Lingering winter birds and arriving spring migrants. Here are my highlights over the past seven days:
- 1 Red-winged Blackbird (FOY), feeders here at the store, 3/6. Small flocks around the area by week’s end.
- 1 drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, River Road, Benton, 3/8 (with Jeannette).
- 1 light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and 10 Horned Larks, Wyman Road, Benton, 3/8 (with Jeannette).
- 1 Northern Shrike, Sunkhaze Meadows NWR, 3/9 (with Jeannette).
- 3 continuing WILSON’S SNIPE, U of Maine-Orono Steam Plant, 3/9 (with Jeannette).
- 1 Common Grackle (FOY), Veazie, 3/9 (with Jeannette…sure didn’t expect my FOY in Penobscot County, but numbers increased in southern Maine by week’s end).
- 1 Killdeer (FOY), Highland Road, Brunswick, 3/11.
- 2 Lesser Scaup, Mill Creek Cove, South Portland, 3/12.
- 4 Brown-headed Cowbirds (FOY), feeders here at the store, 3/12.
This Week in Finches:
- EVENING GROSBEAK: 0
- Red Crossbill: 9 (Type 10 fide Matt Young at FiRN, Viles Arboreteum, Augusta, 3/8 with Jeannette).
- WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL:
- PINE GROSBEAK: 1 (Viles Arboretum, Augusta, 3/8 with Jeannette).
- Purple Finch High Count This Week: 0
- Common Redpoll High Count This Week: 7 (continuing at Back Cove, Portland, 3/7 with Ian Doherty and Ilsa Tucker).
- HOARY REDPOLL: 1 (continuing at Back Cove, Portland, 3/7 with Ian Doherty and Ilsa Tucker).
- Pine Siskin High Count This Week: 1 (Cumberland Town Landing, 3/7).
Maine Birding Field Notes 
Hi, Derek,
I’m glad you saw the Rough-legged Hawk in Benton. I was hoping someone else would see it. It’s the first one I’ve seen in the area this winter. The Barrow’s Goldeneyes have been tricky this winter. There have been as many as 4 males and 1 female below the Shawmut dam in Benton/Fairfield this winter, but some days they’re impossible to find. An immature Great Cormorant spent much of the winter in the area, as well.