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Maine in Spring: Northeast Breeding Specialties 2018

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Maine in Spring: Northeast Breeding Specialties 2018 Field Guides Tour Report Maine in Spring: Northeast Breeding Specialties 2018 May 26, 2018 to Jun 3, 2018 Eric Hynes & Cory Gregory For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE. Black-throated Blue Warbler is a quintessential Northeast breeding specialty and this gorgeous male was so close we could almost reach out and touch him. Photo by guide Cory Gregory. Thank you very much for choosing Field Guides to experience the birdlife and so much more that Maine has to offer. I think is a very special place and hopefully you feel the same way after adventure together. Blackburnian Warbler was voted the favorite species at the end of our tour, while American Woodcock and Bicknell's Thrush received honors as well. The final tally is 183 bird taxa, which is a new record (by two) for this itinerary. We began in the southern, coastal area, where we found a number of songbird species at the northern edge of their breeding range. After checking various beaches, marshes and rocky shores, we tallied an impressive list of shorebirds as well. Sites particularly rich with birdlife that we visited included: Dyer Point, Goose Rocks, Biddeford Pool, Scarborough Marsh, Kennebunk Plains, Capisic Pond Park and Evergreen Cemetery. Some of the more noteworthy species we encountered were: Brant, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Piping Plover, Upland Sandpiper, Red Knot, Least Tern, Roseate Tern, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue-winged Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink, and Orchard Oriole. Our time in Bar Harbor was focused on Acadia National Park and a boat trip. It would have taken at least a week to see the majority of the park so we had to be selective. Sites within Acadia National Park where we enjoyed birding included: Sieur de Monts Spring, Valley Cove and Seawall. Our pelagic aboard the Friendship V visited Petit Manan Island, plus the outer waters areas known as East Bumps, The Ballpark and Mount Desert Rock. We did well in our short visit to Acadia, adding Barred Owl, Black Guillemot, Razorbill, Atlantic Puffin, Peregrine Falcon, Purple Sandpiper, and Arctic Tern, among others. The third region of Maine we focused on was the western mountains, based out of Rangeley. A memorable birding stop en route was Messalonskee Lake where we picked up Black Tern, Sandhill Crane, Pied-billed Grebe, and Purple Martin. The northern forests surrounding the Rangeley Lakes are chock-full of warblers, thrushes, vireos, corvids, flycatchers, and finches. New species came fast and furious. We delighted in watching Black-throated Blue Warblers, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Gray Jays, Northern Waterthrushes, Olive-sided Flycatchers, Cedar Waxwings, Boreal Chickadee, Yellow- bellied Sapsuckers, drumming Ruffed Grouse and the absolutely brilliant Blackburnian Warbler. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 1 A side trip into New Hampshire was necessary to gain access to some krummholz: the gnarled, twisted, stunted forests of predominately red spruce and balsam fir that cling to the slopes of the mountains in the northeast. This habitat is the only place where Bicknell's Thrush breed. Our trip up the Mount Washington Auto Road was an unmitigated success. Adding a displaying American Woodcock was the cherry on top. On our way back to Portland, we saw more Chalk-fronted Corporals than I knew existed, a Yellow-throated Vireo singing incessantly and an unexpected tree fall at Brownfield Bog. Making a beeline for the coast paid off that last afternoon together as we enjoyed superior looks at Roseate Terns at Pine Point before walking out Eastern Trail across Scarborough Marsh for Saltmarsh Sparrow, Tricolored Heron and a vagrant White-faced Ibis. One more walk out the Eastern Trail our last morning was definitely worthwhile. We found a cooperative Nelson's Sparrow (which had eluded us the afternoon before), a strange hybrid heron of some sort, a Greater Yellowlegs, and an elusive Virginia Rail. Thanks again for joining Cory and me. I hope this triplist sparks lots of fond memories. Have a fantastic summer and see you the field. Take care, Eric KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant BIRDS Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) BRANT (Branta bernicla) – A lingering small flock up against the jetty at Hills Beach was a welcomed surprise. CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) – A few pairs already had well­developed goslings. WOOD DUCK (Aix sponsa) – Only a couple fleeting glimpses. GADWALL (Mareca strepera) – A handsome drake stood alone in the marsh behind the Pelreco building in Scarborough Marsh. MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) – Those ducklings up in Rangeley were the cutest. AMERICAN BLACK DUCK (Anas rubripes) – Our best looks were from Eastern Trail. COMMON EIDER (DRESSER'S) (Somateria mollissima dresseri) – This is the default duck along Maine's rocky coast. SURF SCOTER (Melanitta perspicillata) – Cory picked out an individual among all those Black Scoters off Seawall. WHITE­WINGED SCOTER (NORTH AMERICAN) (Melanitta fusca deglandi) – Usually this is the most numerous scoter still on the coast during the tour, but not this year. BLACK SCOTER (Melanitta americana) – The gathering off Seawall in Acadia National Park was impressive. Their nearly simultaneous diving was memorable. COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula) – The lone drake still on the coast at Biddeford Pool was unexpected. HOODED MERGANSER (Lophodytes cucullatus) – The hen on the log up in Rangeley turned out to be the only one of the tour. COMMON MERGANSER (Mergus merganser) – This species is not known to be particularly vocal but on more than one occasion we witnessed a hen overhead giving a low, barking call. RED­BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator) – An individual flew by us at Seawall while we were picnicking. Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus) – We never laid eyes on one, but some of us could hear drumming on more than one occasion in the north woods. [*] WILD TURKEY (Meleagris gallopavo) – One of the first species to make the list our first evening as we drove to our dinner spot. Gaviidae (Loons) RED­THROATED LOON (Gavia stellata) – Good spotting Tom! We studied this species distinctive profile at Seawall. COMMON LOON (Gavia immer) – Hearing this splendid species calling at night is always magical. Podicipedidae (Grebes) PIED­BILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps) – Laura's sharp eyes alerted us to this sometimes reclusive species in the marsh at Messalonskee. Sulidae (Boobies and Gannets) NORTHERN GANNET (Morus bassanus) – Three different immature birds buzzed the boat during our pelagic trip. Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags) DOUBLE­CRESTED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax auritus) – More days than not. Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias) – Russ to the rescue! He spotted our first at Brownfield Bog on the penultimate day. We went on to find a few more at Scarborough Marsh but their numbers aren't what they used to be, so the state has started monitoring their breeding colonies. GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba) – Plenty of good looks at Scarborough Marsh. SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula) – Also easily seen in even larger numbers at Scarborough Marsh. TRICOLORED HERON (Egretta tricolor) – We saw one during our second afternoon visit to Scarborough Marsh and then two together during our return visit the next morning. Two is a noteworthy count for a species that is more common to the south. GREEN HERON (Butorides virescens) – We observed a patient "snipper" thrash and consume a frog still absorbing its tail. Field Guides Birding Tours • www.fieldguides.com • 800-728-4953 2 BLACK­CROWNED NIGHT­HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax) – Portugal. The Man kept us from my preferred parking spot but we managed to scope a couple roosting birds at Mercy Hospital anyway. Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills) GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus) – Seen regularly at Scarborough Marsh. WHITE­FACED IBIS (Plegadis chihi) – In the last decade, this western species has become almost annual in spring migration around Scarborough Marsh. We managed to tease one out of the flock off the Eastern Trail. Cathartidae (New World Vultures) TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura) – Overhead most days. Pandionidae (Osprey) OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus) – Lots of nesting birds in Maine now. It is great to see their recovery from DDT. Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) SHARP­SHINNED HAWK (Accipiter striatus) – One bird glided over the canopy while we were working on our first Black­throated Blue Warbler. BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) – One adult was particularly active each time we visited Scarborough Marsh. BROAD­WINGED HAWK (Buteo platypterus) – This long­distance migrant is a common breeder in Maine. We all scored our first from a Subway parking lot. RED­TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis) – More days than not. Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) VIRGINIA RAIL (Rallus limicola) – The only time this marsh breeder came into view was the last morning. Gruidae (Cranes) SANDHILL CRANE (Antigone canadensis) – It was exciting to see this rare breeder in Maine at Messalonskee; good spotting, Gary. Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings) BLACK­BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola) – Some of the late migrants we observed might not bother continuing all the way up to their arctic breeding grounds. SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus) – The more we scanned, the more we found at Goose Rocks. PIPING PLOVER (Charadrius melodus) – This state endangered bird allowed us some excellent views in Kennebunkport. KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus) – We scored a pair in the exact same location as last year's tour. Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies) UPLAND SANDPIPER (Bartramia longicauda) – Seeing and hearing this distinctive shorebird at Kennebunk Plains was a definite highlight. One individual sustained an aerial display way overhead for several minutes. RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) – The one bird roosting at Fortunes Rocks turned out to be the only one of the tour, surprisingly.
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