Monthly Archives: November 2022

This Week’s Highlights: November 19 – November 25, 2022

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I had a nice photo session with the late-season shorebirds at Biddeford Pool Beach on the 22nd, including this Dunlin – one of 54 present that day.

With the colder weather, we’re starting to see “late/lingering” migrants concentrating at the coast, and a smattering of rarities around the state. My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

  •  1 Red Crossbill, Highland Road, Brunswick, 11/19 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 2 Rusty Blackbirds, our feeder in Durham, 11/19.
  • 391 Ruddy Ducks, 1 White-winged Scoter, 150 distant scaup, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 11/21 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, 1 Field Sparrow, 2 Wood Ducks, etc, Saco Riverwalk, 11/22.
  • 1 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, South Point Preserve, Biddeford Pool, 11/22.
  • 1 Gray Catbird, 1 Chipping Sparrow, 1 Black-bellied Plover, 2 Ruddy Turnstones, etc, etc, Biddeford Pool environs, 11/22.
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, here at the store, 11/23.
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Wolfe’s Neck Center, 11/25.

This Week’s Highlights: November 11 – November 18, 2022

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I found this presumptive BLACK-HEADED X RING-BILLED GULL HYBRID along Greely Road in Cumberland during steady rain in the late morning of the 13th. It looks very similar to the individual of this hybrid pair that wintered on the Falmouth waterfront for at least two years, 2019-20, and 2020-21. Could it be the same bird with a little more black on the head due to the earlier date?

Rarity season is upon us, but most of my birding this week was in and around our yard. Not that that wasn’t extremely enjoyable though!  A few forays afield did not produce those hoped-for November “Megas,” but I did see a few things of note over the past eight days including:

  • Evening Grosbeaks have been present daily at our feeders in Durham all week. 7 on 11/11 peaked at 32 on 11/12 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Lapland Longspur (FOF), over our yard in Durham, 11/11.
  • 1 RUSTY BLACKBIRD, our feeders in Durham, 11/12 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 first-winter Iceland Gull (FOF), Thornhurst Farm, 11/13.
  • 1 PUTATIVE BLACK-HEADED X RING-BILLED GULL HYBIRD, Greely Road, Cumberland, 11/13. First distant observation in driving rain suggested a much, much darker head and mantle, but finally relocated closer to the road. Joined by Nick Lund and Reed and Laura Robinson. 
  • Red Crossbills have been regular fly-overs in our Durham yard this week, but 10 were feeding on Eastern Hemlocks on 11/17.
  • 3 continuing CANVASBACKS, 398 Ruddy Ducks, 320 mixed scaup (too far to reliably sort through, 1 Evening Grosbeak, 1 Winter Wren, etc, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 11/17.

This Week’s Highlights: October 29 – November 4, 2022

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Evening Grosbeaks are predicted to head south in good numbers this fall and winter, and the first indications of that are appearing locally. Here’s one of the 8 that arrived at our
Durham feeders on the morning of the 3rd.

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

  • 2 Rusty Blackbirds, Wolfe’s Neck Center, 10/29 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 4+ Red Crossbills and 1 Eastern Phoebe, Morgan Meadow WMA, 10/31 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow (FOF), 1 Semipalmated Plover, etc, Reid State Park, Georgetown, 11/1 (with Jeannette).
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 11/2: 154 individuals of 18 species in what was likely my last visit of the season. Complete count here.
  • Sabattus Pond, 11/3 (with Dan Nickerson): 469 Ruddy Ducks, 79 Greater Scaup, 55 Lesser Scaup, 2 Common Goldeneyes (FOF), etc.
  • 8 EVENING GROSBEAKS, our feeders in Durham, 11/3 (first of fall locally; photo above).