Cape Elizabeth birding report for the first part of August

Continued muggy and buggy weather stretched through the first two slow birding weeks of August.

Noteworthy observations include -great crested flycatcher fledglings singing at twilight deep within Robinson Woods I. A common yellowthroat female with daughter exploring the haunts surrounding a crab apple tree in our yard. A family of blue jays with a cast of six molting young continuing to decimate my suet supplies. In late summer, molting takes place and Blue Jays often lose all of their head feathers. Fittingly, the saying goes, “When the blue jays are bald, it must be August.”

Other notables include three great egrets, most probably two adults and one young flying over Robinson Woods III at sunset. I had at first thought the fledgling egret was a white ibis (which would have been very uncommon and improbable).

I am also very pleased to report that the bluebird box that I had built two springs ago (last season the bluebirds checked it out but never nested) has young bluebirds in it as of August 19.

A single carolina wren has just started to visit our yard. I do hope that he or she will stay for a while. Also, on more than one night I have heard bard owls calling along Shore Road.

As for shorebirds, there are good numbers of semipalmated and black-bellied plovers along Crescent Beach. There are also spotted sandpipers and greater yellow legs along the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.