Birdwalk Highlights for 10/4: Walsh Preserve, Freeport and Cousin's River Fields and Marsh Preserve, Yarmouth.

I played a hunch today, thinking that if there was water in the pannes at the Walsh Preserve, the timing would be perfect for a rare Long-billed Dowitcher. After enjoying an immature YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER in the parking lot, and some migrant AMERICAN ROBINS overhead, we arrived at the pannes.

I was shocked to find an ample amount of water - remnants from last week's rain and/or recently refilled in conjunction with high tides??? - and we immediately saw some shorebirds. A single dowitcher was among them, so I swung my scope around to see what I thought was our target bird, but alas, the internal golden-buff squiggles on its tertials proved this to be a very late SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. Alas. Turning our attention to the other shorebirds, we spotted two WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS with 3 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, often together for nice comparisons. Four KILLDEER were also present, and we had some great, instructive studies of LESSER (12) and GREATER YELLOWLEGS (4+) often side-by side.

A MERLIN came tearing in, scattering the shorebirds, and giving a lengthy, but in the end, unsuccessful chase to one of the Semipalmated Sandpipers. Assuming the shorebird show was over for a while, we discussed a little saltmarsh ecology, soon interrupted when I heard the call of a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. Looking up, not one, but SIX Long-billeds were coming right towards us, flying up river, and alighting in the pannes.

We hustled back up hill and spent quite some time studying them, especially when they were side-by-side with the Short-billed! What a treat! The Long-billeds were a "life bird" for many in the group, and a "year bird" for everyone, myself included. This is turning out to be a reliable place for this very uncommon to rare late-shorebird-season migrant in Maine.

A PECTORAL SANDPIPER joined the party, appearing out of the grass, our 8th shorebird species for the morning - a really great tally for early October. But the two GREEN-WINGED TEAL we spotted earlier never reappeared.

A single AMERICAN PIPIT flew overhead, unseen, but a small mixed species foraging flock included several YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a PINE WARBLER; later another Pine sang from deeper in the woods. One COMMON YELLOWTHROAT called from the scrub.

Saving some time to take a stroll at the nearby Cousin's River Marsh and Trails Preserve, we wanted to get a better look at the smaller, but deeper, salt panne here. We had at least 16 Greater Yellowlegs roosting on their favorite grassy island, with 2 Lessers among them, once again affording some perfect comparisons. A RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and a calling BELTED KINGFISHER helped to round out our excellent morning list.