After the great showing from Vermont yesterday, Bob was a little miffed that Maine was coming up short on the species count, so before we went back to his place, we stopped at the Scarborough Marsh again to see if there might be anyone new. Sure enough, we had barely gotten out of the parking lot when we spotted a pair of greater yellowlegs foraging on the mud exposed by the low tide. We’ve seen them in Estabrook Park once before, but I didn’t see any in Vermont, so Bob considered that a step in the right direction.
The willets were still there and more active than before. One even paid us a visit up on the causeway, and here it is perched on a little tree, which I didn’t even know willets could do. Did you?
It was raining when we got up this morning, so we had a nice breakfast and then headed out to Frye Island in Sebago Lake, and the rain was done by the time we arrived. I thought for sure we’d see plenty of waders and waterfowl, but that was oddly not the case. Instead, the treat of the island was this yellow-bellied sapsucker with a beak full of bugs. Yum!
The highlight of the visit, however, came as we took the car ferry back to the mainland. Just as it pulled into the dock, I looked out the window, and I could barely believe my eyes. As you well know, I’ve seen goslings, ducklings, and even a couple of great crested grebelings, but I have never seen common merganserlings until now. “Beat that, Vermont!”
Once again, it’s quite late, so I’m gonna wrap this up and hit the sack. Tomorrow I finally head back home.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 