Greater Portland Sightings

[Nathan Hall]

Nothing too spectacular but spring is on the way in southern Maine. Here are some new arrivals and interesting sightings I've had in the greater Portland area over the last week.

March 31st

BARRED OWL, Evergreen Cemetery (FOY)

April 2nd

WILSON'S SNIPE, Stroudwater St. fields (FOY)

AMERICAN KESTREL, Portland International Jetport & Stroudwater St. fields (FOY)

GREAT EGRET, Capisic Pond Park (FOY)

WHITE-THOARED SPARROW, Capisic Pond Park

SWAMP SPARROW, Capisic Pond Park (FOY)

April 3rd

EASTERN PHOEBE, Westbrook Stake Park Trail (FOY)

YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, Shaw Cherry Hill Farm Trails (FOY)

TREE SWALLOW, Shaw Cherry Hill Farm Trails

EASTERN MEADOWLARK, Shaw Cherry Hill Farm Trails (FOY)

Other FOYs this week include:

April 2nd

SNOWY EGRET, NORTHERN SHOVELER, and GLOSSY IBIS, around Scarborough Marsh

NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, West Baldwin (while doing Owl Surveys with the Maine Bird Atlas) 

Be well and good birding

Nathan Hall

[Nathan Hall]

Alright, while it is my goal of mine to start sharing some of the sightings I have around the Portland area I promise I'm not going to send out an email every other day. But I just got back from introducing a few of my students (and members of our school-based birding club) to American Woodcocks and thought I would share. (I was probably as excited as the students were.)

We met at River Point Conservation area in Falmouth at 7p. The trails are closed currently but I had secured special permission prior to our visit, as I work with Falmouth students. While we waited for everyone to gather we were treated to three high flying Great Blue Herons. Once together we headed down to the fields just past the red barn. Along the way we flushed a Ruffed Grouse. A FOY for me and a fun treat for the Portland area.

Once at the fields we waited and got to see and hear American Robins, Eastern Phoebes, a small flock of Glossy Ibis flyover, a couple Wood Ducks and a few others. Around 7:20 while examining a rather interesting piece of--what I think was--fox scat we heard our first 'peent' of the evening. We listened to it 'peenting' for about 10 minutes before we saw a second bird fly right in front of us. After another five minutes we got to watch the first bird take off and do its display flight.

After watching it display a couple times we caught movement across the field and watched a Coyote cross the field and spend more than a few minutes checking us out before moving on with its evening. At one point it started to head down the trail toward us and one student started to hiss/growl at it. To no noticeable effect.

After the Coyote passed the second woodcock returned and the two birds went after each other in flight before taking off out of sight. Then a few moments later one of them returned and commenced its work. We proceeded to watch and enjoy its 'peenting' and displaying until around 8 at which point we headed back to the parking area.

As a teacher I know I'm biased, but I can't speak highly enough about the joys of helping to introduce young folks to birding and the natural world. With that in mind, I would like to give a plug for the Maine Young Birders Club run by Seth Davis and Marion Sprague. If you don't know about the club check them out https://www.maineyoungbirders.org/ and if you do consider directing a young person toward them or offering some financial support.

[Nathan Hall]

Here are my first new sightings and first arrivals from around the Portland area. Unfortunately, work and weather weren't on my side this past week but I was still able to get out daily. People are reporting on eBird Palm and Pine Warblers, but they have eluded me to date. Soon.

April 8th

OSPREY, Shoreline Drive, Falmouth (FOY)

SNOWY EGRET, Shoreline Drive, Falmouth

PILEATED WOODPECKER, Evergreen Cemetery

April 5th

GLOSSY IBIS, River Point Conservation Area

GREAT BLUE HERON, River Point Conservation Area

RUFFED GROUSE, River Point Conservation Area

April 4th

SNOW GOOSE, Smiling Hill Farm (FOY)*

*denotes previously reported

Be well

Nathan Hall