It’s getting colder and quieter out there. But, we are in the midst of the late fall Rarity Season, so I made time to check as many of the migrant and vagrant traps as I could this week. Other than a great morning with Jeannette on Bailey Island on Tuesday, I didn’t find much in the way of “lingering” birds. Did the late-October unseasonable cold snap have something to do with it? And/or the lack of natural food resources because of the drought? Or I was in the wrong places?

My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

• 2 PINE GROSBEAKS, Private Property in Durham, 11/14.
• 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 11/15.
• 1 AMERICAN REDSTART, 9 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, 1 PINE WARBLER, 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and 1 Winter Wren, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 11/17 (with Jeannette).
• 1 Red Crossbill, over our yard in Pownal, 11/17.
• 300+ Horned Larks, 8-10 Snow Buntings, and 2-3 Lapland Longspurs, Mayall Road, Gray/New Gloucester, 11/18. 
• 1 Gray Catbird, Saco Riverwalk, 11/19.
• 1 pair Wood Ducks, Pond Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 11/20.
• 2 Harlequin Ducks, Trundy Point, Cape Elizabeth, 11/20.
• 2 immature White-crowned Sparrows, Private Property in Cape Elizabeth, 11/20.
• 1 very late LINCOLN’S SPARROW, here at the store, 11/20.

• Pine Siskin High Count This Week: scattered 1-4’s.
• Common Redpoll High Count This Week: 5, Private Property in Cape Elizabeth, 11/20.
• EVENING GROSBEAK High Count This Week:  9, our yard in Pownal, 11/18.