White Winged Scooter

Birding Granite Point again Sunday morning allowed us to see some great birds, but cloudy conditions were terrible for photography.

The first place we stopped was Curtis Cove, and the King Eider was there yet again. Fellow birder Bob Malbon passed on to us about a birder who showed up at the cove in search of the King Eider, but had no luck finding it.

I think he may have been a little too early. I was told he arrived at 6:30 p.m. and left after half an hour. We have been seeing it around 7:30 a.m. until about 8:15 a.m. The King Eider then heads seaward and then north toward New Barn Cove and Hoyt Neck. (Maine Atlas Page 3/D3). I hope he reads this article and finally gets to see this beautiful bird.

Another wonderful sighting was 2 male and 2 female Redhead Ducks feeding in the Little River near the end of Granite Point Road. Further down the river, I saw a duck that I want to say was a Ruddy Duck, but I am not positive that is what it was. Maybe a return birding trip to the area will have this duck closer for ID.

Several Common Loons and Red-Breasted Mergansers populated Curtis Cove, and many Black Ducks and Green Winged Teal fed in the pannes of the area. A lone Lesser Yellow Legs is still hanging out in the panne directly in front of the parking area near the entrance to the refuge.

The highlight of the birding excursion was the sighting of a first winter White Winged Scooter. It is also a life list first for my wife and I!

The following photograph was taken by fellow birder Bob Malbon and is copyrighted by him. Many thanks go out to him for allowing the use of his photograph. The White Winged Scooter was some ways off, but I think Bob did a great job capturing this Scooter for identification purposes.

 

 

 

 

 

A Great Blue Heron was in flight near the pannes as we left the area around mid-morning. 

Happy birding!

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