Scarborough Marsh, August 29 2015

A short two hour drive takes you up to one of Maine’s great IBA sites. Scarborough marsh is always worth a trip and did not disappoint on this sunny and pleasant day. Joe Scott led the 4 birders from the South Shore to some hidden vantage points and we observed most of the birds we had hoped for: Glossy Ibis, Egrets, Little Blue Heron. Only the Nelsons and Saltmarsh Sparrows did not show themselves on cue. Very impressive was the Peregrine show, even if they did scare away some of the peeps.

 

 

After enjoying a picnic lunch, we carried on to Pine Point where we watched the Bonaparte and other gulls, while waiting for the tide to recede and the peeps to come in. How great to be resting on the beach and being able to observe these busy little guys close up – and how absolutely superb to discover among them this beauty:

 

Western Sandpiper

 

Having received the report on the Buff breasted Sandpiper at Parker River the four of us stopped there on the drive home – alas no luck on that, but we saw a Juvenile Yellow Crowned Nightheron and watched a Merlin until it got too dark to see well.

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Thanks a lot to Joe for great leadership, to Josh for the list keeping and to Steven for these photos.

Below are the lists from both places

 

Christine Whitebread

 

Scarborough Marsh, Cumberland, Maine, US
Aug 29, 2015 8:36 AM - 3:07 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Scarborough Marsh South Shore Bird Club trip.   <br />Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.1.0 Build 15
47 species (+5 other taxa)

Canada Goose  3
American Black Duck  1
Mallard  3
Common Eider  1
Double-crested Cormorant  72
Great Blue Heron  7
Great Egret  21
Snowy Egret  44
Little Blue Heron  3
Glossy Ibis  9
Osprey  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Accipiter sp.  1
Black-bellied Plover  12
Semipalmated Plover  70
Killdeer  1     Heard only
Solitary Sandpiper  3
Greater Yellowlegs  45     Likely undercount
Willet  4
Lesser Yellowlegs  6
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs  45
Least Sandpiper  25
White-rumped Sandpiper  5
Semipalmated Sandpiper  200
Western Sandpiper  2     Seen by all. Rusty red scapulars and clean chest compared to LESA.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134939202@N03/20380861424/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134939202@N03/20380861244/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134939202@N03/21003480435/in/album-72157657889599266/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134939202@N03/20816413568

https://www.flickr.com/photos/134939202@N03/20977238956/in/album-72157657889599266/
peep sp.  140
Short-billed Dowitcher  10
Bonaparte's Gull  84
Ring-billed Gull  3
Herring Gull  X
Great Black-backed Gull  5
gull sp.  12
Common Tern  17     Undercount
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  9
Mourning Dove  8
Belted Kingfisher  1     Heard only
Peregrine Falcon  2     Seen solo on two different occasions, and a pair at another time.  Possibly more individuals than 2.
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  1
American Crow  7
Tree Swallow  X
Barn Swallow  1
Black-capped Chickadee  1
Marsh Wren  1     Heard
Gray Catbird  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  2
Common Yellowthroat  3     One seen
Nelson's/Saltmarsh Sparrow (Sharp-tailed Sparrow)  1
Song Sparrow  3
American Goldfinch  2
House Sparrow  10

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24822598

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

 

Joppa Park, Newburyport, Essex, Massachusetts, US
Aug 29, 2015 4:29 PM - 4:36 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     <br />Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.1.0 Build 15
10 species

Black-bellied Plover  120
Semipalmated Plover  X
Greater Yellowlegs  70
Ruddy Turnstone  1
Semipalmated Sandpiper  X
Short-billed Dowitcher  2
Bonaparte's Gull  50
Ring-billed Gull  20
Herring Gull  X
Great Black-backed Gull  1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24822684

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

 

Parker River NWR, Essex, Massachusetts, US
Aug 29, 2015 4:41 PM - 6:41 PM
Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments:     <br />Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 1.1.0 Build 15
27 species (+1 other taxa)

American Black Duck  19
Mallard  26
Green-winged Teal  13
Wild Turkey  3
Double-crested Cormorant  2
Great Blue Heron  2
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  1     Juvenile - from Hellcat Dike. Continuing bird.
Osprey  2
Northern Harrier  1     Juvenile.
Red-tailed Hawk  2
Black-bellied Plover  1
Spotted Sandpiper  2
Greater Yellowlegs  1
Lesser Yellowlegs  1
Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs  23
Short-billed Dowitcher  1
Mourning Dove  6
Merlin  1
Eastern Phoebe  5
Eastern Kingbird  1
Blue Jay  1
Tree Swallow  X
American Robin  1
Gray Catbird  4
Northern Mockingbird  1
Song Sparrow  2
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Brown-headed Cowbird  1

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S24822696

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)