For the third week of April, this is not a very impressive report – especially in terms of new arrivals! However, we were in Boston for three days cheering on Jeannette in the Boston Marathon (she did great…Go Jeannette!) and well, now I have frozen shoulder. So, field time remains woefully limited. Nonetheless, I had some observations of note (in Maine) over the past seven days:
~40 Yellow-rumped Warblers (FOY), 40+ Palm Warblers, 8 Pine Warblers, etc, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/15 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
3 EVENING GROSBEAKS, our feeders in Durham, 4/19-20.
My other personal FOY’s this week also included:
2 Swamp Sparrows (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/15 (with Saturday Morning birdwalk group).
1 Pied-billed Grebe, Morgan Meadow WMA, 4/21
1 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Morgan Meadow WMA, 4/21.
1 Broad-winged Hawk, over I-295, Yarmouth, 4/21 (with Jeannette. Finally! I have really been missing spending time at the Brad!)
TOURS AND EVENTS:
Next weekend (April 29-30) is the 13th Annual Feathers Over Freeport that we sponsor with public and private partners at Bradbury Mountain and Wolfes Neck Woods State Parks. We have a full slate of events all day, each day once again, plus a Thursday night (4/27) kick-off presentation at Patagonia in Freeport!
Our first tour of the season, a roadtrip for work, lots of new arrivals, and more good feeder-watching, but the highlight of the week for me was the awesome congregation of Ring-necked Ducks at Corinna Marsh.
Evening Grosbeaks continued at our feeders in Durham, with 5 on 4/8 and 2 on 4/9.
Great performance by American Woodcocks (at least 5-6) including one landing in the open before dusk during our “Woodcocks Gone Wild!” Tour at Pineland Farms on 4/8.
1 Evening Grosbeak, Shawmut Dam, Fairfield, 4/10.
Incredible concentration of _576_ Ring-necked Ducks on the partially-open Corrina Marsh, Corrina, 4/10.
Personal first-of-years and new arrivals:
1 Brown Thrasher, our feeders in Durham, 4/8 (Yard Bird #126!)
Saturday Morning Birdwalks return tomorrow, 4/15! As always, meet at the store at 8:00am for a carpool to a local park.
Join us at Maine Beer Company on Wednesday, April 19th for their monthly Community Pizza Night to support Feathers Over Freeport! 20% of food sales between 4:00 and 8:00pm will be donated to the upcoming event. https://mainebeercompany.com/visit-us/calendar/community-pizza-night-5
Speaking of Feathers Over Freeport, Community Pizza Night at MBC is the first of two pre-event events leading up the fun-filled weekend. For a full schedule, see: http://www.maine.gov/feathersoverfreeport
Three Evening Grosbeaks at our feeders in Durham on the 3rd was a highlight this week; they were our first here this year.
It didn’t feel like it on most days this week, but spring was still in the air. My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:
3 male Evening Grosbeaks, our feeders in Durham, 4/3.
1 Pine Warbler (FOY), Brown’s Point Road, Bowdoinham, 4/4.
I enjoyed a fantastic visit to the Mouth of the Abby in Bowdoinham on 4/4. The tally:
1 drake “EURASIAN” GREEN-WINGED TEAL
1 drake “EURASIAN” X “AMERICAN” GREEN-WINGED TEAL HYBRID
269 American Black Ducks
264 Green-winged Teal
90 Canada Geese
28 Mallards
13 Wilson’s Snipe (FOY)
11 Common Mergansers
6 Ring-necked Ducks
4+ Mallard x American Black Duck hybrids
2 American Wigeon
2 Common Goldeneyes
2 Buffleheads
2 Lesser Scaup
1 pair NORTHERN SHOVELERS (FOY)
1 pair Blue-winged Teal (FOY)
1 Hermit Thrush (FOS), Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/5.
2 male Evening Grosbeaks, our feeders in Durham, 4/7.
Now that I am back in the field and at work a little more, my feeder-watching at home is just a little less frequent. However, as you can see above, we had some good visitors this week. For continued weekly updates, you can follow “Feeder Watching Friday” posts each Friday on our store’s Facebook page. This week was certainly interesting at the feeding station.
Tour Notes:
Our annual “Woodcocks Gone Wild!” trip at Pineland Farms was rescheduled to Saturday, 4/8 and we are a go. More info here.
Despite a few wintery days this week, spring is most definitely in the air. As I have finally seemed to have turned the corner with my dreadfully slow recovery, I am also getting out a lot more. Therefore, with more to report, and more changes week-to-week, I’ll try to get back into my old habit of weekly posts here.
Observations of note over the past seven days:
increasing number of blackbirds
first trickle of migrant sparrows
1 SNOW GOOSE, our property in Durham, 3/27.
increasing number and diversity of waterfowl inland.
1 Tree Swallow (FOY), Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 3/31.
Despite only getting out into the field twice this week, I enjoyed some good birding. For now, my birding remains primarily feeder- and yard-watching, but this week, it was more evenly split between our feeders at home in Durham and here at the store in Freeport. Blackbird flocks are officially “in” and several species of sparrows are on the move.
At home, Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds are now present daily, in varying numbers (between 4 and 56 and between 3 and 26, respectively), with one or two Brown-headed Cowbirds on most days. Similarly, at the store, small flocks of Common Grackles come and go, but 7 Red-winged Blackbirds are more consistent. One Brown-headed Cowbird made only one appearance here.
A Fox Sparrow that arrived last Friday departed on Tuesday night, and a second Song Sparrow arrived this week. Dark-eyed Juncos continue, with fewer by week’s end. However, a third White-throated Sparrow arrived on the 30th. Here at the store, four Song Sparrows continue, and 2 American Tree Sparrows arrived on the 26th– surprisingly our first two of the entire winter.
At both locations, breeding activity is heating up, too, with more territorial and courtship behaviors observed each day.
The yard highlight, however, was the Snow Goose – Yard Bird #125! -I spotted passing low over our yard on the 27th. While I didn’t technically see it from bed, I did get out of bed – where I was doing some of my physical therapy exercises to look at a large group of geese passing overhead. You may not be surprised to know that we have a pair of binoculars in every room, which is a good thing, as I was able to pull out the lone Snow from a flock of about 75 Canadas.
Speaking of binoculars, I need to take a moment to plug my Zeiss SFL 8×40’s. I fell in love with them when they came out last year, and I was very thankful for them when my shoulder was in pain. They’re just so incredibly lightweight, but I have found minimal tradeoff in brightness, color, etc. Since I am still a one-armed birder, they have been absolutely critical for my ability to look at birds when out and about now. Great balance combined with the light weight just makes them perfect for holding steady with one hand. I do need to rebuild my stamina, however, as there has been a lot of atrophy of field birding muscles over the last 2+ months!
Anyway, back to waterfowl….another highlight this week was the arrival of Wood Ducks in our backyard. A pair have been frequenting a vernal pool we can see from the house for the last few days, and Jeannette spotted them sitting in the trees just off of our porch on the 29th. Three more drakes are frequenting a pond across the street, where a pair of American Wigeon (my first of the spring) plopped in on the 30th).
Finally this week, I was able to get back up to the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch for a couple of hours on Friday. A few raptors were on the move (much less than we expected given the conditions), but I did pick up my first Eastern Phoebe and Tree Swallow of the year. Later that afternoon, another phoebe was staking out a territory around our house.
This adult male Sharp-shinned Hawk was our fourth individual “Sharpie” identified at our feeding station this winter.
With the dreadfully slow pace of recovery following shoulder surgery, my birding these past three weeks was once again mostly outside our windows here at our home in Durham. One unseasonably mild week was followed by a week of below normal temperatures and several snow events. Then, the period finished out with spring-like feel. It was fascinating to track the ebbs and flows of feeder activity with each change in the weather and the progression of the season.
Highlights over the last 3 weeks:
2 Red-winged Blackbirds (First of Year), our feeders in Durham, 2/23.
Continued Sharp-shinned Hawk saga at our feeders.
Scattered Turkey Vultures and more Red-winged Blackbirds returning the area in the second week of March.
1 hen Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Auburn/Lewiston, 3/7 (with Jeannette).
Compared to the previous weeks –which I summarized in my last blog – unseasonably mild weather and a rapidly diminishing snowpack, activity at the feeders here in Durham continued to decrease during the week of the 2/13. The mixed-species foraging flocks had mostly broken up already, so it became harder to tell how many of each resident are around. However, a female Red-breasted Nuthatch rejoined our overwintering male, and we do have at least 12 Black-capped Chickadees now. There still seems to be two pairs of Tufted Titmice, but they no longer tolerate each other’s company.
Eastern Bluebirds (down to a pair daily) and Northern Cardinals (down to two pairs) decreased, but there was a noticeable increase in Dark-eyed Juncos this week: I saw around 20 under the feeders on 2/19 (up from 10-16), but there were more in the bushes. We have a little “evening flight” where the juncos leave our yard and scrub, fly down our driveway, and across the street into woods with thicker evergreen cover to spend their winter nights. I counted 34 that day as they departed the feeders and the woods behind it. With more bare ground, a lot of our ground feeders (also including Mourning Doves) were not frequenting the feeders as much, as expected. We still had 5 American Tree Sparrows and 2 White-throated Sparrows, however, carrying over from last week.
Signs of spring were everywhere. I caught a pair of Mourning Doves copulation on the 19th, and I began to see daily Canada Goose flocks moving between the river and the opening nearby farm fields. Common Mergansers returned to the Androscoggin River across the street from our property the next day. Woodpeckers were drumming more this week, and birdsong noticeably increased.
Then came the snowfall on the 23rd, and the accumulation brought a renewed surge of activity to the feeders, and a return to winter. The highlight was my first two Red-winged Blackbirds of the year, adding more color to a birdy day. Northern Cardinals jumped back up to 7, American Tree Sparrows increased to 10, and a third White-throated Sparrow arrived. Mourning Doves increased to 24, Eastern Bluebirds were back up to 7, and 3 House Finches returned.
Other than the Red-wings, these are mostly local birds that had begun to spread out, but returned to the supplemental food with the fresh snowfall. There did seem to be a legitimate increase in Dark-eyed Juncos that week, however, which may have included some early migrants. Meanwhile, 30-40 American Goldfinches continued daily, although once again we were sans winter finches except for a single female Purple Finch on the 21st.
Now, with a return to some significantly cold temperatures and more rounds of snow, I expected feeder-watching to be excellent during the week after that first storm. And sure enough, three bitter cold mornings followed by two more bouts of snow resulted in increased feeder activity overall yet again.
We continued to see 16-20 species a day at the feeders, although the wintery week pumped the breaks on new arrivals. Last week’s Red-winged Blackbirds likely turned back around when the snow began to accumulate, for example. A small bump in daily counts of Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows could involve some northbound migrants, but probably more likely were local birds concentrating again as snow piled up. Our 3 White-throated Sparrows continued. There was a definite uptick in American Goldfinches, however, with a high count of 46 on the 28th.
We saw fewer Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals, and Blue Jays most days that week compared to weeks prior, likely as these birds start setting up territories and/or begin to disperse. Lots of Hairy Woodpecker drumming and Tufted Titmouse singing this week, too, despite the return to full-on winter weather. Our lone overwintering male Red-breasted Nuthatch has also become less frequent. Unfortunately, 2-5 European Starlings became more regular – come on Sharpie, help me out here!
On Saturday the 4th, 12.5 heavy, wet inches accumulated here in Durham, burying our brush pile once again. Not surprisingly, ground-feeders didn’t appreciate that very much, especially with the continuing Sharp-shinned Hawk activity. Two “Sharpies” were present this week (see below) both an adult male and the return of a sub-adult male. Our brush pile is critical -as it often is in open areas and following new construction – for birds’ safety, and when buried under snow, it didn’t have a lot of accessibility to hide.
On the 5th, for example, the subadult male was seen for the first time in a few weeks, and after just missing a Tufted Titmouse diving off the feeders, it perched conspicuously next to the brush pile for over an hour. The next day, the adult male was staking out the feeders during my prime feeder-watching time of the morning, dramatically reducing my day’s tallies once again. There were times this week when the only bird in view out the window was a Sharp-shinned Hawk!
As the weather improved and snow began to melt rapidly as the week went on, Dark-eyed Juncos and Northern Cardinals in particular returned to previous weeks’ highs, finding safety when necessary in the brush pile once again. American Tree Sparrows had decreased to only 2 by week’s end, however, this may reflect the season more than anything; tree sparrows are among our first birds to start heading back north. Overall though, daily averages were down, but when all was said and done, the week’s high counts were very similar to previous weeks for most species.
Eastern Bluebirds have been fewer this week, likely as birds begin to disperse to breeding territories. And I have officially lost control of counting the number of Black-capped Chickadees and Tufted Titmice that are now visiting as they come randomly now instead of as a tight-nit mixed species flock(s) as they do in the winter. Another sign of the season was the arrival of 5 male Red-winged Blackbirds this morning (3/10), our first here since one on 2/23. Now, it’s possible they are here to stay.
In addition to marked changes in the weather, daily activity and consumption ebbed and flowed with Sharp-shinned Hawk presence and activity as I mentioned above. I would say my most fascinating observations this constant feeder-watching vigil provided was the Accipiter drama. I am sure this is happening everywhere, all of the time, but my unusual observation duration and frequency offered the rare opportunity to study the predator presence.
The adult female that has been present most of the winter and has provided much of the said drama continued to be spotted in the yard through the end of February. However, much to my surprise, yet a different bird was present on a couple of days during the week of the 27th: a new adult male. This makes the fourth different Sharp-shined Hawk that we have hosted this winter. Then, during the snowstorm on the 4th, a poor view of a Sharpie strongly suggest the subadult male that I saw only one day about three weeks prior. The saga continues! That ID was confirmed the next day, and he was seen repeatedly for the rest of the week. The adult male was also spotted a few more times through at least the 6th.
A second-winter male Sharp-shinned Hawk also returned to the scene this week.
Meanwhile, at the store in Freeport, two Red-winged Blackbirds that first appeared on the 19th increased to 7 during the snow, and a second Song Sparrow joined our single overwintering individual that week.
I have started to spend some time at the store in my continued limited-capacity, enjoying the feeder activity there was well. I was treated to the most activity that we have had there in a while on the 3rd, for example. We need our local Cooper’s Hawk to return as the Rock Pigeon flock is building again. But unlike at home, Red-winged Blackbirds continued, with 2-3 still present from a high of 7. We had a surge of American Goldfinches (from only 2-4 for most of the last few weeks to 12+. Our single overwintering Song and White-throated Sparrows continue, and 4 Eastern Bluebirds are now regular. I also welcomed back to work that day by a flock of 12 Cedar Waxwings descending on our Highbush Cranberry in the yard – a most welcome visit from one of my favorite birds!
And yes, I got out for a little birding this week, finally, as Jeannette and I visiting Auburn’s Little Andy Park and the Riverwalk, catching up with a few continuing winter birds: 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye and 3 Iceland Gulls. And when I was out and about this week (mostly being driven to and from appointments!), the renewed presence of Turkey Vultures was readily apparent.
I will be out birding a little more next week, but based on my visit with my surgeon yesterday, it looks like I’ll be forced to focus on feeder-watching for a while longer. Stay tuned!
A remarkable bird for Maine, let alone in under-birded (away from Sabattus Pond anyway) Androscoggin County, I was privileged to be able to visit this Harris’s Sparrow on private property in Turner on the 13th, the day after we returned from vacation. It was most cooperative, being constantly in view for the 35 minutes I was there. Unfortunately, it was a dark and dreary morning, so my photos leave something to be desired!
A few observations of note over the past five days as I tried to squeeze in as much birding as I could before I undergo shoulder surgery included the following. Even if I missed the Livermore Falls Townsend’s Solitaire twice (darn it), it was a very productive week, headlined by my second Harris’s Sparrow in Maine (and one of my favorite sparrows, too!).
1 female Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Lewiston/Auburn, 1/13.
1 adult Iceland Gull, North River Road boat launch, Auburn, 1/13.
1 continuing HARRIS’S SPARROW (present since 1/11), private property in Turner, 1/13 (photo above).
1 Pine Grosbeak (first of season), Hillman Ferry Road, Livermore Falls, 1/13 (did not find the Townsend’s Solitaire that day, unfortunately).
2 drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, between Winslow Park and the Harraseekett Yacht Club, South Freeport, 1/14 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
8 Black-legged Kittiwakes, Short Sands Beach, York, 1/15 (with Down East Adventures Winter Waterbirds Workshop group).
1 adult Iceland Gull, The Nubble, York, 1/15 (with Down East Adventures Winter Waterbirds Workshop group).
Freeport Wild Bird Supply is very excited to partner with Down East Magazine’s Down East Adventures for our third year. In 2023, we are expanding our offerings to include two exclusive overnight trips, along with our popular ½- and whole-day targeted workshops. Focused on skill-builder rather than list-building, there will be plenty of “life birds,” but also more knowledge and education about birds, habitats, birding, and much more about the natural world.
The full list of upcoming tours can be found here. At the conclusion of each tour, I’ll post the trip report here.
Winter Waterbirds Workshop, January 15.
This Purple Sandpiper was about as cooperative as it gets for us at Sohier Park in York. Later, it was joined by its friends (photo below). This is really a lovely shorebird when viewed as well and as close as we experienced.
Extremely strong winds and very high seas presented a challenge as we sought out wintering waterbirds along the southern York County Coast. We worked hard to find sheltered water where we could observe birds well, but when we did find that secluded cove, peninsula lee, or rivermouth, we were treated to incredible looks at many of the birds we had hoped for.
We looked down on Red-breasted Mergansers at Perkin’s Cove, and you’ll never be closer to a Common Loon than we were at the Ogunquit Rivermouth. We checked a few more locations than I usually need to on this tour, but our most productive spot was the southern shoreline of Sohier Park at The Nubble. There, we were treated to close views of Black and White-winged Scoters, Harlequin Ducks, and a most-cooperative flock of Purple Sandpipers. We then ended the day at hidden Abbott’s Pond, where we enjoyed a break for the wind, close comparisons to study details between Mallards, American Black Ducks, and hybrids thereof.
Meanwhile, a group of 8 or so Black-legged Kittiwakes were feeding off of Short Sands Beach, and a stunning adult Iceland Gull passed by at The Nubble. Unfortunately, the seas were just a little too rough to find any alcids today, but we knew they were out there!
Spring Migrant Songbirds Workshop, May 14.
This stunning Blackburnian Warbler nicely demonstrated the value of blooming oak trees for seeing warblers in the middle of May.
Four hours later we had not left Evergreen Cemetery in Portland…a very good sign. There was just no need to move along, the birds kept coming to us. In the end we tallied a respectable 16 species of warblers, even though growing a list was not our goal. What made this workshop successful, however, was how well we saw just about all of the warblers and other songbird migrants throughout the morning.
Warblers were a highlight of course, including repeated quality time with favorites such as American Redstart and Black-and-white Warblers, the two most plentiful migrants this morning. We also enjoyed great looks at several Chestnut-sided Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, and Northern Parulas, with fantastic studies of Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow Warbler, and Wilson’s Warbler. We also saw two newly-arrived Tennessee Warblers which aren’t always easy to get looks at. There was a good amount of song this morning, so we had chances to listen and learn many of these species as well.
Shortly after hearing a Red-eyed Vireo and my describing it as “high up and often hard to see,” we found one in the lower branches of a nearby oak, and watched it sing, forage, and do all things vireo for almost 10 minutes! Likewise, after hearing distant Ovenbirds, we had two walking around right in front of us! Beginning with a view of a Veery on the ground in the open, we saw it again as the walk ended, only a few feet in front of us for another great view and chance to observe and study.
During the morning, we chatted about migration, habitat, and the process of building the necessary toolkit to build birding skills. Finishing the walk with a quick overview of some references (we had too many birds to leave much time for anything more), we recapped a very productive and instructive morning of spring birding.
Rangeley Birding Workshop, June 6-8.
Our first overnight tour together, the Rangeley Birding Workshop was based at Bald Mountain Camps in Oquossoc, nestled on the shore of Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Common Loons greeted us, but so did the rain. June of 2023 was one of the rainiest Junes on record in Maine, and we were very thankful for the wood stoves in each cabin!
Our first morning, 6/7, began at Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary, with lots of singing Blackburnian Warblers. A large flock of Red Crossbills flew over, two Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were heard clearly and then glimpsed, and a variety of common warblers were detected. A confiding pair of Canada Jays was the highlight – as they often are – but even the common warblers were tough to see today, so we focused on practicing our birding by ear skills.
Enjoying our delicious boxed lunches at the Rangeley Waterfront Park, with more Common Loons offshore, we delved into an impromptu gull workshop, using each age class of Ring-billed Gull as an introduction to molt, feather topography, and identification. A 3rd-cycle Herring Gull kindly dropped in for comparison as well. In inclement weather, we take advantage of whatever learning opportunities the birds are willing to provide!
After lunch, we poked around the Mingo Spring Birding Loop, with good looks at the likes of Least Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, and Dark-eyed Juncos among others. But as rain returned, we called it a day and settled in to dry out in front of our stoves instead of an afternoon of lake-watching from the BMC property. And dinner was absolutely delicious!
Day 2 began with a brief walk around the BMC property (American Redstart, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, etc) followed by a foray over to the famous birding destination of Boy Scout Road, looking to build on the identification toolkit we worked on the previous day. We parked half the cars at one end and then walked the length of the road, birding along the way. But it was rather quiet here too – the ongoing story of June 2023. We did have some more Red Crossbills, a fantastic view -finally – of a Blackburnian Warbler, several Alder Flycatchers, and once again more Canada Jays. But this time, it was a family group of a pair with 2 juveniles in tow!
And then it began to rain. Again. A lot. But I give this group credit – they soldiered on! Of course the rain began in earnest when we were as far from either set of cars as possible, so there wasn’t really a choice, but still, spirits remained high and the birding continued. A pair of Hooded Mergansers, a singing Palm Warbler, and a Spotted Sandpiper were among the last birds of the outing, before the water had penetrated our clothing and it was time to call it a day and hope for better conditions next year!
Shorebirds Workshop, August 10.
The best way to learn shorebirds is to see them in their preferred habitats, feeding, moving, and mixing with other species, such as these Short-billed Dowitchers (a sandpiper) and Semipalmated Plovers here at Hill’s Beach in Biddeford.
An absolutely perfect day of summer weather (finally!) greeted us for this annual favorite outing. And the only thing better than the weather this day was the birding! Recent insane rainfalls have led to very high water in many of our favored high-tide, upper-marsh locales, so we focused on tidal habitats including beaches and mudflats, altering our usual routine from the start.
Beginning in Biddeford Pool, we introduced shorebirds with several Spotted Sandpipers along Ocean Avenue before jumping into the mixed species flock on Biddeford Pool Beach on the outgoing tide. There we estimated over 1,250 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 200 Semipalmated Plovers as we learned the basics of shorebird (sandpiper vs. plover) identification and began to work our way up to teasing out a couple of White-rumped Sandpipers and Ruddy Turnstones from the masses. 2 Killdeer in flight overhead were our only two of the day.
Kicking off our shoes to spend the rest of the morning on the sandflats of Hill’s Beach, we compared a Piping Plover to the many (400+) Semipalmated Plovers and 30 Black-bellied Plovers. A single juvenile Least Sandpiper was out of place on the beach, but offered a perfect opportunity to closely study the differences in shape, size, and overall structure to the 150 or so Semipalmated Sandpipers that were scattered about. 59 Short-billed Dowitchers gave us the chance to really observe shape and feeding styles, practicing identifying these birds both near and far.
Over at The Pool, a distant “Western” Willet joined 7 “Eastern” Willets, as we advanced into subspecific identification just briefly before stopping for lunch as the tide began to roll in.
The afternoon was spent at Scarborough Marsh, where our first two stops offered little (other than a calling Greater Yellowlegs to at least practice our shorebirding by ear) due to the very high water in the salt pannes from the recent rains. Pine Point more than made up for it on the rapidly incoming tide, however, with one heck of a shorebird show: 1500-2000 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 400-500 Semipalmated Plovers, a few more Short-billed Dowitchers and White-rumped Sandpipers, better looks at “Eastern” Willets, and the icing on the cake: a cooperative Whimbrel – our 13th species of shorebird for the day.
Practicing with our identification tool kit, we tested ourselves on finding the uncommon species among the masses, and took a moment or three to simply sit back and enjoy the show. Now that we know how approachable shorebird identification really is, we can more fully appreciate these most marvelous migrants!
Monhegan Birding Workshop, September 23-25.
Northern Gannets and two Green-winged Teal flying with 6 Surf Scoters from the ferry and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull greeting us upon our arrival seemed like a great sign for what would be a bird- and fun-filled weekend on the Migration Mecca of Monhegan.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the slowest (for both species and diversity) fall weekends I have ever experienced on the island. That being said, a big list wasn’t our goal. It was to learn birds – their ID, their migration ecology, and everything else that makes the island so special for birds and birders. And this is not tour guide spin: a slower day is better for that as we had ample opportunity to view almost everything we encountered, study them, discuss them, and luckily, what the island failed to provide in quantity, it certainly delivered in quality of observations.
On each day, we would find pockets of warblers here and there, but we kept coming back to one particular willow and a nearby thicket that constantly hosted 4-5 Cape May Warblers (photo above), 4 Yellow Warblers, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and a smattering of others. The Cape Mays put on a clinic: all four plumages from pale, 1st-fall female, to bright and spiffy adult male were on display.
Over the first day and a half, we took what the island offered, besides exceedingly pleasant weather! There was the hen Green-winged Teal feeding within three feet of us, fly-over Rusty Blackbirds in the morning, and Great Cormorants on the cliffs on an afternoon short hike to name a few highlights. The skies were punctuated by the occasional migrant Peregrine Falcon and the constantly-hunting Merlins.
Granted, we were really just looking at birds to fill the time between the incredible meals at the Monhegan House!
On our final morning, a good migration overnight produced a new arrival of birds for the “morning flight;” the concepts and nuances thereof were topics of regular discussion.
The group’s high spirits earned them a great morning, with a taste of what Monhegan birding has to offer. There were American Pipits and Yellow-rumped Warblers in Morning Flight, a flock of 10 truant Bobolinks circling around, an immature male Belted Kingfisher displaying to a very-uninterested female, more Cape May Warblers, and a surprising fly-by Wilson’s Snipe.
At one point we had four juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawks dogfighting, exemplifying the difference in sizes of male vs female raptors. And the workshopping continued with Great and Double-crested Cormorants side-by-side, migrant raptors including several Northern Harriers, and more species before breakfast than we had most of the previous weekend! Speaking of breakfasts, goodness, they were good as well.
We finished up with a gull workshop on the shoreline, opening eyes to just how easy most gulls are most of the time. The advanced course was the fly-by 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gull amongst Herring Gulls on the ferry ride back! And yes, we looked at butterflies, too!
OK, so it was technically first seen in 2021, but Steller’s Sea Eagle was the bird of the year. Or was it? It’s suffice to say, however, that my only photos of it from 2022 were not my photos of the year! Here it is in Georgetown on February 18th.
It’s once again time for my annual Predictions Blog, where I view into my crystal binoculars and attempt to forecast some of the “new” birds to grace the State of Maine – and then my own personal state list – in the coming year.
Well, well, well, what a year of birding 2022 was here in Maine! Four new species were added to the all-time state list this season, and one of them was a complete shock. Let’s take a look at last year’s prognostications and see how I did.
Barolo Shearwater was added to the state list based on a 2021 photo by Doug Gochfeld from well offshore in the Northeast Channel, according to the Maine Bird Records Committee. That was #21 on my predictions list for Maine’s next birds.
A Masked Booby (on my honorable mentions list) at Mount Desert Rock in August was perhaps a sign of things to come – it or another may have been photographed off Monhegan in late September.
Also on my honorable mention list was Broad-tailed Hummingbird that graced a Freeport yard from November 5th through December 23rd. The details and the full story can be found on my blog, here. One could make the argument that this should have made the cut, as it has been long-overdue to be identified in New England.
Since the now-world-famous Steller’s Sea Eagle arrived at the tail end of 2021, it was not technically a new record in 2022. However, just about everyone saw it for the first time this year, and 2022 was definitely the year of the Steller’s Sea Eagle.
Shockingly, however, there was some debate about whether or not that was the bird, or even the raptor, of the year! Seriously. Since Steller’s Sea Eagle have bred on the continent and have been seen on several occasions in Alaska (and then “our bird” which was seen from Texas to Canada), one could argue that the raptor of the year was actually the Eurasian Marsh-Harrier that was discovered on North Haven on 8/25 and then found the next day at Weskeag Marsh in Thomaston (where it remained for less than 3 days). This was only the second record ever for the entire continent! The same bird resurfaced at the Troy Meadows in northern New Jersey in early November, but this is an incredible bird for North America. However, I would argue that the worldwide rarity of the Steller’s (only about 4,000 individuals) trumps the marsh-harrier, as it is quite common through much of the Old World. (These are the things birders like to argue about over pints of beer)
And no, the Eurasian Marsh-Harrier was most definitely not on my predictions list!
So with four new records only one of which was on my list, it’s obvious that predicting vagrancy is getting even more challenging. Climate change, land-use changes, rising and falling populations, perhaps even pesticide contamination or electromagnetic pollution is all conspiring to put odd birds in weird places. And, there are more birders looking, and much better communication.
While I would love to be “right” about my forecasts, we can now truly expect the unexpected, and one could argue almost any bird capable of flight (or long-distance swimming) could become Maine’s latest big twitch. But, if only for tradition’s sake, I’ll take a stab at my Next 25 Birds for Maine forecast:
A Black-chinned Hummingbird is overdue for Maine, but unless it’s an adult male with his purple throat in good light, it’s likely going to take banding and measurements to identify (like this year’s Broad-tailed).
I’ve added Heerman’s Gull to the list thanks to a growing number of Eastern Seaboard records – most of which are likely the same individual moving up and down the coast, although it seems like a longshot to make it this far north. Limpkin also debuts after an incredible irruption in 2022 with extralimital records from as far north as Michigan and New York. Was this a one-off due to some drastic change in water or food levels in its limit range in Florida, or is this another sign of the “new normal” of tropical birds venturing northward? To make room, I’ve dropped Kelp Gull out of the Top 25 for now.
Heerman’s Gull, San Diego, CA, August 2011.
Personally, I added an incredible six birds to my own state list this year. I even predicted two of them: The flock of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in Camden that I twitched on 5/2 were #7 on my personal next list, while the flock of White Ibis in the Webhannet Marsh in Wells on 8/11 were #14 on my list.
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.
The Sage Thrasher at Gilsland Farm was the first in line on my honorable mentions list, as it was long overdue for Maine to get it’s second. Likewise, the two Henslow’s Sparrows in Brunswick (7/6) and the now-famous Freeport Broad-tailed Hummingbird were both on my honorable mentions list, but had not cracked the top 25 just yet.
Sage Thrasher
Henslow’s Sparrow
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Out of the blue was the aforementioned Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, which I happily got to see in Weskeag Marsh on 8/26. As Maine stakes its claim as the Raptor Rarity Capital of North America, I would not have wanted to miss this shocker.
As usual, I missed plenty of rarities too, although I was unable to chase many of them for various reasons (6 for 6 on chases this year is incredible…although it does help make up for all the times I did not see the Steller’s Sea Eagle!). American White Pelican (Grand Isle, 7/5; #1) and Franklin’s Gull (Sabattus Pond, 5/22; #3) are officially nemesis birds now. Other unchaseable potential state birds included Common Gull (Eastport, 2/17-23; honorable mention), Sandwich Tern (Mount Desert Rock, 7/6; honorable mention), and Western Wood-Pewee (banded at Riverpoint, Falmouth, 9/7; honorable mention).
As I approach the 400 species milestone, it’s not getting any easier, although I should hit the mark this year, based on current vagrancy trends! That’s my first prediction. As for what bird it will be, I believe it will be one of these 25. Although, nowadays, anything seems possible!
American White Pelican
Franklin’s Gull
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
California Gull
Brown Booby
Slaty-backed Gull
Boreal Owl
Calliope Hummingbird
Common Ringed Plover
Graylag Goose
Cerulean Warbler
Gull-billed Tern
Hammond’s Flycatcher
Spotted Towhee
Pacific Golden-Plover
Wood Stork
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Yellow Rail
Ross’s Gull
Virginia’s Warbler
Common Shelduck
Common Gull
Heerman’s Gull
Brown Pelican records are increasing in the northeast. It’s just a matter of time for one to fly by me! San Diego, CA, August 2011.
This Northern Fulmar graced Gloucester, MA harbor on 12/26. I originally found the bird in a short birding outing on Christmas Day. Details below.
My birding highlights this week were mostly from Christmas in Gloucester, Massachusetts. I did very little birding, but in short outings, found two great birds! The first was a NORTHERN FULMAR in Gloucester Harbor, during a short break from eating on Christmas Day. Although not a “rarity” in Massachusetts by any means, having one sit in the harbor was an exceedingly rare occurrence in New England. I managed some lousy phone-scoped photos while hand-holding my phone to my scope with frozen fingers in 30mph winds. We returned the next day where Jeannette greatly improved upon my photos (see above). Many birders enjoyed it through the 27th.
But that was trumped by a bona fide state rarity that Jeannette and I found while walking Bonxie on the 26th. This Eared Grebe we found off Niles Beach would be MA’s 20th record I believe. My phone-binned photos while out with the dog were the best we did, but many birders were finding it through week’s end.
We also had a THICK-BILLED MURRE off Niles Beach on the 25th (along with an intriguing distant grebe that was undoubtable the Eared we confirmed the next day) and I had 4 RED CROSSBILLS in the Eastern Point neighborhood on the 26th.
Meanwhile, here in Maine, my observations of note over the past ten days included the following:
1 Common Redpoll (FOS), our yard in Durham, 12/28-29.
1 continuing SAGE THRASHER, Gilsland Farm, Falmouth, 12/29. Great views and a prolonged period of observation with no one else present early in the morning. My photos were a little more distant than I would have liked (and backlit) but the quality time with this incredible rarity – unlike the brief view on my first visit – was most rewarding.
In the afternoon of 11/19, a customer of the store alerted me to the presence of a hummingbird in her Freeport yard, present since the 5th of November. For over 15 years, we have promoted keeping hummingbird feeders up late into the fall and letting us know about any hummingbirds after October 1st. In addition to several incredibly late reports of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (now annual in small numbers well into the second week of October), this campaign has resulted in the detection and documentation of a Selasphorous hummingbird on 10/16-17, 2015 in Yarmouth, and a long-staying Rufous Hummingbird observed by many between 10/18 and 12/5, 2020, also in Yarmouth – the first “chaseable” Rufous in eight years in the state.
Upon receiving the report, we urged the homeowner to get any sort of photo. Later that day the bird finally obliged, and the photos sent to us were suggestive of a Selasphorous hummingbird. I was invited to the property the following day to attempt more documentation. I arrived at 3:05pm with snow flurries falling, and soon heard the bird. The call was clearly of a Selasphorous-type hummingbird. My limited experience with separating Selasphorous by call did not permit me to draw any further conclusions (in hindsight though!)
Twenty minutes later, the bird appeared at the feeders, feeding long enough for photographs, before alighting on a nearby snag in a sliver of sunlight. In the field, and upon review of photographs, I immediately knew it was a Selasphorous. Lucky photos of a semi-spread tail showed a fairly broad outer tail feather, but I assumed it was probably “just” a Rufous. Or at least I am not knowledgeable enough to have thought beyond Rufous/Allen’s (it was clearly not a Calliope).
I reached out to Scott Weidensaul with the first few photos, and since he was available the next day to band it, I made arrangements with the homeowner. Scott was intrigued by the tail, and stated “I cannot rule out Broad-tailed from the photos” but also assumed it was likely to be a Rufous. They usually are.
Scott, Doug Hitchcox, and I arrived at noon on 11/21 to attempt to band the bird. In less than an hour, we had safely trapped the bird, and took a series of measurements and photos. The bird was healthy, undergoing active molt, and had a fat score of 1.
When we first observed the bird, Scott pointed out the bluish hue that was sometimes apparent on the back of the bird. He mentioned he saw that in one of my photos from the prior day, but dismissed it as probably being an artifact of the photo. I was unaware of this impression until he pointed it out.
However, as the banding process began, we were still working under the assumption that this was going to be a Rufous Hummingbird, until the “numbers” kept coming in. Doug was recording and noted the significant difference between Rufous Hummingbirds on the data sheet. When Scott read the width of the outer tail feather aloud, he seemed shocked, and immediately measured again. And again. Doug and I kept glancing at each other, eyes wide, attempting to hold back exuberance.
Wing: 49.15mm
Tail: 30mm
Bill: 18.62mm
Width of Outer Tail Feather (R5): 5.44!!!
We double-checked all measurements, took lots of photos, and Doug and I tried to not explode with excitement as Scott calmly but clearly excitedly expressed comments such as “this is the biggest tail I have ever seen on a Selasphorous in the East.” We, as well as the homeowner who had joined us for the banding, were all shaking with excitement by now. The below-freezing air temperature played much less of a role. A quick check of references, a final check of the measurements, and then the bird was released. Of course, the bird’s host had the honor of letting it go. After processing, it immediately returned to the feeder and fed regularly for the rest of the day, calling even more vociferously in between.
Upon checking some references at home, and sending photos out for additional opinions, it was clear to Scott that we (OK, he) had just documented the first Broad-tailed Hummingbird, a hatch-year male, for Maine – and apparently, for all of New England!
Jeannette was invited to observe the bird on the 22nd, while I spoke to the homeowner several times over the phone to discuss the opportunity for others to share in the excitement. I arranged for a small group to visit in the morning of the 23rd as a test-run – a few close friends and young birders were the guests. After that successful visit when we all had repeated views, I suggested a feeder be placed in the front yard. If the bird took to it, visitors would have the chance to see it from a public road, without entering the yard.
I placed that one of our feeders on the morning of the 25th, after the holiday so as not to bother the homeowner. I also observed the bird, regularly feeding in the cold rain, making two visits to the feeders within 15 minutes – a faster pace now. It was cold, but was it also tanking up? Later in the day, Jeannette returned with a small shepherd’s hook to give the feeder even better visibility from the road, along with getting it into the morning sun to help keep it warmer on these frigid mornings.
The homeowner has been taking in the feeder (now, feeders), every night so the first feeding will be at room temperature nectar. She’s been heading out early with a headlamp so as not to miss it’s first feeding session! What an amazing host!
My Saturday Morning Birdwalk group was invited over on that first Saturday morning, but the bird never came to the new feeder. As per prior arrangement, an hour later we were able to enter the yard and in doing so we enjoyed immediate prolonged views of it at the original feeder in the backyard.
The next test run was another small group on Sunday morning. We arrived at 8:00, and for almost an hour were teased by the hummer as he darted around the backyard, calling constantly, and briefly perching in obscured views. Then, at 8:56, he finally made a brief visit to the new feeder!
In the next 30 minutes, he visited that carefully-place feeder three times, including two prolonged drinking bouts which provided ample opportunity for people to study, enjoy, and photograph the bird. Success! He is now using a feeder in view from the road, without entering the yard!
And with that success, on Wednesday the 28th, I was given the go-ahead to let the word get out, slowly, methodically, and carefully managed to avoid crowds and overwhelming the homeowner and the neighbors.
In consultation with the homeowner, I was tasked with managing the crowds and birders’ behaviors. People needed to email me for the set of visitation instructions and caveats, and since the end of November birders visited, saw, photographed, and mostly remained on their best behavior. The vast majority (but of course, not all) even followed all of the rules! I remained in close contact with the homeowner and reassured her that just about everyone was receiving the instructions directly from me. I did my best to respond to every one of the emails I received, spacing out visitation as much as possible. Of course, not everyone followed every rule – especially the one about sharing the location.
The bird continued into the middle of December. I would say “miraculously” given the plummeting temperatures, but it was mostly through the passionate dedication of the homeowner. When temperatures failed to reach the freezing mark for a high on December 10th, it ushered in the most challenging stretch of weather in which temperatures did not hit 32 for four days. During the time, the homeowner would go out regularly throughout the day with unfrozen sugar water to replace the simple syrup popsicles. The hummingbird learned to recognize her and this activity and would often visit the feeder immediately after she walked away.
Unfortunately, however, during this time, it saved energy by sitting for long periods in the sun, out of view from visiting, shivering observers. Even more frustrating for some, was hearing it vocalize in the backyard and never seeing it from the road – at the side feeder or his favorite perch. Thankfully, no one decided to tempt fate by entering the yard to look around back.
Earlier in the month, I had asked Scott Weidensaul about possible departure times, given his experience with vagrant hummingbirds in the Northeast. He told me that birds often depart on the first nice day after the first significant cold snap where the temperatures failed to reach the freezing mark for multiple days. Such a day occurred on 12/15, where temperatures reached the low 40’s and a light northerly wind was increasing. Thinking it could be his last day, I finished my morning’s birding at the location.
I arrived at 10:02 and immediately found him sitting in one of his favorite perches in the multiflora Rose. He sat there – save for one short sally, presumably for an insect – for the next 16 minutes before buzzing off, presumably to the feeder in the backyard. I heard him for most of the time but did not glimpse him again before I departed at 10:30.
By the middle of December, his first gorget feathers had already begun to appear – but only on one side of its head, best seen in this photo from the homeowner on 12/12.
I was sure this was it. Storm a’coming. Temperatures above normal in the low 40’s, a light northerly breeze, and the sun was shining for a while. But alas, with the wet snow falling on Friday the 16th, the homeowner informed us that he was still present and feeding actively. He was still present on Saturday Morning, with heavy flakes starting to pile out.
Luckily, the heated hummingbird feeders that the homeowner ordered had arrived and were deployed just in time!
Over 90 100 people have seen it now, and visitors are still welcome to view it, as long as they follow a strict set of rules. If you would like to see it, email us at freeportwildbird@yahoo.comwith a day that you are interested in going, and we’ll send the instructions and address the day before, as long as the numbers of visitors remain manageable each day and on our best behavior. To minimize the number of emails in the queue, please include the day in your original email.
***12/26 UPDATE:*** We just received an email this afternoon from the homeowner, reporting that she has not seen the bird since 3:47 pm on Friday, 12/23. Pressure was dropping rapidly through the day with rain, heavy at times, and southwesterly winds gusting over 50mph for much of the day. She reported it was drinking regularly throughout that stormy day, with temps rising into the low 50s. Overnight temperatures dropped dramatically, by 40 degrees by sunrise, despite still-strong SW winds. Certainly not the time and conditions I would have expected it to depart on (assuming it survived the night), but it does bring up some interesting questions. Did it survive the storm? Was the storm the final incentive to depart? And if so, did it depart in the “wrong” direction that perhaps it arrived on (i.e. it was a “mirror vagrant” flying in the wrong direction to start with)? But since it’s banded, should it be found anywhere else, we very well might know, but short of that, we are left to conjecture.
The homeowner is leaving the feeders out for a little longer, just in case. If he returns, we’ll post an update here and include new instructions for visitation if possible.
Maine Birding Field Notes 