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.
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
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
