Sunday, July 5, 2009

Crown of Maine - June 18-22


Crown of Maine- Hampshire Bird Club Trip

On June 18Th, roughly 15 birders from the Hampshire Bird Club made the ten hour trek to Caribou, Maine for what would turn out to be a wonderful, although extremely soggy weekend in Aroostook County. We were greeted Early Friday morning (5am) by our exceptionally talented and enthusiastic leader-Bill Sheehan. Over the next three days, Bill led us through Aroostook N.W.R. ( old Loring A.F.B.), Lake Josephine in Easton area and to wilderness areas in the North Country. Despite the weather- we totaled over 118 species and we really were exposed too some really beautiful regions of Northern Maine. The list below may differ slightly from member to member, but it gives a pretty good idea of what we had. (Above photo-Bill Sheehan)





Moose!

Closer View

(Loring Airforce base-OLD) The old bunkers where Nuclear Warheads were stored.

Another Bunker

Wood Duck-female

Upland Sandpiper- Aroostook N.W.R. (Loring Base)


Upland sandpiper

Wetlands around Lake Josephine

Young Great Horned Owl- Nice spotting by David Peak-Jones!


Club Members- listening....


Val-Holding Jaw bone of a Moose .


Osprey


Common loon



Gray Jay- Juv & Adult


Gray Jay-Adult


Swainson's Thrush- Singing away



Western Tailed-Blue. Currently, only a handful of records for Maine.


American Bittern- The entire group watched this American bittern put on a roadside show like none of us has ever witnessed before. For over 25 minutes this bird preyed on Tadpoles, Dobsonfly larvae (nasty little things) and several adult Dragonflies!









Bay-breasted Warbler- Almost the last bird we had coming out of the North Woods.




Waterfowl-16 species.


Canada Goose

Wood Duck (5)

Gadwal (5)

Am.Wigeon (8)

Am. Black Duck (15)

Mallard (60+)

Blue-winged Teal (2)

Northern Shoveler (6)

Green-winged Teal (12+)

REDHEAD (1m)

Ring-necked Duck (20+)

Common Goldeneye (9)

Hooded Merganser (5)

Common Merganser (1)

Ruddy Duck (2)

Common Loons (8)

Pied-billed Grebe (1)

EARED GREBE (1-Sanford Sewer Plant-on way up to Caribou)

D.C.Cormorant (52+)

American Bittern (1- see photos)

Great Blue Heron (2)

Turkey Vulture

Osprey (4)

Bald Eagle (4)

Northern Harrier (3)

Broad-winged Hawk (2)

Red-tailed Hawk

Am.Kestrel (6)

Virginia Rail (2)

Common Moorhen (2)

Killdeer (4)

Spotted Sandpiper (8)

Upland Sandpiper (4)

Common Snipe (4)

Ring-billed Gull (57+)

Herring Gull (2)

Common Tern (35)

Rock Pigeon (10)

Mourning Dove

Great Horned Owl (2-1 young/1-adult)

Common Nighthawk (3)

Chimney Swift (4)

R.T. Hummingbird (3)

Belted Kingfisher (4)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (5+)

Hairy Woodpecker (4)

No.Flicker (8)

Olive-sided Flycatcher (1)

Eastern-Wood-Pewee (6)

Yellow-bellied flycatcher (5)

Alder Flycatcher (7)

Least Flycatcher (6)

Eastern Phoebe (2)

Great-crested Flycatcher (1)

Eastern Kingbird (5)

Blue-headed Vireo (12+)

Warbling Vireo (1)

Red-eyed Vireo (37+)

Gray Jay (7)

Blue Jay (14)

American Crow (30+)

Common Raven (8)

Tree Swallow (many)

Cliff Swallow (20)

Barn Swallow (12+)

Black-capped Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee (2)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (1)
White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown Creeper (4)

Winter Wren (10)

Marsh Wren (1)

Golden-Cr. Kinglet (5)

Ruby-cr.Kinglet ((10)

Eastern bluebird (1)

Veery (4)

Swainson's Thrush (11)

Hermit Thrush (5)

Am.Robin

Gray Catbird (4)

Northern Mockingbird (1)

E.Starling

Cedar Waxwing (30+)

Warblers

Nashville (29)

Northern Parula (15)

Yellow (22)

Chestnut-sided ((7)

Magnolia (16)

Cape May (2)

Yellow-rumped (12)

B.T.G. (4)

Palm (3)

Bay-breasted (1)

Black & White (3)

Am.Redstart (7)

Ovebird (17+)

Northern Waterthrush (8)

Mourning (3)

Common Yellowthroat (19)

Canada (1)

Chipping sparrow (11)

Savannah Sparrow (25+)

Fox Sparrow (4)

Song Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow (4)

Swamp Sparrow (10)

White-throated sparrow (25+)

D.E.Junco (10+)

Boblink (2)

R.W.Blackbird

Common Grackle (100+)

Brown-head Cowbird (2)

Baltimore Oriole (1)

Purple Finch (6)

Pine Siskin (3)

Am.Goldfinch (25)

Evening grosbeak (3)

House sparrow