December 19, 2025 8:23 pm
These tarrying drake Green-winged Teal were snoozing in the Mallard flock along the Auburn Riverwalk on the 16th (above) and at Mill Creek Cove in South Portland on the 18th (below). I don’t like to disturb birds, so I have lots of sleeping duck photos! I enjoy the calmness of it, and one can really take in the intricacies of the rest of the plumage that way.
A frigid start to the week yielded to a warming trend by week’s end. Will we see a “stirring of the pot” with the warm-up and upcoming storm system? My observations of note from the past seven days included concentrating waterfowl and a brutal, but productive day on the Southern York County CBC. Here are the highlights:
2,168 individuals of 54 species, led by 440 Mallards, 272 Canada Geese, and 258 European Starlings. Landbirds – especially resident “yard birds” – and oceanfront waterbirds were insanely low, even given challenges of a bitter cold day with strong winds. Almost all landbirds besides starlings, Rock Pigeon, House Sparrow, and Song Sparrow were very low for us. Exceptions include a very high count of 23 Yellow-rumped Warblers (Ogunquit Beach dunes) and a total of 28 Horned Larks. Nonetheless, our roster of notable birds was above recent average, with highlights including:
_2_ ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS (been a long time for us in this territory! Only 2nd time there was been more than on on this CBC!) one dark morph (probable immature) and 1 light morph immature, both seen soaring and hunting late in the afternoon from the north end of the Footbridge parking lot. Dark-morph spotted around 2:30pm, and seen again at about 3:30pm when the light morph appeared. We lost the dark morph, but the light bird eventually glided overhead and disappeared over the treeline, heading south.
1 KILLDEER, Ogunquit River Marsh from Bourne Ave
2 hen and 1 drake NORTHERN PINTAIL, Ogunquit Rivermouth
2+ Red Crossbills, flying over Bourne Ave.
1 Savannah Sparrow, Furbish Ave.
13 Sanderlings, Ogunquit Beach.
This hen Green-winged Teal, her plumage no less detailed and intricate than the male’s, was also dozing at Mill Creek Cove on the 18th. She woke up and took a swim though!
Posted by Derek
Categories: Birding in Maine, Week Reports
Tags: "Birds, Auburn, Auburn Riverwalk, Barrow's Goldeneye, Birding, Broad Cove Preserve, Green-winged Teal, Killdeer, Maine, Mill Creek Cove, Moody, Moody Marsh, Northern Pintail, Ogunquit River, Rough-legged Hawk, South Portland, Southern York County CBC
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What a fantastic week of birding! I always love reading your detailed reports—they make me feel like I’m right there with you, especially the excitement of spotting those Rough-legged Hawks on the CBC after so long. The contrast between the “brutal” conditions and the great finds, like the Barrow’s Goldeneye and the lingering Green-winged Teal, really captures the rewarding persistence of winter birding.
Your note about the calmness of photographing sleeping ducks to appreciate plumage details is such a great point. For a beginner trying to learn waterfowl in winter, besides looking for those sleeping birds, what are one or two other key behaviors or field marks you’d recommend focusing on first to tell similar species apart in these mixed flocks?
By Cristine Portland on January 19, 2026 at 8:04 am
Thank you for the note, Christine, and for your kind words. I am glad you are getting enjoyment from my ramblings! As for waterfowl, the best way to learn is on our upcoming Waterfowl Workshop! Or our wintertime Saturday Morning Birdwalks. Otherwise, start with diving ducks vs dabbling ducks and then break it down into families first. That will get you started.
By Derek on January 20, 2026 at 6:27 pm