Great Egret continuing at Collins Pond, Caribou

Great Egrets are a rarity in northern Maine. They appear occasionally in spring and fall, and being big and snowy white they certainly aren't hard to detect once they arrive. I know of at least 7 records involving 9 individuals in the county in the past ten years.

Most recently a Great Egret has been regularly seen wading and feeding in shallow wetland edge of Collins Pond in Caribou. I first found the big wader here on Sept 7 and the bird continues to be seen daily through today, the 20th.

Paul Cyr got these great shots of the egret last week on the 14th and I've been meaning to share them.

The Great Egret can be separated from other large white wading bird by the combination of its large size, yellow bill and black legs and feet. All these are seen well in this great shot of the flying bird!

Another Great Egret was reported in Fort Fairfield about the same time this one arrived early in September. No further reports have been received about this bird.

Northern Maine Birds 15-30 August 2008

The second two weeks of August here in northern Maine were substantially drier than the early weeks of the month. Only a little more than half an inch of rain fell and the precipitation was scattered over several days...just enough to keep the dust down. Temperatures have been balmy but ran a bit cooler than normal for the period. Though frosts are a distinct possibility in Aroostook in August, it looks like there'll be none this year.

Red Maples have colored up where new beaver flowages were created this summer and some yellow is already showing here and there on the landscape in drier spots.

Land and shorebird migration continues steadily with little in the way of weather to back things up. The chips and calls of birds passing southward can be heard overhead on almost any clear calm night now. Mixed flocks of migrating warblers are a daily treat now as they work their way along edges and hedgerows. Flying ant swarms have attracted some interesting mixed flocks of aerial feeding birds in central Aroostook.

There are still a few late breeders feeding youngsters.

As usual, there is a great waterfowl show at Lake Josephine in Easton. 700+ ducks and geese are being seen here. Best birds here are 3 newly-arrived Buffleheads and a juvenile Surf Scoter that has replaced the lone Common Eider seen here last month. A dozen Ruddy Ducks, 31 Gadwall (mostly young of the year), 9 young Northern Shovelers and 130 Ring-necked Ducks were other noteworthy finds here on Saturday the 30th.

Over at Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield the Ring-necked horde numbers about 600 birds. A few American Wigeon were feeding on the north shore this week but the large flocks seen in early August have thinned out.

Green and Blue-winged Teal numbers seem to be increasing in the area. Flocks of Blue-winged Teal were seen at Collins Pond in Caribou, Trafton Lake in Limestone and at Christina and Josephine. The Canada Geese have completed their molt and are back in the air and moving from favored roosting sites to harvested grain fields in the area. Mallard and American Black Duck flocks are also taking advantage of the stubble fields.

Big groups of mergansers have been noted on the Aroostook River. On the 30th, 47 Common Mergansers were feeding in formation on the McRae flat section of the Aroostook River near the Canadian border. Just upstream, in Fort Fairfield, 19 Hooded Mergansers were loafing on an exposed gravel bar near the Route 1A bridge.

For the first time in several years, a Common Loon chick has be seen with the pair on Madawaska Lake in T16R4. Pied-billed Grebe numbers are still high at Christina Reservoir. Twenty were tallied without much effort on the 30th. Double-crested Cormorants are roosting in numbers on the powerlines over the Aroostook River in Caribou and Fort Fairfield.

Usually an uncommon wader in northern Maine, another Great Egret was discovered in the county on the 11th. Christine Mockler found the egret on shores of Churchill Lake on the Allagash River near the Jaws campsite and sent along this documentation photo. Great Blue Heron and American Bitterns are being seen regularly in shallow wetlands. Two juvenile bitterns were feeding on exposed mudbars in Collins Pond in Caribou and others were seen in Mars Hill, Presque Isle, Washburn and Easton this week. The young American Bittern skulking in the morning sun in the photo at the top of this post was accompanied by a Great Blue Heron when Paul Cyr took its picture.



Seven species of raptors were spotted by birders in the area during the past week. Northern Harriers were quite numerous with reports from Ashland (26th), Bridgewater (24th), Caribou (24th and 29th), Easton (30th), Fort Fairfield (18th), Limestone (27th) and Washburn (23rd). Some orange-plumaged juveniles are being seen. Broad-winged Hawks were seen over the Woodland Bog in Woodland on the 16th and 17th. Merlins were found in Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield on the 30th. Paul Cyr shares this fine portrait of the young Merlin he photographed in Presque Isle. American Kestrel numbers have dropped from peaks in early August but the little hawks still remain quite common in open areas. Other species seen were Bald Eagles, Ospreys and Red-tailed Hawks. Ken Lamb photographed this juvenile Bald Eagle on the 22nd.

Dropping water levels and exposed shoreline brought some increasing reports of shorebirds in the area. 3 Semipalmated Plovers were uncommon visitors spotted at Collins Pond late this week. They joined 4 Solitary Sandpipers, 6 Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Least Sandpipers and a Greater Yellowlegs. Least Sandpipers were well represented across central Aroostook County with other groups seen at Trafton Lake in Limestone, the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfield, Lake Josephine and a farm pond in Woodland. A Wilson's Snipe was seen probing a wet lawn in Limestone on the 27th.

Gull numbers also continue to build and large mixed flocks of Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls were seen in Presque Isle, Madawaska Lake and around Long Lake near St. Agatha. A group of a dozen Ring-billed Gulls were flycatching winged ant swarms over the fairground and the east end of the airport runway in Presque Isle on the evening of the 26th. Joining the gulls in the feeding flight were European Starlings and 30 or so Cedar Waxwings. A rare juvenile Bonaparte's Gull was feeding alone at Lake Josephine on the 30th

A Great Horned Owl was also observed on the 30th in Woodland. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds continue to be seen across the county but numbers have thinned out. A male was still being seen in Mt Chase in northern Penobscot county. Patty Jennings sent up this great shot of a young hummer that apparently has yet to learn that sunflowers don't have much to offer a nectar-loving bird...

Pileated Woodpeckers were vocalizing in the Woodland Bog and in Fort Fairfield on the 30th. Juvenile Yellow-belled Sapsuckers are increasingly being seen.

Small flycatchers were part of the mixed flocks of migrants encountered in Woodland on the 23rd. Species included Yellow-bellied, Least and "Trails" Flycatchers. Since Alder and Willow Flycatchers are unseparable in the field this time of year, I use the "Trails" label as a catchall but odds would have most of these would be Alder Flycatchers this far north. No small flycatchers were found in a morning of birding on the 30th.

A family group of Eastern Kingbirds is still hanging around my yard as of this report. Last week they offered a little Kingbird love to Broad-winged Hawk passing through the area. Maybe I'm not paying attention, but I thought the kingbird's aggressive ways faded as summer progressed and I don't recall seeing this behavior this late in the season.

A small group of Barn and Tree Swallows were clustered on a utility wire along Route 11 in Herseytown in northern Penobscot county on the 29th. These were the only recent observations of swallows from the area. Red-breasted Nuthatches were seen at a feeder in Washburn on the 23rd.

A few Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos are still singing in early AM in Woodland and Caribou. Migrant Blue-heads are a regular component of the mixed flocks of migrant passerines being spotted around the area right now. A Veery was heard at Lake Josephine on the 30th and Hermit Thrushes were seen in Woodland on the same date.

Gray Catbirds were easy to find in almost any hedgerow tangle with available fruit or berries. Likewise, Cedar Waxwings are very commonly encountered across the area. They are dependably seen hawking insects from prominent perches along the rivers and wetland edges right now. They too, are enjoying the burgeoning fruit crop.

Gigantic European Starling flocks are congregating around the grain fields in central and southern Aroostook. A flock of 3000+ starlings was testing the strength of some powerlines in Presque Isle on the 28th.

Warbler migration is steady and increasing. The numbers and species seem to change each morning with new arrivals and departures. Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler numbers are an increasing percentage of any flock. Good finds this week were a very early migrant Palm Warbler of the eastern "Yellow" subspecies in a wetland in Woodland and a Bay-breasted Warbler in fresh fall plumage in Fort Fairfield. Blackburnian Warblers were found in several locations on the 30th. Other warbler species seen this week in central Aroostook County were Northern Parula, Nashville, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black-and-White, American Redstart, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroats. This Common Yellowthroat was part of a larger warbler flock in Presque Isle.

Noteworthy here on the edge of its range, Northern Cardinals have successfully nested and fledged young this year in central Aroostook County. An adult male was seen feeding a fledgling at a feeder in Presque Isle on the 14th. This is only the second confirmation of breeding in the central Aroostook area. A pair with two juveniles was first discovered last year in Caribou. Though it is still uncommon, this species was rare and worthy of note anywhere in the county as recently as ten years ago.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak youngsters are increasing and their loud sharp "eek" call can be heard along forest edges around the area these days.

A Swamp and a Chipping Sparrow were still singing in Fort Fairfield on the 30th. Juvenile Dark-eyed Juncos were still being tended by their parents in Woodland on the 23rd.

Late Bobolink flocks are still being found in grassland areas but the numbers of these also are dwindling quickly. Mid-sized (>50) Red-winged Blackbird flocks were seen in Woodland and Fort Fairfield but only small groups of Common Grackles have been reported.

As late season breeders, American Goldfinches seen feeding young this week were expected finds. However, an Evening Grosbeak feeding a young fledgling in Stacyville on the 16th was quite late for this uncommon breeder. Again, Patty Jennings was ready with her camera to capture the moment at her feeder in northern Penobscot county! Purple Finches have been seen regularly at area feeders but the White-winged Crossbill incursion that started mid summer has waned dramatically and only single birds were reported each week.

Regarding Purple Finches: eye infections and sick and dying birds were reported in northern and eastern New Brunswick, Canada this summer. To date we have yet to hear of any on this side of the border. Area birders and feeder watchers may want to pay attention to any unusual behavior by finches they encounter.

Northern Maine Birds 18-31July 2008

The last two weeks of July continued with the warm and wet weather in northern Maine. Four and a half inches of precipitation was measured for the month at the Caribou Weather Station. This was about 1/2 inch more than average. Streams and rivers remain at bank-full levels.

Fledglings of many species are noisily begging and trying out their wings for the first time. A few species are massing into large flocks.




A waterfowl highlight for period was the presence of a hen Redhead and young found last week at a wetland near Lake Josephine in Easton. Also at Lake Jo, a young drake Common Eider was a great mid summer discovery! The bird was found and photographed by Ken Lamb on the 23rd.

Large numbers of molting Ring-necked Ducks are appearing in central Aroostook locations. 400+ were counted on Lake Josephine and another 350+ (mostly males) were seen on Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield this past week. Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle is also hosting a sizable congregation of ratty looking Ring-necks. Other high counts noted at Lake Josephine were 120+ Gadwall, 50+ Green-winged Teal and 20+ Northern Shovelers on the 26th. Most of these birds were juvenile ducks with their mothers.

Pied-billed Grebe broods were spotted at Washburn and Fort Fairfield last weekend.


Wading birds are dispersing after breeding and have become noticeable around the area. A noteworthy find was two Great Egrets discovered along the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfieldon the 31st. The birds were feeding on minnows along the flooded banks.

Two American Bitterns were seen a Christina Reservoir and Great Blue Herons were widely reported in the Aroostook and St John River Valleys.


This has apparently been a great season for nesting hawks in northern Maine. Lots of juvenile raptors are being seen across the county. American Kestrels seen especially abundant in the area right now. 17 kestrels were counted along an 8 mile stretch of road in Caribou in Presque Isle on July 30th and juvie kestrels have been reported in Ashland, Chapman, Caribou, Easton, Fort Fairfield, Portage Lake, Stockholm and Woodland. Kathy Hoppe sent over the top photo of one of her young kestrels as it perched on the railing of her deck.


This juvenile Broad-winged Hawk with a bad leg was photographed by Nadeen Plourde in T16R5 near Square Lake on the 27th. Broad-wings were also seen in Woodland and Stockholm where they were mobbed and scolded by passerines with young.

Other raptors seen include a banded juvenile Bald Eagle in Fort Fairfield, Ospreys in Easton, Island Falls and Presque Isle, a Sharp-shinned Hawk in Caribou on the 29th and Northern Harriers in Washburn and Presque Isle.

Sora and Virginia Rails were still quite vocal on the 26th at Lake Jo.

Southbound shorebirds are about but tough to locate with all the high water. A small collection of shorebirds was found in a normally-dry gravel pit in Washburn on the 26th. These included Killdeer, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers and 4 Wilson's Snipe.

A Three-toed Woodpecker was feeding quietly off the Muscovic Road in Stockholm on the 30th. There was a bit of a resurgence in thrush song in late July. Hermits, Swainson's and Veeries could be heard singing in the early am at Woodland Bog in Woodland as recently as the 31st. Likewise with Winter Wren. Singing males were heard in Woodland, Washburn, Stockholm and up on Mt Katahdin in Baxter State Park over the past two weeks. An adult American Pipit was feeding young on the Tablelands of Mt Katahdin on the 20th. Also on that date, 3 Philadelphia Vireos were singing in and along the trail near Roaring Brook Campground in Baxter State Park.

As Aroostook's grain fields ripen and the harvest approaches, I find it interesting to note that European Starlings have formed some big flocks in the area. In Caribou, a flock of 1200+ was circling over a barley field on one of the few dry days last week.

Small mixed species flock of warblers are being found here in Woodland. On the 30th, I had a family of Yellow-rumpeds, along with Nashville, Magnolia and Black-and-White as well as Northern Parulas working the treetops in my yard. A late singing male Canada Warbler at Lake Josephine on the 26th was my first of this species at this location. Blackpoll Warblers were persistent singers on the Roaring Brook Trail up Mt Katahdin on the 20th. Northern Waterthrushes were still singing at Collins Pond in Caribou on the 31st and at Lake Josephine on the 26th.

Evening Grosbeaks have joined the increasing numbers of White-winged Crossbills in central Aroostook county recently. The grosbeaks were seen/heard in Stockholm and Woodland last week. Pine Siskins were feeding young in my yard in Woodland on the 30th.

Northern Maine Birds 1 - 8 May 2008

Hola.

Northern Maine enjoyed quiet weather this week. Temperatures were in the 50's and 60's during the day and dipped below freezing a couple times early in the period. Rain fell only twice this week but both were steady rains. A bit of a migrant wave was seen on the 7th and increased on the 8th. Otherwise, most migrants seemed to be moving through at a steady pace.

Almost all open areas are now snow free. Wooded areas in central and southern Aroostook have snow in isolated spots. Up to a foot still hangs on in the north Maine woods but the warm temperatures and predicted rain should finish it off within the next week. The ice melted off of most of the lakes this week.

Water levels remain high in northern-most Aroostook along the St. John and Fish Rivers following the record breaking flooding. Most damaged roads have been repaired in the settled areas, but dozens of wood roads and bridges were trashed and this will probably affect access to the North Maine Woods throughout the summer in places. The flood has left acres of standing water throughout the region and waterbirds are well dispersed across the region.

Deciduous trees are flowering across county and leaf buds are starting to open in south Aroostook locales.

New and Arriving Species this week:

Northern Pintail 5/7
Lesser Scaup 5/7
Surf Scoter 5/8
White-winged Scoter 5/8
Red-necked Grebe 5/4
Great Egret 5/8
Glossy Ibis 4/29
Broad-winged Hawk 5/1
Virginia Rail 5/4
Lesser Yellowlegs 5/8
Solitary Sandpiper 5/8
Least Sandpiper 5/8
Great-horned Owl 5/6
Northern Saw-whet Owl 5/8
Cliff Swallow 5/8
Bank Swallow 5/8
Blue-headed Vireo 5/7
American Pipit 5/6
Gray Catbird 5/2
Brown Thrasher 5/6
Hermit Thrush 5/4
Northern Parula 5/7
Northern Waterthrush 5/7
White-crowned Sparrow 5/7

The first week of May in northern Maine is usually a time when numbers and diversity of waterfowl are at their peak. This may be the case this year, but its hard to find any concentrations of waterfowl thanks to all the water left after the flood. Geese, dabblers and the fish eating diving ducks all seem to find the new habitat to their liking. It seems like only Common Goldeneyes, Ring-necked and Ruddy Ducks are sticking mostly to their usual haunts.

A Canada Goose nest with two eggs was found on the 2nd near still-partially-ice-covered Barren Lake in Caribou. Another was found with 6 eggs on the 8th. The results of Ken Lamb's recent Canada Goose portrait session is above. Quite a bit of oil was spilled during the flood along the St. John River. An oil covered Snow Goose was recovered on the 4th in Van Buren during the cleanup.

Newly arrived species this week were pairs of Northern Pintails and Lesser Scaup on Lake Josephine in Easton. A Surf Scoter also at Easton and a pair of White-winged Scoters on Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle were firsts of the season. 6 Gadwalls and 3 Ruddy Ducks were also seen at Lake Jo on the 7th and 8th. Blue-winged Teal were spotted in Eagle Lake (5/6) and Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield (5/7). Noteworthy high counts this week included 22 American Wigeons, 15 Northern Shovelers, 60+ Common Goldeneyes and 280+ Ring-necked Ducks at Lake Josephine.

Common Loons arrived at area lakes immediately after (during?) the rain and subsequent ice-outs. 5 were on Eagle Lake and 3 were seen at Arnold Brook. Very rare inland, 3 Red-necked Grebes found at Christina Reservoir on the 4th and another on Arnold Brook Lake on the 8th were good finds. Pied-billed Grebes were also found at Christina Res.

The avian highlights this week were a couple of rare waders. A Glossy Ibis in Hodgdon from 30 April through 3 May was only the second record for Aroostook County and likely the northernmost record in the eastern US. Almost as rare, a Great Egret was discovered in a wetland near Lake Josephine on the 8th. Bill Daniels was able to document the big white bird with the image above.


Great Blue Herons are on the nests at a rookery in Easton and American Bitterns were seen and heard in Caribou, Easton and Woodland. Paul Cyr caught up with some courting herons on the 8th.

Eight raptor species were seen in the area this week. A high count of 6 Northern Harriers were seen in southern and central Aroostook county on the 4th. A Red-tailed Hawk was found on a nest in Westfield on the 8th.

A Virgina Rail calling in a wetland near Lake Josephine on the 4th was an early surprise. Wild Turkeys seen in the Sheridan section of Ashland and along Route 1 in Bridgewater show the birds are continuing to expand northward despite the severe winter. Drumming Ruffed Grouse were widely reported. A Chukar photographed by Alan Chalou at his feeder in Castle Hill in mid April was almost certainly an escapee, but noteworthy none-the-less.

Some newly arrived shorebirds set early date records. Four Least Sandpipers and two Solitary Sandpipers at Lake Jo on the 8th were the earliest ever by my records. Arriving Lesser Yellowlegs here were also a bit early. Greater Yellowlegs were seen in twos and threes in Caribou, Eagle Lake, St. Agatha, Houlton, Mars Hill and Easton this week. 6 Wilson's Snipe together in a wet pasture in Presque Isle led me to suspect that migrants of this species continue to pass through the area.

Owls made a good showing this week in the county. A Barred Owl was calling in the Woodland Bog most nights and a Barred and Great Horned Owls were heard in Amity in southern Aroostook county on the 6th. A Northern Saw-whet Owl calling at 3 in the afternoon was a first of the season for me. The bird was winding up some Northern Flickers and American Robins near Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle.

Belted Kingfishers were widely reported. Ken Lamb sent along this great shot of a kingfisher playing with her food.

A singing Blue-headed Vireo was reported in Caribou

Swallow numbers jumped this week with the warming weather and Cliff and Bank Swallows joined the Tree and Barn Swallows on the 8th. The Cliff's arrival date was the earliest ever for me in Aroostook Co. Rare in spring, an American Pipit was heard over Eagle Lake on the 6th. A Gray Catbird in Hodgdon on the 2nd and a Brown Thrasher in Bancroft on the 6th were new arrivals in this neck of the woods. Also in Bancroft, an Eastern Bluebird found on the 8th was the first report for the county this year. Hermit Thrushes are still only trickling in, but vocal.

The increasing numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers were joined by only two other species of warbler this week. A Northern Parula and a Northern Waterthrush were both first heard this season in Caribou on the 7th.

American Tree Sparrow numbers waned but they lingered through at least the 6th. Increasing Chipping Sparrows were quick to take their place. 13 was a high count in my yard on the 8th. Fox Sparrows also lingered through the 6th here in Woodland. White-crowned Sparrows arrived all at once on the 7th when flocks were seen in Caribou, Presque Isle and Woodland.

Common Redpolls were still being seen as of the 3rd in Caribou and the 2nd in Woodland. Purple Finches continue to increase throughout the area. Trina Coffin photographed both species at her feeder in Caribou. The Evening Grosbeak flocks were widely reported but seem to be dispersing. The grosbeaks were seen in Caribou, Chapman, Easton, Fort Kent, Eagle Lake, Presque Isle and Woodland.