Daily Archives: January 18, 2024

Recent Highlights, 1/13 – 1/18/2024

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The long-staying hen American Wigeon offered a good, close study as part of the Winter Waterbird Workshop with Down East Adventures tour that I conducted on the 14th.

While I didn’t get as far afield as last week, I enjoyed a productive six days of birding, especially for early January!  Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.

  • Our feeders in Durham have been incredible, led by a growing flock of Dark-eyed Juncos that peaked at 41 on 1/8 and 40+ continuing American Goldfinches. There was a big movement of sparrows after the weekend snow storm, with flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows common and widespread in the area, along with an increase in American Tree Sparrows. During Tuesday’s snowfall, a careful inventory during the snowfall on the 16th yielded 127 individuals of 16 species, led by 41 American Goldfinches and 37 Dark-eyed Juncos.
  • At least one Turkey Vulture still continues in the I-295 corridor between Cumberland and Freeport.
  • 1 DOVEKIE, Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, 1/13. Patch Bird #198!  Healthy fly-by apparently turning around upon seeing the bridge, then turning northeast and following the Cousin’s Island shoreline. I lost it in the fog, but presumably rounding the island to return to sea. A Black Guillemot to the south of the bridge was one of my few ever from this location.
  • 1 continuing female American Wigeon, York Duck Pond (Abbott’s Pond), York, 1/14 (with Down East Adventures Winter Waterbirds Workshop tour group).
  • Small number of Red Crossbills, Bear Mountain, Hartford, 1/15 (with Jeannette). Mostly single fly-overs and one small heard-only group, so quantification was impossible.
  • 128 mixed Scaup (about 60-70% Lesser), Lake Auburn, Auburn, 1/15 (with Jeannette).
  • 3 drake and 1 hen BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Winslow Park, Freeport, 1/18.

UPCOMING TOURS.