Alna, Maine 7/29

This past weekend I visited my friend Thom and his girlfriend Sue in Mid-coast Maine, just inland from Wisscasset. From 1986 to 2001 Thom was "THE man" hawkwatching from Mount Watatic in Ashburnham, Ma., tallying some impressive flights with the likes of Paul Pinault, Petti Staub and a host of others. He has found a few nice spots in mid-coast maine ...Cleary Hill (Spelling?) and Blinn Hill near Alna. But, his best flights have come from his back yard, in mid -september of 2002 he counted over 4,700 Broad-wing Hawks (single day count)from his yard and and has other counts of over 1,000 BW's in his person log.
Thom watching a distant Bald Eagle from his field

Most of the day Sunday, while sipping iced coke and the occasional Shipyard Ale, we sat at his picnic table recalibrating our eyes for the upcoming hawkwatch season. Raptors aren't yet migrating , but there is a good variety of raptors in the area....and we saw some. Thom noticed his "have-a-heart trap" had the doors down, a tenant! On the walk to the cage the subject of skunks came up, "wouldn't that stink!", and some one was listening! "Hey Thom, that woodchuck is black and white!" Fortunately, it was a youngster, and it was carefully (and safely) released with the help of a long handled garden tool.

Caged skunk, digi-binned from a safe distance
Thom carefully releasing the skunk

one of 5 Bluebirds, including some fledglings that entertained us.

One of two adult Wild Turkeys, when they cross the mowed path we counted 20 polts following.

The yard list for the day:
Wild Turkey...22
Great Blue Heron...1
Turkey Vulture...3
Osprey...2
Bald Eagle...2 adutls
Sharp-shinned Hawk...1
Cooper's Hawk...2
Broad-winged Hawk...2
Red-tailed Hawk...1
American Kestrel...1
Laughing Gull...4 nice surprise, this location is inland but they probably follow the Sheepscot River inland.
Herring Gull...100
Rock Pigeon...8
Mourning Dove...4
Chimney Swift...4
Ruby-throated Hummingbird...2 one chasing crows
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker...2
Downy Woodpecker...1
Hairy Woodpecker...2
Northern Flicker...2
Alder Flycatcher...1
Eastern Phoebe...3
Blue Jay...10
American Crow...10
Common Raven...3
Tree Swallow...5
Cliff Swallow...1
Barn Swallow...12
Black-capped Chickadee...4
Tufted Titmouse...1
Red-breasted Nuthatch...1
White-breasted Nuthatch...1
Brown Creeper...1
Eastern Bluebird...4
Veery...1
Hermit Thrush...2
American Robin...5
Gray Catbird...2
European Starling...5
Cedar Waxwing...10
Yellow-rumped Warbler...1
Pine Warbler...1
Common Yellowthroat...3
Chipping Sparrow...1
Song Sparrow...3
Bobolink...30
Red-winged Blackbird...3
Common Grackle...4
Brown-headed Cowbird...1 fledgling tended by an Eastern Phoebe
American Goldfinch...10
Evening Grosbeak...4 all female types
House Sparrow...2

Pleasant Mountain 7/26 (Denmark, Me.)

During the morning of 7/26 I hiked (4.6 mile round trip at a leisurely pace with time to enjoy the views) the South West trail up Pleasant Mountain. I read this is highest point in the Sebago/Long Lake area at about 2009 feet. This trail is supposed to one of the least traveled, up this popular hiking destination, and the only people (7) I saw were near the summit.

Red-eyed Vireos were quite vocal while the Ovenbirds are now silent, I saw a only one during the hike but heard none. It was a hot morning, and late in the breeding season so bird song was no where near peak, but Hermit Thrushes, Scarlet Tanagers were still going strong with the R.E. Vireos.

Wildflowers were nice.
Harebell
I don't know what these little flowers are (comments welcome)
Out of focus Eastern Towhee (Juvenile)

I had chosen this trail because the guide had said there were nice views nearly all the way up to the fire tower atop the the summit. A assortment of lakes, ponds, wetlands and the distant White Mtns of New Hampshire make for good scenery even with the day's triple H weather.

Black Swamp with Pleasant Pond (back), the marsh around the center pond is about 3/4 mile across.

Through my binoculars I could make out loons on Beaver Pond (below), there was smaller ripples coming from near the adults, which I assumed were young.
Beaver Pond

One of the highlights, was a brief sighting of a black bear, in a small area of low bush blueberry, I heard a heavy animal moving then saw its head as it ambled off. I clapped my hands and made a little noise to be certain it moved on.....as I had to pass where it was (was being the key word). But, generally bears are quite skittish, in my limited experience.

The bird life was basically a very similar to what is found in north central Massachusetts, while further south is at a very similar elevation, here is the list:

Ruffed Grouse...2 flushed along the trail
Common Loon...2 also appeared to young with them
Mourning Dove...1
Northern Flicker...1
Pileated Woodpecker...1
Eastern Wood-Pewee...1
Red-eyed Vireo...8
Blue Jay...3
American Crow...2
Tree Swallow...1
Barn Swallow...1
Black-capped Chickadee...5
Red-breasted Nuthatch...3
White-breasted Nuthatch...2
Winter Wren...2
Hermit Thrush...8
Cedar Waxwing...6
Nashville Warbler...1
Yellow-rumped Warbler..3
Black-throated Green Warbler...1
Pine Warbler...1
Black-and-white Warbler...1
Ovenbird...1
Scarlet Tanager...5
Eastern Towhee...2
Dark-eyed Junco...6
House Finch...2 biggest surprise given the habitat
American Goldfinch....1

Long Lake, Harrison Maine

I spent most of last week on Long Lake, Maine doing a little kayaking, canoeing, sailing, reading, loafing, hiking and some casual birding. There are Common Loons on this lake and I can usually keep tabs on a pair near Cape Monday. In the previous 5 years I've been to this area either the adults did not have any young or they'd been "lost" during the time I was there (usually a week). There is a good deal of power boat traffic..of course the few boaters I've spoken with usually lay the blame on snapping turtles.
The good news this year is the young seemed to have grown to a decent size and both where still doing well when I left on 7/28. The parents seem to be doing a good job keeping the family out of harms way, though a few times both youngsters were off on their own, a few hundred meters from the adutls, but just for a few minutes.

While sailing on the main lake during the week, I saw another pair with two chicks. These 2 chicks appeared to about a 1/3 larger than the birds photographed below, making life on the "big water" a bit easier.

Common Loons with young on Long Lake (Cape Monday area).

While sailing on 7/23 I had a nice surprise seeing an adult Bonepart's Gull flying south on the main lake. I have seen Bonepart's here once before.

The "Scorpion" headed west under the direction of captain MOM, maybe I'll still be sailing at 77.

The rocks (below) are a good place to find loafing Ring-billed and the occasional Great-Black-backed Gulls, Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Heron and Spotted Sandpipers. The hill on the very right hand side of the picture is Hawk Mountain, No not that hawk Mountain, which has a dramatic view looking south from the cliffs.

Sunset lookig north toward Harrison, Maine

Other birds seen and or heard from the lake area during the week:

Canada Goose, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue heron, American Bittern, Flicker, Ring-billed, Grt-blackbacked and Bonepart's Gulls, Barred Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Eastern Wood Pee-wee, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Titmouse, White and Red Breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creeper, Robin, Hermit Thrush, Catbird, Black and White Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow Rumped Warbler, BT Blue and Green Warblers, Cedar Waxwing, Red-eyed and Blue headed Vireos, Song and Chipping Sparrows, Purple Finch, Goldfinch. Soaring Turkey Vultures and Broad-winged Hawk. While I missed Bald Eagle, my folks had one perch (for 3 hours) in large pine in the back yard of the camp the day before I arrived.

Gardner (Fitchburg 1 block) 7/14

Late this morning I walked a field near the Mount Wachusett Community College campus pond, off Green Street, looking for a Green Heron nest. I have seen one or 2 Green herons here several times this year as well as past years. While I did see a Green Heron, I could not locate their nest, it could very well be hidden or in an other nearby wetland.

I managed to see and hear a Savanah Sparrow singing from the adjacent field, a bird I had yet to pickup in this block. This species had been present during past breeding seasons but managed to go undetected this year.

Common Yellowthroat, which had 2 fledglings near by.

The were several Boblinks in the field, both males and females, the male's breeding plumage is now beginning to fade. European Starlings were flocked up in a group of 200-300 birds, mixed juveniles and adults, a few Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds were feeding young . Upwards of 5,000 to 10,000 blackbirds roost each night in the phragmities near the campus pond.

A presumed Willow Flycatcher, which did not sing today, but I have heard only Willows from this location this year.

A Common Loon was present on Crystal lake, but I did not see either of the Loons on Lake Wompanoag. A few days ago I saw two adults on Wompanaog but not the chick that was present on 6/27, prehaps this youngster did not survive. I will continue to check the lake from time to time on the outside chance these two adults were not the parents. A few years back, there documentation that a Loon pair on Wachusett Reservoir, just south of here, renested after loosing a very young chick.

Also of note, was a Barred Owl calling, from deep in the woods, about 11AM on this bright sunny day.

Eight Random Facts.... I have been tagged by Larry of The Brownstone Birding Blog to participate in providing Eight random facts about myself:

1.) As a kid I often played in swamps most of time catching frogs, snakes and turtles. I recall catching lots of spotted turtles, along with painted and the occasional snapper.

2.) During the summer of 1983 I worked in a fish processing plant in Kasilof, AK (at Ed's Kasilof Seafood)....and once ate a raw King Salmon heart while working the "production line".

3.) Once sailed a sunfish (sail boat) in low grade hurricane, on Long Lake in Bridgeton, Maine...had the place to myself.

4.)At UMASS (Amherst) , early 1980's, I chose the Ichthyology class over Donald Kroodsma's Ornithology class.....never thought I'd be a birder at the time!

5.) As track "guy" in high school and college, I threw the Shot Put, Discus, Hammer as well as the decathlon. I was the only kid in the neighborhood to break a house window with a discus.

6.) 1986 a friend (Glen Capone) and I won the 70 mile General Clinton men's amateur canoe race, from Cooperstown to Bainbridge, NY. The river was in flood stage and our time was 7:20:30, the winning pro team (the legendary Serge Corbin and his partner) of Quebec! was under 7 hours .

7.) I had fun coaching my son's little league and youth soccer teams Gardner, Ma. at various times. The win/loss records were nothing to "crow about", but every one played...I was too much of a "softy".

8.) Last Sunday my girlfriend and I watched Polo in Hamilton, Ma. ..... Every time I go to one of these games I recall the old Miller Lite commercial with Dick Butkas and Bubba Smith talking about Polo, with broken polo mallet in hand! "How do those pony's swim!".

Pancho Eddy (sp?) moves the ball up field....Pancho was the ringer! His team won 14-11...Pancho knocked in 13.

Birds seen and heard inbetween the action, eating and wine.

• Great Egret
• Glossy Ibis
• Canada Goose
• Mute Swan
• Barn Swallow
• Tree Swallow
• Carolina Wren
• Downy Woodpecker
• Killdeer
• B.C. Chickadee
• Tufted Titmosue
• White-Br Nuthatch
• B.H. Cowbird
• R.W. Blackbird
• C. Grackle
• A. Goldfinch
• Mallard
• A. Robin
• G. Catbird

Yard Birds

Some of the nesting birds in and near by my 1/2 acer yard, within the city limits of Gardner, have been American Crow, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Chipping Sparrow, House Sparrow and House Wren. I'll have coffee on the patio and sometimes count the number of visits the House Wren makes in a short period of time (15-20 minutes).

House Wren and....house.

Below is a list of dates, duration, # of feeding visits and a visit per hour rate:

7/3......11:00 AM........20 Minutes...........13 ............ 39VPH
7/3......12:00 PM........15 Minutes.............7..............28VPH
7/4.......9:00 AM.........20 Minutes.........14..............42 VPH
7/4......12:30 PM.........20 Minutes........16...............48 VPH
7/6.......7:00 AM.........15 Mintues.........17...............68 VPH (removed 4 fecal removed)
7/7.......5:00 PM.........20 Minutes..........7................21 VPH (2 Fecal sacs removed)

Just the presence of a house cat will cause a major disruption, taking valuable time and missed feeding visits. Yet another reason to keep the cat inside.

House Wren removing fecal sac from nest
Off to find more food

Some food items have been centi or millipedes, Cabbage White (Butter fly), skipper type butterfly and various insect larvae.

Fitchburg 2 and 5 blocks "complete"

I wanted to complete the preliminary 20 hour requirement for each of my 4 BBA blocks by July 4, yesterday morning I wrapped up the Fitch "5" block and today the "2" block.

Only 45 minutes were left in Fitch 5 so yesterday I tried to "fish out" a Sora from Trophet Swamp in Westminster, no Soras answered but a 1/2 dozen Virgina Rails were vocal.

There were a few Eastern Kingbird nests and a I managed a 1/2 decent "digi-bin" photo of the closer nest, while balancing atop the guard rail along Rte 2A (to get a better angle). I'm getting a bit better at the art of digi-binning, holding the binocular in my left hand while the camera in my right is held to the "eye piece" of the one of the binocular "tubes". The auto focus doesn't work through the binocular so I focus the binocular manually.....the goal is an identifiable picture....not artwork. The process would make a good field sobriety test

One of 2 Eastern Kingbird nests seen at Trophet Swamp

Today, 7/3 , I finished off the Fitch 2 block birding a few places I had never visited before. I bushwacked (there is no other access) into Murdock Pond, a secluded former mill pond. I had seen this pond on the topo maps and had intended to visit it.....for 15 years ( I live a mile from it!). Nothing surprising to report, but it was worth the visit and I did see a fledgling Ovenbird, Hermit Thrushes, Black-throated Green Warblers and a few Gray Catbirds near the pond's edge.

Murdock Pond

I walked the back side of Wright's Reservior where I was able to add Red-breasted Nuthatch, RT Hummingbird to the possible catagory in this block. I found a Ruffed Grouse with young, the adult was squealing nearby, the young appeared to be about 1/3 grown. I've had decent luck finding grouse this season, confirmed in 2 blocks and probable in another. From the dam of the reservior I saw Baltimore Oriole feeding a fledgling, the hummingbird and a very cooperative Scarlet Tannager (below).

Scarlet "T" should need no intro

Brown-heaed Cowbirds don't appear on any one's list of "well liked birds", except the first one on a "big day" and Christmas Counts in north Worcester County! The fledgling (below) was just about to be fed by a male Common Yellowthroat, a 2 for 1 confirmation!.

Fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird

A brief summary of these two blocks:

............................................Fitch 2 ...........Fitch 5

Observed only ...........................2 .....................1

Possible breeder .....................16 ...................24

Probable breeder................... 28 ....................31

Confirmed ...............................33 ....................28

Still more work to be done to upgrade non-confirmed species and add species that were completely missed during the first 20 hours.

Ashburnham 3 7/01/07

This morning I was able to complete the preliminary 20hrs of coverage of for the Ashburnham 5 block. I started at a power line cut off RTE 12 where a family group of Ravens was still near their nest site. They circled at close range squawking, croaking, and making gargling noises. The young birds are still a bit clumsy with their landing and hopping from place to place atop the power line towers and abandoned building

A Common Loon flew past close enough to see it had no leg bands. Many nesting loons in Massachusetts have been banded with color and metal bands in the past several years.

Typical power line cut types of birds were present Prairie Warbler, Field Sparrows, Indigo Buntings and Eastern Towhees. This also looked like good habitat for Brown Thrasher and Dark-eyed Junco but couldn't find either. It seems to me 10-15 years ago similar types of scrubby habitat with smallish conifers would a have few pairs of Juncos.

Early morning mist rising from a wetland

I tried a brief stop at the old Ashburnham landfill, which is now capped and a small grassland, and could not find any grassland sparrows or Bobolinks. I was greeted by Wild Turkey (below)with a few young, she presented a distraction display then circled around and looked as if she might "charge".

Hen Turkey with polts nearby


My last stop in this block was near a small horse farm and sandpit. There was a few Bank Swallow nests and a Kingfisher nest at the sandpit, the female kingfisher was perched atop a snag with a fish to be delivered to the young. My last 2 species added to this block were House Finch and Rock Pigeon at the horse farm, the only location in this block were I found "exotics" (which also included House Sparrow and Starlings).

"killer" Crayfish invade Ashburnham !

Actually, the above crayfish was pretty big, about 5 inches long, when I set my point and shoot camera on the ground, to use the macro setting, the crustacean was ready for battle!

The preliminary data collected in the first 20 hours will be a good foundation to add to over the next years of the project. Detail of data collected, over 20 hrs on 5 dates, and Breeding Codes are below:

Canada Goose...PO(X)
Wood Duck...PO(X)
American Black Duck...PO(X)
Mallard...PO(X)
Hooded Merganser...PO(X)
Ruffed Grouse...PR(S)
Wild Turkey...CO(PY)
Common Loon...OB(O)
American Bittern...PO(X)
Great Blue Heron...PO(X)
Great Egret...OB(O)
Green Heron...PO(X)
Turkey Vulture...PO(X)
Sharp-shinned Hawk...PO(X)
Northern Goshawk...PO(X)
Broad-winged Hawk...PO(X)
Virginia Rail...PO(X)
Killdeer...CO(PY)
American Woodcock...CO(PY)
Rock Pigeon...PO(X)
Mourning Dove...PR(S)
Barred Owl...PO(X)
Chimney Swift...PO(X)
Belted Kingfisher...CO(CF)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker...PO(X)
Downy Woodpecker...PR(S)
Hairy Woodpecker...PR(S)
Northern Flicker...CO(FS)
Pileated Woodpecker...PR(S)
Eastern Wood-Pewee...PO(X)
Alder Flycatcher...PO(X)
Eastern Phoebe...CO(FL)
Great Crested Flycatcher...PO(X)
Eastern Kingbird...PR(P)
Blue-headed Vireo...PR(S)
Red-eyed Vireo...PR(S)
Blue Jay...PR(S)
American Crow...CO(FL)
Common Raven...CO(NY)
Tree Swallow...CO(FL)
Northern Rough-winged Swallow...CO(FY)
Bank Swallow...CO(CF)
Barn Swallow...PR(N)
Black-capped Chickadee...CO(CF)
Tufted Titmouse...PR(S)
Red-breasted Nuthatch...PR(S)
White-breasted Nuthatch...PR(S)
Brown Creeper...CO(CF)
House Wren...PR(S)
Winter Wren...PR(S)
Eastern Bluebird...PO(X)
Veery...PR(S)
Hermit Thrush...PR(S)
Wood Thrush...PR(S)
American Robin...PR(P)
Gray Catbird...CO(CF)
European Starling...CO(FL)
Cedar Waxwing...PR(P)
Nashville Warbler...PR(S)
Yellow Warbler...CO(DD)
Chestnut-sided Warbler...PR(S)
Magnolia Warbler...PO(X)
Black-throated Blue Warbler...PR(S)
Yellow-rumped Warbler...PR(S)
Black-throated Green Warbler...PR(S)
Blackburnian Warbler...PR(S)
Pine Warbler...PR(S)
Prairie Warbler...PR(S)
Black-and-white Warbler...CO(CF)
American Redstart...PO(X)
Ovenbird...PR(S)
Northern Waterthrush...PR(S)
Common Yellowthroat...CO(CF)
Canada Warbler...PR(P)
Scarlet Tanager...PR(S)
Eastern Towhee...PR(P)
Chipping Sparrow...CO(FL)
Field Sparrow...CO(FL)
Song Sparrow...CO(FL)
Swamp Sparrow...CO(CF)
White-throated Sparrow...CO(CF)
Northern Cardinal...PR(S)
Indigo Bunting...PR(S)
Red-winged Blackbird...CO(FL)
Common Grackle...CO(CF)
Brown-headed Cowbird...PO(X)
Baltimore Oriole...PR(S)
Purple Finch...PR(S)
House Finch...PO(X)
American Goldfinch....PR(P)
House Sparrow...CO(FL)