Red-necked Phalaropes

Today out at Mt. Desert Rock we encountered a massive raft of about 17,000 -20,000 Red-necked phalaropes. Here are some fairly poor images that show only a fraction of the birds present. It was quite the spectacle. Also seen on the boat ride: Arctic Tern, Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Common Murre, Jeager sp., Sooty Shearwater, Merlin, and over 350 Wilsons Storm-Petrel. A great day out on the boat!

Bar Harbor: Glaucous Gull (5/11)

Here are some pics of a Glaucous Gull that I found feeding on the mudflats right at the head of the island. The bird was visible from the causeway but i got better looks (and these photos) from hiking down onto the mudflats a little ways.

Glaucous Gull on MDI

I discovered this 1st/2nd year Glaucous Gull at the Causway Club in Southwest Harbor around 10:30 on 4/5/08.

Pacific Loon?... It's a Common Loon

Thanks to the response of several experienced birders it has been determined that the photos below depict a common loon.

A couple days ago i went out looking for the Pacific Loon that had been reported on Park Loop road in Bar Harbor. There were 6 loons present and i studied them all extensively. One loon stood out to me as beeing a little smaller more petite looking, however after a few minutes i concluded it was just a small, odd common loon. I did take a bunch of photos of this loon and now upon review, i'm considering that perhaps it is indeed a Pacific. Any thoughts on the ID of this bird would be appreciated. You can email me at surfbird@wildmail.com or tschottland@coa.edu

Hoary Redpoll

After seeing the Great Gray Owl in Jackson, I went looking for a Hoary Redpoll that has been visiting a feeder at house in Ellsworth, ME... and I was successful! Chad Propst and I observed the Hoary Redpoll at a distance of about 10 feet. Then it flew off and landed in a tree at which time i got these photos. In the two photos you can make out the small pointy bill, limited streaking on flanks, limited/no streaking on the under-tail coverts and you can barely make out the clean white rump in the first photo.


You know you've had a great day birding when you see a Great Gray Owl and Hoary Redpoll within a couple hours of each other! (For photos of the Great Gray Owl scroll down from the hoary redpoll photos).

Great Gray Owl

Here are some digi-scoped images taken of the Great Gray Owl in Jackson, ME. It showed beautifully for a large number of birders who made the drive to see this bird. What a beauty!
You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

1st year mystery gull

Photo taken at Schoodic fish factory.
As soon as I saw this bird flying over my immediate reaction was Lesser-black-backed gull (LBBG) . It had a small all black bill and was about the same size as the nearby herring gull. It never landed but i did manage to get these two photo's using ditial camera and holding it up to my binoculars.
I would love feedback on the ID of this bird.

New England Rarities

Ruff (MA)
Common Green-winged Teal
Barnacle Goose (Vernon, VT)

Viewing the Pictures

Only a few of the pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them. I'm working on this problem! Taj

FL birding

Here are some pictures I took recently while in FL . The painted Bunting was a life bird(#523 for ABA) The Limpkin, Wood Stork, and Purple Galinule were year birds which helped me get over 440 species in the ABA region during 2006.

New England birds

Here are some photos of cool New England birds I've seen recently. ENJOY!



Icleand GullBlack-headed Gull
Snow Bunting
Harlequin Duck