With the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch underway, not surprisingly, just about all of my time was spent up there, getting our new counter up to speed and prepared for the flights to come. My observations of note over the past seven days included:
Good pulse of American Robins, Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles into the area this week.
4 Fox Sparrows (FOY), our yard in Pownal, 3/14. At least 3 continued through week’s end.
2 Red-shouldered Hawks (FOS), Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 3/16.
2 Wood Ducks (FOY), Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 3/16.
3 Fox Sparrows, Runaround Pond Recreation Area, Durham, 3/18.
This Week in Finches. I guess the “return flight” of most species moved northward to our west so far.
Red Crossbill: 1, Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 3/16.
3 continuing WILSON’S SNIPE, U of Maine-Orono Steam Plant, 3/9 (with Jeannette).
1 Common Grackle (FOY), Veazie, 3/9 (with Jeannette…sure didn’t expect my FOY in Penobscot County, but numbers increased in southern Maine by week’s end).
1 Killdeer (FOY), Highland Road, Brunswick, 3/11.
2 Lesser Scaup, Mill Creek Cove, South Portland, 3/12.
4 Brown-headed Cowbirds (FOY), feeders here at the store, 3/12.
This Week in Finches:
EVENING GROSBEAK: 0
Red Crossbill: 9 (Type 10 fide Matt Young at FiRN, Viles Arboreteum, Augusta, 3/8 with Jeannette).
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL:
PINE GROSBEAK: 1 (Viles Arboretum, Augusta, 3/8 with Jeannette).
Purple Finch High Count This Week: 0
Common Redpoll High Count This Week: 7 (continuing at Back Cove, Portland, 3/7 with Ian Doherty and Ilsa Tucker).
HOARY REDPOLL: 1 (continuing at Back Cove, Portland, 3/7 with Ian Doherty and Ilsa Tucker).
Pine Siskin High Count This Week: 1 (Cumberland Town Landing, 3/7).
This putative BLACK-HEADED X RING-BILLED GULL HYBRID has returned for its second winter to the Falmouth Town Landing.
It was a very good week of birding for me! My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:
1 female KING EIDER, The Nubble, Cape Neddick, 2/14.
1 continuing pair Green-winged Teal, Abbott’s Pond, York, 2/14.
1 Northern Flicker, US Route 1, Kittery, 2/14.
1 Hermit Thrush, Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, 2/15.
175-200 distant scaup spp, Mere Point Boat Launch, Brunswick, 2/15.
26 Lesser Scaup and 420 Greater Scaup in careful count of birds closer than they have been, Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 2/15.
4 BARROW’S GOLDENEYES (2 pairs), Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/18 (with Beth Edmonds and Dan Nickerson; this is my highest count in three years here).
1 putative BLACK-HEADED X RING-BILLED GULL HYBRID, Falmouth Town Landing, 2/18 (with Beth Edmonds and Dan Nickerson). Was present in February of 2020; this was the first report for this winter that I am aware of. Video at: https://fb.watch/3KpP3olnTd/
This Week in Finches:
Red Crossbill: 15 (neighborhood behind Marginal Way, Ognuquit, 2/14).
This distantly phone-scoped image of a Thick-billed Murre at Winslow Park on the 7th was one of two of these sought-after winter pelagics that I saw this week. Despite being so far from open ocean, this was incredible my 3rd ever in the Lower Harraseeket River in South Freeport!
My observations of note over the past seven chilly days including the following:
1 THICK-BILLED MURRE and 1 female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE (first of winter in Harraseeket River, finally), Winslow Park, South Freeport, 2/7.
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 2/9 (with Jeannette).
The continuing REDWING, Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 2/11 – Although it was seen in its usual spot for much of the day, I had the bird fly over me at 3:25, about 2/3rds the way to the Machigonne Street entrance from Lucas Street. It landed in some taller trees in full sun, with a sizeable group of robins. When many of the robins took off, it joined them, flying just about tree level and exiting the park. It flew NNW over Congress Street, which I believe is roughly its behavior from the very first day. A Cooper’s Hawk passes through seconds later.
1 THICK-BILLED MURRE, Dyer Point, Cape Elizabeth, 2/12 (with Pat Moynahan).
This Week in Finches:
EVENING GROSBEAK: 0
Red Crossbill: 10 (Merrill Road, Pownal, 2/11).
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL: 32 Bailey Island, Harpswell, 2/9 (with Jeannette).
PINE GROSBEAK: 1 (Maine Street, Brunswick, 2/9; with Jeannette).
The bird of the week – and an early-contender for bird of the year – was this Redwing discovered at Capisic Pond Park in the afternoon of 1/29. My camera went in for repair this week, so my phone-scoped photos didn’t do this “mega” justice, so John Lorenc let me use his photo from the day.
With two mornings spent at Capisic Pond Park this week (REDWING, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, and 1 DICKCISSEL on 1/30 and “just” the REDWING on 2/1 with Phil McCormack), my other birding was rather limited. I think that’s OK though…because Redwing!
1 drake RING-NECKED DUCK, Anniversary Park, Auburn, 2/3.
1 THICK-BILLED MURRE, Cumberland Town Landing, 2/4.
2 continuing NORTHERN SHOVELERS and 200+ distant scaup, Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, 2/5.
1 drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE and 350-400 scaup (just a little too far to sort through accurately, but there is still a fair number of Lesser Scaup present), Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 2/5.
This Week in Finches, aka “This Week in Pine Grosbeaks:”
PINE GROSBEAK: 3 continued daily at the store through 1/31; 3 (Cumberland Town Landing, 2/4); 11 (downtown Brunswick, 2/5).
Meanwhile, we have just announced our 2021 tour slate, including several pelagic trips, two searches for “Troppy,” the Red-billed Tropicbird, and much more, here, on our revamped Tours page:
1 continuing RUDDY DUCK, 11 Lesser and 6 Greater Scaup (in close small group in flight) and 250+ distant scaup. I am sure the ratio of species in that close group of 17 does not reflect the makeup of the large group which will be mostly (at least) Greater. Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 1/25.
1 female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, Anniversary Park, Auburn, 1/26.
1 Northern Shrike, Highland Road, Brunswick, 1/28
This Week in Finches, at least for the sake of continuing to organize mostly negative data, with the exception of another wave of Pine Grosbeaks hitting the immediate area:
EVENING GROSBEAK: 0
Red Crossbill: 6-8 continue on Merrill Road in Pownal.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL: 0
PINE GROSBEAK: 3-5 near-daily at the store through week’s end; 3(Route One, Brunswick, 1/25); 2 (Route One/Pleasant Street, Brunswick, 1/25); 25+ (Maine Street, Brunswick, 1/29), 16 (Topsham Fair Mall, Topsham, 1/29).
Maine Birding Field Notes 