Breeding landbird monitoring in the Northeast Temperate Network: 2011 summary report

Faccio, Steven; Mitchell, Brian

From Sections of the Report: “Results by Park Acadia National Park (Maine) A total of 51 point count locations in seven study sites were established in 2007 at Acadia National Park (ACAD) in Maine (Figures 3 through 10). Of these, five of the six sites on Mt. Desert Island (MDI) and the one on the Schoodic Peninsula have been surveyed at least once since 2007, for a park-wide coverage rate of just 57% (see Table 1 for a summary of survey coverage by year). In 2011, five of the seven study sites were surveyed, and newly recruited volunteer observers should result in 100% coverage in 2012. During 2011, observers conducted a total of 56 point counts, detecting a total of 437 birds representing 48 species (including a Least Flycatcher and Northern Parula that were detected on repeat surveys). A total of 65 species have been recorded over the 5 years of monitoring, including a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker which was detected only on a repeat site visit to Seal Cove East in 2008. Average abundance during the first site visit dropped from 11.7 birds per point in 2010 to 7.3 birds per point in 2011, the lowest since point counts began at ACAD in 2007 (Appendix A). However, despite the low number of individuals in 2011, species richness was the highest in the survey’s history, with 46 species detected during the first round of surveys. Two species of regional conservation concern were detected during the 2011 surveys: Ruffed Grouse and Blackpoll Warbler. Appendices A and B detail the species and relative abundances found throughout the park and at each site during the first survey of each year, plus additional summary statistics. Of the 10 most abundant species detected at all ACAD sites combined across all years, the relative abundances of only two (Blue-headed Vireo and Ovenbird) increased from 2010, and the relative abundances of all ten species in 2011 were equal to or below the 5-year average (Figure 11, Appendix A). The park-wide forest avian ecological integrity assessment for all years combined at Acadia National Park resulted in five categories ranked as “Good,” eight ranked as “Caution,” and none ranked as “Significant Concern,” indicating that the forest bird community appears to be doing well (Table 4). The assessment has also been calculated for each study site, and these results are in Appendix C.” STUDY LOCATIONS:/ MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/ Witch Hole Pond / Youngs Mountain / Seal Cove / Giant Slide Trail / SCHOODIC PENINSULA/ Schoodic Point /