Yesterday, I spent another productive morning out in Scarborough Marsh. This time, it was guiding for Jack who traveled all the way from Hawai’i to do some birding in Maine (and visit friends, too). In one of those small-world-kind-of-things, Jack lives on the Big Island, where he moved after spending 18 years working in Central New Jersey. After 21 years of living in Central New Jersey, I took a job on the Big Island of Hawai’i (but only for 4 months!). It’s not too often two people birding in Maine talk about the Akiapola’au (one of the rarest birds on the Big Island), the Palila (the bird I studied there), and Loco Mocos (the lunch meal that I ate far too many of while I was there)! One of the things that I really like about private guiding is meeting new, and interesting people, and it often amazes me just how small this world really is.

(So, when I decided to look for a photo or description of a Moco Loco to include here, I was quite pleased to find a "Food Blog from the Big Island" that included an entry on Moco Locos at Wailoa State Park. I actually had visited Freddy's a number of times when I was there, and I saw a vagrant Greater White-fronted Goose that was at the State Park at the time, and after talking to Jack yesterday, I found out that that bird was actually still there! Then I started perusing the entries about Ice Shave, etc, bringing back yet more great memories! But, I digress . . .)

Our goal this morning was primarily Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows, and once again these two species politely cooperated in Scarborough Marsh, providing more crippling views. A quick stop also provided Jack with his “lifer” Common Eider. When we first talked on the phone, I said – upon his inquiry about these species – that “there are few guarantees in life, but this might just be one of them!” Luckily, I didn’t have to eat my words! My only real problem this morning was that within all of about 30 minutes in the marsh, we had nailed the target birds! Oh well, guess we’ll just have to go birding now!

A great look at a Virginia Rail that walked out into the open at the Pelreco building was a surprise, and a nice bonus highlight. We then drove down to Biddeford Pool, and we rewarded with a pair of Long-tailed Ducks – very rare in summer; this was a most unexpected “tick” - and then as we headed back north, a quick stop at Yarmouth’s Pratt’s Brook park finally produced an Alder Flycatcher – Jack’s 5th life bird of the day. He was happy, so therefore I was happy, and so it was a successful trip.

Changing gears a bit, I thought a recent statement from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) regarding wind energy projects was extremely timely here in Maine. I strongly urge everyone to give this brief statement a read.

You rarely hear me complain about the weather. Strong Nor’Easter? No problem, I’m out seawatching. Blizzard? Great feeder-watching followed by cross-country skiing. Heat like we’re seeing now? That’s when I get cranky!

94 degrees in Portland yesterday was a new record high, and we’re already into the 90’s this morning. Plus, high humidity. Yuck. This is the weather that limits my birding!

Our Tuesday outing yesterday was limited to a 1 ½ hour walk at the Pineland Public Reserve Land in New Gloucester. It was rather productive however, including 8 singing Blackburnian Warblers, 4 Winter Wrens, and 2 Wood Thrushes (I can’t remember hearing Wood Thrushes in this woodland before, and it surprised me considering how heavily coniferous it is). A Magnolia Warbler was also still singing – this bird seems to be quite a bit more common locally (one is still singing in our backyard as well) this summer. Also, this park seems to have one of the highest densities of Black-throated Green Warblers that I have ever encountered!

The heat actually sent us inside on a Tuesday – a rare event indeed. We went to the movies – also a very rare event – in Falmouth, which produced sighting of Fish Crows in the parking lot, making rounds of their favorite dumpsters. We also visited the Casco Bay Bridge Peregrine Falcons – saw the female and heard the youngster – but more as an excuse to visit Beale Street BBQ in South Portland!

This morning I hit Hedgehog Mountain Park for another short walk with Sasha. Although birdsong has definitely decreased overall in these dig-days of summer, the woods are now getting noisier with the begging cries of baby birds. Many species are now feeding youngsters, and some species are already fledging. This morning, I encountered juvenile Wood Thrushes, Chipping Sparrows, and Tufted Titmice, for example. Also, I took a moment to count the Cliff Swallows at the transfer station. I believe there are 7 pairs there this summer.

You know those weekends – the ones where everything happens at once, and when Monday comes around, you let out a big sigh of relief – now you can relax! This was one of those weekends for me! Two trips, one comedian, and 5 visitors: beginning with Jeannette’s folks Friday night.

Saturday morning was the first Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth “Terns of Casco Bay aboard the Lucky Catch” trip, and it was a great success. No rarities like tropicbirds or Bridled Terns, but we saw the expected species – and saw many of them very well – and really lucked out with the weather and sea conditions.

As of last night, the forecast was for “near small craft advisory conditions.” And, we were most definitely on a small craft! However, when we arrived this morning, the wind was much lighter than expected, the sun was out, and the seas were calm.

The Lucky Catch.

We headed straight for Outer Green Island, enjoying diving Northern Gannets (30-40) to and from, some very close by. At the island, we enjoyed 6++ Roseate Terns – our primary target for the trip - among the 200++ Common Terns, including one very close pass by the boat in perfect light. Black Guillemots were plentiful as well; 30+ were tallied around the island, with a few more on the way to and from. We also passed Common Loons on the way out, including one raft of 5 in basic plumage.

A pair of Peregrine Falcons have nested this season under the Casco Bay Bridge between Portland and South Portland. The birds have apparently been seen regularly from the pier at Thomas Knight Park off of Waterman St in South Portland when they – especially the adult male – roosts under the bridge. I had some errands to run in Portland and SoPo today, so I figured I’d drop by and have a look.

From Knight Park, I spotted the female roosting below the bridge. I decided to stop and ask a bridge employee if he knew anything about the nest. I am certainly glad I did!

As it turns out, the bridge employees have been keeping close eye on the events down below, and a state biologist has monitored the nesting. The gentleman was kind enough to point out to me where the nest was (in a stairwell), and where the youngster has been sitting – which is exactly where she was today. And, apparently, she took her first flight just this very morning!

While I was there, I had a great time watching the fledgling exercise its wings, and stumble around the stairwell, clearly still unsure of itself. It sure didn’t look like the champion flier that she’ll soon become! It was most entertaining watching her try and hold onto the handrail of the stairs, only to continually slide back down. She would scramble back to the top, and slide back down again. I was hoping to see a test flight, but for now a little exercise was all that was called for. Vibration from the traffic, and a gusty northwest wind hampered my digiscoping success, but it was still a great show.

Jeannette and I made a run for the hills yesterday, taking off to the western mountains on our day off. We elected to hike the two summits of Baldpate (no relation to the wigeon) Mountain in Grafton Notch State Park.

A moderate, but steady pace, allowed for ample opportunities for birding, which was quite productive. As we began our ascent of the first peak, we were serenaded by Swainson’s Thrushes and Black-throated Blue Warblers, who would become replaced by White-throated Sparrows and Blackpoll Warblers as we approached the summit. I was pleasantly surprised to encounter three Yellow-bellied Flycatchers in the woods, and our total of 13 singing Blackpoll Warblers was decent. We ran into two Boreal Chickadees, 4 Pine Siskins, and a single Ruby-crowned Kinglet as well.

Looking at the East Peak from the top of the West Peak (3680ft)

Looking at the West Peak from the top of the higher East Peak (3812ft)

I enjoyed a gorgeous early summer morning today at Biddeford Pool. I began at Hatties (5 lingering Black-bellied Plovers), and then over to East Point where a half-hour of seawatching produced 6 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels and 28 Northern Gannets. An inspection of the shoreline around the peninsula produced a White-winged Scoter, two Black Scoters, 2 Green Herons at Great Pond, and a fly-over Fish Crow. 2 American Oystercatchers were preening off Vine’s Landing as well. Considering there are only 3-4 pairs of this nifty bird in the state, they are always a treat to see.

Then, I headed over to Hill’s Beach, just as the tide began to roll in. The incoming tide here usually produces the best birding, and it did not disappoint today. I just kicked off my shoes and spent about 2 hours wandering around the sand flats and shallow pools of water. I studied Bonaparte’s Gulls – all first or second cycle plumages, but there’s a huge range of variation within these age groups, and enjoyed the handful of roosting terns (mostly Common, but at least two Roseate as well). I played around with some digiscoping, snapping handfuls of pictures here and there.

With the water rising, I decided to move on, but then a small gull flew by that was clearly not a Bonaparte’s. Small, chunkier, and with rounded-wing tips. Little Gull! And, just to echo my excitement, it called a few times, and I’m not sure if I’ve heard this species vocalize before. Very small numbers of Little Gulls are annual in Maine each year, but it’s been a while since I have seen one - and I am really a big fan of Little Gulls. One (this bird, no doubt) was found here about a week ago, so it was certainly something I was looking for today.

Of course, however, it waited until I was half way back to my car to show up, and of course it flew to the farthest sandbar. It landed near some roosting Bonaparte’s Gulls, and I just had to turn around and attempt a few photos. Happily, it was much obliging. I was able to digiscoped the following pictures, which came out alright (I could have used some cloud cover, however!).

My birding outing this morning turned into slightly more of an adventure than had bargained for. I took Sasha with me to unofficially survey another stretch of high-tension powerline cuts through Pownal. (See my June 7th entry). I parked on Allen Rd, and walked northeast, crossing Fickett Rd and continuing north-northeast towards Lawrence Rd.

The walk began leisurely enough, tallying the expected powerline denizens, such as Prairie Warblers and Common Yellowthroats. This stretch passed through, or next to, some hayfields, so Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks were also around. A highlight was 4 Wilson’s Snipe in one wet meadow section. Two flushed ahead of us, Sasha flushed one more, and one was performing its winnowing display flight overhead.

A short distance beyond Fickett Rd, 7 White-winged Crossbills flew overhead, high, but calling vociferously. Crossbills are likely now beginning their post-breeding dispersal (they begin nesting in late winter and early spring around here during an irruption year), so we should be on the lookout for them almost anywhere. Lots of White-winged Crossbills stayed to breed throughout most of the state after the winter’s big irruption (which occurred to take advantage of a bumper crop of spruce cones), so there may be a bunch of kids on the move now.

About 45 minutes into the walk, I came upon a field, and the trail dissipated. Did I really want to walk through waist-high hayfields? While ponder this, I noticed just how fast that really dark cloud was approaching. Then, I heard my first rumble of thunder. Good thing I was 45 minutes away from my car in an open field surrounded by high-tension powerlines. I wasn’t worried about getting wet, but Sasha hates thunder – she cowers with each loud rumble, and I hate lightning when I’m standing in an open field surrounded by high-tension powerlines.

So, we turned around and briskly walked towards the car. But, the thunderstorm was rapidly approaching. When I reached Fickett Rd, I had a decision to make – stay on the powerline cut, the quickest way to the car, even though it would keep me in the open longer, followed by the cut rising over a small hill, or do I follow the road. A closer crack of thunder made the decision for me.

No, that wasn’t another sensationalized headline – I really did get attacked by a Mallard this morning! In was walking around Two Lights State Park, taking the trail through the woods when I stumbled upon a hen Mallard with three fuzzy chicks. When I turned the corner, I was a mere 3-5 feet from them, as they were waddling across a puddle, commuting from one pond to the other.

Normally, hen Mallards perform a distraction display to lure a potential predator away from their kids. They belly-flop onto the water and row with their wings, making lots of “I’m injured, look how easy of a meal I would be” noises. Well, I was too close for her comfort, so the distraction display wasn’t going to be good enough for this protective mother. So, after flopping into the mud – and failing to travel more than a few feet with the rowing technique, she turned around and came right at me! First, she hit me in the shins, then, the back of the knees! (And, I have the mud on my pants to prove it!) In fact, she hit me hard enough in the back of the knees that I actually stumbled a little bit (just a little bit though, if I had been taken out by a duck, I wouldn’t be admitting it here!) – although this could have been from how hard I was laughing, rather than how hard she hit me.

After trying to take me out, she then continued the more classic distraction display, belly-swimming on dry, hard ground (that couldn’t have felt good) for at least 50 yards up the hill. Finally, when she felt that I was far enough away from her family, she “miraculously” recovered from her injuries and flew back down to the puddles, and I went back to birding (which included a singing Carolina Wren).

Before surviving this near-brush with death at the wings of this dedicated mother, I had walked the loop from Kettle Cove through Crescent Beach State Park. A single Piping Plover was on the beach, there was certainly no shortage of Yellow Warblers, and a very late Blackpoll Warbler was singing from a blue spruce in a yard on Fessenden St.

But, I started the day seawatching from Dyer Point. Light easterly winds continued, but I think yesterday’s stronger breeze would have been better (but Wednesdays is a day I arrive at work rather early), but hey, what are you going to do? Excellent visibility and overcast skies would aid in the detection of anything offshore, at least.

Jeannette and I spent a very productive morning yesterday in the Kennebunk Plains. We spend a full morning each early summer – usually the first Tuesday of June – walking the vast majority of the trails here. Although far from being scientifically obtained, we keep track of all of the grassland denizens that we encounter.

The Kennebunk Plains is a fascinating are to bird – a very special and rare habitat with a lot of great birds that are tough to see elsewhere. I certainly haven’t found anywhere else in Maine that has more Upland Sandpipers, Grasshopper Sparrows, Prairie Warblers, or Vesper Sparrows.

Here’s our totals from yesterday’s visit (6:30am to 10:15am), not including birds heard in the woods or passing overhead. A continuous breeze certainly hampered detection, and definitely kept birds lower to the ground and harder to see. However, our tallies were still excellent.
29 Prairie Warblers
15 Savannah Sparrows
15 Vesper Sparrows
12 Field Sparrows
8 Chestnut-sided Warblers
8 Eastern Towhees
8 Grasshopper Sparrows
4 Brown Thrashers (including one feeding a downy nestling in the middle of a wide patch of short grass).
4 Common Yellowthroats
4++ Bobolink
3 Upland Sandpipers
3 Indigo Buntings
2 American Kestrels
2 Eastern Meadowlarks
1-2 Red-tailed Hawks
1 Alder Flycatcher
1 Eastern Kingbird

Afterwards we made a short stop at the Sanford Sewerage facility, just for the heck of it. I’ve never stopped here in the summer, and I can’t recall any pre-August reports, so I was curious as to what breeds here (Not much! Just Mallards, Canada Geese, and a pair or two of Killdeer). But, we also wanted to check for any lingering shorebirds (there was one Greater Yellowlegs) and the spot does seem great for a possible rarity (say, a Mississippi Kite or a Cattle Egret), so it seemed worth a visit since we were in that neck of the woods.

Yup, there’s definitely still some passerines on the move. A Blackpoll Warbler was singing at Florida Lake Park on Friday, and later I found a skulking female Mourning Warbler at Bayview Preserve. A Magnolia Warbler in the backyard on Saturday was also likely still on the move – it’s been about 2-3 weeks since we’ve had one around.

With the smattering of passerines still trickling through, I decided to make one last visit for the season to the Portland migration traps. I began at Dragon Field, once again failing to find my Mourning Warbler for my Patch List here. However, I did turn up one migrant – another truant Magnolia Warbler.

Stops at Evergreen Cemetery, Capisic Pond Park, and the Eastern Promenade did not, however, produce any more migrants for today. However, it was really a tremendously beautiful morning, and with the breeding season in full swing – even though some stuff is still migrating – each stop was certainly rewarding.

Despite not find that Mourning Warbler at Dragon Field, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the male Indigo Bunting making his rounds proclaiming his territory. However, it does look like there is only one male on territory here this year – there’s usually three. The highlight, however, was my best view yet of the Red-tailed Hawk kid(s). One bird was visible in the nest this morning, and it was really visible – standing on the edge of the nest, wing feathers just starting to grow in, surveying the surrounding airspace that in a few short weeks will be its home.

Good looks at a Green Heron and a Black-crowned Night Heron were to be had at Evergreen, but once again I missed out on the Orchard Orioles at Capisic Pond Park. 11 Yellow Warblers were on territory along the Eastern Promenade, along with 3 American Redstarts, 2 Common Yellowthroats, and 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler. Meanwhile, Ospreys called vociferously overhead.

Ah yes, summer is here!

Unfortunately, I am going to end today’s entry on a down-note. In a move that is not only disheartening, but also inconceivable, unfathomable, and possibly – in my opinion – even criminal, a judge in Delaware struck down Delaware's two-year ban on harvesting horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, saying the crustaceans' population is healthy enough to allow a limited harvest. This is a major setback to efforts to save Horseshoe Crabs, but also the shorebirds – especially the rufa subspecies of Red Knot - that critically depend on their eggs for food. Read more about the issue from NJ Audubon and the American Bird Conservancy.

With Jeannette out of town – visiting our 2-week old nephew! - my birding time was limited each morning, so I stayed close to home, with Sasha alongside. With only a trickle of passerine migrants still moving through, now is the time to look around to see what’s breeding in the neighborhood.

On Tuesday, I spent a couple of hours birding the high-tension powerline cut that runs between Chadsey and Sweetser Rds in Pownal, and is bisected by Elmwood Rd. Wide powerline cuts provide good habitat for some rather uncommon – but in proper habitat, locally common – birds, such as Field Sparrows and Prairie Warblers. Depending on how often the cut is mowed, brushy habitats – which can be in short supply in this area, or at the very least are ephemeral (they soon mature out of brush and into woods in left alone) – can be of good enough size and quality to host a number of individuals of certain species. This wide (4 powerlines) cut, with a number of streams and wet areas, is one of the more productive stretches in my immediate area.

On Tuesday, I censured the cut. Here are the results.
16 Common Yellowthroats
14 Prairie Warblers (a suprisingly high count, which I was quite happy with)
10 Alder Flycatchers (quite dense, some may be migrants)
8 Nashville Warblers
6 White-throated Sparrows
4 Chestnut-sided Warblers
4 Field Sparrows
3 Eastern Kingbirds
3 Magnolia Warblers (2 were clearly territorial, I didn’t think they bred here.)
3 Eastern Towhees
2 Northern Flickers
2 Yellow Warblers
1 American Kestrel
1 Gray Catbird
lots of Song Sparrows, and this list doesn’t include birds seen or heard from the edge of the woods.

On Wednesday, I visited Hedgehog Mountain Park. I’ve had this feeling of late that the woods are quiet – very few birds are singing. It just doesn’t seem like many birds are around (and not just during our Birdathon last week!). However, more often than not, our memories always seem to exaggerate how many birds we were hearing “this time last year.” Therefore, anecdotal observations leading to comments like, “Boy, there are so few birds in the woods this year,” are not always based on fact or reality.

After two days of sleeping in (snagged an extra hour before Saturday morning’s birdwalk – which by the way, was highlighted by prolonged scope views of a singing male Indigo Bunting –to go with my laziness of Friday), I was revved up and ready to go early yesterday morning. I headed south for Kittery’s Fort Foster (where I have not been in over 2 months). My mission this morning was to find an Acadian Flycatcher.

Although reported every year or two in Maine, this drab Empid usually shows up in late spring/early summer as an “overshoot.” In other words: a migrant that traveled just a bit too far. However, this spring there have been more than usual reported in the northern limits of their range (they just make it into Massachusetts, and probably New Hampshire, as breeders). This included a whopping 6 banded on Appledore Island in just two days last week – and Appledore is within eyeshot (especially for an Acadian Flycatcher) of Fort Foster, so this seemed to be as good as a place as any to begin my search.

Fort Foster was fairly active this morning, with a few tardy migrants (American Redstarts and a single Magnolia Warbler, 75+ Cedar Waxwings, and a few shorebirds). I did turn up both Least (breeder) and Alder (likely migrants) Flycatchers, along with some Eastern Wood-Pewees (one of which I had to chase around for a bit to get a look at), but no Acadian Flys.

Moving on, the thicket at the end of Seapoint Beach held some migrants as well (another Magnolia Warbler, 1 American Redstart, and 3 Red-eyed Vireos). For the first time, I walked the Cutts Island Trail (in a portion of the Rachel Carson NWR) along Seapoint Road. An easy 1.8 mile loop passed through some nice moist woods in a strip sandwiched between saltmarsh. It even looked REALLY good for an Acadian Flycatcher, but it did produce one migrant: a Swainson’s Thrush.

Lots of people put down their binoculars after Memorial Day Weekend. “Migration is over” is declared, and the binoculars will gather dust until next May. For one thing, I have tried to share the joys of birding that each and every season offers.

Secondly, migration is NEVER over! In fact, as the last shorebirds are still moseying north at the end of June, the first few southbound shorebirds are on the move! Early June is also a great time of year for vagrants. (If I’m not completely run down and already ill from May exhaustion, I often come down with a case of “Rarity Fever” at this time of year!). Then, comes the excitement of the breeding season, when there’s lots of fascinating behaviors to study, breeding locations to confirm, and local rarities to discover.

While the vast majority of passerines have in fact arrived where they need to be - and have initiated breeding - the latest of migrants (a few warblers and flycatchers in particular) are still arriving at our latitude. As a perfect example of this, I enjoyed a very productive morning yesterday in Evergreen Cemetery. I tallied 13 species of warblers (only 8 or 9 of which breed in the park) including a singing Mourning Warbler (my first of the spring), 20+ American Redstarts and 15+ Blackpoll Warblers. I also had 6 species of flycatchers: a great total of 4 Yellow-bellied, plus one Alder, at least two Least, and a few Eastern Wood-Pewees, Great-crested Flycatchers, and Eastern Kingbirds. A Lincoln’s Sparrow – also a late migrant – put in an appearance, as did 8 male (adult and a few subadult) Wood Ducks.

Meanwhile, at Dragon Field, I saw a late Wilson’s Warbler, which along with a Northern Parula – which may breed there – gave me 15 species of warblers for the day; birding is far from over!