKS were found at a number of locations in the Bangor area as well.

Downeast

COMMON REDPOLLS, PINE GROSBEAKS and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS dominated the reports from Washington County, with good numbers reported in both Calais and Machias.

A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was found at Meddybemps Lake.

Northern Maine- Aroostook

ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are being seen regularly across the area with reports from Hersey in southern Aroostook to St David in the northern part of the county. 

The first ICELAND GULL of the season in northeastern Maine was a first winter bird found with some lingering Ring-billed Gulls at Collins Pond in Caribou on the 12th.

A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was found at the boat launch of Nadeau Pond in Fort Fairfield. 

A few HORNED LARKS continue to linger in area potato fields.  Numbers are down from a high count of over 120 seen in Limestone at the beginning of the month.

The largest flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS seen were 170 at Presque Isle and 120 at Caribou.  Most other groups were 20-50 birds.

GRAY JAYS were seen at Madawaska Lake and Woodland.

A very late BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD was found with a group of House Sparrows in Presque Isle.

COMMON REDPOLLS and PINE GROSBEAKS have been frequenting feeders in New Sweden.

Eric Hynes
Staff Naturalist / Gilsland Farm Center Manager
Maine Audubon
20 Gilsland Farm Road
Falmouth, ME 04105
207-781-2330 ext. 237
ehynes@maineaudubon.org
www.maineaudubon.org

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Cold morning at Pine Point

I wrote yesterday that I thought Saturday morning was cold. This morning was colder yet! Temperatures were in the low 20’s with a light wind. Frost was light, but there was a light covering of ice on area ponds. This time, I was dressed for the weather.

Fall migrants are finishing their southward migration and new wintering birds are arriving every day. For the first time since moving to Maine, I had Pine Siskins visiting my bird feeders both yesterday and today. Last weekend, I had my first of the season Purple Finches visiting. If only I could get a Pine Grosbeak or an Evening Grosbeak to visit, I would be one happy camper!

Our bird watching travels today took us back to Pine Point. The wayward Hudsonian Godwit was absent and hopefully left for warmer climes. (If any other birders that were present at Pine Point this morning saw the H. Godwit, please let me know.) Quite a few Dunlin and several Black Bellied Plovers were feeding on the mud flats. One each of a Lesser Yellowlegs and a Greater Yellowlegs were seen near the dilapidated pier.

We later drove towards Camp Ellis. A pair of Horned Grebes and a single Red-Necked Grebe were seen off the pier at Camp Ellis, along with Surf Scoters and a White Winged Scoter. All of which are first of the season for us.

I have compiled the following species list through eBird:

Location:     Pine Point, Scarborough    Observers: John & Sharon Briggs
Observation date:     11/11/07
Notes:     Temperature: Low 20’s with light winds. Light frost although thin ice on area ponds.
Number of species:     34

American Black Duck     12
Mallard     2
Ring-necked Duck     6
Common Eider     2
Harlequin Duck     1
Surf Scoter     2
White-winged Scoter     1
Long-tailed Duck     3
Bufflehead     5
Red-breasted Merganser     3
Common Loon     2
Horned Grebe     2
Red-necked Grebe     1
Double-crested Cormorant     2
Great Cormorant     1
Great Blue Heron     1
Black-bellied Plover     4
Greater Yellowlegs     1
Lesser Yellowlegs     2
Dunlin     75
Mourning Dove     3
Downy Woodpecker     1
Blue Jay     1
American Crow     15
Black-capped Chickadee     3
White-breasted Nuthatch     2
European Starling     7
Yellow-rumped Warbler     2
Dark-eyed Junco     6
Snow Bunting     4
House Finch     6
Pine Siskin     2
American Goldfinch     4
House Sparrow     12

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2

These bird pictures were taken at Pine Point on November 10th and 11th, 2007. The Yellow Billed Cuckoo pictures were taken at Eastern Point in Biddeford Pool on November 4th, 2007.

Happy birding!

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Hudsonian Godwit

Making our birding rounds this morning, we strayed from the usual route and decided to bird Pine Point in Scarborough, Maine. Not really dressed for temperatures in the upper 20’s with gusty winds, I exited the warm confines of the car and walked out onto the beach at the Co-op. What a pleasant surprise to find a Hudsonian Godwit feeding along the waters edge!

Using the upside down boats on the beach as cover, I crouched and began photographing the wayward bird. Others began to arrive to view the bird, so I pulled back and went to the car. Suffice to say, the heater got a good workout.

Enjoy the photos of this unusual late season treat. I will return tomorrow with more photos of other birds and a complete species list of what we saw over the Verteran’s Day weekend.

Happy birding!

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Bird Feathers #3

The third in a series of occassional rundowns of what’s happening in the world of birds, birding and bird blogging.

• Dozens of birds killed, hundreds of thousands threatened by spill | The black oil spreading for miles from the Golden Gate is staining one of the richest wildlife regions on the Pacific Coast and threatening hundreds of thousands of birds as well as marine mammals and fish that feed around San Francisco Bay.
•  Worst breeding season for Britain’s migratory birds | The unusual weather conditions across Britain have taken their toll on the country’s resident and migratory bird populations – of 25 bird species monitored, seven had their worst breeding season ever.
• Bird watcher gets stuck in the mud | A 73-year-old man was stuck in the mud when his bird-watching trip went wrong.
• No one to be charged over shooting of rare bird on Queen’s estate | No one will be charged after the alleged shooting of two protected birds of prey on one of Queen Elizabeth II’s country estates where Prince Harry had been shooting, prosecutors said Tuesday.

A Bird Habitat Conservation Plan That Developers Support

Speaking at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland, President Bush unveiled several new programs aimed at helping preserve the habitats of migratory birds.

Bush proposed to improve 200,000 acres of remaining bird habitat at existing wildlife refuges and to upgrade bird habitats in national parks.

A second initiative calls for a program of conservation easements. Under this program landowners agree not to develop their properties in return for a charitable deduction for the fair market value of the land.

A third program is called recovery credit trading. Under this plan landowners are given incentives to set aside or improve land for the benefit of migratory birds. These credits can be traded or sold on the open market.

While most environmental groups appear to back the president’s recovery credit trading plan, many developers see a silver lining. Real estate developers will be able to purchase these recovery credits from private landowners permitting them the opportunity to go ahead with projects that might otherwise be prohibited or delayed due to federal environmental regulations.

 

Until now there has been no single, comprehensive resource on the status of North America’s most threatened birds and what people can do to help protect them.

Birder’s Conservation Handbook is the only book of its kind, written specifically to help birders and researchers understand the threats while providing actions to protect birds and their habitats.

Find out more about this book | Birder’s Conservation Handbook

 

Happy birding!

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