Shorebird migration peaking at Flat Bay, Harrington

[Merle and Anne Archie]

The shorebird numbers we observed during this morning’s low tide were stunning! Although we see this every August it doesn’t fail to impress....and there will be more counts like this morning’s count for several days onward.

The Whimbrel are playing hide-and-seek with us. They are out there - we hear flight calls - but every now and then they change location and use the mudflats of the central part of the bay. Yesterday we counted 23. Today we saw 2 and heard 3. Perhaps we were too late in the tide and blueberries were calling to them....

Observations for today, August 20:  9 Great Blue Heron,  250+ Black-bellied Plover,   300+ Semipalmated Plover, 1700+ Semipalmated Sandpiper, 50+ Least Sandpiper, 9 Lesser Yellowlegs. 

The numerous Bonaparte’s Gulls that we’re in the hundreds in the lower part of the bay have suddenly left. Not one to be seen now. 

A Winter Wren was singing in our yard this morning...

Anne Archie, Harrington, Maine