Our Saturday morning birdwalk group enjoyed a glorious morning, and very active birding at Portland’s Dragon Field. One of our goals was Indigo Bunting, and while we did indeed see one female, and hear one male, the star of the day – at least for me! – was a Black-crowned Night-Heron that flew out of the marsh in the quarry, providing me with my 153rd species for this Patch. (see www.yarmouthbirds.com/bird_news.asp for a complete rundown, as always).

The weather was not-so-glorious on Sunday morning, unfortunately, as I set out for the Libby Hill Forest in Gray to lead a fundraiser birdwalk. While we did raise a few dollars today (enough to protect about 2,000 square feet of the 29 acre parcel that the group needs to purchase in order to guarantee access to the trail system and the rest of the properties 6 miles of trails), the outing was also to raise awareness of the property, and the birds that inhabit it.

We’ve needed the rain, and I am especially grateful to see all of that pollen that has been kicking my butt for the last few days being washed away. However, I really would have liked the rain to hold off for just a few more hours. It began raining between 6 and 6:30, and by 7:00 (the walk’s start time), light rain was falling fairly steadily. However, it remained light – and birdable – for about two hours, when the skies really opened up. I was having flashbacks to last week’s hike in the rainforest of Guatemala and our guide’s proclamation of “long-time rain.” Oh, and for the record, it ended at about 10:30. The walk ended just before 10. Timing is everything, isn’t it!?

Nevertheless, our outing – considering the conditions – was fairly productive, producing 30 species of birds. A Luna Moth on a light at the school kicked off (and ended) the outing, and a Prairie Warbler in the woods was an unexpected highlight.

The rest of the birds, and the number of individuals seen and/or heard were as follows:
Common Grackle: 14
European Starling: 6
Black-throated Blue Warbler: 6
Common Yellowthroat: 6
Black-capped Chickadee: 4
Brown Creeper: 4 (one family group that included two fledglings)
American Robin: 4
Eastern Towhee: 4
White-throated Sparrow: 4
Red-winged Blackbird: 4
Blue Jay: 3
Pine Warbler: 3
Chipping Sparrow: 3
American Goldfinch: 3
Canada Goose: 2
Eastern Phoebe: 2
Eastern Wood-Pewee: 2
American Crow: 2
Mallard: 1
Red-eyed Vireo: 1
Hermit Thrush: 1
Gray Catbird: 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler; 1
Black-throated Green Warbler: 1
Prairie Warbler: 1
Black-and-white Warbler: 1
Indigo Bunting: 1
Song Sparrow: 1
Brown-headed Cowbird: 1
Baltimore Oriole: 1

For me, June birding in Maine is not complete without a day in the Kennebunk Plains. This beautiful and unique location holds a number of species that are rare elsewhere in the state, and/or occur here in greater numbers than almost anywhere else. Jeannette and I usually dedicate a Tuesday outing for this, but unfortunately, my Tuesdays are all booked up this month (travel and private guiding), so I took the morning off for my annual thorough combing of the area.

I arrived at 6:50, and completed an informal survey of essentially the entire preserve almost exactly four hours later. I also spent quite a bit of time searching for the Kirtland’s Warbler – a first state record – that was discovered here a couple of weeks ago (and spent about a half hour driving around the area looking for some hidden patch of potential habitat). Unfortunately, I did not relocate it, and while I didn’t turn up any other rarities this day, I enjoyed an excellent morning with a lot of activity. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen so many Field and Vesper Sparrows here – they were exceptionally active, with many flying around with beaks full of food for hungry nestlings. Today was especially sparrow-rific! Grasshopper Sparrows were also extremely active and vocal today, including a couple of birds giving a very long and complex extended song. And, today, the rain held off until I completed my birding (unlike yesterday!).

Here are my totals of all individuals seen and/or heard this morning in the plains themselves (not including woodland birds heard from the edges):
Cedar Waxwing: lots!
Field Sparrow: 45
Vesper Sparrow: 35
Prairie Warbler: 33
Eastern Towhee: 16
Savannah Sparrow: 16
Grasshopper Sparrow: 12
Chestnut-sided Warbler: 10
Upland Sandpiper: 7
Common Yellowthroat: 6
Eastern Kingbird: 4
Brown Thrasher: 3
Bobolink: 3
Eastern Meadowlark: 3
American Redstart: 2

A broad, upper-level low is predicted to settle over the area for most of the week, producing a very active and unsettled pattern, with periods of rain and below normal temperatures expected for the nest 4-5 days.

Hopefully, the weather will clear by week’s end. And, I’ll use that segway to once again mention that we still have room available for our “Terns of Casco Bay aboard the Lucky Catch” boat trip to Outer Green Island on Saturday, June 21st. Please see www.yarmouthbirds.com/travels.asp for more information. Walk-ons will be welcomed, as well, so if you wake up Saturday morning and feel like taking a ride on the water, come on down!