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Eight to nine hundred juvenile Semipalmated Sandpipers
congregated at Weskeag Marsh late last month. Photo by Don Reimer
Migrating Shorebirds —
Birding with Don Reimer
In conjunction with the International Shorebird Survey
(ISS), I conducted periodic shorebird surveys at Weskeag Marsh again this
year. The ISS has over 1,200 monitoring sites spanning North, Central and
South America, with a goal of identifying and protecting significant
shorebird habitats. At sites along New Jersey’s Delmarva Peninsula,
for example, 50 to 80 percent of the world’s Red Knot population may
be present at the same time each spring. Stopover areas such as Weskeag are
also critical to the ultimate survival of nearly 30 species of shorebirds.
Migrating shorebirds make long non-stop flights from the tundra breeding grounds to staging and wintering areas farther south. Once birds have reached the Weskeag area, they rest and feed in accordance with the tidal cycles at the nearby Thomaston mudflats. Through meticulous conservation of body heat and their ravenous eating habits, these birds can double
their weight within 10 to 14 days. Body heat is conserved by standing on one leg and tucking their bill (bill and legs are the main sources of heat loss) into the insulating feathers.
When it’s time to move southward, birds at
coastal sites generally migrate at the peak of high tide when they can no
longer feed in the mudflats. The flocks rise together and gather themselves
into tightening formations, circling several times for orientation. Once
they have determined a compass bearing (South America is actually southeast
of Maine) shorebirds head out across open ocean. Utilizing their
super-efficient lung capacity, flocks typically fly at heights of 3,000 to
4,000 feet or higher, where they experience less air resistance and
turbulence. For species heading to South America, the journey takes about
two days.
PWAVolunteers Clean Up Coast
Susan Ratigan (left) and Joan and Roger Panek finish
loading the trash trailer
Pemaquid Point and the La Verna Preserve are now a bit
lighter in litter, by about 1,300 pounds’ worth that is, thanks to a
volunteer crew organized by the Pemaquid Watershed Association (PWA) as
part of Coastweek, a national celebration of coastal resources.
Among the trash collected on the morning of September
20 were approximately 88 cans of varied sorts, 78 lobster trap remnants, 69
pieces of rope, and 95 pieces of styrofoam. Four teams spread out at the
point, while Jill Rice and Louise Dunlap travelled to the La Verna Preserve
in Chamberlain to pick up litter. Erin Mitchell and her children, Emma and
Caleb, fanned out to clean the Lighthouse Park grounds, and Susan Ratigan
teamed up with Joan and Roger Panek to focus on the Pemaquid Loop Trail and
nearby roads and shorefront. Jack Corson and Pat Neely took charge of
ridding the roadways of litter just north of the point, around Massasoit
Drive and White Ledges Road. Alice Phillips and her aunt Deborah Hidu
joined Chris and Lynne Gilbert and Olivia de Lisle to scour the shorefront
at the Lighthouse Park. A local resident joined in and gathered three
truckloads of mangled and entangled lobster trap pieces from the shore at
the point. All debris collected was tallied and then compiled into a report
for the Ocean Conservancy to help them pinpoint the sources of marine
debris and devise solutions to reduce the amount.
PWA thanks all the volunteers who participated for
spending their morning working to keep the local environment beautiful. PWA
also extends appreciation to the Bristol Parks and Recreation Commission
for providing complimentary park access for Coastal Cleanup participants
and for transporting the litter from the point to where it was meant to be,
the transfer station.
For more information about PWA, all 563-2196 or visit
www.pemaquidwatershed.org.
Medomak Fall Foliage Paddle Oct. 11
Canoeists and kayakers are invited to join other
adventurers for an easy paddle up the Medomak River on Saturday, October
11.
The trip, hosted by Medomak Valley Land Trust (MVLT),
will take place from 10 a.m. to noon. It will depart from the picnic area
across from Hannaford’s on Route 32 South in Waldoboro and will head up the Medomak from
there, along a scenic
stretch of the river where paddlers may encounter beavers, birds and an abundance of other
wildlife.
Participants should provide their own canoe or kayak
and life preserver, pack water and a picnic lunch if desired, and be
prepared to enjoy this peaceful and undeveloped section of the river.
For more information about the paddle, or more
information on MVLT, contact the land trust by calling 832-5570 or visit
www.medomakvalley.org.
Pemaquid Paddlers Finish Season
The Pemaquid Paddlers announces its final trips for the
year. All trips will leave the put-in site at 9 a.m. and will last
approximately two hours. Participants must bring their own kayak or canoe,
paddle and wear a life jacket. Trips will be canceled in the event of rain.
For more information or weather cancellations contact
John Will at 677-6380.
The final three trips of the year are:
Tuesday, October 14: Muscongus Bay. The put-in point is
off of Dutch Neck Road. Take Route 32 to Dutch Neck Road, travel 2.8 miles,
look for a weathered wooden sign on the left reading “Boat
Landing,” turn left and go .2 miles to the parking area. This trip
goes down the bay towards Broad Cove.
Tuesday, October 21: Dyer Long Pond. Take Route 215 out
of Newcastle and go 13 miles to Hinks Road, about 9 miles from the
intersection of Routes 215 and 194 (look for Hinks Road street sign). Take
Hinks Road until seeing the sign pointing towards the state put-in site, at the end of
a one-lane dirt road.
Tuesday, October 28: Washington Pond. From Route 1 in
Waldoboro, by Moody’s, take Route 220 north 12.2 miles, turn left
(west) on Route 105 and drive 1.2 miles to the put-in site. Look for the
state put-in sign on the right.
Lichen Walk on Bald Mountain Oct. 18
Lichenologist Jim Hinds will lead a “Getting to Know Lichens” outing
for Coastal Mountains Land Trust on Bald Mountain on Saturday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This moderate hike on Bald Mountain Preserve is open to the public
and free of charge. Because of the small scale of the subject matter, group size is limited to 10. Advance registration with the land trust is required; call 236-7091 to register.
Expected on the hike will be a diversity of lichens on trees and rocks,
including the hooded tube lichen, one of the most common lichens in the temperate forest, and old man’s beard.
Participants should bring water,
sturdy hiking boots, and a hand lens, if possible, to make observation of the lichens easier.
Hinds has studied lichens for over 40 years. He and his
wife Pat Hinds recently published the book The
Macrolichens of New England, which chronicles
461 species. Currently, Hinds is collaborating on a survey of lichens on
Mt. Katahdin.
For more information on the land trust, visit
www.coastalmountains.org or call 236-7091.
An Evening About Owls in Belfast
On Thursday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Belfast
Free Library, local bird authority Seth Benz will present “Embodied
Silence: An Evening About Owls.”
Benz will explore some of what is known about owls
living in the area, the myth and mystery surrounding them, their beauty,
habits and habitats. He will discuss human association with owls, reaching
back to the dawn of history and how, through owls, humans have long sought
a more perfect sensory awareness of their own world.
The presentation is sponsored by the Belfast Bay
Watershed Coalition (BBWC). The meeting is free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be served.
Benz is currently director of Maine Audubon’s Hog
Island Center and Camp in Bremen. He has also been an interpretive
naturalist at Acadia National Park and a seabird specialist with Project
Puffin. He has added his knowledge of birds on BBWC’s regular bird
bus trips. Benz has published many articles on environmental education,
migration of birds of prey, avian living and island research.
Trout Brook Preserve to Open in Alna
The Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association (SVCA) is
opening another one of its properties to the public on Saturday, October
18, with a brief ceremony and a guided nature walk on its new Trout Brook
Preserve in Alna. Chewonki naturalist Lynne Flaccus and SVCA lands director
and licensed forester Tish Carr will point out features of the woodland and
riparian life at the site.
The preserve is a 126-acre tract abutting Route 218, about a half mile north of the Alna Store, with a new parking lot featuring an informational kiosk and space for six to eight cars. Activities begin at 10 a.m. with a brief dedication by SVCA president Honor Fox Sage followed by the nature walk on the half-mile-long trail. Light refreshments will be served.
The preserve protects Trout Brook, a scenic and
important Sheepscot River tributary that joins the Sheepscot shortly after
flowing under Route 218. The confluence is about a half mile downstream
from Head Tide village. The brook is pristine and boulder-strewn in the
stretch running through the preserve and supports salmon habitat, but the
steep slopes and highly erodible soils along the banks are fragile. An
historical feature of the Trout Brook site is the old right-of-way of the
Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington narrow-gauge railway, which runs
through the middle of the property. The nature walk will follow a newly
created trail in the north section of the property, leading to one of the
wider portions of the brook.
SVCA purchased the Trout Brook tract in December 2006
from Maxine Tornell, now of Pepperell, Massachusetts, who spent the first
18 years of her life on the property, beginning in 1933. Her ancestors
acquired it early in the 19th century. The purchase and development of the
preserve was made possible by funding from the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, John Sage Foundation, Fields Pond Foundation, Horizon
Foundation, a private donor and many contributions from the members of the
SVCA. Dick Sundberg generously donated time and materials to craft two
kiosks that will house natural history information and trail maps.
The northern 18-acre section of the preserve, purchased
from Tornell in 2005, is located across Route 218 and protects 2,300 feet
of Sheepscot River frontage including salmon spawning and rearing habitat.
There are no hiking trails yet on this parcel, but fishermen are free to
enter it to gain access to the Sheepscot.
For more information, visit www.sheepscot.org or call
586-5616.
National Weather Service Forecast for
Knox County
Thursday Night: Mostly
clear, with a low around 49. West wind between 11 and 13 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high
near 63. West wind between 11 and 14 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a
low around 42.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high
near 61.
Saturday Night:
Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high
near 61.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy,
with a low around 43.
Columbus Day: Sunny, with a
high near 57.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy,
with a low around 39.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with
a high near 57.
