I tried birding less (Doctor’s orders!) recently, but it’s such a tough time to do that. Luckily, this time of year is so fruitful that even reduced birding resulted in a number of sightings of note. Between rest days and a shelter-in-place order, I minimized birding to aid in my recovery. Slowly, however, I was getting out more and for more time.

• 1 CLAY-COLORED SPARROW, 1 continuing NASHVILLE WARBLER, 200+ Savannah Sparrows, etc, Wolfe’s Neck Center, 10/21 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

• 4 Field Sparrows and 1 fly-over Snow Bunting (FOF), Waterboro Barrens Preserve, 10/23 (with Jeannette).

• 1 Indigo Bunting, 1 “Western” Palm Warbler, 2 Field Sparrows, etc, private property in Cape Elizabeth, 10/24 (with Jeannette).

• 1 continuing WESTERN CATTLE EGRET, Blackrock Farm, Kennebunk, 10/27 (with Dan Nickerson). Photo above.

• 1 continuing PURPLE GALLINULE, Rogers Pond Park, Kennebunk, 10/27 (with Dan Nickerson).

• 1 or 2 DICKCISSELS, 1 “Western” Palm Warbler, 100+ Savannah Sparrows, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 10/28 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

• 1 Red Crossbill, Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, 10/29 (with Harpswell Heritage Land Trust tour group).

• 2 Field Sparrows and 5 Horned Larks, Pott’s Point, Harpswell, 10/29 (with Harpswell Heritage Land Trust tour group).

• Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 11/2 (with Dan Nickerson): 591 Ruddy Ducks, 289 Mallards, 107 American Black Ducks, about 80 mixed Lesser and Greater Scaup, 68 Buffleheads, 19 Canada Geese, 15 Northern Pintails, 13 Hooded Mergansers, 8 Common Mergansers, 7 American Wigeon, 7 Green-winged Teal,  6 Common Goldneyes, 2 Horned Grebes, 1 female Long-tailed Duck, 1 female Red-breasted Merganser, etc. etc.

Meanwhile, here in the yard, the season was rapidly changing. Starting this period with lots of Savannah and Swamp Sparrows around, they had mostly petered out by week’s end. Song Sparrows remain strong, albeit in somewhat reduced numbers, but White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos have finally begun to increase.

We’re down to just a couple Yellow-rumped Warblers in the yard now, but a few late-ish migrants have included a Red-eyed Vireo and Common Yellowthroat on the 25^th, and the occasional small group of Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles are still trickling through.

Pine Siskins and Purple Finches have been near-daily fly-overs, with the occasional Purple Finch visiting the feeders, building to 8 by 10/26 and a few Pine Siskins finally visiting the feeder on 11/1. Our American Goldfinch flock remains strong, however, with 20-25 continuing, splitting time between the feeders and the weedy margins of the property (especially Evening Primrose). Siskins and Purple Finches continued to pour into the area in the last days of October. Multiple large flocks of siskins and at least 20+ Purple Finches were in the Otter Brook Preserve in Harpswell, on the 29^th, for example, and more are being reported at feeders in the area now.

Now that we are in November, the attention turns towards the water…and migrant traps for rarities!

TOURS and EVENTS:

All of our tours for 2023 are now complete, not including Saturday Morning Birdwalks of course. Keep an eye on the Tours page of our website, as we’ll soon begin adding more 2024 outings.