Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Maine Birding List > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Monday, February 8 at 03:12 PM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Shama,©Barry Kent Mackay

8 Feb Shrike and BOWAs ["Bob Duchesne" ] 8 Feb Peregrine Falcons and Grey Jays [Paul Corcoran ] 8 Feb birds rte 16, NH&Me ["kathy dube" ] 8 Feb Public Great Backyard Bird Count [seth benz ] 8 Feb Fw: Trip North ["pat" ] 08 Feb Northern Pintail & Green-winged Teal ["Richard J. Duddy" ] 8 Feb Great Back Yard Bird Count-FEB 12-15 ["Stella" ] 7 Feb Orrington Northern goshawk ["Jerry A. Smith" ] 7 Feb MDI today [Craig Kesselheim ] 07 Feb cedar waxwings [Julia Hanauer-Milne ] 7 Feb Northern Pintails [Bill Sheehan ] 7 Feb Red-bellied Woodpeckers ["SusanJowett" ] 7 Feb Birdbath action ["Mark R Hoffman" ] 7 Feb Schoodic F.Trips 2.06.10 [Clark Moseley ] 06 Feb Re: Snowy Owl reported, Sargeant Mtn., Acadia NP [Julia Hanauer-Milne ] 6 Feb Re: sight and sound ["Jeff Wells" ] 06 Feb Birding Points North ["Becky Marvil" ] 6 Feb Turkey Vulture [Philip McCormack ] 6 Feb Schoodic Point Audubon trip ["Bob Duchesne" ] 6 Feb Re: sight and sound ["Bob Duchesne" ] 6 Feb Northern Pintail [Peaceable Garden ] 6 Feb Snowy Owl reported, Sargeant Mtn., Acadia NP [Craig Kesselheim ] 6 Feb Re: Maine-birds Digest, Vol 6, Issue 10 [russell duncan ] 6 Feb MDI bird goodies today [Craig Kesselheim ] 6 Feb Re: sight and sound [] 6 Feb Bald Eagle, Camden [Kristen Lindquist ] 6 Feb sight and sound ["reimer6117 tds.net" ] 6 Feb Re: Possible Great Gray Owl ["Jay Pendleton" ] 5 Feb Snow Buntings, Westfield [Craig Kesselheim ] 5 Feb Vinalhaven Ferry - Feb 5 ["mike fahay" ] 5 Feb roving raptors ["reimer6117 tds.net" ] 5 Feb Purple Finches (Benton) [Jill McElderry-Maxwell ] 5 Feb Merlin at Gilsland Farm ["Eric Hynes" ] 5 Feb NO N. Hawk Owl in Blaine this a.m. [Craig Kesselheim ] 5 Feb SeaNet-Beached Bird Surveys-Volunteer Opportunity ["Stella" ] 04 Feb Possible Great Gray Owl [Herb Wilson ] 4 Feb Waxwings in Newcastle ["Mark R Hoffman" ] 4 Feb siskin notes [Craig Kesselheim ] 4 Feb Re: Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove [Derek and Jeannette Lovitch ] 4 Feb Re: Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove ["Bob and Connie Jones" ] 4 Feb Yellow Throated Warbler continues ["robinson speirs jr." ] 4 Feb Gilsland Farm Birdwalks ["Eric Hynes" ] 4 Feb Re: Pine Siskin ["Sharon F." ] 4 Feb QUERY: Inland Purple Sandpipers [Peter Vickery ] 4 Feb yesterday in south unity [Diana Davis ] 4 Feb Camden, Red-tailed hawk [Kristen Lindquist ] 4 Feb Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove ["Robin Robinson" ] 3 Feb gulls - Bath ["mike fahay" ] 3 Feb Re: Pine Siskin [Leda Beth Gray ] 3 Feb FOY Purple Finch - WTVL ["Margaret Viens" ] 3 Feb Presque Isle, Caribou, Limestone, Stockholm, Ashville [Larry Wilson ] 3 Feb Pine Siskin [Craig Kesselheim ] 3 Feb Iceland Gull, Auburn [Raven Watcher ] 3 Feb more Bangor cedar waxwings [Paul ] 3 Feb Buxton Backyard observation [Renee and Zack ] 3 Feb Additional Highlights this Week, 1/30-2/3 [Derek and Jeannette Lovitch ] 2 Feb Falmouth Great Horned Owls [Anne Burton ] 2 Feb Brants,Lark,Harlequins [Roushdy Juanita ] 2 Feb Bangor waxwings ["Sean Smith" ] 2 Feb MDI Red Crossbill ["Richard MacDonald" ] 2 Feb Phippsburg - good bird ["Robin Robinson" ] 2 Feb Boothbay region waterfowl ["mike fahay" ] 02 Feb Ruby-crowned Kinglet [Joanne Stevens ] 2 Feb Kennebunk Owls ["Sharon F." ] 2 Feb odds and ends ["Eric Hynes" ] 1 Feb Eastport, and up to Presque Isle [Larry Wilson ] 01 Feb Brants, Snow Goose, Pipits... [Chuck Homler ] 1 Feb 3 road-birds - Feb 01 ["mike fahay" ] 1 Feb Bohemian Waxwing - WTVL ["Margaret Viens" ] 1 Feb Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove ["Robin Robinson" ] 1 Feb Freeport through Ogunquit (Snowy Owl, lots of Dunlin, Gadwall, more), 1/31 [Derek and Jeannette Lovitch ] 1 Feb Re: Marine Mammal REscue info [Lynn Havsall ] 1 Feb Marine Mammal REscue info ["Robin Robinson" ] 1 Feb Dyer Point, Cape Elizabeth ["Stella" ] 1 Feb Belfast, Sears Island, Schoodic, Quoddy head [Larry Wilson ] 31 Jan Harp seal Identification [Peter Vickery ] Subject: Shrike and BOWAs From: "Bob Duchesne" <duchesne AT midmaine.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 16:11:25 -0500 While doing a little scouting on the Stud Mill Road east of Sunkhaze Meadows NWR, I came across a Northern Shrike precisely at the spot where I usually find Boreal Chickadees and Gray Jays. It's about five miles east of the intersection with the County Road in Milford. He was more secretive than they usually are, but when I finally got a close enough look, I saw that he was trying to subdue and consume a small rodent. I later stopped near The Horseback where a fellow birder found a Spruce Grouse last summer. I check the area every time I'm there, with no luck. I did find lots of grouse tracks, but it could have been either species in that habitat. Frustrated by the lack of other irruptives, I decided to stop at the Ornamental Gardens at the University of Maine - the nearest thing to a sure thing for wintering frugivores. Bingo. 70 Bohemian Waxwings right on cue. Nary a Cedar Waxwing in the bunch. Bob Duchesne _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Peregrine Falcons and Grey Jays From: Paul Corcoran <paulc2402 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 13:08:31 -0800 (PST) Today I stopped at Park St. to see if the Peregrine Falcons were perched in there sunny spot on the side of the building.  They were both there perched like they were yesterday. I also drove the County Rd. that borders the Sunkhaze Meadow NWR. I heard and saw many Black Capped Chickadees and two Grey Jays. The jays were very cooperative in letting me see them. There were no crossbills or grouse that I could see along the County Rd. Paul from Bangor ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: "do-not-reply AT ebird.org" To: paulc2402 AT yahoo.com Sent: Mon, February 8, 2010 2:35:35 PM Subject: eBird Report - Park St . Bangor , 2/8/10 Location:    Park St . Bangor Observation date:    2/8/10 Number of species:    4 Peregrine Falcon    2 Herring Gull (American)    2 Rock Pigeon    5 Black-capped Chickadee    1 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: birds rte 16, NH&Me From: "kathy dube" <kdube AT ncia.net> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 14:24:02 -0500 I was scouting in preparation for field trips on Feb 13th and 20th. I went from Berlin to Haines landing in Oquossuc, Me. where white winged crossbills joined us for lunch. Milan- east side river rd., feeder juncos am tree sparrows starlings bluejays mourning doves Errol-Androscoggin river pair common mergansers rte 26 feeder evening grosbeaks rte 16 feeder bc chickadees goldfinch purple finch rb nuthatch pair hairy woodpeckers heard-evening grosbeaks Umbagog Wildlife Refuge headquarters NO gray jays, but staff say they are still seen every day, I didn't spend much time waiting for them Wilsons Mill Maine to Oquossuc as many as 10 encounters with white winged crossbills as they fed on sand on the road, one flock had ~25 bird along the whole route ravens and crows at home wb nuthatch friend at Akers pond in Errol is feeding gray jays almost daily tomorrow will bird east side river road, Chickwolnepy rd, both in Milan and Dummer loop road in hopes the "meat pile" has fresh carcasses Kathy Dube_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Public Great Backyard Bird Count From: seth benz <stbenz AT roadrunner.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 12:41:01 -0500 Belfast Footbridge Bird Count To Celebrate The Great Backyard Bird Count Saturday, Feb. 13 9:30 to 11:30 AM Free, Open to the Public Leader: Seth Benz, Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition Bird watchers coast to coast are invited to take part in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, which takes place nationwide from Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2010. Participants in the free event will join tens of thousands of volunteers counting birds in their own backyards, local parks or wildlife refuges. Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. “Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds—all at the same time," said Audubon Education Vice President, Judy Braus. "Even if you can only identify a few species you can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities.” Seth Benz will conduct a count from the Belfast Footbridge on Saturday, Feb. 13 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM and provide information on the Great Backyard Bird Count. This free event is open to the public. Drop in anytime. Thank you for posting, For more information: Seth Benz 97 Miller Street Belfast, ME 04915 207-322-8549 stbenz AT roadrunner.com _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Fw: Trip North From: "pat" <pmmoynahan AT maine.rr.com> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 12:11:02 -0500 ----- Original Message ----- From: pat To: Maine-Bird-email ; jsuchecki AT maine.rr.com Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 10:27 PM Subject: Trip North On the 6th of Feb Marian and I made a quick trip north to pick up the Northern Hawk Owl and he was right on schedule at 3:15 on the south side of Pierce Rd about a .5 mile from the corner of Old Houlton. We watched the Hawk Owl take on a diving Raven and he kept his ground. A Northern Shrike was in the area. Sunday the 7th we birded the Golden Rd and found 4 Red Crossbills and 15 White-winged Crossbills. Goldfinch were numerous, also. We returned home through Orono and located about 200 Bohemian Waxwings on Bennoch Rd and 125 mixed BOWA and CEWA near the gym on campus. About 30% of the birds in this flock were CEWA. We also had a Ruffed Grouse at the arboretum. Pat and Marian_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Northern Pintail & Green-winged Teal From: "Richard J. Duddy" <rjduddy AT rjduddy.com> Date: Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:16:22 -0500 I checked out Back Cove in Portland this morning before work. A female Northern Pintail landed right in front of me, but was flushed along with the rest of the ducks when a young Bald Eagle flew by being chased by crows. After the ducks settled back down, I couldn't relocate the pintail but did find a male Green-winged Teal. Turk Duddy Cape Porpoise _______________________________________________________ Unlimited Disk, Data Transfer, PHP/MySQL Domain Hosting http://www.doteasy.com _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Great Back Yard Bird Count-FEB 12-15 From: "Stella" <stellawalsh AT earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 07:04:57 -0500 Quick reminder to Maine Birders that the Great Back Yard Bird Count is February 12-15, 2010 It's easy to participate. You can count the birds you see in your backyard, off your balcony, at your local park or birding hotspot, or from your window. 1. Visit www.birdcount.org for easy-to-follow instructions, including tips for identifying bird species. Download a checklist for your area. 2. Count the birds you see, wherever you choose to count. Write down the highest number of individual birds you see at one time-that way you will avoid counting any bird twice. 3. After at least 15 minutes of watching in one place, report your results online at www.birdcount.org . You can spend more time observing if you prefer. 4. You can repeat your count at the same place on each day of the Great Backyard Bird Count, or you can visit other locations. Submit a new checklist for each day that you count. View Your Results Online maps and lists are updated throughout the count, making it easy to see how your birds fit into the big picture. Last year, participants identified 619 species and submitted a record-breaking 93,600 checklists. Their reports tracked the locations and numbers of American Robins, Black-capped Chickadees and other familiar birds as well as a massive surge of Pine Siskins over much of the eastern United States Stella _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Orrington Northern goshawk From: "Jerry A. Smith" <jerrya_smith AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 13:51:09 -0800 (PST) Although they are year-round residents here, I rarely see northern goshawks, so was excited to get good looks, but no photos, of an adult bird circling low over Center Dr. in Orrington, then landing for a few seconds in a tree, then flying off toward circling ravens over a cow pasture. Shortly afterwards, I watched a river otter play on the ice of the Orrington marsh, viewed from the Meadow Dam, aka the *Sedgeunkedunk Fishway*. At 11:30, both peregrines were perched on the phone co. building on Park St. in downtown Bangor. After a few minutes, both birds took off and casually flew around downtown Bangor, scaring the bejabbers out of ~300 rock pigeons that had been roosting on downtown buildings. Neither peregrine appeared to be interested in lunch at that time, but the pigeons were certainly nervous.   Jerry Smith in Orrington _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: MDI today From: Craig Kesselheim <ckesselheim AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 14:28:53 -0500 13 Surf Scoters in outer Bass Harbor -- seen from Back Beach on Lopaus Pt 1 juv Bald Eagle, 6 Common Redpolls where Long Pond Road meets Lurvey Springs Rd (SW Harbor) Overwintering female N. Cardinal put in an appearance w/yesterday's male Am. Tree Sparrow (3) at neighbor's feeder Keepin' the mittens on, Craig_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: cedar waxwings From: Julia Hanauer-Milne <jhanauermilne AT roadrunner.com> Date: Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:11:58 -0500 Augusta seems to be well-covered in cedar waxwings. Getting off at exit 109 this a.m. there was a flock in a tree next to the exit ramp. Then there were 60+ birds eating crabapples in front of the recreation building off Western Ave. We stopped to watch them gorge, which my kids appreciated. Finally heading home, I had several fly in front of my car on the entrance ramp and again lifting off from a tree just as I merged on to the highway. Julia _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Northern Pintails From: Bill Sheehan <bill.j.sheehan AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 11:26:42 -0500 Hello all, I am seeking information on Northern Pintails in Maine. In particular, I'm interested in Maine records of the species seen anywhere in breeding season (late May, June, July) as well as winter records inland from tidal waters. Also interested in info on groups larger than 50 birds at any time of year. Please respond offline Thanks Bill Sheehan Woodland, Aroostook Co. _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Red-bellied Woodpeckers From: "SusanJowett" <suejowett AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 10:55:37 -0500 I had a pair (and their) offspring of Red-bellied Woodpeckers starting last spring. The female and the babies left in the fall but the male has stayed with me and is still here, coming to my suet, meaties feeder and water heater several times daily. The water and food are located less than 12 feet from my deck slider. This has never happened before this year. I understand that they are moving north each year but they have never been here on the New Meadows in Brunswick at my feeders. Is this unusual? Sue _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Birdbath action From: "Mark R Hoffman" <hoffa2 AT roadrunner.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 10:38:30 -0500 I was playing on the computer and looked up to find 4 robins drinking from the birdbath then taking turns with another half dozen or so Robins. Goldfinches flying all around them wanting their turn but not brave enough to land with the Robins. At the feeders the usual suspects: Dozens of Goldfinches Titmice BC Chickadees Juncos Mourning Doves Blue Jays Downy Woodpeckers WB Nuthatch Cardinals Birds viewed from the deck: Herring Gull Ring-Billed Gull Crow Hairy Woodpecker (heard) I seem to have lost most of my Tree Sparrows and have not seen the Brown Creeper for almost 2 weeks. Mark R Hoffman Mills Rd Newcastle Me 207-458-1897_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Schoodic F.Trips 2.06.10 From: Clark Moseley <an.doc.mo.72 AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 09:25:01 -0500 As Bob Duchesne reported yesterday Downeast Audubon and Fields Pond Audubon led two separate field trips to Schoodic Point yesterday. The lists were pretty much identical. We also heard and saw 7 White-winged Crossbills and did see a Gloucous Gull at Prospect Harbor. Chip Moseley_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Snowy Owl reported, Sargeant Mtn., Acadia NP From: Julia Hanauer-Milne <jhanauermilne AT roadrunner.com> Date: Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:27:36 -0500 Folks who drive down I-95 south of Augusta might want to be on the lookout for a snowy owl too. My husband saw one in Richmond Friday perched on the embankment around where the state dug gravel for the recent roadwork on that stretch. We drove past there together today, but the owl wasn't there. Julia On 2/6/2010 3:40 PM, Craig Kesselheim wrote: > Just received a call from fellow birder Billy Helprin, of Bass Harbor. > He and Tom Lawrence snow-shoed up Sargeant Mtn today, following the > Maple Spring trail up and the Hadlock Brook trail down. They had > several opportunities to view a SNOWY OWL at fairly close range near > the top of Sargeant. It flushed ahead of them a bit and was favoring > the south ridge when last seen. Well camouflaged with this snow cover. > > Also and separately, if anyone is interested I created an eBird map of > siskin distribution for the month of February 2010 only, and the bird > seems scarce just about everywhere in NA. These maps are a great tool > and easily created depending on any question you might have. I'm happy > to send a screenshot of this particular one along if anyone is > interested. Just let me know offlist. > > Craig K > > > _______________________________________________ > Maine-birds mailing list > Maine-birds AT colby.edu > http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds > _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: sight and sound From: "Jeff Wells" <jwells AT intlboreal.org> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:19:54 -0800 Funny, but I heard a Blue Jay also doing a perfect Broad-wing imitation a couple of weeks ago in Winthrop. Jeff Jeff Wells ________________________________ From: maine-birds-bounces+jwells=intlboreal.org AT colby.edu on behalf of Bob Duchesne Sent: Sat 2/6/2010 1:50 PM To: maine-birds AT colby.edu Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] sight and sound There has been a Blue Jay outside Maple Hill Farm B&B in Hallowell that does an excellent Broad-winged Hawk imitation this winter. I've heard Red-shouldered imitations many times, but Broad-wings seldom. By the way, the Tree Sparrows that haunt the inn's bird feeder are numerous. It's almost like watching House Sparrows descending into a bush at McDonald's. Bob Duchesne From: maine-birds-bounces+duchesne=midmaine.com AT colby.edu [mailto:maine-birds-bounces+duchesne=midmaine.com AT colby.edu] On Behalf Of REvans9173 AT aol.com Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 9:47 AM To: reimer6117 AT tds.net; maine-birds AT colby.edu Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] sight and sound My first experience with such corvid shenanigans happened many years ago when I lived in Colorado. I was birding on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park in a lodgepole pine forest, and was crossing a clearing when I heard what I was sure was a Red-tailed Hawk. I looked in every direction but could see nothing. I heard the sound several times, and it seemed to be coming from a large pine tree that was standing alone in the clearing. I approached the tree cautiously, expecting the hawk to burst out of the tree and fly away. I circled the tree several times, but the only bird that I could see was a Steller's Jay, hunkered down in the upper branches. It continued its little charade as I walked away and left the clearing. I thought that it was particularly interesting that it continued its mimicry even when it knew that I was watching. I do admire the corvids. Bob Evans Cascabel, AZ _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Birding Points North From: "Becky Marvil" <bmarvil AT maine.rr.com> Date: Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:34:58 -0500 Stella, Luke, and I heading north today. first to Hatch Hill where there weren't many gulls, and no white-wings or Thayer's to speak of. However, on the way into the dump, Luke spotted 2 Ruffed Grouse in a tree right beside the road! >From there we worked our way up to Colby where we were treated to 8 Bohemian Waxwings, among 30-40 Cedar Waxwings. And then we headed on north to Long Falls Dam Road where we had 7 Boreal Chickadees, 11 Purple Finches, 9 Pine Siskins, 31 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 3 White-winged Crossbills, 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets but no Gray Jays or Black-backed WPs. On our way back south, we stopped at Claybrook Lodge, but found nothing except B-c Chickadees. Becky Marvil Yarmouth _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Turkey Vulture From: Philip McCormack <pmccormack9 AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 14:58:27 -0800 (PST) There was a Turkey Vulture soaring over Rt 1 in Scarborough near the Aquaboggon this morning around 10am.  My first sighting of one this year.      Phil McCormack Gorham, ME _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Schoodic Point Audubon trip From: "Bob Duchesne" <duchesne AT midmaine.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:47:10 -0500 The birds of Schoodic Point - Acadia National Park must have had the eerie sensation that they were being watched today. Both the Penobscot Valley Chapter and the Downeast Chapter of Maine Audubon led trips onto Schoodic Point on a cool, clear, somewhat brisk day. The Penobscot Valley Chapter arrived earlier and stayed a jump ahead of the Downeast Chapter, but lacked the impressive number of eyeballs that Downeast brought to bear on the flocks later. Nice crowd! They arrived at the Schoodic Head trail just as we were leaving. I heard a couple of White-winged Crossbills on the Schoodic Head trail, but never saw them, and we had a couple of Golden-crowned Kinglets pish in very close - the second time that they were that cooperative on the day. (Usually, they ignore my pishes, but not today.) Although I've had luck with Black-backed Woodpeckers here in previous winters, there were no fresh signs today. PVC enjoyed the usual abundance of normal birds around the point: many Common Loons, plentiful Red-breasted Mergansers, lots of sightings of Long-tailed Ducks and Buffleheads, ample eiders, black ducks and mallards, and a healthy number of Black Guillemots. One male Harlequin Duck and 20 Purple Sandpipers offered themselves up at Schoodic Point itself. Grebes were scarce until we rounded the corner beyond Blueberry Hill. In the lee of the wind on the far side of the point, Horned Grebe numbers increased nicely and we admired one raft of 57 Red-necked Grebes. There was a handful of Common Goldeneyes, but nothing to write home about. Great Cormorants were distant and uncooperative. Several were roosting or flying around an offshore ledge, but seldom ventured closer to us for proper inspection. At the cannery in Prospect Harbor, a couple of Iceland Gulls (one adult, one juv) performed for the crowd, close and easy to see. Dipped on Glaucous Gull - the first time I've missed them there in several years but, to be fair, there was no fish processing going on and most gulls were roosting in the distance. There was a nice raft of Surf Scoters present, which gave us all three Scoter species for the day. A quick stop at the Reversing Falls in Sullivan gave us our fourth Bald Eagle of the day and our first Red-tailed Hawk, but probably cost us the 60 Bohemian Waxwings that departed from Fields Pond Audubon Center shortly before we returned. Alas. Bob Duchesne _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: sight and sound From: "Bob Duchesne" <duchesne AT midmaine.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 16:50:22 -0500 There has been a Blue Jay outside Maple Hill Farm B&B in Hallowell that does an excellent Broad-winged Hawk imitation this winter. I've heard Red-shouldered imitations many times, but Broad-wings seldom. By the way, the Tree Sparrows that haunt the inn's bird feeder are numerous. It's almost like watching House Sparrows descending into a bush at McDonald's. Bob Duchesne From: maine-birds-bounces+duchesne=midmaine.com AT colby.edu [mailto:maine-birds-bounces+duchesne=midmaine.com AT colby.edu] On Behalf Of REvans9173 AT aol.com Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 9:47 AM To: reimer6117 AT tds.net; maine-birds AT colby.edu Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] sight and sound My first experience with such corvid shenanigans happened many years ago when I lived in Colorado. I was birding on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park in a lodgepole pine forest, and was crossing a clearing when I heard what I was sure was a Red-tailed Hawk. I looked in every direction but could see nothing. I heard the sound several times, and it seemed to be coming from a large pine tree that was standing alone in the clearing. I approached the tree cautiously, expecting the hawk to burst out of the tree and fly away. I circled the tree several times, but the only bird that I could see was a Steller's Jay, hunkered down in the upper branches. It continued its little charade as I walked away and left the clearing. I thought that it was particularly interesting that it continued its mimicry even when it knew that I was watching. I do admire the corvids. Bob Evans Cascabel, AZ _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Northern Pintail From: Peaceable Garden <peaceablegarden AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 12:56:45 -0800 (PST) Kristina MacCormick and I were treated to a beautiful Northern Pintail on Jones Creek this afternoon.  We made a good run from the Eastern Trail down through Pine Point and then Goosefare Brook in Ocean Park.  Not much else but the Pintail made our day! Karen. _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Snowy Owl reported, Sargeant Mtn., Acadia NP From: Craig Kesselheim <ckesselheim AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 15:40:01 -0500 Just received a call from fellow birder Billy Helprin, of Bass Harbor. He and Tom Lawrence snow-shoed up Sargeant Mtn today, following the Maple Spring trail up and the Hadlock Brook trail down. They had several opportunities to view a SNOWY OWL at fairly close range near the top of Sargeant. It flushed ahead of them a bit and was favoring the south ridge when last seen. Well camouflaged with this snow cover. Also and separately, if anyone is interested I created an eBird map of siskin distribution for the month of February 2010 only, and the bird seems scarce just about everywhere in NA. These maps are a great tool and easily created depending on any question you might have. I'm happy to send a screenshot of this particular one along if anyone is interested. Just let me know offlist. Craig K_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Maine-birds Digest, Vol 6, Issue 10 From: russell duncan <rusdun AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 15:26:22 -0500 Bob, sad to say that the lodgepole pines on the W-side of RMNP are not surviving the onslaught of bark beetles. Entire watershed stands are either dead or soon to be dead. On Sat, Feb 6, 2010 at 12:00 PM, wrote: > Send Maine-birds mailing list submissions to >        maine-birds AT colby.edu > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit >        http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to >        maine-birds-request AT colby.edu > > You can reach the person managing the list at >        maine-birds-owner AT colby.edu > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Maine-birds digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > >   1. Bald Eagle, Camden (Kristen Lindquist) >   2. Re: sight and sound (REvans9173 AT aol.com) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 08:52:44 -0500 > From: Kristen Lindquist > To: Maine-birds , Julie Suchecki >         > Subject: [Maine-birds] Bald Eagle, Camden > Message-ID: >        <2e10ea6a1002060552i75b5fd6aw3a699bc7e8a7b5c6 AT mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > I sat down at my desk a few minutes ago and looked out the window just > in time to see an adult bald eagle cruise through my back yard. Hope > that was an auspicious start to my day. (Or maybe it's here to kick > off today's Toboggan National Championships at the Camden Snow Bowl, > like they have the eagle fly around the stadium at the start of the > Super Bowl.) > > Kristen > -- > Kristen Lindquist > 12 Mt. Battie St. > Camden, ME 04843 > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 09:46:51 EST > From: REvans9173 AT aol.com > To: reimer6117 AT tds.net, maine-birds AT colby.edu > Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] sight and sound > Message-ID: <23a57.2a1ad581.389edadb AT aol.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > My first experience with such corvid shenanigans happened many years ago > when I lived in Colorado.  I was birding on the west side of Rocky Mountain > National Park in a lodgepole pine forest, and was crossing a clearing when I >  heard what I was sure was a Red-tailed Hawk.  I looked in every direction > but could see nothing.  I heard the sound several times, and it seemed to > be coming from a large pine tree that was standing alone in the clearing. > I approached the tree cautiously, expecting the hawk to burst out of the > tree  and fly away.  I circled the tree several times, but the only bird that I >  could see was a Steller's Jay, hunkered down in the upper branches.  It > continued its little charade as I walked away and left the clearing. > > I thought that it was particularly interesting that it continued its > mimicry even when it knew that I was watching.  I do admire the  corvids. > > Bob Evans > Cascabel, AZ > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Maine-birds mailing list > Maine-birds AT colby.edu > http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds > > > End of Maine-birds Digest, Vol 6, Issue 10 > ****************************************** > -- Russell One learns in life to keep silent and draw one's own confusions. Cornelia Otis Skinner 1901 – 1979; US actor, writer _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: MDI bird goodies today From: Craig Kesselheim <ckesselheim AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 13:24:06 -0500 Hi all -- 30 Cedar Waxwings and the wintering male N. Cardinal were yard birds today (SW Harbor). At Upper Town Dock in SW Harbor, 10 House Finches, 1 W-b Nuthatch, and a Song Sparrow in FULL SONG (sung twice). Near Top of the Hill Restaurant on Rte 102 (SW Harbor), 1 Rough-legged Hawk overhead Seen too far away to be sure (and my zoom scope lens is broken, so I'm down to 15X), but Jim Perkins and I wondered whether we were viewing a Pacific Loon from a private property in Hulls Cove. If I get back for a peek I'll try again for a better look. Can't call it now. Best, Craig K._______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: sight and sound From: REvans9173 AT aol.com Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 09:46:51 EST My first experience with such corvid shenanigans happened many years ago when I lived in Colorado. I was birding on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park in a lodgepole pine forest, and was crossing a clearing when I heard what I was sure was a Red-tailed Hawk. I looked in every direction but could see nothing. I heard the sound several times, and it seemed to be coming from a large pine tree that was standing alone in the clearing. I approached the tree cautiously, expecting the hawk to burst out of the tree and fly away. I circled the tree several times, but the only bird that I could see was a Steller's Jay, hunkered down in the upper branches. It continued its little charade as I walked away and left the clearing. I thought that it was particularly interesting that it continued its mimicry even when it knew that I was watching. I do admire the corvids. Bob Evans Cascabel, AZ_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Bald Eagle, Camden From: Kristen Lindquist <kelindquist AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 08:52:44 -0500 I sat down at my desk a few minutes ago and looked out the window just in time to see an adult bald eagle cruise through my back yard. Hope that was an auspicious start to my day. (Or maybe it's here to kick off today's Toboggan National Championships at the Camden Snow Bowl, like they have the eagle fly around the stadium at the start of the Super Bowl.) Kristen -- Kristen Lindquist 12 Mt. Battie St. Camden, ME 04843 _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: sight and sound From: "reimer6117 tds.net" <reimer6117 AT tds.net> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 08:45:00 -0500 As an adult Red-tailed Hawk cruised low over my Warren yard this morning, a Blue Jay from under a nearby bush did repeated "red-tail" vocalizations. You have to admire the versatility of those corvids. Don_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Possible Great Gray Owl From: "Jay Pendleton" <jkpen57 AT gmail.com> Date: Sat, 6 Feb 2010 00:23:11 -0500 I cruised the entire length of Poor's Mill Road - Belfast to Morrill - around noon today, and saw no sign of any owl, let alone a Great Gray. Of course, it's pretty hard, not to mention pushing the limits of safety, to scan thoroughly for birds while driving, but I gave it a try, even though the sighting was 1 1/2 weeks old. Maybe the "culprit" is still around - if so I sure hope somebody relocates it. Jay Pendleton, Camden ----- Original Message ----- From: Herb Wilson To: Maine Birds Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 10:05 PM Subject: [Maine-birds] Possible Great Gray Owl Hello, I received the following email from a person who is not a member of the Maine-birds list. Perhaps list members in the Belfast area can check out this sighting. "I was given this address as a place to report bird sightings, is this correct? If so, you may be interested to hear that on Jan. 23rd I spotted what appeared to be a Great Gray owl on a tree limb beside Poor's Mill road in Belfast, heading toward Morrill." Herb -- ***************************** Dr. Herb Wilson Department of Biology 5739 Mayflower Hill Drive Colby College Waterville, ME 04901 Phone: (207) 859-5739 E-mail: whwilson AT colby.edu FAX: (207) 859-5705 Web sites: http://www.colby.edu/~whwilson/ http://www.mainebirds.blogspot.com/ Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire. -W. B. Yeats ***************************** _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Snow Buntings, Westfield From: Craig Kesselheim <ckesselheim AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:23:26 -0500 Hi all -- besides Raven, Starling, Rock Pigeon, and a few Mourning Doves, I found 13 roadside Snow Buntings in Westfield today. Westfield is between Presque Isle and Mars Hill, on Rte. 1. Cheers, Craig K_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Vinalhaven Ferry - Feb 5 From: "mike fahay" <mfahay AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 19:02:08 -0500 Highlights: Razorbill - 16 (one way; zero on return) TB Murre - 3, incl 2 flying in tight formation across the bow BlkGuillemot - (5 x the number of razorbills) BLKittiwake - 3 (all adults) Bonaparte's Gull - 1 flying, 3 sitting Harbor Porpoise 1 Belted Kingfisher - 1 male, outlet from Carver's Pond, on Vinalhaven ________ 2 Black-headed gulls, 2 Iceland gulls and 4 Bonaparte's gulls continue at Owls Head Harbor in one of the lobster pounds. Air (bubblers) turned off in the other pound. _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: roving raptors From: "reimer6117 tds.net" <reimer6117 AT tds.net> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 18:27:34 -0500 A Red-shouldered Hawk hunting from a roadside powerline at Clam Cove in Rockport and later soaring near Chickawaukee Lake. A male kestrel recently at west end of Owls Head airstrip using the same treetop scanning site as a Northern Shrike. Don_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Purple Finches (Benton) From: Jill McElderry-Maxwell <jillmcm1970 AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 12:35:05 -0800 (PST) Had two male Purple Finches here today, the first I've seen in ages.  Also an immature Northern Goshawk growing increasingly frustrated by its inability to catch any of the feeder visitors. Jill McElderry-Maxwell Bag End Suri Alpacas of ME, LLC - ˇBESAME! 44 Denico Ln Benton, ME 04901 (207) 453-0109 bagendsuris AT roadrunner.com http://www.alpacanation.com/bagendsuri.asp _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Merlin at Gilsland Farm From: "Eric Hynes" <ehynes AT maineaudubon.org> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 10:28:30 -0500 One of our volunteers just spotted a perched Merlin just outside the environmental center. The little blue-backed male overlooked the orchard for about 10 minutes before moving on. The frantically scolding chickadees and titmice were enough of a distraction that I was able to get some decent digiscoped images. I will put one of the shots on the RBA slideshow shortly. That's two good falcons in two days here! Not bad for February. Eric Hynes Gilsland Farm Naturalist / Adult Education Program Coordinator Maine Audubon 20 Gilsland Farm Road Falmouth, ME 04105 207-781-2330 ext. 237 ehynes AT maineaudubon.org www.maineaudubon.org _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: NO N. Hawk Owl in Blaine this a.m. From: Craig Kesselheim <ckesselheim AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 08:10:35 -0500 No N. Hawk Owl at 7:05 today at the Blaine site. 5 Ravens, period. Craig K_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: SeaNet-Beached Bird Surveys-Volunteer Opportunity From: "Stella" <stellawalsh AT earthlink.net> Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 07:05:53 -0500 The Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET) is recruiting volunteer citizen scientists to assist in a study of seabirds along the coast of Maine. Volunteers are asked to register with the Tufts-based program to walk an assigned segment of shoreline and record environmental data and the presence of live and dead marine birds. A shoreline of any substrate can be surveyed-cobble, gravel, ledge, boulder, or sand-provided it can be walked year-round. Ocean-facing shores, coves, bays, and harbors are all acceptable for surveys. The Maine study, which spans one year, is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and will assess the relationship between oceanographic processes and patterns of beached bird deposition along the state's coast. The data collected will permit better detection of chronic, low-level oil spills and will help to maximize the utility of beached bird surveys as a baseline for larger oil spill events. Volunteers who complete consistent beach surveys for one year will receive a free SEANET t-shirt. At the conclusion of the study, Mainers are encouraged to remain with SEANET and continue submitting data for SEANET's long-term studies of seabird populations. * SEANET staff will conduct an information session at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth, Maine on February 25 starting at 7 p.m. * Another session will be held at Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden on March 3 starting at 7pm. Interested volunteers are asked to RSVP with Dr. Julie Ellis in advance at seanet AT tufts.edu . More information is available on the SEANET blog at http://seanetters.wordpress.com/. Individuals interested in volunteering may contact SEANET at seanet AT tufts.edu or by calling 508-887-4933." If you are interested in participating in the project, but unable to attend the training in Portland or Bangor please contact the project as much can be done to get folks up and running through email and the internet resources. Stella Walsh SeaNet Volunteer Yarmouth, Maine 207-807-3679 _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Possible Great Gray Owl From: Herb Wilson <whwilson AT colby.edu> Date: Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:05:11 -0500 Hello, I received the following email from a person who is not a member of the Maine-birds list. Perhaps list members in the Belfast area can check out this sighting. "I was given this address as a place to report bird sightings, is this correct? If so, you may be interested to hear that on Jan. 23rd I spotted what appeared to be a Great Gray owl on a tree limb beside Poor's Mill road in Belfast, heading toward Morrill." Herb -- ***************************** Dr. Herb Wilson Department of Biology 5739 Mayflower Hill Drive Colby College Waterville, ME 04901 Phone: (207) 859-5739 E-mail: whwilson AT colby.edu FAX: (207) 859-5705 Web sites: http://www.colby.edu/~whwilson/ http://www.mainebirds.blogspot.com/ Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire. -W. B. Yeats ***************************** _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Waxwings in Newcastle From: "Mark R Hoffman" <hoffa2 AT roadrunner.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 21:19:03 -0500 Heading towards town this morning ( 9am ) I noticed a bunch of Waxwings in the 2 crabapple trees in front of Louis Doe hardware store on rte 215 in Newcastle so I pulled in the lot and scanned them as well as I could. 80+ Waxwings in the 2 crabs and surrounding trees. I could not find a single Bohemian anywhere but in the past this is a great place to find Bohemians and a couple of years ago these trees dripped Pine Grosbeaks! Mark R Hoffman Mills Rd ( Rte 215 ) Newcastle Me 207-458-1897 N_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: siskin notes From: Craig Kesselheim <ckesselheim AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 20:43:24 -0500 Thanks for the many replies re. siskin scarcity. You all mostly concur, regardless of your location in Maine. It's fun to generate maps of species frequency at eBird.org, and that map tool allows you to choose species, and then bracket your interest according to dates, years, states, counties, etc. A great way to research what other birders (eBirders, anyway) are seeing. Craig K_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove From: Derek and Jeannette Lovitch <freeportwildbird AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 14:31:53 -0800 (PST) Hi Robin et al,   What you are seeing at your feeders (or not seeing?) has been par for the course this winter throughout the northeast.  We are hearing the same story from most people we talk to, as well as other bird supply stores in New England.  The combination of a relatively mild winter with low snow cover and an abundance of natural food produced last fall has meant that birds don’t need to access feeders quite as much as they would if times were tougher.  Plus, it is one of those years when we have seen virtually nothing in the way of irruptions of northern birds (this is cyclical from year to year, and dependant on where natural seed crops are densest).  This is in stark contrast to last year when we were all having trouble keeping our Nyjer feeders stocked for siskins and redpolls!    So, this is all good news for our resident birds – my guess is that they’re doing pretty well.  It just makes backyard birdwatching a little less intense.  Make sure your feeders are kept clean and stocked with fresh seed so that birds stopping by won’t be dissuaded..  Now we’re really looking forward to the first batch of migrants to start arriving!   Jeannette ------------------ Jeannette and Derek Lovitch Freeport Wild Bird Supply 541 Route One, Suite 10 Freeport, ME 04032 Ph: (207)865-6000/Fax: (207)865-6069 www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com --- On Thu, 2/4/10, Bob and Connie Jones wrote: From: Bob and Connie Jones Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove To: "Robin Robinson" , maine-birds AT colby.edu Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010, 9:38 PM Robin, I have renamed our feeder-"Clancy's Bar" - as we have just the working class of birds this year.  Starlings, pigeons, Blue Jays, Chickadees, a few doves and my four neighborhood crows.  No fancy swanky bar clients for this neighborhood feeder this year. It could also be due to the daily hawk buzzing of the feeder.  The hawks seem to be doing a pretty good job snagging the pigeons.  Which I tell the hawks, please, help yourself, there are plenty! Connie Jones Portland Me Yesterday's 'count' from me, which is below, is so bland I can hardly stand it. The Merlin action on Jan 29 was fabuloso, but the feeder life has been so dull this winter it should have some diagnosis. Are all the feeder birds depressed? Do they have Seasonal Affective Disorder and can't initiate activity - like getting out of bed and coming to my feeders? Last year at this time I had blizzards of White-winged crossbills, siskins,  goldfinches and Common redpolls. This year - Blue jays, juncos and Chickadees. Whoop dee doo. What gives? Same food, same feeders. I feel like a chain restaurant that no one goes to anymore. > > > _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove From: "Bob and Connie Jones" <rjones AT maine.rr.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 16:38:57 -0500 Robin, I have renamed our feeder-"Clancy's Bar" - as we have just the working class of birds this year. Starlings, pigeons, Blue Jays, Chickadees, a few doves and my four neighborhood crows. No fancy swanky bar clients for this neighborhood feeder this year. It could also be due to the daily hawk buzzing of the feeder. The hawks seem to be doing a pretty good job snagging the pigeons. Which I tell the hawks, please, help yourself, there are plenty! Connie Jones Portland Me Yesterday's 'count' from me, which is below, is so bland I can hardly stand it. The Merlin action on Jan 29 was fabuloso, but the feeder life has been so dull this winter it should have some diagnosis. Are all the feeder birds depressed? Do they have Seasonal Affective Disorder and can't initiate activity - like getting out of bed and coming to my feeders? Last year at this time I had blizzards of White-winged crossbills, siskins, goldfinches and Common redpolls. This year - Blue jays, juncos and Chickadees. Whoop dee doo. What gives? Same food, same feeders. I feel like a chain restaurant that no one goes to anymore. > > > _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Yellow Throated Warbler continues From: "robinson speirs jr." <rspeirs1 AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 13:43:32 -0500 *Thursday, Feb 4, 2010 - 12:10 PM* - The Yellow Throated Warbler made a brief visit to the feeders at 51 Carrol St, Falmouth, ME._______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Gilsland Farm Birdwalks From: "Eric Hynes" <ehynes AT maineaudubon.org> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 12:07:53 -0500 Hello Maine Birders: It has been a busy stretch so my apologies for not posting the birdwalk results the last few weeks. So, here you go in digest format. The line-up changes weekly but the species total ends up in the mid-20s this time of year. When the conditions have been favorable, tracking has been a lot of fun. Clearly, this sanctuary is an active one for foxes. The highlights today were the rosy, wind-burned cheeks, a high speed adult Peregrine and the return of "the" Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. She was right back on her favorite maple checking all of her sap wells. Good birding, Eric Hynes Observation date: 2/4/10 Notes: cold with a building NW wind made for significant wind chill, blue sky. Low tide was at 0851. Number of species: 23 American Black Duck 25 Mallard 45 Bufflehead 70 Common Goldeneye 10 Red-breasted Merganser 25 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 soaring over the north meadow Red-tailed Hawk 1 perched across the river along I295 Peregrine Falcon 1 zipped over the parking lot twice and headed back toward the river/Portland. Surprising winter record. Ring-billed Gull 4 Herring Gull 40 Great Black-backed Gull 2 Rock Pigeon 5 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 she's back. It spent the whole morning licking sap from her wells in the maple closest to the in-tent. DOWO, BCCH, and ETTI visited her wells also Downy Woodpecker 1 American Crow 7 Black-capped Chickadee 8 Tufted Titmouse 4 sang a few times White-breasted Nuthatch 4 singing a bit American Robin 3 overhead European Starling 18 American Tree Sparrow 14 under the feeders eating millet Song Sparrow 1 under the feeders at the end of the walk American Goldfinch 2 Observation date: 1/28/10 Notes: high tide was at 0847 and given the approaching full moon, it was a remarkably high tide. north meadow was very quiet. despite dedicated searches, we did not see or hear the YBSA or the SWSP Number of species: 25 Canada Goose 100 American Black Duck 30 American Black Duck x Mallard (hybrid) 1 Mallard 80 Bufflehead 75 Common Goldeneye 20 displaying Red-breasted Merganser 15 Bald Eagle 1 perched in the "usual" snag across the river from the west meadow Red-tailed Hawk 2 Buteo sp. 1 This bird stumped me and I never got a definitive look at it across the river. It was an immature and had the g.i.s.s. of a RT but the upper chest streaking of a RS Ring-billed Gull 10 Herring Gull 65 Great Black-backed Gull 6 Rock Pigeon 6 Downy Woodpecker 1 Hairy Woodpecker 3 Blue Jay 3 American Crow 11 Black-capped Chickadee 10 Tufted Titmouse 3 singing White-breasted Nuthatch 1 European Starling 100 American Tree Sparrow 3 White-throated Sparrow 1 near the garden shed Northern Cardinal 2 female singing House Finch 3 American Goldfinch 1 heard only, may have been more Observation date: 1/21/10 Notes: over a foot of snow on the ground, blue sky day with little to no wind, low tide was at 0840 Number of species: 27 Canada Goose 110 American Black Duck 25 Mallard 220 surprisingly high number in the channel through the mudflats headed toward tidewater Bufflehead 80 Common Goldeneye 10 Red-breasted Merganser 30 Common Loon 1 Bald Eagle 1 a Basic II or III bird Red-tailed Hawk 1 Ring-billed Gull 40 Herring Gull 160 Great Black-backed Gull 6 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1 she is very reliable in the same patch of trees near the HQ building Downy Woodpecker 5 Hairy Woodpecker 3 Blue Jay 3 American Crow 10 Black-capped Chickadee 10 Tufted Titmouse 4 singing White-breasted Nuthatch 4 American Robin 200 many overhead, a flock working the edge of the mudflats - reminding me of shorebirds European Starling 120 most in a large flock working the marsh edge with the robins American Tree Sparrow 16 Swamp Sparrow 1 still calling off the north meadow, same spot between the blind and the Osprey platform Snow Bunting 1 heard quite a bit but only seen briefly, may have been more than one Northern Cardinal 1 American Goldfinch 6 This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) Eric Hynes Gilsland Farm Naturalist /  Adult Education Program Coordinator Maine Audubon 20 Gilsland Farm Road Falmouth, ME 04105 207-781-2330 ext. 237 ehynes AT maineaudubon.org www.maineaudubon.org   _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Pine Siskin From: "Sharon F." <sfinley111 AT hotmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:46:48 -0500 Not a one in West Kennebunk this year-last year had 10-12 regulars. Part of the fun of irruptives-never know where they will be next! Sharon in West K. > From: ledabeth AT gwi.net > Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 19:04:05 -0500 > To: ckesselheim AT gmail.com > CC: maine-birds AT colby.edu > Subject: Re: [Maine-birds] Pine Siskin > > We had one mixed in with goldfinches in late Dec. None since then. > They are considered "irruptive" (following food availability and not > necessarily limited to particular areas) though so I guess it isn't > too surprising. They are just somewhere else. Maybe we'll find out > on the great backyard bird count where they all are. > > Leda Beth > Blue Hill > > On Feb 3, 2010, at 6:02 PM, Craig Kesselheim wrote: > > > Interested to hear from others whether Pine Siskins are as scarce > > as they seem to me in my various locales. I heard one today in SW > > Harbor, but they have been surprisingly absent. Anyone else? > > > > Craig K > > _______________________________________________ > > Maine-birds mailing list > > Maine-birds AT colby.edu > > http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds > > _______________________________________________ > Maine-birds mailing list > Maine-birds AT colby.edu > http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469227/direct/01/_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: QUERY: Inland Purple Sandpipers From: Peter Vickery <petervickery AT roadrunner.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 11:16:48 -0500 Does anyone have a reliable record of inland Purple Sandpiper? By inland, I mean on fresh water, not tidal water such as Back Cove, Portland or 5 miles up a tidal river like the Kennebec. Please reply off line. Thanks, Peter _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: yesterday in south unity From: Diana Davis <dedmaine AT hotmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 10:06:27 -0500 had a sharp shinned hawk yesterday for 2 hours trying to get the small birds,it didn;t get any) got some neat pictures, haven't had any pine siskins here at all, flocks of goldfinches and 3 or 4 purple finches with them, a female cardinal and the usuals diana _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469226/direct/01/_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Camden, Red-tailed hawk From: Kristen Lindquist <kelindquist AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 08:47:32 -0500 I don't get out much during the work week, so have to rely on what I see at the office most days. This morning I was greeted by the sight of the neighborhood red-tail soaring over snow-covered Mount Battie. If that's all I see today, I'll take it. Kristen -- Kristen Lindquist 12 Mt. Battie St. Camden, ME 04843 _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove From: "Robin Robinson" <rrrobinson AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Thu, 4 Feb 2010 08:27:31 -0500 Yesterday's 'count' from me, which is below, is so bland I can hardly stand it. The Merlin action on Jan 29 was fabuloso, but the feeder life has been so dull this winter it should have some diagnosis. Are all the feeder birds depressed? Do they have Seasonal Affective Disorder and can't initiate activity - like getting out of bed and coming to my feeders? Last year at this time I had blizzards of White-winged crossbills, siskins, goldfinches and Common redpolls. This year - Blue jays, juncos and Chickadees. Whoop dee doo. What gives? Same food, same feeders. I feel like a chain restaurant that no one goes to anymore. > > > Location: Totman Cove, Phippsburg > Observation date: 2/3/10 > Notes: Cardinals, 2 male one female, loons seen all at one time in > cove and Small Point Harbor > Number of species: 18 > > Canada Goose 20 > American Black Duck 22 > Common Eider (Atlantic) 12 > White-winged Scoter 18 > Bufflehead 18 > Common Goldeneye 6 > Red-breasted Merganser 8 > Red-throated Loon 2 > Common Loon 4 > Horned Grebe 2 > Herring Gull (American) X > Great Black-backed Gull 1 > Mourning Dove 2 > Blue Jay 8 > American Crow 8 > Black-capped Chickadee 6 > Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 10 > Northern Cardinal 3 > > This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org) > _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: gulls - Bath From: "mike fahay" <mfahay AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 21:47:22 -0500 Quick survey this afternoon showed most gulls were drifting on ice floes on the flood tide in the Kennebec, concentrated betw. Bath and Days Ferry. Many also on rooftops of BIW. Only found one Iceland Gull (1 cy) and four Glaucous Gulls (2 1cy; 2 2cy) No Less-Backs today _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Pine Siskin From: Leda Beth Gray <ledabeth AT gwi.net> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 19:04:05 -0500 We had one mixed in with goldfinches in late Dec. None since then. They are considered "irruptive" (following food availability and not necessarily limited to particular areas) though so I guess it isn't too surprising. They are just somewhere else. Maybe we'll find out on the great backyard bird count where they all are. Leda Beth Blue Hill On Feb 3, 2010, at 6:02 PM, Craig Kesselheim wrote: > Interested to hear from others whether Pine Siskins are as scarce > as they seem to me in my various locales. I heard one today in SW > Harbor, but they have been surprisingly absent. Anyone else? > > Craig K > _______________________________________________ > Maine-birds mailing list > Maine-birds AT colby.edu > http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: FOY Purple Finch - WTVL From: "Margaret Viens" <mfviens AT roadrunner.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:50:13 -0500 I finally had one male purple finch at my feeders this morning. First one of the winter for my house in Waterville. - Margaret_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Presque Isle, Caribou, Limestone, Stockholm, Ashville From: Larry Wilson <larryw458 AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 17:33:24 -0600 Left Presque Isle yesterday morning when it was minus 6, toured the town and saw no birds other that a crow or raven. Made a loop up north and saw a couple of small flocks of snow buntings about 2 miles south of Noyes Road on Hwy. 1A. Then, if it wasn't for someone with a feeder in Stockholm where there were a few goldfinches, a couple of mourning doves and 4 or 5 blue jays, we would not have seen anything. Hit the Augusta land fill about noon while it was snowing. Lots of gulls but the driver of the compactor must have set off some sort of air horn about the time we started to try and sort them out and that was the end of the gull watching. They all scattered and seemed to have landed somewhere on the back side of the landfill. We checked on the way out and apparently we would have been allowed to walk back there but had been told not to drive up hill where the compactor was working. Oh well, maybe next time. Larry Wilson_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Pine Siskin From: Craig Kesselheim <ckesselheim AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 18:02:41 -0500 Interested to hear from others whether Pine Siskins are as scarce as they seem to me in my various locales. I heard one today in SW Harbor, but they have been surprisingly absent. Anyone else? Craig K_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Iceland Gull, Auburn From: Raven Watcher <ravenwatcher AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 16:28:39 -0500 Hello All, An Adult Iceland 'Kumlien's' type gull flew in today at about 9:15 AM just below the falls and joined 180 Mallards, and a few Blacks and MallardxBlack hybrids. A few Herring Gulls and a couple of ring-bills also. 220 Cedar Waxwings feeding on crabapples etc in the area. Dan Nickerson, Freeport -- Dan's Natural History Blog: Ravenwatcher "An Eye on the Natural World" http://ravenwatcher.blogspot.com_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: more Bangor cedar waxwings From: Paul <oronopaul AT myfairpoint.net> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 14:54:11 -0500 Yesterday, while on my walk in Bangor, I came across 2 small & noisy flocks of CEDAR WAXWINGS (or possibly the same flock twice...?). First encounter was in a series of fruit trees on Essex Street, just above the 95 bridge and before the woods which lead down to the Essex Woods pond. Joining this group were several dark "Canadian" AMERICAN ROBINS. Second encounter was along Husson Avenue, in a mixed hardwood forest near the Cartwright condominiums. No robins, dark or otherwise, in this second bunch. Each flock had 20-30 waxwings. These are the first "good birds" I have seen around here this winter. *************************** Paul Markson West Orono (the OTHER Orono) _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Buxton Backyard observation From: Renee and Zack <reneeandzack AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 09:02:23 -0800 (PST) Has anyone else noticed that their Chickadees are singing a different tune? Or that the Goldfinches are starting to change color already? I can feel it in the air.......  Right now I have a back yard full of Goldfinches, Chickadees, White Breasted Nuthatches, Titmouse, Juncos, Robins and Jays all singing a tune of their own. :) Renee ~ Buxton's Backyard Birder Adventures with Renee My Picasa Birdie pics _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Additional Highlights this Week, 1/30-2/3 From: Derek and Jeannette Lovitch <freeportwildbird AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 08:10:40 -0800 (PST) Hi all,   Just a few additional sightings of note from the past 5 days before I head off to northern Minnesota to lead a WINGS tour. - 1 Northern Shrike, Highland Rd, Brunswick, 1/30 (with Freeport Wild Bird Supply Saturday Morning Birdwalk Group).  Found earlier in the morning by Luke Seitz. - 1 HERMIT THRUSH, Maquoit Bay Trail, Brunswick, 1/30 (with Freeport Wild Bird Supply Saturday Morning Birdwalk Group). - 1 Great Horned Owl, Elmwood Road, Pownal, 1/31. - 1 drake Barrow's Goldeneye, New Meadows River at New Meadows Ledges, Bath, 2/2 (with Jeannette). - 1 1st winter Iceland Gull, Bath landfill, 2/2 (with Jeannette). - 1 1st winter Iceland Gull and 1 1st winter Glaucous Gull, Bath Boat Launch, 2/2 (with Jeannette). - 20-30 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, fly-overs at Bath Boat Launch, 2/2 (with Jeannette). - 3 Common Mergansers, Androscoggin River from Bowdoin Mill, Topsham, 2/2 (with Jeannette).   -Derek   P.S. I've updated my "next birds in Maine" predictions list on my blog today if anyone is interested . . . http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=17818.  Let's see what shows up! ------------------ Jeannette and Derek Lovitch Freeport Wild Bird Supply 541 Route One, Suite 10 Freeport, ME 04032 Ph: (207)865-6000/Fax: (207)865-6069 www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Falmouth Great Horned Owls From: Anne Burton <aeburton AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 18:37:38 -0500 >From 5:25 to 5:45pm, I heard two Great Horned Owls calling. I'm guessing they were calling to each other, possibly as a mating / nesting activity. One of the voices was slightly deeper than the other. Not sure how to tell if the calling is territorial or mating related. -- Anne Burton aeburton AT gmail.com_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Brants,Lark,Harlequins From: Roushdy Juanita <juanitar AT tidewater.net> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 17:38:31 -0500 Made a quick trip to look for the Snowy Owl that Luke Seitz and Derek Lovitch reported yesterday on an islet near Biddeford Pool. Did not see the Snowy Owl but did see the following also reported by Derek and Luke Great cormorants on the islet and a lounging seal (not yet up on my seal identification - small, light-skinned) Biddeford Pool (Hattie's) Dunlin 11 Horned Lark 13 Buffleheads 5 House sparrows 6 American black duck 9 Common loon 1 European starling 100 plus Great Black Backed gull 2 and about 20 gulls At Dyer Point, the flock of Brant were still there (thank goodness!) together with a raft of common eider hiding a male and 2 female harlequin ducks. A great day!! Juanita Roushdy Bremen, ME _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Bangor waxwings From: "Sean Smith" <therefromhere168 AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 17:26:30 -0500 This afternoon there were 80+ Cedar Waxwings near the corner of Fountain and Poplar Streets in Bangor. Not a Bohemian among them that I could see. Sean Smith_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: MDI Red Crossbill From: "Richard MacDonald" <adkrich AT prexar.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:50:21 -0500 Working in the woods in Somesville, on Mount Desert Island, today, a small flock of about four Red Crossbills paid me a brief visit. Richard MacDonald 285 Knox Road Bar Harbor, Maine 04609 207/288-4205 adkrich AT prexar.com macspring.blogspot.com adkrich.blogspot.com _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Phippsburg - good bird From: "Robin Robinson" <rrrobinson AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:25:24 -0500 Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove Saw a Red-throated loon here today. I had not seen it in several and thought maybe it/they had vacated. I've been keeping track and entering every day seen into eBird Jan 29 - late post, good bird: Merlin landed in a tree about 50 feet from house, sat for a minute or two and left. Positive of ID. There is a feeder in the vicinity which had BC chickadees and DE juncos in abundance at the time. Robin Robinson robins-chaos.blogspot.com_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Boothbay region waterfowl From: "mike fahay" <mfahay AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:20:49 -0500 Drake Gadwall foraging w/ 5 Black Ducks - Newagen (town landing) No. Pintail drake w/ 110 Black Ducks. Cod Cove (Edgecomb): Prob. same indiv. as Dec 29. _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Ruby-crowned Kinglet From: Joanne Stevens <joshawk AT maine.rr.com> Date: Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:58:15 -0500 Not many birds on today's Laudholm quarterly census but there was one Ruby-crowned Kinglet at the SE corner of the field along the Pilger Trail. Joanne Stevens _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Kennebunk Owls From: "Sharon F." <sfinley111 AT hotmail.com> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 12:09:01 -0500 The annual courting ritual began last night for the neighboring(Blueberry Plains area) Horned Owl pair. At 5 PM the hooting began,one slightly higher pitched than the other-went on for about 15-20 minutes while I watched a red fox scouting the banks of the Mousam River and travelling directly across the ice which can be very unstable...how do they know when it is safe? Owls began approx. the same date last year. Sharon in West K'bunk _________________________________________________________________ Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469229/direct/01/_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: odds and ends From: "Eric Hynes" <ehynes AT maineaudubon.org> Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2010 11:54:16 -0500 Hello Maine Birders: I was just over at The Kent's house (51 Carroll Street in Falmouth) and while we were filling the feeders the Yellow-throated Warbler dropped down and grabbed a meal. It was chipping the whole time and seemed to care less about our presence. On Saturday morning, I led a remarkably cold-tolerant group of birders for York County Audubon from Cape Neddick Light to Fort Foster. We tallied 38 species along the way highlighted by: Harlequins at the Nubble, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, 8 American Pipits, and 23 Purple Sandpipers at Seapoint Beach, and a Hermit Thrush in the fruiting shrubs along the shoreline at Fort Foster. Good birding, Eric Hynes Eric Hynes Gilsland Farm Naturalist /  Adult Education Program Coordinator Maine Audubon 20 Gilsland Farm Road Falmouth, ME 04105 207-781-2330 ext. 237 ehynes AT maineaudubon.org www.maineaudubon.org   _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Eastport, and up to Presque Isle From: Larry Wilson <larryw458 AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 16:52:00 -0600 My wife and I started out in Eastport this morning. Lots of gulls on the shore and flying out around the location of the Old Sow but too far away to really tell much. Did see a small group of common eiders at the end of Water street where one can see the Old Sow area and there were two unusual eiders in the group. Perhaps the two King's mentioned although it was hard to tell even with a scope as to whether or not they were common or king's albeit they were obviously 1st winter birds. Went down most of the other roads in Eastport as far as we could go - seeing lots of gulls (herring/black-back) and lots of mallard/black ducks and one obviously a hybrid black/mallard male. Also lots of buffleheads, common goldeneyes and long tailed ducks as well as at least one great cormorants. Also a couple of bald eagles and some red-neck grebes on the way out of Eastport. Also, had a quick look at at red crossbill on Rt. between Topsfield and Houlton but nothing else. (except crows and ravens). Stopped by the place mentioned by Bill Sheehan and found the northern hawk-owl at exactly where he said it has been seen (about 3:30pm). Watched it flutter up from a dead limb to the top of an evergreen with good looks in a scope. Was still there when we left. Larry Wilson_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Brants, Snow Goose, Pipits... From: Chuck Homler <needsmoreritalin AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:39:13 -0500 Went birding with Peter M. yesterday at Biddeford Pool. Lots of the usual suspects, but also a flock of about 13 American Pipits, 1 Snow Goose and 9 Brant. Also some Great Cormorant probably around where Derek and Luke spotted the Snowy Owl, although I didn't get to see that bird. Also...I came across a link with some stunning bird photos that I wanted to share with the group. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8487031.stm Chuck _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: 3 road-birds - Feb 01 From: "mike fahay" <mfahay AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 14:44:39 -0500 1. Barrow's G-Eye Drake: New Meadows Marina, Old State Hwy, West Bath 2. No. Shrike, adult: Highlands Road, Brunswick. Could this bird be the source of orig report of a No. Hawk Owl? 3. Red-Shouldered Hawk: North side of Rt. 295, South Freeport, just E of 18-mile signpost. Perched edge of highway. _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Bohemian Waxwing - WTVL From: "Margaret Viens" <mfviens AT roadrunner.com> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 13:50:44 -0500 While out walking the dog this morning about 8:45, I finally spotted my first Bohemian Waxwing of the year amongst a small flock of about 35 cedar waxwings in the development off Ridge Road in Waterville near the end of Blue Jay Way. I had occasionally been seeing small flocks of Cedars(12-60) for about a month, but could never find a Bohemian until today. - Margaret Viens Waterville_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Phippsburg, Me Map 6 Totman Cove From: "Robin Robinson" <rrrobinson AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 13:48:22 -0500 Between my house on Westpoint and Bailey Point, right this minute there are 200 gulls floating in Totman Cove and a few more in the air. I carefully scanned the entire flotilla and as near as I can tell, they are all Herring gulls with the exception of one Great-black backed. I am not a gull expert, though. There are a couple of Common Goldeneyes, RB mergs and WW scoters hanging out with them, too. Robin Robinson_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Freeport through Ogunquit (Snowy Owl, lots of Dunlin, Gadwall, more), 1/31 From: Derek and Jeannette Lovitch <freeportwildbird AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 08:54:02 -0800 (PST) Hi all, Luke Seitz and I spent a day birding between Freeport and Ogunquit, with the following highlights: - 1 Peregrine Falcon, Casco Bay Bridge, Portland/South Portland. - 1 Swamp Sparrow, feeder in South Portland. - 16 Brant, Dyer Point, Cape Elizabeth. - 1 1st-winter "Nelson's" Gull, Dyer Point. - 1 Northern Shrike, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh. - 28 Dunlin, behind Hattie's Deli, Biddeford Pool. - 13 Horned Larks, Hattie's Deli, Biddeford Pool. - 1 SNOWY OWL, on islet off of Ocean Ave, Biddeford Pool. - 25 Sanderlings and 4 Dunlin, Ocean Ave. - 15 Dunlin, East Point, Biddeford Pool. - 40+ Razorbill, East Point. - 1 hen Gadwall, The Pool. - 1 Northern Flicker, Rte 1 in Wells. - 3 1st winter, 1 ad. Iceland Gulls, Portland Fish Pier. - 1 prob 1st winter "Nelson's" Gull, Portland Fish Pier.   -Derek ------------------ Jeannette and Derek Lovitch Freeport Wild Bird Supply 541 Route One, Suite 10 Freeport, ME 04032 Ph: (207)865-6000/Fax: (207)865-6069 www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Re: Marine Mammal REscue info From: Lynn Havsall <lhavsall AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 09:53:29 -0500 Just a note that not unlike some lazy humans, Harp Seals spend a good portion of the day just lying around. This does not mean they are sick or in need of help or rescue. Lynn Havsall On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 9:34 AM, Robin Robinson wrote: > Regarding seals and other marine mammals - > > The phone number for Maine Marine Mammal Rescue (MMMR) is 1-800-532-9551. > This is the hotline number to call if you find a seal, whale or other marine > mammal that appears to be stranded or ill. The MMMR also likes to be called > if an animal is found dead. They take measurements, core tissue samples and > collect other data for further study even if an animal has expired. I keep > the number with my birding gear so I'm prepared to call if I find an animal > while birding. > I met a Harp seal on Hermit Island here in The Burg (Phippsburg, for those > of you from away) last April 9, 2009. MMMR was called and they took it UNE > in Biddeford where it was successfully rehabilitated and released. > Robin Robinson > http://robins-chaos.blogspot.com > > _______________________________________________ > Maine-birds mailing list > Maine-birds AT colby.edu > http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds > >_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Marine Mammal REscue info From: "Robin Robinson" <rrrobinson AT suscom-maine.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 09:34:49 -0500 Regarding seals and other marine mammals - The phone number for Maine Marine Mammal Rescue (MMMR) is 1-800-532-9551. This is the hotline number to call if you find a seal, whale or other marine mammal that appears to be stranded or ill. The MMMR also likes to be called if an animal is found dead. They take measurements, core tissue samples and collect other data for further study even if an animal has expired. I keep the number with my birding gear so I'm prepared to call if I find an animal while birding. I met a Harp seal on Hermit Island here in The Burg (Phippsburg, for those of you from away) last April 9, 2009. MMMR was called and they took it UNE in Biddeford where it was successfully rehabilitated and released. Robin Robinson http://robins-chaos.blogspot.com_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Dyer Point, Cape Elizabeth From: "Stella" <stellawalsh AT earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 09:21:21 -0500 Becky Marvil and I birded a bit in Cape on Sunday. While we did not run into anything unexpected,, I was very pleased with 60+ Black Scoters at Dyer Point. Total of 80 or so adding the ones seen off Two Light State Park. Stella _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Belfast, Sears Island, Schoodic, Quoddy head From: Larry Wilson <larryw458 AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 07:14:27 -0600 Left Belfast this morning and saw lots of common goldeneyes but no Barrows, as much as we tried to find some. Other than a bald eagle, black and mallard ducks, Buffleheads, loons, several common species of gulls, it was pretty quiet. Next stop was the road to Sears Island: Buffleheads Common goldeneyes Loons Schoodic Penn. Common eiders Black ducks Black scoters Black guillomonts Long-tailed ducks Red-necked and horned grebes Common Loons Great Cormorants Prospect Harbour Lots of herring/black backed gulls. There had to be some other more unusual ones but we couldn't pick them out. Also, buffleheads and long-tailed ducks Quoddy Head Light Was late in the evening and at low tide but only a bald eagle, black ducks and a couple loons_______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds Subject: Harp seal Identification From: Peter Vickery <petervickery AT roadrunner.com> Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:20:27 -0500 Bill T. passed on this very useful way to identify Harp Seals in winter: "When you see a seal on the shore at this time of year, listen closely and if it is a Harp Seal it will be humming a Celtic tune, usually Carolian's Plaxty Irwin." As an after note, Harp and Hooded seals (the latter also present at this season) often spend time on ice floes, beaches, rocky ledges, and docks - 99% are perfectly fine and don't need rescue. These animals behave differently from Harbor Seals, which don't usually pull out on docks, unless named "Andre." A tame seal hanging out in an unusual habitat (from our perspective) doesn't mean a seal in distress. If it looks fat and content, it probably is. Thanks Bill for the tuneful insight. Best, Peter _______________________________________________ Maine-birds mailing list Maine-birds AT colby.edu http://mailmanbox.colby.edu/mailman/listinfo/maine-birds