Cape Elizabeth birding report

The last days of July were uncomfortably warm and our temperate broadleaf and mixed forests experienced significant understory growth making it more of a challenge to spot birds.

On July 26 around sundown I came across a Barred Owl hunting from the phone lines along Old Ocean House Road. The bird flew down into the entanglement above the brook just past Alewife Road.

The following evening, I heard the eerie shriek of Great Horned Owlet begging for food somewhere back off of Shore Road. Despite being born in early spring, owlets will be reliant on their parents for a couple more months.

During the last days of July, we had a new family of boisterous Carolina Wrens pass through our property. This was the first fully-fledged family of Carolina wrens that I have seen in Cape since I started keeping record back in 2016.

I can also report that two late season nesting bird species have been very busy. American Goldfinches have been plucking nesting material from the ball of alpaca fiber I put outside in a crab apple tree and my mother-in-law on Two Lights Road reports that Cedar Waxwings made quick work of the nesting ball she had out as well.

August marks the time of year where many Shorebirds start to pass through now in significant numbers. Highlights from Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Scarborough Marsh and Crescent Beach State Park include, Semipalmated Plovers and sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, Least Sandpipers, Greater and Lesser Yellow Legs and Killdeer.