Clearing skies (after multiple days of rain and clouds) and a developing northwest breeze overnight is just the right condition to produce a big morning flight at Yarmouth’s Sandy Point Beach on Cousin’s Island. Migrant passerines that drift offshore correct themselves as dawn approaches. Birds over Casco Bay, for example, head west, either following islands and shorelines, or hop-scotching from island to island. At some point, however, they make the leap to the mainland, to search for food, escape concentrations of predators, or correct for the next night’s flight (or most likely, a combination of all three, but we’re still trying to figure this out). One such “jumping point” is the northwest corner of Cousin’s Island, where there’s a very short water crossing to the mainland.

When large numbers of birds find themselves over Casco Bay as dawn arrives, the birds funnel towards this location, often concentrating in the last few trees near the bridge, contemplating the next flight. Others just stream overhead. Others land in the bushes and woods and forage for a while. This concentration of birds produces some great birding and lots of fun (and challenges!), when conditions are right, and last night, conditions were very right.

And, Sandy Point was on fire this morning. As a matter of fact, from my recollection – but I need to check my notes to confirm this – this was my best August flight (although August by only one day) here. I arrived a little after dawn, 6:10 to be exact, grabbed some clickers, and began a tally at 6:15, which I concluded at 8:45. Many of the warblers and other passerines were high overhead, some identifiable by silhouette, or a obvious pattern. Most others were clicked off as “unidentified.” I’m not great at my high-flying warbler ID, and I am poor at warbler flight calls, so my percentage-identified is usually quite low. However, earlier in the season, such as today, I do a bit better, since a large component of the flight are American Redstarts – easier to identify thanks to their bright wing and tail patches.

However, today was far from just Redstarts! In fact, I tallied 16 species of warblers – while another birder picked up a Prairie Warbler to add to the day’s list. A single Mourning Warbler that I spotted overhead was a real treat. Add to that: 5 species of flycatchers, two species of vireo, 3 species of blackbird, one species of thrush, two species of sparrow, both species of Kinglets, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, an Indigo Bunting, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, and last, but definitely not least, a Dickcissel (the bird with the silly name and a call that sounds like a fart) – my first of the fall. 36 species in all!

It’s on!

We drove down to Gloucester, MA Monday night to visit with Jeannette’s parents. The plan was some early-morning seawatching at Andrew’s Point in Rockport. That didn’t materialize, so I was relieved to see a post on the Massachusetts birding listserve that we didn’t miss anything extraordinary. Phew.

Some seawatching from Eastern Point in Gloucester did produce 25 Northern Gannets and 30+ Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, so all was not lost. A walk around the Eastern Point neighborhood produced little in the way of migrants on this dreary, drizzly morning. On the way back north, we stopped to “visit” the Western Reef-Heron, which continues in the Kittery/New Castle area, and the bird was once again easy to find (scopes were lined up when we got to New Castle’s Goat Island).

Last night, I tallied 40 call notes from nocturnal migrants in flight overhead in only 10 minutes, a strong showing. They didn’t land at Hedgehog Mountain Park, however, as there were only a small number of migrants around this morning – but a noticeable increase in American Redstarts, typically our first abundant warbler migrant that begins to show up in large numbers at the end of August.

But, I really can’t believe that August is almost over! Where did the summer go? It’s fall warbler season . . .already!?

On the other hand, I can’t complain – it has been a truly special summer of birding in Maine. Normally, the summer birding doldrums set in, with only a trickle of migrant shorebirds, a rarity or two, or the occasional out-of-place breeder being highlights. Not this summer though!

Not only were migrant shorebirds in abundance early, but the list of rarities makes this a Birding Summer to Remember! The 3rd or 4th, and first Maine, record of the Western Reef-Heron certainly tops the list, but we also had a first state record Burrowing Owl (in Washington County, and I am sorry to say that it disappeared soon after birders learned about it – and repeatedly flushed it. Coincidence?) , a second state record Bridled Tern on Outer Green Island that hung out for a few weeks, an 8th State Record of a Gull-billed Tern from Popham Beach State Park during the ABA Convention, the Yellow-nosed Albatross that spent one night on Stratton, and a recurring Tropicbird off of Matinicus Rock and Seal Island.

And then there’s the lesser rarities – multiple Royal Terns, an American Avocet, a Black Vulture, and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Plus, there’s been plenty of the rare-but-regular stuff like the long-staying Tricolored Heron, Stilt Sandpipers, and a successfully breeding pair of Wilson’s Phalarope to name a few.

Personally, it was a truly exceptional summer for me – three “life birds”! Western Reef-Heron, Bridled Tern, and Yellow-nosed Albatross. None of those three were birds I was expecting to see this summer – or any summer in Maine (perhaps with the exception of the Albatross, which is showing a pattern of increasing sightings during summer months in the North Atlantic). Wow, what a summer! Does it have to end?

I’ve been anxiously awaiting a day with easterly winds – and some extra time – to do a bit of seawatching. Easterlies have been in short supply of late, so I was excited to spend the morning at Cape Elizabeth’s Dyer Point scanning the seas for waterbirds. There’s something I find relaxing about staring through a scope until your eyes hurt, while getting battered by a cold, wet wind, straining to see little specs in the distance flying by in the blink of an eye and desperately trying to identify and/or count them before they disappear into a trough or the fog. Maybe it’s just me.

So the weather was right for the morning, and I was thrilled to not be fogged in when I arrived at Dyer Point. Many an otherwise-perfect morning of seawatching has been ruined by a fog bank parked over the tip of Cape Elizabeth. Today, however, the visibility was very good. Unfortunately, the winds here were not perfect – southeast. I wanted northeast – to give southbound birds a little more incentive to be on the move.

But, beggars can’t be choosers, so grateful for the visibility, I camped out by the Lobster Shack for the next two hours. Unfortunately, my concerns about the wind rang true – birds were not in abundance this morning.

In fact, I only had one “tubenose:” a single Manx Shearwater. However, this individual made the trip worthwhile, as it remained in view, feeding, for about 5 minutes. Most of my sightings of Manx Shearwater from land have been brief fly-bys in howling winds. This bird, although not close at all, did allow sufficient time for studying its distinctive flight.

Most of the morning’s movement were Laughing Gulls, including lots of juveniles. Most of the adults were undergoing wing molt, and many of them were missing inner primaries. The missing feathers appeared as a large white patch in the middle of the wing, somewhat triangular in shape – and each and every one I attempted to string into a Sabine’s Gull!

Here’s the morning’s tally:
American Black Duck: 1
Common Loon: 4
MANX SHEARWATER: 1
Northern Gannet: 10
Double-crested Cormorant: 16
GREAT CORMORANT: 1
Laughing Gull: 74
Bonaparte’s Gull: 4
Common Tern: 3
Unidentified tern: 2
Ruddy Turnstone (mostly on the rocks): 27
Semipalmated Sandpiper (on the rocks): 8
Least Sandpiper (on the rocks): 2
Unidentified peeps: 2
Tree Swallow: 9
Barn Swallow: 6

All of my running around twitching the Reef-Heron has put me well behind in the work department, so today is a day of catching up. That includes some recent noteworthy articles that I wanted to mention.

While some people in the north welcome the effects of global warming, the feathered denizens most certainly do not. Here’s a fascinating article on how the winter caches of Gray Jays are spoiling due to warmer winters, and causing their population to decline.

And today, there was this article about tropical fish sightings in Rhode Island. The shift in the Gulf Stream that it mentions may have been part of the cause of this summer’s influx of rare southern terns.

Meanwhile, at least there’s some good news out there! In the Adirondacks of New York, a deal has been reached to benefit skiers, birders, and especially the Bicknell’s Thrush. This may be a model of cooperation that Maine should look at.

Bird-wise, I spent a little time this morning at the local patch: Hedgehog Mountain Park (all of a 1 mile drive from the house, which was rather pleasant). A small number of warblers were around, including an early Blackpoll Warbler. Also, a Hooded Merganser had dropped into the small pond there, a welcome addition to my Patch List (#114 for those keeping score at home). Meanwhile, in the backyard, another small flock of migrant warblers were passing through, so clearly warblers are really on the move now!

And, despite “Reefer Madness,” you can rest assured that I have not neglected our Monarch caterpillars. Jeannette and I have still been stopping off each ay on our way home to cut more milkweed stalks for the “family.” Now, it seems that all of the caterpillars have finally left the milkweed for metamorphosis. As of yesterday evening, I had located 7 chrysalis, 6 additional chrysalises have successfully opened, while 4 chrysalis and/or metamorphosing caterpillars were found dead. With a peak of 44 caterpillars tallied, there’s no doubt more chrysalises in the garden!

And, last but definitely not least, if you were one of the hundreds of folks who went to Kittery (not New Castle, etc) to look for the Western Reef-Heron, I ask for a couple of minutes of your time to respond to a brief survey that I have put together to analyze the local economic benefit from the bird, and the birders that came to see it. The survey is on our website. I look forward to the responses.

I took a break from driving the Maine Turnpike to Kittery and stayed more local, beginning the day at Sandy Point Beach in Yarmouth. A handful of warblers were on the move last night, calling as they passed overhead. With that in mind, I began just after dawn at the morning flight bottleneck at Sandy Point.

I should have been there by daybreak, but after multiple early mornings down south, I didn’t roll in until about 6:30, missing 35 minutes of prime time. By the time I had arrived, there was only a smattering of birds, but that included a somewhat early Wilson’s Warbler. I didn’t hear too many calls before dawn at the house, so it seems that last night’s flight ended rather early.

Next on the day’s agenda was Scarborough Marsh. First, it was scanning the Pine Point Narrows, which produced good numbers of Black-bellied Plovers and the local family group of American Oystercatchers (two adults and one kid).

Over at Eastern Road, as the tide slowly rolled in, the salt pannes were still very productive. However, the number of shorebirds has in fact declined significantly, likely moving out on the recent northerly winds.

There were still a few hundred birds, including 15 White-rumped Sandpipers. No Reef-Heron, but there were plenty of waders: 61 Snowy and 37 Great Egrets, 17 Little Blue Herons, 25 Glossy Ibis, and one continuing Tricolored Heron (whose rarity has been a wee bit overshadowed recently!). And I finally got a decent picture of it:

I do enjoy counting the shorebirds in the pannes, and recording the numbers for future reference and my own interest. Today, however, my enjoyment of counting ended rather shortly. I was nearly done with a tally of the Semipalmated Sandpipers (the most abundant shorebird there, as usual), when a Peregrine Falcon swoops in and flushes the lot. I started again. Then, a Merlin buzzes by. I started again. Then, a Northern Harrier wanders through. OK, they win – no accurate shorebird counts today – estimation it is!

Without the frustration of counting panicking peeps, I was able to enjoy the raptor show. The Peregrine and Merlin would make repeated passes at the shorebirds, looking for the weakest link. Occasionally, the Merlin would dive bomb the Peregrine, or the Harrier, because that’s what Merlins do. At one point, the Harrier was harassing the Peregrine and the Merlin was tailing the Harrier.

No, 3rd North American Record today, but I was certainly not complaining.

Besides, if I am jonesing for another twitch, I have just learned of a first state record of a Burrowing Owl at the other end of the state, in Washington County. Oh, the thrill of the chase . . . but the agony of gas prices and excessive oil consumption!

Now THIS chase was REALLY a close call . . .

I headed back down to Kittery this morning for another look at the Western Reef-Heron. Originally, the plan was to meet friends from Michigan down there, but their trip was cancelled at the last minute. But, I had already made plans to take Luke back down, and finally get Robby the bird.

So, we headed down to Kittery Point, despite the fact that the bird was not seen from there yesterday. But, Robby REALLY wanted this as a Maine Bird – I can’t blame him – so we decided to give it a try.

Yesterday, Marshall and I were discussing the finer points of identifying Roseate Terns in flight, especially juveniles. I was a bit embarrassed that I was not able to adequately describe the difference, so with Robby – who spends his summer studying terns – along today, I wanted to study some terns.

A large flock of terns was feeding off of Fishing Island. At the same time, Robby and I got on one tern that was notably whiter above, as Roseate Terns are. We followed it for a second, and then it turned its head - a rectangular, isolated, black face patch.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I made another run down to Kittery this morning, this time to get Jeannette (it’s our day off) a look at the Western Reef-Heron. But, this morning, it wasn’t so easy!

We arrived at the Kittery Point Town Landing at about 6:45. No bird yet. However, we were surprised to see our friends Marshall and Nyan, and their dog Chula, who had literally just moved back East from California.

So, we waited. And waited. And waited. After a run for muffins from the Bagel Caboose, we waited some more.

Then, we decided to check elsewhere – and get the dogs out for a walk, as Jeannette and I had Sasha with us. So, the 6 of us worked our way over to Fort Foster – one of our favorite birding and dog-walking locales – checking Chauncey Creek for the heron on the way.

I begrudgingly declined to ride down with friends to Kittery again for another “taste” of the Western Reef-Heron. Besides, Jeannette and I will be heading down tomorrow, and I may be going on Wednesday if friends from Michigan make it out to visit (the bird, not me . . . nice friends, huh?). By the way, I continue to add updates, and more links, to our store’s Bird News page.

Instead, I avoided driving by taking my 6-mile Pownal Walk. I didn’t run into anything too exciting, but it is always a pleasant trip. 24 Wild Turkeys were in a field, and juvenile Chipping Sparrows were everywhere. A few small flocks of Bobolinks were still around, and I ran into one mixed species flock that contained a few warblers, including one or two Blackburnian Warblers.

In other news . . . .

Here we go again! Cornell Lab or Ornithology has recently posted more fuzzy video clips – but this time of a mystery warbler in Cuba. Could it be the rediscovery of the presumed-to-be extinct Bachman’s Warbler, or is it just poor footage of the common “Golden” Yellow Warbler subspecies? You can check out some of the discussion on this bird on the ID-Frontiers website.

Closer to home, I invite you to join me and many others on Maine Audubon’s Fall Pelagic birding trip off of Bar Harbor on Saturday, September 23rd. We’ll leave the dock at 5:30am, and return at 12:30pm. This is a great trip, and a must for all Maine birders. Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Greater Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, phalaropes, terns, and jaegers are expected (but there are NEVER guarantees with pelagic birding!). We will also be hoping for exciting stuff like Northern Fulmar and maybe even Great Skua! Hope to see you on board. Email (or call) Maine Audubon at trips@maineaudubon.org for more info. As of now, there is space available, but these trips can fill up quickly, as we have a limited amount of room.

Wow, what a couple of exciting days!

Yes, our store’s Second Anniversary Celebration on Saturday was exciting, but you know what I really mean: the WESTERN REEF-HERON in Kittery!

Normally occurring from Western Africa east into India, this bird is quite far from home! Earlier this summer, a Western Reef-Heron North America’s 3rd record (Martha’s Vineyard, April 26 – September 13th, 1983 and Newfoundland last summer were the previous two records) was discovered in Nova Scotia. Then, about 2 weeks ago, it disappeared. Headed south perhaps?

With all of the islands, marshes, mudflats, and peninsulas, what are the chances that the bird would be seen again? Slim to none? What are the chances that my friend Lysle would be birding in Kittery on his way home from a meeting in Connecticut? What are the chances that he would notice a feeding frenzy of terns off of the Kittery Point Town Landing and pull out his scope to check it out? What are the chances that he would focus through the tern flock, onto the island (Fishing Island) behind them and see what looks like a Little Blue Heron with a white throat, yellow feet, and two plumes on this back of its head?

But, at 6:30 am on Friday, I received the call. I was out filling feeders and checking the yard for migrants. I came back in to a voicemail on the cell phone, after just missing a call on the house line. I retrieved the message, “Derek its Lysle, I’m looking at a Western . . . . static . . . Reef-Heron off of the . . . .static . . . . Kittery Point. . . . crackle . . . .landing, Route 103 . . . .noise . . behind Frisbee’s Market .. . . now . . . call . . . .”

Before completely comprehending the message, or how much work I had to do that day, I was in my car and heading down the road. I called Ed. “Are you TRYING to get me FIRED? Fine, I’m in . . . pick me up . . . I’ll meet you at Sam’s Club. . . .”

I'll have the whole story, and more details on this exceptional sighting (only the 3rd or 4th EVER for NORTH AMERICA) soon, but I wanted to get these photos that I took this morning online ASAP. My friend Lysle discovered it this morning, and I was lucky enough to be the part of the first group who got to see the bird. For now, more complete details, and further updates can be found at www.yarmouthbirds.com/bird_news.asp

Here's my first in-focus shot, taken from the Kittery Town Landing pier through my spotting scope. Not the dark blueish plumage, white throat, etc.

(All other pictures taken with a Canon Powershot A95 handheld to Zeiss T*fl 7X42 Binoculars from a boat about 50 yards offshore).

Center, with two Snowy Egrets.

Great Egret in forground, Snowy Egret to the right. Not the two, long, stiff-looking plumes on the back of the head.

Great and Snowy Egret to the right.

Yellow feet and black legs now clearly visible.

This was the last view of the bird, tucking into the taller grass on the island.

I spent another morning today in Scarborough Marsh. However, this morning Ed and I were joined by Amy Sinclair of WGME, Channel 13. Amy was filming a piece on the International Shorebird Survey and the significance of Scarborough Marsh for migrant shorebirds. Ed and I marched her and cameraman Jack into the salt pannes as we conducted the survey. This is Ed’s section of the marsh that he has volunteered to cover - Jeannette and I cover two other sections.

These pannes one of the best areas in the state – as you may of guessed from my frequent posts about it – for viewing large numbers of common shorebirds, and finding rarities. And, once again, the salt pannes did not disappoint. Although by the time we made it into the pannes, the tide had already begun to recede – and therefore expose mudflat feeding areas away from the pannes – so the numbers of peep in particular where quite reduced. However, there was plenty to see, count, and film, including 4 Stilt Sandpiper (a good number for Maine), an impressive 23 White-rumped Sandpipers, and a very good number of ducks: 70+ Green-winged Teal, about 35 Blue-winged Teal (my highest count ever in Maine I believe), and the first Northern Pintail of fall.

Jack got some great footage of the Wilson’s Phalarope spinning, the Tricolored Heron that continues there, and a great sequence of a Peregrine Falcon harassing a group of Egrets. I very much look forward to seeing how it came out on film!

The segment should air tonight (Thursday) during the 5:00 News. If you miss it, the piece will be posted (by tomorrow) on the station's website.

I hesitate to recommend it BEFORE I see it, just in case I said something stupid. But, I don’t THINK I did, and no one fell in any holes, so I think I am safe!

Meanwhile, Saturday is a big day here at the store: It’s our Two Year Anniversary Celebration! (I can’t believe its been tow years already!)

The weekend’s big event will be at 11:00am on Saturday, featuring live birds of prey and reptiles from the Center for Wildlife. The program will examine how these animals use special “tools” and adaptations for survival. This is a free program, and everyone is invited – especially kids. Also, free iced shade-grown, organic, fair-trade coffee and fresh popcorn will be served all weekend, and don’t forget there’s the regularly scheduled free birdwalk at 8:00 on Saturday morning, as always. Hope to see ya here!

Paris, Maine that is. International travel is on hold for the first few years of a new store, so in lieu of France, we visited Oxford County yesterday. The plan was to hike two short climbs, Streaked Mountain and Singepole. They were “lifer” hills, but it was also a stretch of road we had not explored, and I needed to break in new hiking boots anyway.

We began at Streaked Mountain. It’s ½ mile STRAIGHT up hill. The habitat was mixed woodlands on the way up, with patches of Red Spruce, and much exposed rock, on top. The scenery was rather impacted by the “tower farm” of communication towers and other structures on top. However, the summit was quite birdy, with a large flock of over 50 – including many juvenile – Dark-eyed Juncos. A smaller flock of about a dozen Black-capped Chickadees also contained a couple of juvenile Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 1-2 Red-eyed Vireos.

My knee complained the whole way down, so luckily Singepole was not as steep. It was 1.5 miles each way, passing through mixed woods that was more heavily deciduous than Streaked Mountain. The path was on a wider ATV trail, but the birding turned out to be very good. In fact, we tallied 9 species of warblers on this walk, including the family group of Common Yellowthroats near the trail head.

Each time we encountered some vociferous chickadees on our walk, a little spishing and patience turned up other species that were traveling with the group. This is typical of fall woodland birding: walk a ways, see a mixed flock, walk some more, hit another flock, etc. The first flock we encountered held single Black-and-white, Yellow-rumped, Canada, and Blackburnian Warblers, 2 Magnolia Warblers, a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a Red-eyed Vireo. The flock included a single Black-and-white, a Black-throated Blue, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. At the summit, the chickadee flock was joined by 4 Black-and-whites, an American Redstart, and two juvenile Hermit Thrushes. Most suprisingly, however, was a fresh juvenile Blackpoll Warbler. Could it have bred here? It seems too low, and too far east, for this mountain-top species. However, there was some thick, stunted spruce, so the habitat – although limited – was present. It could also have been a migrant – although Blackpolls are typically one of the last warblers to move – or dispersing juvenile, but it looks like we’ll have to plan a June trip here to find out!

The view from the top of Singpole was much better, with the haze lifting, and the lack of communication towers, but I left my camera in the car. Oops. On the way down, a few juvenile Broad-winged Hawks were circling overhead.

We then continued on 117 (lifer road) into South Paris, where we discovered a wonderful little bakery – the Rising Sun Café and Bakery - with good sandwiches, salads, and really good baked treats. Just as important of a find as that Blackpoll Warbler! We then took 119 (through Hebron) – another life road – looking for intriguing patches of habitat. While we didn’t find anything too unique, we did at least find some roadside Milkweed once we were back in Auburn to feed our hungry Monarch caterpillars (which now number 40 – with some real small youngsters, along with 10 chrysalises (plus three residing at the store), and one Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar. In fact, they’re going through 5 small stalks of milkweed a day now!

For no other reason than I haven’t explored it before, I spent much of the morning yesterday wandering around Harpswell Neck. I was looking for habitat as much as I was looking for birds. I poked around any public access points to the water, checking for shorebirds. I did have a fair number on the low tide mudflats of Basin Cove: 76 Semipalmated Plovers, 45 mixed Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers (a little too distant to be sure of the exact count of each), 15 Black-bellied Plovers, 15 Lesser Yellowlegs, one Greater Yellowlegs and one Spotted Sandpiper.

I thought Basin Point held some potential for winter duck and gull watching, as did South Harpswell. I was most intrigued by Stover Point Beach however. A little patch of weedy sand, a gravel beach, and a small salt marsh packed a fairly diverse habitat into a small package. I got this “good bird feel” from the area. A small number of shorebirds there today, roosting on the gravel as the tide rolled in, included 44 Semipalmated Plover, 32 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 11 Ruddy Turnstones, and 2 Least Sandpipers. Something about the spot though made we wonder what rarities have shown up here. Or, what rarities will show up here. It’s a bit of a drive for me to check with any regularity, but I hope others may stop here once in a while as well. It seems like one of those places that if you checked all the time, one day it would turn up something truly astounding. (How about Reddish Egret, Lesser Sand-Plover, or Fork-tailed Flycatcher???) Actually, it also looked good for more common things like Snow Buntings, migrant sparrows, and perhaps a rarity like a Northern Wheatear.

Today, I began at Back Cove – many fewer shorebirds than I would expect right now – before heading down to Cape Elizabeth. The highlight there was an eclipse male Wood Duck eating seaweed with Mallards in Kettle Cove – you rarely see this species on salt water. A smattering of shorebirds were on Crescent Beach as well, and over at Two Lights State Park, a flock of about a dozen Tufted Titmice included probable migrant Black-throated Green (1) and Black-and-white (2) Warblers.

In fact, I have noticed quite a few migrant Black-and-white Warblers in the last few days, including one in our store’s garden Saturday morning, and one at the edge of the Yarmouth Community Garden yesterday. Warblers are on the move!

This Morning:
There was quite a bit of activity at Evergreen Cemetery and Capisic Pond Park in Portland this morning. Most of it was from residents and breeders, but a few migrants were detected. A Spotted Sandpiper at Evergreen was most likely on the move, as was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Capisic. A Northern Waterthrush at Capisic was definitely a migrant, and I enjoyed an excellent view of it.

Lovitch Monarch Ranch Update:
The count as of this morning was 33 caterpillars, plus one Monarch Tussock Moth caterpillar. There are still 11 chrysalis outside, but one appears to have been predated: there’s a large hole in the side, and nothing inside. Here at the store, we are watching two caterpillars metamorphasizing as we speak (err, as I type) – along with another chrysalis.

Events:
Join us here at the Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth on Saturday for our 5th Maine Artist Feature Day, when we welcome Cumberland Photographer Judy Larson. Judy will be here from 10-4 displaying her wildlife and nature photography from everywhere from her backyard to Alaska.

Join me for a suburban expedition at the Yarmouth Community Garden on Sunday, August 13th. I will identify birds and butterflies (and yes, look for Monarchs and monarch caterpillars) in and around the garden, discuss the upcoming fall migration, and recommend plants and flowers that will attract more birds to your yard. Bring binoculars and a friend to this FREE event. YCG is located on East Main Street between Estabrook's and the Transfer Station. Go to www.yarmouthcommunitygarden.org or call 329-7735 for details.

Not-so-light Reading:
I highly recommend the “Oil Safari” series from the Chicago Tribune. “Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Salopek traces gasoline sold at a Chicago-area station back to its origins. His safari reveals how America’s oil addiction binds it to some of the world’s most violent corners of the planet – and to a petroleum economy nearing crisis.” (By the way, if you revisit the site, you will have to register to read the articles. But, I think it is WELL worth it (hahaha)! But why is this on a birding blog, you may ask? From gas for chasing rarities to global climate change affecting birds’ ranges and populations, this has everything to do with birding.

Now THIS weather can’t be beat! Cool mornings, warm days. Nice. Plus, the northerly winds that have been bringing us this cooler, drier air also helps to bring us migrant shorebirds.

This morning’s destination was Biddeford Pool for shore birds (not just shorebirds) with a couple from Virginia who hired me for half a day of guiding. Our goal was to study and learn a diversity of shoreline birds, from ducks and waders to migrant shorebirds and gulls.

We enjoyed close views of many of our common species of shorebirds, and numerous Bonaparte’s Gulls on Hill’s Beach. Black Guillemots cooperated by appearing off of East Point. The woods at East Point Sanctuary produced my first definite migrant warbler of the fall – a male Prairie Warbler. Yup, it’s fall!

A juvenile Western Sandpiper was found among a flock of roosting Semipalmated Sandpipers along Ocean Avenue, where the smaller shorebirds roost at high tide. We don’t see too many Westerns here in Maine, so this was a treat – and my first of the fall. The lingering drake Harlequin Duck was also seen, along with decent numbers of the most common shorebirds.

While I was waiting for Bob and Gigi to arrive, two Green Herons fly in and land on the telephone wires right in front of me. I managed to snap a few photos through the scope, but unfortunately the light was low, and the pics are rather dark:

So, for those of you interested in becoming completely jealous of someone, check out the website “Of Emus and Fairy-wrens.” This is the website of Bowdoin alum Drew Fulton. Drew received a Watson Fellowship to spend a year traveling throughout Australia photographing birds. You can live vicariously through Drew’s travels and adventures on his blog (and don’t forget to send him condolences and/or hate mail out of extreme jealously.)

In other news, the Sooty Shearwater now holds the record for the longest migration – 40,000 MILES!

There’s been many developments in the last few days here at the Lovitch Monarch Ranch.

Inside, our “first born” emerged yesterday! When we left in the morning, we knew we were “due” today – the chrysalis’s tenth day. And, as you can see, the caterpillar was about to complete it’s metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly – one of true miracles of nature.

When we got home in the afternoon, the chrysalis was empty.

A short time later, we found “Mon-ica” drying, so we brought her outside.

And soon, she was enjoying her first meal.

Meanwhile, our small patch of milkweeds have been nearly completely denuded.

Our caterpillars are now being “farmed” on “imported” milkweed stems brought in each day from nearby fields. As of this morning, the count in the garden (on a total of 8 original milkweed stems, three bottles full of cut milkweed, and the slat boards of our house) was 24 caterpillars (including some new, very tiny ones) and 11 chrysalises. Oh, and one Milkweed Tussock Moth. Here’s one of the chrysalises that has just formed (the caterpillars outer skin is shed, exposing the green chrysalis shell that will soon harden).

So, while we cultivate our caterpillars, I have been enjoying the plethora of reports on the Maine birding listserve about the quantity of Monarchs that many people are seeing throughout the state. This is very good news.

The plethora of breeding Monarchs is good news for the population, which has been getting hammered by illegal logging and rare freezes in their Mexican wintering grounds. Interestingly, MonarchWatch.org predicted this bumper crop of Monarchs last month. In Maine, we see Generation 4 – the last of the summer’s breeders, and the generation that completes the loop by migrating south to Mexico (and recently Southern California).

For more information about Monarchs, take a look at:
www.monarchwatch.org and
www.monarchbutterflyUSA.com

Here’s some other good news for birds, and butterflies – the EPA is beginning a phase out of the deadly pesticide carbofuran. (More on recent EPA pesticide decisions)

One of my complaints about my own birding recently, is that I am trying to cover too much ground. Instead of thoroughly working one park all morning, I try and cover multiple. Part of this is simple interest in seeing what’s happening at every place. Part of this is the attempt at finding rarities. Part of this is the “if I don’t check here, no one will,” mentality – especially in the under-birded summer months.

Well, sometimes this pursuit of quantity (of sites checked) can overcome the quality (thoroughness). This has started to bother me, so I have decided that I would make more effort to only go to ONE place more often.

Yesterday, that one place was Eastern Road Trail in Scarborough Marsh. Instead of checking every Scarborough Marsh locale, I simply spent 3 ½ hours only along Eastern Road, and mostly at the salt pannes on the east side of the trail’s north end.

My patience and thoroughness were certainly rewarded. I arrived as the tide was high enough to have inundated almost all of the mudflats of the marsh. Therefore, birds were concentrated in these very productive pans.

Hundreds of Tree Swallows swarmed overhead, and Least and Common Terns foraged and called vociferously. A very impressive showing of wading birds (egrets, herons, and ibis) congregated in the pannes. It was a delight to watch the various feeding techniques: Great Blue Herons stoically standing motionless. Great Egrets stalking slowly. Spastic Snowy Egrets dancing around and chasing fish. Glossy Ibis methodically poking and probing. Little Blue Herons employed various techniques, while the one Tricolored Heron, well, slept.

(Here’s an idea of the density of waders around today)

(Here’s the Tricolored Heron)

And sorting through about 1,500 shorebirds of 15 species provided more than enough to do for the nest few hours. Hundreds of peeps were combed through, looking for the White-rumped Sandpipers (a very good total of 16 were tallied) and maybe a rarity from the other side of the pond (no luck there). I carefully scrutinized a hundred or so Lesser Yellowlegs (no Spotted Redshanks!). I sorted through a few hundred Short-billed Dowitchers, looking for a Long-billed, but I did identify one Shorty of the interior race, hendersoni. A Stilt Sandpiper, my first of the fall, was a highlight, as was the stately Hudsonian Godwit.

(Two White-rumped Sandpipers)

A most productive morning! I think I will have to start sitting still (in one location that is) more often!

Here’s a summary of the numbers of shorebirds, wading birds, and other species of note:
Blue-winged Teal: 4
Green-winged Teal: 26
Great Blue Heron: 8
Great Egret: 50+
Snowy Egret: 170+
Little Blue Heron: 19
TRICOLORED HERON: 1
Glossy Ibis: 40+
Northern Harrier: 1
Peregrine Falcon: 1 immature
Black-bellied Plover: 4
Semipalmated Plover: 50+
Killdeer: 1
Greater Yellowlegs: 30+
Lesser Yellowlegs: 100+
Solitary Sandpiper: 1
"Eastern" Willet: 1
Spotted Sandpiper: 3
HUDSONIAN GODWIT: 1
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 600++
Least Sandpiper: 50++
White-rumped Sandpiper: 16
Pectoral Sandpiper: 9
STILT SANDPIPER: 1
Short-billed Dowitcher: 300++
Tree Swallows: 200++

Yesterday was a great all-around-Naturalist’s day:

6:45: Checked on the Monarch caterpillars in the yard. 33 caterpillars on 8 milkweed stalks; two already completely denuded. It doesn’t look like there will be enough leafage for the “family.” Might have to do something about that.

7:00am: Dan’s Yard.
Dan has been hearing what sounds like a Yellow-billed Cuckoo in his yard for about 2 weeks now. Yellow-billed Cuckoos are not common in the area, and Dan’s yard isn’t optimal habitat. However, we played a recording and the bird immediately responded and flew in for a closer look. Yup, yellow bill!

8:00am: Store’s Bird Walk.
A very productive morning, including 10 American Kestrels along one stretch of road in Brunswick, and 13 Ospreys soaring together at Wharton Point – plus great looks at shorebirds. (A complete trip report, as always, is on our website’s Bird News page).

~3:00pm: Store’s Feeders.
Some people tell us that the squirrels in our garden are the largest they have ever seen. Well, Gray Squirrels don’t vary that much in size and weight, but when I looked out the window, I thought to myself, “Huh, that squirrel does seem HUGE!” Probably ‘cause it was a Raccoon. Odd mid-day sighting. Looked healthy though, grabbed a few handfuls of corn and peanuts out of the squirrel feeder, then waddled off.

4:00pm: Roadside.
Stopped off on the way home to cut some milkweed stalks for our hungry caterpillars.

4:15pm: Home.
Moved 10 Monarch Caterpillars to new stems of milkweed (stuck in a bottle of water) as 4 of the original 8 milkweed stems are now completely denuded. Two caterpillars were put in a bottle with milkweed and now reside on our store’s counter to share with children.

5:30pm: Out in the yard.
I assumed the ruckus in the woods was the dog, but then a hen Wild Turkey walked out, followed by a few poults. Then, 26 (!!!) more poults, and one more hen. They crossed the driveway, and in a short time, crossed back.

~11:00pm: Laying in bed.
Awoke to our local Barred Owl calling nearby.

Nice day!

My walk this morning at Pineland Farms was rather wet. However, I must say that I prefer being drenched by a cool rain than by sweat (like last week). Unfortunately, the rain hampered this morning’s birding – funny how it began as I exited the car, and ended just as I left the farm. Oh well. I’ll take it over 105 degree heat index any day.

I can’t believe it’s already August (and the 4th to be exact)! Where did the summer go? It seemed like just yesterday that I was blogging about breeding season birding, and now the breeding season is essentially over (except for late nesters like American Goldfinches and Cedar Waxwings)!

But, with August comes an increase in fall migration. Most shorebird species peak this month. Passerine migration begins, with a few species, such as Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white Warbler, and Yellow Warblers already on the move. By month’s end, many warblers and other passerines will be heading south. Meanwhile, many species –such as backyard Baltimore Orioles and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds – leave their breeding territories, if not actually head out of the area quite yet.

Post-breeding dispersal carries wading birds, such as Great Egrets well inland. Fledglings and juveniles of all sorts can wander around, showing up in unusualy places, such as your local patch or on the feeders. Seabirds are vacating breeding colonies, and can often be seen passing shoreline promontories, especially during onshore winds. And, of course, there are always rarities to look out for!

Especially with my bout of Rarity Fever this summer, I am getting revved up for a productive fall of unexpected discoveries! Besides, I’m “due” to find something REALLY good in Maine . . . I wonder what it will be . . . .(Any guesses, or requests?)

And, speaking of rarities, if you haven't done so already, check out Colleen Stone's article on our Bridled Tern chase, I think you will enjoy it.

Yesterday, Rich and I spent most of the day scouring the coast from shorebirds between Biddeford Pool and Scarborough Marsh. We began at East Point in Biddeford Pool, where we thought we might find some shorebirds still roosting on the rocks. But, most of the birds had already moved off to feeding areas as the tide began to recede. Two immature Great Cormorants were now hanging around the offshore rocks, however, and small flocks of Barn Swallows overhead proved that not only shorebirds are on the move now.

By the time we walked over to The Pool itself, the water had receded enough to expose a significant amount of mud. A little too much, actually, as many of the birds were already widely dispersed and a bit far off. Rich did, however, spot a single Hudsonian Godwit, our first of the fall, and one of our targets for the day.

Our next stop was Hill’s Beach, where there were a fair amount of shorebirds, but frankly we expected more. It seemed that the heat drove the vacationers to the beach and the foraging shorebirds elsewhere! (And it was wicked hot!)

After lunch, we headed north to Scarborough Marsh, beginning at Pine Point. The incoming tide was slowly inundating the exposed mudflats now, allow us ample opportunity to spot shorebirds as they were pushed close and moved around. Many began to head upriver, signaling to us that we should do the same. About 250 Semipalmated Plovers and about 450 Semipalmated Sandpipers were present, with smaller numbers of other species mixed in.