by Laurie Pocher
The Maine Young Birders Club welcomed two new members yesterday — Henry and Levi — as we set out across state lines in search of owls. Recent sightings of Short-Eared and Long-Eared Owls (with a history of Barred, Screech, and Snowy Owls) were enough incentive to shift our usual Saturday morning outing to an afternoon road trip down to Salisbury Beach State Park and Parker River NWR.
As we drove into Salisbury Beach State Park, we saw a Northern Harrier hunting right along the road. The bird swooped down into the marsh, and another Harrier popped up from the same spot. We pulled over to get a better look as a third Harrier joined them. We took it as a good sign for the day ahead!
We drove further into the park to a spot where a pair of elusive Long-Eared Owls have been roosting for the past several winters. They’re shy birds that tend to hang out in dense foliage where they can be difficult to see, but it was our lucky day! One of the owls was perched on a branch with a clear view from the road. We all got great looks and those with cameras were able to capture some fantastic images.
It provided a great opportunity to talk about birding etiquette and being aware of your surroundings. A small group of photographers had set up several tripods and stools, all but blocking the view of the owl for others. When we arrived, they made no effort to move out of the way, and one man even stepped in front of us. We took turns looking between them and over their shoulders, always stepping aside for other people who arrived to see the owl. Their setup also required us to stand in an active roadway with cars driving past, which was a good reminder to always be aware of your surroundings!
We drove through the campground and stopped at the beach, where we saw dozens of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. Ian spotted a few Gadwall hanging out near the seals, while Luke set off to photograph a large raft of about a hundred Common Eider that were feeding nearby. We also saw a few Red-Breasted Mergansers, Long-tailed Ducks, and Common Goldeneye at the beach, and spotted a Northern Mockingbird on our way out.
After a pretty fruitful start, we headed to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge with high hopes for Short-Eared Owls (spoiler alert: we didn’t see any). On our way into the refuge, we saw a Bald Eagle and a large mixed blackbird flock made up of European Starlings, Common Grackles, and Red-Winged Blackbirds.
We drove almost the full length of the Refuge Road, making several stops along the way. At the North Pool Overlook, we saw a few Northern Pintail dabbling and showing off their namesake tails. The pond near the maintenance shed yielded two Mute Swans, six American Tree Sparrows, three Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and a Song Sparrow. Looking across the marsh, we saw dozens of Red-Breasted Mergansers, a Common Goldeneye, a Common Loon, and four Horned Grebes.
Continuing along the Refuge Road, we saw several Northern Harriers throughout the day. We stopped to check every one of them since they are similar to Short-Eared Owls in the way they fly erratically low over the marsh. Every time, the telltale white rump patch identified them as Northern Harriers.
All tolled, we saw 23 species. You can see our Trip Report on eBird: https://ebird.org/tripreport/211177.
We have some exciting trips coming up… keep your eye out for our April and May announcement coming soon! Happy Birding!
