Category Archives: Week Reports

This Week’s Highlights, 2/15 – 2/21/2025

2 Replies
The waterfowl concentration in the open stretch of river between downtown Lewiston and Auburn continues to grow. On Thursday, Dan Nickerson and I had over 1700 ducks of 9 species, most of which were here, off of the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge.

Most of my birding time this week was spent driving to and from Montreal to not see a Boreal Owl on Monday and Tuesday, but away from that sojourn, my observations of note over the past seven days still included the following:

  • The single Fox Sparrows continue here at the store and at our feeders at home in Durham.
  • Speaking of feeder birds, last weekend, I posted a blog comparing feeder bird counts at our home in Durham to roughly the same ten-day period over the past two years. You can find that here:
Winter Feeder Bird Comparison, 2025 Edition.
  • At least 2 Turkey Vultures continue in the Cumberland-Freeport corridor of I-295.
  • 3+ Horned Larks, Hemand Farm, Minot, 2/17 (with Jeannette).
  • The stretch of Androscoggin River in downtown Auburn and Lewiston continues to be exceptionally productive. Another uptick in waterfowl this week was evident, with at least 1500 Mallards now just downriver of the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge. There, on 2/20, Dan Nickerson and I teased out a drake GREEN-WINGED TEAL and 3 female Greater Scaup. A hen Bufflehead continues as well. Then, upriver at the Auburn Riverwalk, a second GREEN-WINGED TEAL (likely the continuing bird present since at least 1/30 and a drake WOOD DUCK, present in the area since at least 1/13 and at this location since 1/30.
  • 1 Hermit Thrush, North River Road, Auburn, 2/20 (with Dan Nickerson).

Upcoming Tours:

1. Birds on Tap – Roadtrip “Harlequins and Hops!” scheduled for 2/2 was postponed until this Sunday, February 23rd. A few spaces are still open for the new date, and the weather looks great!

This Week’s Highlights, 2/8 – 2/14/2025

Leave a reply

Present for several years at Timber Point in Biddeford, this stunning RED-SHOULDERED X RED-TAILED HAWK HYBRID is often seen soaring or in the distance, at least during my infrequent visits here. Bill Thompson and I went to look for it on the 11th, and were treated to a great show from it!

Another cold and wintery week with a continuing active weather pattern limited time in the field for me, but the feeder-watching was great. I’ll have a blog about it in the coming days. But for now, here are my observations of note over the past seven days:

  • The single Fox Sparrows continue here at the store (since 12/21) and at our feeders at home in Durham since early December. Both were frequent at the feeders this week as snow piled up.
  • At least 2 Turkey Vultures continue in the Cumberland-Freeport corridor of I-295.
  • 1 female American Wigeon, Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/8 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Hermit Thrush and 8 Sanderlings, etc, Reid State Park, Georgetown, 2/10 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Hermit Thrush, 4 Horned Larks, 1 Northern Harrier, 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 4 locally-surprisingly-rare Harlequin Ducks, Biddeford Pool, 2/11 (with Bill Thompson).
  • 1 continuing (for several years) RED-SHOULDERED X RED-TAILED HAWK HYBRID, Timber Point, Biddeford, 2/11 (with Bill Thompson). Photos above. This was my best photo session and quality time with the bird over the years, allowing for detailed study and extensive photographs, especially by Bill. See phone-scoped photos above. This really rare bird is quite gorgeous. The RSHA-like banded tail has an orange-red wash in the white stripes on the uppersides while the underside has as diffuse, partial RSHA pattern. The underparts have a dull orange blush and/or fine barring (strongest on the underwing) like RSHA, with a diffuse RTHA’s belly band. The head and bill size and shape seemed more RSHA-like, and the powered flight was very much like a RSHA. Such a cool bird!
  • 1 THICK-BILLED MURRE, Fortunes Rocks Beach, Biddeford, 2/11 (with Bill Thompson). His photo:

Upcoming Tours:

1. Due to the weekend’s forecast, the Gull ID Workshop has been cancelled.

2. Our Birds on Tap – Roadtrip “Harlequins and Hops!” scheduled for 2/2 was postponed until Sunday, February 23rd. A handful of spaces are now open for the new date.

This Week’s Highlights, 2/1 – 2/8/2025

Leave a reply
This Greater White-fronted Goose has been making the rounds in Greater Portland this winter, most recently hanging out along Shoreline Drive in Falmouth, where I stopped by to visit it on the 2nd.

It sure feels and looks like winter out there now, but there are still quite a few “lingering” species to add to our usual winter mix. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days:

  • The GRAY CATBIRD that has been at our feeders since January 2nd was last seen on February 2nd. Hopefully it has just moved on as Winterberry and other fruits in and around our property have been exhausted.
  • 1 Fox Sparrow (continuing since early December) continue at our feeders in Durham.
  • 1 Fox Sparrow (since 12/21) continues here at the store through week’s end as well.
  • 1-2 Turkey Vultures continue in the Cumberland-Freeport corridor of I-295.
  • 10 Greater Scaup, Falmouth Town Landing, 2/2.
  • 1-2 Swamp Sparrows, Tidewater Preserve, Falmouth, 2/2.
  • 1 continuing GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Shoreline Drive, Falmouth, 2/2. Refound at this location by Lauren diBaccari and Alex Lamoreaux on 1/30.
  • 1 drake Barrow’s Goldeneye and 45 Dunlin, Back Cove, Portland, 2/7.
  • 4 Greater Scaup, Eastern Promenade, Portland, 2/7.
  • 1 drake Green-winged Teal, Mill Creek Cove, South Portland, 2/7.

Upcoming Tours

1.Winter Waterbirds Workshop with Down East Adventures: THIS SUNDAY, February 9 POSTPONED. New date TBA.

2. Gull Identification Workshop: Freeport, Saturday, February 15, 2025 (1:00-4:00pm) and Part II in Portland: Sunday, February 16, 2025 (8:00am-12:00pm).

3. Our Birds on Tap – Roadtrip “Harlequins and Hops!” scheduled FOR 2/2 was postponed due to the dangerously cold weather until Sunday, February 23rd. A handful of spaces are now open for the new date.

This Week’s Highlights, 1/28-1/31/2025

Leave a reply
This handsome drake Green-winged Teal was with a relatively small flock of Mallards
along the Auburn Riverwalk on the 30th.

We returned from our winter vacation late Monday night, and most of the week was spent catching up. But of course, I needed to catch up on some local birds as well. Not surprisingly, waterfowl continue to concentrate with the growth of ice cover on rivers and sheltered upper corners of the bay. Here are a few observations of note over the past 4 days.

  • 1 GRAY CATBIRD (continuing since 1/2) and 1 Fox Sparrow (continuing since early December) continue at our feeders in Durham.
  • 1 Fox Sparrow (since 12/21) continues sporadically at the feeders here at the store, but has become more regular in the latter half of this week.
  • 1 drake WOOD DUCK, Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Lewiston/Auburn, 1/30 (likely same bird as Jeannette and I found at the North River Road Boat Launch on 1/13).
  • 1 continuing drake RING-NECKED DUCK, Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Lewiston/Auburn, 1/30. First observed at the Lincoln Street Riverfront Park on 1/14.
  • 1 hen WOOD DUCK, Anniversary Park, Auburn, 1/30.
  • 1 drake Green-winged Teal, Auburn Riverwalk, 1/30/2025
  • The Winslow Park Barrow’s Goldeneye flock increased to 8 by 1/31 with 4 females, 3 males, and 1 immature male.
  • 1 female COMMON EIDER spp BOREALIS, Winslow Park, Freeport, 1/31.
  • Still some Turkey Vultures in the area, despite the severe cold spells.

Upcoming Tours

1. Our Birds on Tap – Roadtrip “Harlequins and Hops!” scheduled for this Sunday, 2/2 has been postponed due to the dangerous cold weather until Sunday, February 23rd.

2. Winter Waterbirds Workshop with Down East Adventures: Sunday, February 9.

3. Gull Identification Workshop: Freeport, Saturday, February 15, 2025 (1:00-4:00pm) and Part II in Portland: Sunday, February 16, 2025 (8:00am-12:00pm).

This Week’s Highlights, 1/11 to 1/17/2025

2 Replies
Nothing can brighten up a cold, gray winter’s day like a drake Wood Duck! This hardy drake was toughing it out amongst the Mallards at the North River Road Boat Launch in Auburn on the 13th.

“Lingering” seasonal rarities and concentrating waterfowl with the growth of river and lake ice this week produced some great mid-January birds despite limited dedicated birding outings.

  • The Fox Sparrow continues at the store since 12/21, but has been very sporadic this week.
  • 1 GRAY CATBIRD and 1 Fox Sparrow continue at our feeders in Durham through week’s end.
  • At least two Turkey Vultures continued in the I-295 corridor between Brunswick and Cumberland, and scattered others continue in the area as well.
  • 4 BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Winslow Park, Freeport, 1/11 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 2 Swamp Sparrows, 1 Hermit Thrush, and 1 Northern Flicker, Village Crossings/Cape Elizabeth Greenbelt Trail, Cape Elizabeth, 1/12.
  • 1 drake WOOD DUCK, North River Road Boat Launch, Auburn, 1/13 (with Jeannette). Photo above.
  • 1 drake Ring-necked Duck, Lincoln Street Riverfront park, Lewiston, 1/14.
  • 2 Northern Flickers, Cedar Pond Road, Durham, 1/16.
  • 1 Rough-legged Hawk, Portland Jetport, 1/17.

Upcoming Tours

  1. Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! “Harlequins and Hops” Sunday, February 2nd: https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/birds-on-tap

2. Winter Waterbirds Workshop with Down East Adventures: Sunday, February 9: https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/downeast-adventures-tours

3. Gull Identification Workshop: Freeport, Saturday, February 15, 2025 (1:00-4:00pm) and Part II in Portland: Sunday, February 16, 2025 (8:00am-12:00pm). https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/workshops-and-programs

This Week’s Highlights, 1/4 to 1/10/2025

Leave a reply
This spiffy adult Red-shouldered Hawk in Freeport on the 10th was a nice finale to a pleasant
morning of birding with a friend.

Well, that was one windy and bitterly cold week, wasn’t it? Strong winds most days precluded productive birding, or at the very least, precluded motivation to do much birding!  Feeder-watching was the name of the game on many mornings for me, but despite the cold, “half-hardies” dominated the highlights for me, and for most birders around the state. Lighter winds on Saturday and Friday, relatively speaking, allowed for some much more enjoyable and productive birding.

  • Single Fox Sparrows continued through week’s end at our feeders both at home in Durham and here at the store.
  • 2 Turkey Vultures continued in the I-295 corridor between Brunswick and Cumberland into the New Year, and scattered others continue in the area.
  • There was a nice influx of American Robins into the area this week, with some large flocks arriving. Single-flock high count of 138 over the Yarmouth Town Landing on 1/4 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group). Keep an eye out for vagrants among them!
  • 1 GRAY CATBIRD, continued from last week at our feeders in Durham through week’s end.
  • 1 drake Barrow’s Goldeneye, Broad Cove Preserve, Cumberland, 1/4 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Northern Flicker, McGraw Park, Lewiston, 1/5.
  • 1 female Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bull Rock Road Boat Launch, West Bath, 1/10 (with Dan Nickerson).
  • 1 continuing female Northern Pintail, Maine Street Pump Station, Brunswick, 1/10 (with Dan Nickerson).
  • 1 adult Red-shouldered Hawk, Murch Road, Freeport, 1/10 (with Dan Nickerson). Photo above.

2025 Tours

Most of our tours and workshops for 2025 are now posted and accepting registration. Several others will be available by the end of next week.

Upcoming Tours

1.Winter Waterbirds Workshop with Down East Adventures: Sunday, February 9: https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/downeast-adventures-tours

2. Gull Identification Workshop: Freeport, Saturday, February 15, 2025 (1:00-4:00pm) and Part II in Portland: Sunday, February 16, 2025 (8:00am-12:00pm): https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/workshops-and-programs

This Week’s Highlights, 12/28/2024 to 1/3/2025

Leave a reply
This cooperative hen Northern Pintail was one of the number of “late” dabblers that I encountered this week.

Far from the winter doldrums, a productive week of birding -especially at feeders – produced the following observations of note:

  • Single Fox Sparrows continued through week’s end at our feeders both at home in Durham and here at the store.
  • 2 Turkey Vultures continued in the I-295 corridor between Brunswick and Cumberland into the New Year.
  • We tallied 16 species of waterfowl, highlighted by an impressive-for-the-date 5 species of dabbler (inc 1 continuing GADWALL, 1 Northern Pintail, and 3 Green-winged Teals), all in Brunswick during our Saturday Morning Birdwalk on 12/28. Details and locations here.
  • 1 Swamp Sparrow, Lower Mast Landing Road and 2 Northern Flickers, Tidal Brook Preserve, Freeport, 12/29 during about 3 hours of coverage for the Freeport-Brunswick CBC.
  • 10 Green-winged Teal, 12 Horned Larks, etc, Webhannet Marsh, Wells, 12/31.
  • 1 pair American Wigeon, MacDougal Park, Rockland, 1/1 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 GRAY CATBIRD, our feeders in Durham, 1/2. A fascinating time for it to show up. Presumably, it was pioneering locally and perhaps consumed the rest of a food source (like a cluster of Winterberry) and had to wander to find sustenance. It continues through the 3rd, eating jelly, suet, and nuts. The significant tail molt might be part of the reason it’s still around.

Annual Prediction Blog Now Posted.

And finally this week, it’s that time again: my annual Predictions blog where I look back at the Mega Rarities of 2024 and make my usual Top 25 predictions for the next species to be added to Maine’s list, and my own.

2025 Next Maine Birds Predictions Blog

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!