A Morning at Essex Woods in Bangor, Maine

Solitary Sandpiper 9-12-15

 On September 12, 2015 I happened to be in the Bangor area and decided to check out the Essex Bog. I had seen other birder's reports and photos on eBird and the Maine Birds Facebook page but had not been able to get there myself before this, so it was with eager anticipation that I parked my car and headed down the trail. it was a bit of an overcast day, but not too chilly. I could see the bog before me, and beyond it I-95 rolled by with cars whizzing past. Like many urban areas, the birds had adapted to the constant noise and went about their business. 

Down the hill

 There weren't a lot of birds around, but I did count 18 species, most of them birds associated with water, plus a few woodland species like woodpeckers and nuthatches. You can just see the trail in the above picture. What you can't see is how steep this hill is! I had to be very careful not to slip as I walked down the damp slope. While the trail went left into the woods, I decided to go right because I saw a kingfisher on a branch out in the middle of the bog. I also knew I wanted to stay closer to the water to see what I could see and I could see the trail to the right looped around the end of the bog and I would be able to get closer to the open water on the other side.

The bog waters

Along the trail

 The trail did enter a bit of a woodland briefly around the southwest end of the bog. I found some cedar waxwings nearby here. 

Swamp Sparrow

Can you find the duck?

Solitary Sandpiper

 On the other side of the bog I was delighted to encounter this solitary sandpiper, my First of the Year! I was lucky to get it before it headed south for the winter! 

Solitary Sandpiper reflecting on Life!

Female Mallard

 Of course, there were the usual Mallards hanging about. Most of them were quite tame as if they have been fed before. But I also found some Green-winged and blue-winged teal, which was nice, but they were so far across the bog and in the weeds and stumps that I was not able to get a decent photo of them. They were a bit more shy and moved into cover when they spotted me.

Merlin

 A big surprise was this merlin that showed up. My, are they ever fast! It flew out of this tree and back a couple of times before taking off and disappearing for good. 

Great Egret far across the bog.

 When I spotted these Great Egrets across the bog eBird flagged them as rare. I guess they should have already migrated, but there were at least 4 of them still hanging around. They were so far across the bog and in such a hunched position that I almost thought they were Cattle Egrets when I first saw them, which would be an even rarer occurrence! You can see the yellow bills on them. Snowy egrets would have black bills. 

Mallard welcoming committee

Showing a little wing!

 I had a great time at the Essex Woods bog and would definitely go back again. I can see why it has been named an eBird Hotspot!

Links:

• Essex Woods eBird Hotspot  (If you click this link you can see a complete list of species seen at this location.)
• My eBird checklist for Essex Woods on 9-12-15

Skolfield Shores

 Skolfield Shores 9-14-2015

September 14, 2015: Ever since moving to Harpswell I have made it my mission to take advantage of the time I have here and explore the area. One of the places I was able to hike and bird at before hunting season started was Skolfield Shores. It is a nature preserve off Route 123 in Harpswell. I had driven by the parking lot several times, but finally pulled in and parked on September 14th. There is a lot more to the preserve but I only took the short hike to the shore to see what I could see. I knew that shorebirds were migrating back then and was hoping I would see some. The trail led me through a yard and past houses and down through some trees, before opening up into a meadow and emerging at the shore.

From there I had a marvelous view of the Middle Bay.

And I did find a greater yellowlegs searching for prey on the shore!

It was low tide, so I was able to walk out on this little path to those rocks.

This is the view looking north up Middle Bay.

Somewhere on that side is Barnes Landing!

Just before I left, a Great Blue Heron flew in to fish the shoreline.

Then it was time to turn back and climb the stairs into the woods and across the meadow on my return trip. I have not been back since. During hunting season I was afraid to go into the woods for fear of getting shot, but now that hunting season is over I hope to go exploring again. I did not think I would have this opportunity, but we are having such mild weather that I may still be able to do it! We have not had any snow yet here in Harpswell, so I feel I am being given a gift. I just have to get used to going out birding in the middle of the day since it gets dark by 4:30 PM!

• Skolfield Shores is an eBird Hotspot
• My Skolfield Shores eBird Checklist for 9-14-2015
• Harpswell Heritage Land Trust—Skolfield Shores Preserve

A Day of Birds at Reid State Park

 Common Eider hens and ducklings 7-22-2015

I like to go to Reid State Park in Georgetown, Maine to bird. I never know what I will find, but it is always beautiful and always surprising! On this fine summer day in July I got my closest look ever at eider ducklings.

These were on the rocks at Half-mile Beach.

 

Ring-billed Gull walking on the sand.

 

There is a sandpiper hiding at the edge of this grassy hummock.

 

Do you know what it is?

 

Sunset at Reid State Park 7-22-15

I was looking for sanderlings but didn’t find any. Still, It was a fun afternoon of birding with 25 species counted and I am glad I went. I am still learning my shorebirds and I find it quite a challenge!

Links:

• Reid State Park is an eBird Hotspot
• My eBird checklist for Reid State Park 7-22-2015

Yellowlegs in Harpswell

 Greater and lesser Yellowlegs in Harpswell, Maine 7-17-15

I found these Yellowlegs in a cove across the street from Estes Lobster House on Harpswell Neck back in July. Too bad I could not find them again on World Shorebird’s Day! The Greater Yellowlegs is in the back while the Lesser is in the front. They have all migrated away now and I am just waiting for the winter ducks to arrive!

 Greater Yellowlegs 7-17-15

 

 

If Wishes Were Horses

There is an old nursery rhyme that says:

“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,

If turnips were watches I’d wear one by my side.”

~Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

Well, if wishes were jaegers the bird below would be one. But it is not. It is an immature Laughing Gull. I wanted it to be one, but wanting does not make it so. I use to tell Chris Rohrer this all the time when he and I first started birding together. I really do want to be accurate in my bird identifications. I realize this is and always will be a learning process. Once again I have had to correct my records after too hastily jumping on the hope that this bird was a jaeger. I received much help from the Facebook Group, Maine Birds, especially from a young man named Kyle Lima and Dough Hitchcock, the Regional eBird Reviewer and head of Maine Audubon, who pointed out that this bird’s bill and neck were too long and narrow for a jaeger. I also learned that Laughing Gulls do have a darker breast with a white belly and a dark terminal band on the tail. But with this mystery solved, I still have another one on my hands…

 Immature Laughing Gull 9-6-2014 at Wharton’s Point

I am still trying to figure out these sandpipers. I realize these photos are  not the best, so I have posted the originals, and then a duplicate that is lightened and cropped to see if that helps anyone help me. I went back to the eBird checklist for this location on this day and looked at all the possibilities. I’ve narrowed it down to these choices:

• White-rumped sandpiper
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Red Knot
• Stilt Sandpiper

I have eliminated Stilt Sandpiper as an option because the neck and legs are not long enough, the head is not small enough. That leaves me with White-rumped, Baird’s and Red Knot. Baird’s is more rare than the other two, so I am not even considering it at the moment, but would listen to any arguments as to why it could be that species. Both the White-rumped and the Red Knot have a white eyebrow. White-rumped has wing tips that extend beyond the tail, but it looks like red knots do the same, though it does not say that in the bird guides. Red knots have dark tips to their wingtips, but in some images, so do White-rumps. White rumps have a more scaly appearance, and so do these birds, but Red Knots are larger and these birds look large to me, especially when compared to the yellowlegs in the last photo. As you can see, this is what one has to go through when learning a new species and trying to identify a bird. I have pulled out several bird guides and still have not come to a conclusion and I am reluctant to add a species to my eBird list until I am sure. These photos were all posted in the previous post. I am going to share this around the internet again and see if I can get some definitive answers on these sandpipers!

So scroll on down to see what you can see. Any help would be greatly appreciated, but please tell me why you think it is that species!

(We have an answer! See update posted below!)

Disclaimer: I know these photos are bad, but they are all I have!

 

Same photo as above but cropped even more and lightened.

 

 

 

 

 

I am not sure this is one of the above sandpipers, but I think it is. It has the same time stamp. I included it to show the bird’s posture and the shape of its bill, which seems to droop slightly at the tip. It also shows the overall scaly appearance to the feathers on the back.

 

After seeing this photo of a Red knot on the world Shorebird’s Day post I am thinking these are Not Red Knots! What say you? Follow the link to see what I mean and vote if you want to:

• Vote for next year’s Shorebird of the Year

Mystery Sandpipers and yellowlegs 9-6-2014 at Wharton Point

***Update 11:35 AM: After posting to The Facebook Bird ID Group of the World  and Maine Birds the Conclusion is these are Semi-palmated Sandpipers!

A great Big THANK YOU to everyone who helped with this ID!

World Shorebird’s Day Challenges me with some Mystery Birds

 Yellowlegs in Flight at Wharton Point 9-6-14

I’ll make no bones about it. I am still learning my shorebirds, so when I went out to count birds on World Shorebirds Day at Wharton’s Point in Brunswick, Maine, wouldn’t you know I would encounter some bird species I could not identify. This is, of course, an excellent opportunity to learn, but I think I need some help with some of these. I could tell they were different, but have yet to figure out who they are! However, I do know Black-bellied Plovers and Double-crested Cormorants when I see them!

Black-bellied Plovers with Double-crested Cormorants in the bay.

 

Double-crested Cormorants in Maquoit Bay 9-6-14

These Snowy Egrets below were pretty easy to figure out!

In spite of the tall grasses, their white feathers are a beacon against the green and gold!

But then I spotted this fellow bobbing in the waves!

Mystery Bird #1

Notice the way is rides in the water. It is different than a gull.

This is it in comparison to some gulls. The mystery bird is on the right.

Suddenly the bird took flight and I snapped some shots.

Notice the gray to brownish breast, the white belly, the dark legs, and the gray to brown terminal band on the tail. I cannot find a picture like this in my bird guide, except maybe a jaeger? Perhaps a shearwater? But I could not find one colored like this.

Here’s another shot as it banked and turned.

 

This is hugely cropped, but this is the best view from below.

Any ideas anyone?

Update: I now believe this is a Parasitic Jaeger and have added it to my eBird checklist for this day! (see correction below)

11-19-14 **Double Update: This is an immature Laughing gull!  

I have now deleted Jaeger from my eBird checklist and added Laughing Gull. Thank you Doug Hitchcock and Kyle Lima for your help!

This Greater Yellowlegs is much easier to identify!

 

I love to watch them feeding in the water by sweeping their heads back and forth!

You can see that those long legs are very useful!

 

Front view of the Greater yellowlegs in the surf.

But then there were these two to baffle me again.

They are about the size of a Black-bellied plover, but the bill isn’t right.

 

 

 

Any ideas anyone with more shorebird experience than me?

In the shot below you can see their size in relation to the yellowlegs.

Once I get this figured out I will post the answers here.

World Shorebird’s Day sure was fun as well as a challenge!

Now that winter is almost here, all these shorebirds are long gone.

But the good news is, we have our winter birds returning!

• World Shorebird’s Day web page
• World Shorebird’s Day Summary Report 1
• World Shorebird’s Day Summary Report 2
• World Shorebird’s Day Facebook page
• My eBird checklist for Wharton’s Point on 9-6-2014