Monday 22 Oct- Jonesboro-Roque Bluffs- huge sparrow migration

[Carol Muth]

At 9:15 in the morning we drove from Johnson Cove Rd via Roque Bluffs Rd to Great Cove Rd ending at Rte 1 - and between 4:00 and 5:00pm returning the same route and adding Roque Bluffs State Park to boat launch at Long Pond --all along the way, morning and later- many many many small flocks of sparrows, 80%- 90% DEJU, WTSP, the remainder Tree Sparrows, and White-crowned with (at the park) Savannah Sparrows.

   We have never seen this many sparrows at one time in one area ever. There were probably thousands, but since it was difficult to count, the birds being in the shrubs when not on the gravel at the roadside, I will say, at the very least, hundreds of birds. The Juncos were especially overwhelming in their numbers all along the way. Sometimes every few hundred yards a flock of them.

  It was an astonishing experience for us.We didn't have opportunity to stop in the morning (having a scheduled appt.) but on the way back we stopped several times (the road is narrow with many glacial moraine "dips" so it is difficult to park without causing a dangerous situation for the infrequent traffic which doesn't usually include parked birders. Roque Bluffs State Park had shadows, but in the sunny spots the birds were there along Schoppee Rd.

   On busy Rte 1 the traffic must have scattered the flocks because there weren't many to be seen.

  I thought I would see many reports of this today. Did no one else have these sparrows in abundance?

[Raven Watcher]

Yes everywhere in Freeport 

Dan Nickerson 

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Dan's Natural History Blog:
Ravenwatcher
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[Mary Ellen & Tom Tetreau]

Plenty here inMilbridge, too!

[Susan Guare]

I have sparrows everywhere at my feeders in Bangor, and for the first time I have parking-lot sparrows (House Sparrows) as well. 

Sent from my iPhone