I stayed local this week, but that still yielded some fun winter birds. My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

• 300-400 distant Scaup, Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, 1/25.
• 1 first-cycle ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, Pennell Way, Brunswick, 1/25.
• 1 continuing RUDDY DUCK, 11 Lesser and 6 Greater Scaup (in close small group in flight) and 250+ distant scaup. I am sure the ratio of species in that close group of 17 does not reflect the makeup of the large group which will be mostly (at least) Greater. Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 1/25.
• 2 Turkey Vultures (FOY), Cook’s Corner, Brunswick, 1/25.
• 1 female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, Anniversary Park, Auburn, 1/26.
• 1 Northern Shrike, Highland Road, Brunswick, 1/28

This Week in Finches, at least for the sake of continuing to organize mostly negative data, with the exception of another wave of Pine Grosbeaks hitting the immediate area:

• EVENING GROSBEAK: 0
• Red Crossbill: 6-8 continue on Merrill Road in Pownal.
• WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL: 0
• PINE GROSBEAK: 3-5 near-daily at the store through week’s end; 3(Route One, Brunswick, 1/25); 2 (Route One/Pleasant Street, Brunswick, 1/25); 25+ (Maine Street, Brunswick, 1/29), 16 (Topsham Fair Mall, Topsham, 1/29).
• Purple Finch High Count This Week: 0
• Common Redpoll High Count This Week: 0
• Pine Siskin High Count This Week:  0