Monthly Archives: December 2024

This Week’s Highlights, 12/21– 12/28/2024

Leave a reply

With temperatures in the single digits, this Carolina Wren seemed to be questioning the concept of range expansion in Cape Elizabeth in the early morning on the 22nd.

With the final days of the holiday shopping season and a couple of days out of state for Christmas, my birding was rather limited this week. I did have several productive mornings, however with seasonal observations of note.

  • 1 Fox Sparrow appeared/re-appeared at the store’s feeders on 12/21 and continued through at least 12/23. One also returned/arrived at our feeders in Durham on 12/23.
  • Although far from rare, a Red-necked Grebe was a highlight for me during our Saturday Morning Birdwalk on 12/21 as it fed close by within the marina at the South Freeport Town Wharf, offering exceptional views.
  • While Swamp Sparrows aren’t all that rare along the south coast this time of year, 4 at Village Crossings/Cape Elizabeth Green Belt Trail on 12/22 was of note. And speaking of things that are not all that rare around here in December anymore, a Hermit Thrush and Northern Flicker were also present.
  • 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, Sebago Lake State Park, 12/23 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Auburn, 12/27.
  • 36 Horned Larks, Upper Street, Turner, 12/27.
  • Yup, still scattered Turkey Vultures around, with at least two regular in the I-295 corridor here in Freeport.

This Week’s Highlights, 12/14– 12/20/2024

Leave a reply
Is mid-December even winter anymore? Do these Red-winged Blackbirds that we found during the Southern York County CBC on 12/16 count as “late,” “lingering,” or “pioneering?”

With the exception of the Southern York County CBC on Monday the 16th, my birding this week was limited to short early morning outings. Nonetheless, I had some good seasonal observations of note.

  • 1 Fox Sparrow continued at the feeders here at the store through the 15th.
  • 1 Swamp Sparrow, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 12/14 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • Southern York County CBC, 12/16: “Moody” Sector with Jeannette. 2437 individuals of 62 species, led by 189 Herring Gulls, 182 Mallards, and 177 Rock Pigeons. Other high counts included 126 House Finches and 46 American Tree Sparrows. Particularly low counts for our section included only 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler and only 8 Great Black-backed Gulls. Highlights included: 5 NORTHERN PINTAIL, 4 Red-winged Blackbirds, 1 Savannah Sparrow, and 1 Green-winged Teal. But overall, it was just a really birdy day for us in our usually fun and productive section.
  • 1 drake and 2 hen BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Winslow Park, Freeport, 12/18.
  • 1 Fox Sparrow, our feeders in Durham, 12/19.
  • 1 female NORTHERN PINTAIL, Cedar Pond Road, Durham, 12/19.
  • 2 continuing NORTHERN SHOVELERS (1 immature male, 1 hen), about 15-20 scaup (both present, mostly Lesser, but just too far to be sure of proportion), 5 Dunlin, etc, Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, 12/20.
  • Plenty of Northern Flickers and Turkey Vultures continue around the area this week.

This Week’s Highlights, 12/7– 12/13/2024

Leave a reply
One of three Fox Sparrows that appeared last week at the store and continued into this week,
with one present through week’s end.

It was one of those weeks with lots to do, and therefore I didn’t get out as much as usual, as if often the case in the buys holiday shopping season. Nonetheless, when I was out (or inside watching feeders), there was plenty of good birding to be had. “Late/lingering” species continue to dominate the news.

  • 3 Fox Sparrows continued at the feeders here at the store through 12/8, with a single bird continuing through week’s end.
  • 1 drake and 1 hen Barrow’s Goldeneye, Winslow Park, Freeport, 12/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group). Early compared to recent years here.
  • 1 Wilson’s Snipe and 1 American Wigeon, Moody Marsh, Ogunquit/Wells, 12/8.
  • 1 immature Red-shouldered Hawk, 1 Northern Flicker, and 1 Swamp Sparrow, Community Park, Wells, 12/8.
  • 1 Fox Sparrow, our feeders in Durham, 12/10-12.
  • 1 FISH CROW (my first inland Dec/winter record), Auburn Riverwalk, 12/13.
  • 1 drake Green-winged Teal, North River Road Boat Launch, Auburn, 12/13.
  • 1 GRAY CATBIRD, 2 Hermit Thrushes, and 2 Fox Sparrows, North River Road, Auburn, 12/13.
  • Snow Buntings and Horned Larks were encountered in a bunch of locales this week, and Turkey Vultures are clearly no longer rare in early to mid December in southern Maine!

This Week’s Highlights, 11/30– 12/6/2024

Leave a reply
There were very few birds along the Stud Mill Road east of Old Town on the 4th, but happily, one of them was this Northern Shrike.

A wintery week produced a very wintery slate of highlights, thanks in part to our trip north on our annual last-weekend-before-store-chaos overnight in Bangor. A push of facultative migrants with the arrival of snowcover was very evident this week as well. Here are my observations of note over the past 7 days:

  • 1 adult male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Broad Cove Preserve, Cumberland, 11/30 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 192 Ruddy Ducks, 40 Green-winged Teal, 2 American Wigeon, 1 Northern Pintail, 1 Northern Flicker, 2 Belted Kingfishers, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 12/1. A distant raft may have been scaup.
  • 1 female Red-winged Blackbirds, feeders here at the store, 12/1.
  • 1 Merlin, Wyman Road, Benton, 12/2 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Double-crested Cormorant, Shamut Dam, Benton, 12/2 (with Jeannette).
  • 1+ Lapland Longspur, 86 Horned Larks, and 24+ Snow Buntings, River Road, Benton, 12/2 (with Jeannette). Another distant flock of 75+ Snow Buntings appeared to contain several more Lapland Longspurs.
  • 1 female Greater Scaup, Sebasticook Lake, Newport, 12/2 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye (FOS), Stillwater River at University of Maine-Orono, 12/2 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 Canada Jays and 2 Evening Grosbeaks, Sunkhaze NWR, 12/3 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Northern Shrike, Stud Mill Road, Penobscot County, 12/3 (with Jeannette).
  • Amazingly devoid of birds, 5 hours of birding Sunkhaze-Stud Mill (walking trails plus driving) yielded only 9 species. The only finch were the two grosbeaks, and not surprisingly, the cone crop of spruce, fir, and Eastern White Pine was non-existent. 
  • 2 female Red-winged Blackbirds, our feeders in Durham, 12/4.
  • 3 Fox Sparrows, feeders at the store on 12/3 and continued through the end of the week. Jayden had 2 on Monday the 2nd here, with the third arriving the next day.
  • 20 Snow Buntings, Hunter Road Fields, Freeport, 12/5.
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Saco Riverwalk, 12/6.