14 October 2024

Posts Tagged ‘great cormorant’

Year-End Bird Count

Saturday, December 31st, 2016

(Some photos from today’s Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count.)

Purple Sandpiper, Rockland, Breakwater, Rockland, Maine, 31 December 2016.

Purple Sandpiper.

Common Eider (female), Rockland, Breakwater, Rockland, Maine, 31 December 2016.

Common Eider (female).

American Goldfinch, Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine, 31 December 2016.

American Goldfinch.

Red-breasted Merganser (with an itch), Rockland Breakwater, Rockland, Maine, 31 December 2016.

Red-breasted Merganser (with an itch).

American Tree Sparrow, Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine, 31 December 2016.

American Tree Sparrow.

Red-tailed Hawk, Chickawaukie Lake, Rockland, Maine, 31 December 2016.

Red-tailed Hawk.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 1 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. American Robin*
2. Black-capped Chickadee*
3. White-breasted Nuthatch*
4. American Goldfinch* (v)
5. American Crow* (v)
6. Downy Woodpecker
7. Tufted Titmouse** (v)
8. Blue Jay

Elsewhere

9. Canada Goose
10. American Black Duck
11. Mallard
12. Common Eider
13. Long-tailed Duck
14. Bufflehead
15. Common Goldeneye
16. Red-breasted Merganser
17. Common Loon
18. Horned Grebe
19. Great Cormorant
20. Northern Harrier
21. Red-tailed Hawk
22. Purple Sandpiper
23. Ring-billed Gull
24. Herring Gull
25. Great Black-backed Gull
26. Black Guillemot
27. Mourning Dove
28. American Tree Sparrow
29. Song Sparrow
30. House Finch
31. American Goldfinch
32. House Sparrow

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

Christmas Count adventures

Saturday, December 19th, 2015
Purple Sandpiper, Rockland Breakwater, Rockland, Maine, 19 December 2015.

Purple Sandpiper.

Up early for the annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for our neck of the woods. This year, we diverged a bit from our customary first leg—the Rockland Breakwater—to make sure we recorded a noteworthy bird in our region: a Yellow-throated Warbler that had been seen for the past several days on the grounds of the Samoset Resort. Got it.

Common Ravens, Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine, 19 December 2015.

Common Ravens.

The weather was balmy compared to most CBCs I remember—low- to mid-30s (F). (Typically, it seems like it’s been 12 degrees with a high wind.) But that meant odd birds, and not that many of ’em. Instead of a dozen or so Purple Sandpipers, for instance, we got one. Instead of fifty-plus species, we got forty-something. Since I never do the afternoon trip, I got thirty-four.

But those included two “warblers”: the yellow-throated and a Yellow-breasted Chat (arguably not really a warbler)—only the second of that species I’ve ever seen. Also a pair of vocal ravens flew over, and we had a little flurry of bird activity near the cemetery, and we counted about a hundred coots.

Ring-billed Gull, Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine, 19 December 2015.

Ring-billed Gull.

Afterward, I rescued a house-bound Jack and we took a quick Beech Hill hike. Only two species up there today.

Windy as hell tonight.

Beech Hill List
Beginning at 2:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.

1. American Crow* (v)
2. Black-capped Chickadee* (v)

Elsewhere

3. American Goldfinch
4. Herring Gull
5. Mallard
6. House Sparrow
7. Common Raven
8. Yellow-throated Warbler
9. Ring-billed Gull
10. Canada Goose
11. Common Eider
12. Red-necked Grebe
13. Horned Grebe
14. White-breasted Nuthatch
15. American Black Duck
16. Great Black-backed Gull
17. Long-tailed Duck
18. Surf Scoter
19. Purple Sandpiper
20. Black Guillemot
21. Great Cormorant
22. Bufflehead
23. Yellow-breasted Chat
24. Rock Pigeon
25. Tufted Titmouse
26. Brown Creeper
27. Downy Woodpecker
28. Red-tailed Hawk
29. Hairy Woodpecker
30. Common Goldeneye
31. Bonaparte’s Gull
32. American Coot

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere

Owls Head Light, from the Rockland Breakwater, Rockland, Maine, 19 December 2015.

Owls Head Light.

So many Monarchs

Sunday, September 20th, 2015
Common Raven, Monhegan Island, Maine, 20 September  2015.

Common Raven.

Scrambled around this morning to make sure to get to the boat on time. Made it! And within the hour, daughter and I were setting foot on Monhegan Island. A more magical place I’m not sure I’ve ever been to.

Monarch butterfly, Monhegan Island, Maine, 20 September 2015.

Monarch butterfly.

The usual fall-migration birding hasn’t really taken off yet, from what I understand. And I didn’t spot many species—nor any “lifers” yet, as I seem nearly always to do out here. But it’s great to be here, wonderful to introduce Sarah (no birder, although she likes birds) to the place, Lovely to run into old friends whom I see just once a year.

Perhaps the most inspiring thing I’ve witnessed out here is the large number of Monarch butterflies moving through. What with the bane that is Roundup®, and the decline of milkweed, this lovely butterfly’s numbers have taken a nosedive lately. I’d seen just one this year before setting foot out here—and now, barely ten hours later, I can attest to having seen at least fifty or sixty—plus, a few chrysalises.

Also ravens, sharpies, an Osprey, an oriole, and other birds.

I can hardly believe we’re here for five more days.

Monhegan Island List
Beginning at about 11:30 a.m., I walked around Monhegan.

1. Herring Gull*
5. Northern Mockingbird
6. Northern Flicker
7. Sharp-shinned Hawk
8. Common Raven
9. Osprey
10. Peregrine Falcon
11. Common Grackle
12. Eastern Phoebe
13. Black-capped Chickadee
14. Red-breasted Nuthatch (v)
15. Song Sparrow
16. European Starling
17. American Crow*
18. Great Cormorant
19. Cedar Waxwing**
20. Common Eider
21. Yellow-rumped Warbler
22. Yellow Warbler
23. Baltimore Oriole

Elsewhere

24. Mourning dove
25. Bald Eagle
26. Belted Kingfisher

v = Voice only
*Also elsewhere
**Voice only elsewhere

 

 
Bird Report is a (sometimes intermittent) record of the birds I encounter while hiking, see while driving, or spy outside my window. —Brian Willson



3IP Logo
©1997–2024 by 3IP