Luckily for this Great Egret – showing off it’s high-breeding condition lime green lores – last week’s snow didn’t last long in Scarborough Marsh.
The massive “winter” storm of 4/3 through 4/5 produced heavy snow cover and drove a lot of birds to feeders, including those that are not usual feeder visitors. Numerous reports of American Robins eating offerings of dried mealworms, suet, and even some seed were received. At our home in Durham, I spent the snow day experimenting with getting Eastern Phoebes to eat dried mealworms, finally finding success by floating them in the slush at the edge of our pond.
Meanwhile, feeder-watching during the day on the 4th yielded 44 Dark-eyed Juncos (up from 22), and more Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles. By the next day, we had a new recent high of 4 Purple Finches and 6 Pine Siskins. Here at the store our 10 White-throated Sparrows continued, growing to 14 by week’s end. Two great nights of migration 4/8-9 and especially 4/9-10 saw many of these sparrows depart.
Away from feeders, my other observations of note over the past ten days included:
Red Crossbills continue to be widespread, with a highlight of 3 (including a fresh juvenile) feeding on the ground within 20-30 feet of the Saturday Morning Birdwalk group at Winslow Park on 4/6.
1 pair AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS, Pine Point, Scarborough, 4/7.
1 pair Piping Plovers, Pine Point Beach, 4/7.
1 Winter Wren (FOS), our property in Durham, 4/9.
1 Hermit Thrush (FOS), Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/10.
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Florida Lake Park, 4/10.
1 Pine Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 4/10.
16 Palm Warblers, Florida Lake Park, 4/10.
2 Barn Swallows, Florida Lake Park, 4/10.
2 Yellow-rumped Warblers (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/10.
TOURS AND EVENTS:
1.Woodcocks Gone Wild – Now Saturday, 4/13
Due to the high winds and precip forecast for the evening of the 6th, we postponed our tour to the weather date of 4/13. There are no current openings, but a short waitlist if you would like to be added in case of cancellations. . Please call the store, 207-865-6000 to register.
2. Community Pizza Night at Maine Beer Company to support Feathers Over Freeport!
April 17: 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. – Maine Beer Company – Freeport Join us for a Community Pizza Night to benefit Feathers over Freeport. Proceeds from a raffle along with 20% of all food sales from 4-8:00 p.m. will be donated to support the annual birdwatching and nature discovery weekend hosted by the Bureau of Parks and Lands. Park and event staff will host an activity & information table and be on hand to answer questions about birding, the Hawk Watch, and Feathers Over Freeport. Location: Maine Beer Company, in the Tasting Room, 525 US-1, Freeport, ME 04342.
3. Birds on Tap! Kick-off event at the Portland Beer Hub!
Thursday, April 25, 2024; 5:00 – 7:00pm. Free!
Join Birding Guide and owner of Freeport Wild Bird Supply Derek Lovitch, and Brew’s Cruise owner Zach Poole, for an exclusive gathering at the Portland Beer Hub to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Birds on Tap! and kick off our new tour lineup.
During this casual meetup, guests will mingle with other bird and beer enthusiasts, discuss the exciting lineup of upcoming Birds on Tap tours, and can enjoy flights of bird-themed local beers (for purchase).
It’s the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of birdwatching and craft beers. For a bit of fun, be prepared for some impromptu bird trivia and birding games.
Barrow’s Goldeneyes will be departing soon, so I needed to get my fill while I still can. This pair (left) was with 17 Common Goldeneyes and a drake Hooded Merganser at Anniversary Park in Auburn on the 20th.
A very busy couple of weeks precluded much birding away from our yard recently. Luckily, the feeder-watching was excellent, as were my few dedicated outings over the past ten days.
1 Red Crossbill, over our yard in Durham, 2/15.
1 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, over Richmond Island from Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 2/19 (with Paul Doiron, Kristen Lindquist, and Jeannette).
1 continuing hen COMMON EIDER SPP BOREALIS and 6 BARROW’S GOLDENEYES (4 drakes, 2 hens), Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/21. Barrow’s usually peak here at the end of February.
FEEDER BIRDS UPDATE:
There was a widespread dearth of feeder birds in most yards throughout the region this past fall. While a few people are still mentioning a lack of feeder birds this winter, many others are telling us they are seeing a lot of birds now. At our home in Durham, this winter our feeders have been very busy. But just how busy is it, and how does that compare to last winter? I did some feeder watching and counted a bunch of birds to find out.
After the 16th, activity remained strong, with another surge of Dark-eyed Juncos bringing the total to a high count of 72 on the 17th, along with an increase to 13 American Tree Sparrows. A new peark of 70++ American Goldfinches was reached on 2/21. And our first Red-winged Blackbird of the year appeared in the snow on the 23rd.
Meanwhile, here at the store, the 24 White-throated Sparrows at the feeders 2/16 was a new all-time high count for the winter season for us here.
Taking the long road to Augusta for an appointment last week, I checked a few open sections of river, including here at the Gardiner Waterfront Park where a group of 16 Common Mergansers were present. Such a snappy bird!
We’ve been busy catching up from our winter vacation, but I did see a few observations of note over the past ten days.
Our feeders In Durham continue to be exceeding active, with at least 70 American Goldfinches and over 50 Dark-eyed Juncos leading the way this week. We’ve also seen increases to 6 American Tree Sparrows, 3 White-throated Sparrows, and a returning two Song Sparrows among all of the resident species. A single Pine Siskin joined the goldfinches on 2/2.
1 hen BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Lewiston/Auburn, 1/30.
The long-staying hen American Wigeon offered a good, close study as part of the Winter Waterbird Workshop with Down East Adventures tour that I conducted on the 14th.
While I didn’t get as far afield as last week, I enjoyed a productive six days of birding, especially for early January! Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.
Our feeders in Durham have been incredible, led by a growing flock of Dark-eyed Juncos that peaked at 41 on 1/8 and 40+ continuing American Goldfinches. There was a big movement of sparrows after the weekend snow storm, with flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows common and widespread in the area, along with an increase in American Tree Sparrows. During Tuesday’s snowfall, a careful inventory during the snowfall on the 16th yielded 127 individuals of 16 species, led by 41 American Goldfinches and 37 Dark-eyed Juncos.
At least one Turkey Vulture still continues in the I-295 corridor between Cumberland and Freeport.
1 DOVEKIE, Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, 1/13. Patch Bird #198! Healthy fly-by apparently turning around upon seeing the bridge, then turning northeast and following the Cousin’s Island shoreline. I lost it in the fog, but presumably rounding the island to return to sea. A Black Guillemot to the south of the bridge was one of my few ever from this location.
1 continuing female American Wigeon, York Duck Pond (Abbott’s Pond), York, 1/14 (with Down East Adventures Winter Waterbirds Workshop tour group).
Small number of Red Crossbills, Bear Mountain, Hartford, 1/15 (with Jeannette). Mostly single fly-overs and one small heard-only group, so quantification was impossible.
Barrow’s Goldeneyes returned to the Androscoggin River this week, with a pair below the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge between Auburn and Lewiston on the 12th. Early morning shadows were challenging for photos, so I was happy with this great comparison shot of an intermingled pair each of Barrow’s and Common Goldeneyes.
While I didn’t get as far afield as last week, I enjoyed a very productive week of birding, especially for early January! Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.
Our feeders in Durham have been incredible, led by a growing flock of Dark-eyed Juncos that peaked at 41 on 1/8 and 40+ continuing American Goldfinches. There was a big movement of sparrows after the weekend snow storm, with flocks of Dark-eyed Juncos and White-throated Sparrows common and widespread in the area, along with an increase in American Tree Sparrows.
2 drake and 1 hen BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Winslow Park, Freeport, 1/6 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
Still fascinated by the warbler flock in Ogunquit Beach after my visit there last week, Jeannette and I went back down on 1/8. Unfortunately, we only had a short look at the brighter CAPE MAY WARBLER and 1 “WESTERN” PALM WARBLER. One Yellow-rumped Warbler spent almost the entire time we were there in and around the sewage tank, eating the little flies along its edge. The Cape May and Palm just briefly waved through the nearby trees. I would have thought that anything still alive would have been in the tank the whole time on that cold morning, as was the single Yellow-rump. Interesting.
While searching, we had 100+ Sanderlings on the beach, two continuing Northern Harriers and 8 Snow Buntings in the marsh, and in the Ocean Avenue neighborhood leading to the footbridge, we had 1-2 fly-over Red Crossbills and 1 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD while checking feeders in hopes of relocating the warblers.
Cape Elizabeth with Dan Nickerson on 1/11: 1 2nd Cycle LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and a few Razorbills at Dyer Point; 1 DOVEKIE at Two Lights State Park; 1 Swamp Sparrow on Private Property, and 1600-2000 Black Scoters between Dyer Point and Kettle Cove.
1 pair BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Auburn/Lewiston, 1/12.
1 immature Great Cormorant, North River Road Boat Launch, Auburn, 1/12.
+/- 130 Mixed scaup, Lake Auburn, 1/12. Actively feeding, but Lesser continue to greatly outnumber Greater in the flock, as expected on freshwater in winter.
At least one Turkey Vulture continues in the I-295 corridor between Cumberland and Freeport this week.
UPCOMING TOURS.
Winter Waterbirds Workshop with Down East Adventures. Sunday, January 14th. Info here.
No Birdwalk, Saturday, 20th.
No Birdwalk, Saturday, 27th.
Gull Identification Workshop. Saturday, February 3rd and Sunday, February 4th. Info here.
This Hepatic Tanager was a shocking discovery in Stockton Springs. I caught up with it on 12/31 to bring my 2023 birding year to a close. Such a lousy phone-scoped photo of such an amazing bird, though!
Happy New Year List Everyone (for those who keep one)! Rarities abound as we finish 2023 and begin 2024, and I caught up with a few of them this week, and, even more satisfying, found a few “good birds” of my own.
1-2 Red Crossbills continue in and around our Durham property this week. I need to work on finding breeding activity.
At least two Turkey Vultures continue in the I-295 corridor between Yarmouth and Freeport through week’s end.
I finished 2023 off with a bang, visiting the HEPATIC TANAGER on Station St in Stockton Springs on 12/31 (with Evan Obercian). Photo above.
1 male Red-winged Blackbird, Rte 127, Arrowsic, 1/1 (with Jeannette).
2 REDHEADS, 3 AMERICAN COOTS, 4 RUDDY DUCKS, 1 Long-tailed Duck, about 50 Lesser and 25 Greater Scaup, etc, Chickawaukee Lake, Rockport, 1/1 (with Paul Doiron, Kristen Lindquist, and Jeannette).
1 Northern Flicker, Thompson Meadow Road, Rockland, 1/1 (with Paul Doiron, Kristen Lindquist, and Jeannette).
Jess Costa and I went down to Ogunquit Beach on 1/4. to look at the unprecedented mixed-species warbler flock that has been in and around the dunes and wastewater treatment plant here. I glimpsed what “had to be” the TOWNSEND’S WARBLER, but between the two of us, we saw the two CAPE MAY WARBLERS, 1 TENNESSEE WARBLER, 2 “WESTERN” PALM WARBLERS, 1 PINE WARBLER, and 3-4 Yellow-rumped Warblers well. However, my interest was observing the flock as a whole, especially what they were eating, what the range of the flock was, and whether the birds were exhibiting “normal” niche differentiation. Unfortunately, we only had two encounters with the whole wave in 3 hours, and periods of up to 45 minutes went by without seeing a warbler anywhere in the dune line. Where else are they going? The lack of sun that day made the edge less inviting, but they still seemed to have disappeared from the pine forest. Were they heading into a neighborhood or across the marsh? I have more questions than answers after the visit, so I might have to find time to go back! We also had one Red Crossbill, 1 MERLIN, two Northern Harriers, etc.
1 drake BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, 64 Lesser Scaup, 19 Greater Scaup, 1 Red Crossbill, etc, Lake Auburn, 1/5 (with Dan Nickerson)
2024 PREDICTIONS LIST BLOG NOW POSTED!
After an 11th-hour addition and requisite updates, my famous-ish Predictions Blog is now ready for viewing. In this annual post, I attempt to forecast the next 25 species to appear in Maine, as well as predict what the next 25 species I personally will see in the state. I also summarize the new species added to Maine’s list in 2023, as well as my own personal highlights and new species.
The only thing sweeter than seeing a first state record is when you find it yourself! This Spotted Towhee that I found in November at Fort Foster in Kittery was #4 on my list of next birds for Maine.
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.
It was another great year for “mega” rarities in Maine. Whether it’s more birders and better communication, a climate in crisis, neonicotinoid pesticides effecting navigation, and more – or likely, all of the above – more really strange birds are ending up in really strange places – Maine definitely included. Four new species showed up in Maine in 2023, plus a first state record whose photos surfaced from 2022. I also had another pretty good year, despite much reduced birding as I recovered from shoulder surgery and a series of setbacks thereafter coupled with a record-busy year for tours and private guiding.
Last winter, recovering from shoulder surgery, I spent a lot of time watching our feeding station, quantifying those ebbs and flows, and paying a lot of attention to behavior. From dominance hierarchies in junco flocks to a case of Sharp-shinned Hawk cannibalism, dedicated feeder-watching (in a house designed to maximize it!) was a great way to pass the time stuck indoors. I recounted many of my observations in blogs earlier this year, especially these two:
Once up and about, I found myself forgoing birding mornings afield – especially in the fall – to just enjoy migration through our property in Durham and build our rapidly expanding yard list. Having moved in last fall, it was exciting to see the seasons change. Fall migration was particularly productive, and I found myself not wanting to bird anywhere else before work. Some great yardbirds over the year included a Snow Goose on 3/27, three different Mourning Warblers (one each in May, June, and September), an American Bittern for the day on 8/28, and a Dickcissel on 9/1. The yard was already approaching 150 species by year’s end.
Furthermore, I put more effort than ever into birding Androscoggin County in general, and while I didn’t find any rarities in the county this year, I did spend lots of quality time at Sabattus Pond and in search of patches for future birding focus – I didn’t find any of those, either, but I did get to know my new home county a lot better. In other words, when I did get out birding this year, I put a lot more focus on staying close to home – this less carbon-intensive mode of birding is what I believe the future of birding is (eg the “5 Mile Radius” list, which is all the birds seen within a five mile radius of one’s home) anyway, and I plan on keeping this focus for 2024.
But back to the rarities. Let us start as usual with a look at last year’s prognostications and see how I did.
Of the five new species for Maine, three were in my Top 12. I found Maine’s first confirmed Spotted Towhee at Fort Foster in Kittery on November 19th (and continued obligingly through the end of the year). This long-overdue addition to the state’s list was #4 on my predictions list.
Right behind it at #5 was the Hammond’s Flycatcher found on Monhegan in October. I’ve felt flycatchers were going under-detected in Maine for a while, and therefore they have been prevalent on my predictions lists. Then, a photograph from Mount Desert Rock from August of 2022 was reanalyzed and showed a Western Flycatcher (as it is once again rightly called, with Pacific-sloped and Cordilleran finally “lumped” back together), which was #12 on my list.
That strange date for a vagrant flycatcher is rather remarkable, as was the other addition to the list from the MDI region when a Red-footed Booby was photographed in Lamoine in July of this year. This tropical sulid didn’t even make my honorable mention list.
And finally, just before the clock was about to strike twelve, a remarkable Hepatic Tanager was found in Stockton Springs! While it was on my radar due to several well out of range records, it did not qualify for my Honorable Mentions list. It was the icing on the cake to another exceptional year of birding in Maine.
With three birds from the 2023 List off the board, I’ll do some reshuffling. A possible Gray Heron was photographed in Scarborough Marsh on the Portland CBC in December, but the photos – although very suggestive – were inconclusive. A search the next day didn’t turn anything up, but I hope others remain on the lookout. Nonetheless, it was suggestive enough to bump Gray Heron up from my Honorable Mention list into the Top 25, that is for sure. Lewis’s Woodpecker, Dusky Flycatcher, and White Wagtail are making their debut in the rankings while I’ve dropped Black-tailed Gull out of the Top 25 as North American records seem to have dried up.
As we found out when we saw this Gray Heron while vacationing on Prince Edward Island in 2022, they are not always easy to pick out of a crowd, as we looked through a lot of Great Blue Herons during our search for this long-staying individual. Hopefully, our view in Maine will be a little better, like this one Jeannette photographed in Norway.
Neotropical Cormorant
Black-chinned Hummingbird
California Gull
Limpkin
Gray Heron
Bermuda Petrel
Graylag Goose
Little Stint
Audubon’s Shearwater
Common Shelduck
Anna’s Hummingbird
Heerman’s Gull
Common Ground-Dove
Allen’s Hummingbird
Spotted Redshank
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Ross’s Gull
Black-capped Petrel
Lesser Nighthawk
Elegant Tern
Dusky Flycatcher
Painted Redstart
Hooded Oriole
White Wagtail
Common Scoter
Personally, I added 5 new species to my own Maine State List this year, despite relatively limited birding and a less concentration on rarities in general. Three days after my shoulder surgery, however, Jeannette loaded me into the car and took me down to Timber Point in Biddeford for a Common Ringed-Plover, which was #10 on my predictions list. Can’t say it was my most comfortable twitch, however. Medication helped.
In June, I raced down with Jess Costa between tours to see the Loggerhead Shrike at the Kennebunk Plains, which was my 399th species in Maine (recently relegated to my honorable mentions lists as they have become increasingly rare anywhere out of their contracting range).
So for #400, I said it had to be “the Tufted Puffin or self-found” – I wasn’t going to chase anything else. With several sporadic sightings in June and July, and with numerous boat tours scheduled in July, I had high hopes. With an observation at Eastern Egg Rock on July 9th, and with a tour there scheduled the next afternoon with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises, I was getting excited. And to hedge the bet, I hopped aboard their morning Eastern Egg Rock trip, and as we approached the island in the fog, a large, dark, puffin stood towering over the local residents! “TUFTED PUFFIN!!!” I exclaimed. No microphone was necessary. And this was #400.
With so few sightings – all being one-minute wonders – in the previous years, I hadn’t elevated this to my personal Top 25, but that’s OK – it was just as sweet.
A Purple Gallinule (honorable mention) in the North Maine Woods near Moosehead Lake in October was beyond my chasing range, but when another – or perhaps, the same bird – appeared at a small park in Kennebunk, I was on my way!
The absurdity of the locale and ease of viewing simply forced me to go back for another look a week later with Dan Nickerson…after dipping on a nearby Western Wood-Pewee as Luke Seitz struck again. Making that miss worse was the reason I didn’t chase it on its day of discovery: we were on lockdown during the manhunt after the tragic Lewiston mass shooting. My state list was just not a priority I will readily admit.
Of course, the aforementioned Spotted Towhee, which was #15 on my list was a welcome self-found addition.
And finally, Evan Obercian paid a visit to the Hepatic Tanager in Stockton Springs on New Year’s Eve, bringing 2023 to a close.
Of course, I missed a few rarities this year, too! Although I only “dipped” on one chase (the pewee), I was simply unavailable to chase anything else, such as the Kirtland’s Warbler (unlisted) on Seal Island in September (can’t get there from here!). And I just didn’t have the time to chase Hammond’s Flycatcher (#14) on Monhegan. Meanwhile, the Red-footed Booby (unlisted) was a one-day wonder, and of course I missed a couple of Franklin’s Gulls (#2) as usual. Notorious one-day wonders, there was one on September 24th passing Schoodic Point, and one on November 18th at Long Sands Beach. I was going to “end up” at Long Sands the next day at the same time and tide, but my birding outing began and ended with my towhee find at Fort Foster. This rare but regular transient is officially my nemesis in the state!
But the one that really stings was missing out on Crested Caracara once again. I was birding with clients in Spurwink Marsh in late May when a friend texted me that he had one (the one?) flying over his house…we were no more than 2-3 miles away! Thankfully, my clients were game for a little searching, so we spent some time looking before having to move on. The caracara then resurfaced a couple of other times in the Mid-Coast, near Belfast, but I was on Monhegan or with a tour group elsewhere. So close!
Last year, I also predicted that my #400 would come from my Top 25 list. But Tufted Puffin wasn’t on it, so I was wrong about that. Forgive me if I wasn’t upset, however.
I did some reshuffling (it’s just a matter of time before I finally find or catch up with a Franklin’s Gull, right? RIGHT!?), and therefore my forecast for my next 25 species on my personal Maine list reads as follows:
Franklin’s Gull
American White Pelican
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
California Gull
Brown Booby
Crested Caracara
Slaty-backed Gull
Boreal Owl
Calliope Hummingbird
Graylag Goose
Cerulean Warbler
Gull-billed Tern
Pacific Golden-Plover
Limpkin
Wood Stork
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Yellow Rail
Virginia’s Warbler
Western Wood-Pewee
Virginia’s Warbler
Gray Heron
Common Gull
Heerman’s Gull
It’s about time for me to finally see a Franklin’s Gull in Maine.
But really, who knows what might show up these days? For example, I am sure that no one had Red-flanked Bluetail on their Next Birds in New Jersey list, but one showed up in a random inland neighborhood in early December. It continued through year’s end, and it was awfully nice of it to remain at least through December 26th, when we just happened to be in the area for Christmas. In fact, it was only 24 minutes away from my Mom’s house. A bonus Christmas gift!
Bring it on, 2024. But less injuries and other birding-limiting events, please. I also have a goal of finding a rarity in Androscoggin County away from Sabattus Pond or our property! Will it be on this list?
It was sure nice of this Orange-crowned Warbler to sit still long enough for photos, but it sure would have been nice if it was on the other side of that stem! Cape Elizabeth, 11/12.
After a great late October for rarities, November has been incredibly slow for vagrants in Maine so far…unlike surrounding states and provinces. While my increased birding time these past two weeks did not produce any significant rarities, either, it was good to be getting out! And in doing so, I enjoyed some very good birding recently. Here are my observations of note over the past two weeks.
1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 2 “Yellow” Palm Warblers, 3 Black-bellied Plovers, 42 Laughing Gulls, etc, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 11/4 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group). While we are normally reticent to return to the same location two (let alone 4) weeks in a row, it has continued to be very fruitful, and the week-to-week ebbs and flows have been particularly insightful. More complete summaries are on the News page of our website.
2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 1 “Western” Palm Warbler, 1 Eastern Phoebe, 1 Fox Sparrow (first of fall, finally), 1 Field Sparrow, etc, etc, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 11/6 (with Jeannette).
Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 11/10 (with Dan Nickerson): 575 Ruddy Ducks, 290 Common Mergansers, 224 Mallards, 156 Lesser Scaup, 113 Greater Scaup, 82 American Black Ducks, 61 Buffleheads, 32 Hooded Mergansers, 24 distant scaup sp, 21 American Pipits, 15 Canada Geese, 9 Green-winged Teal, 6 Common Goldeneyes, 5 American Wigeon, 4 KILLDEER, 4 Common Loons, 2 Black Scoters, 1 Snow Bunting, 1 Swamp Sparrow, etc.
1 American Tree Sparrow (First of fall), Yarmouth Town Landing, 11/11 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
Sabattus Pond, 11/16: 663 Ruddy Ducks, 442 Common Mergansers, 369 scaup sp, 217 Mallards, 102 Buffleheads, 92 Hooded Mergansers, 79 Greater Scaup, 14 Lesser Scaup, 14 Canada Geese, 12 American Black Ducks, 5 Common Goldeneyes, 2 American Wigeon, 1 Green-winged Teal, and 1 AMERICAN COOT.
1 drake Wood Duck, North River Road, Auburn, 11/16.
2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 25 Snow Buntings, and 1 Black-bellied Plover, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 11/17 (with Dan Nickerson).
22 Black-bellied Plovers, 91 Dunlin, etc, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 11/17 (with Dan Nickerson).
2 “WESTERN” PALM WARBLERS, 1-2 Chipping Sparrows, 150+ Red-winged Blackbirds with a few Common Grackles, Pennellville Road, Brunswick, 11/17 (with Dan Nickerson).
Meanwhile, here in our Durham yard, the birdlife has become decidedly wintery. However, a few lingering/migrants of note recently included 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS on 11/4, two American Woodcocks through at least 11/4, and a Winter Wren 11/13-14.
Our feeders have been quite busy again, with varying numbers of all the expected species, but the number of American Goldfinches continuing to impress, with 30-50+ visiting daily. A few Pine Siskins have been mixing in with them as well, and we’re getting the sporadic Purple Finch or two. Our Njyer and hulled sunflower feeders are being emptied daily at this point. Under the feeders, White-throated Sparrows have been quite low, with only a max of 4 recently, while Dark-eyed Juncos have slowly but steadily increased over the past week. We’re down to just a couple of Song Sparrows, however.
Here at the store, we had a Common Grackle and a late Chipping Sparrow on the 15th. but we’re not seeing nearly the diversity or activity here as we are used to at the season – no doubt an indictment of the surrounding habitat.
Our Durham yard has been incredibly birdy this week. The most unexpected migrant was this American Bittern that dropped into our new pond for the morning of the 28th.
I didn’t get out to shorebird hotspots as much this week, but still ended up with 17.5 species and some solid high counts. However, much of my best birding this week was from our yard, which apparently is a fantastic fall migration hotspot. And my first visit of the season to Sandy Point on 8/31 produced a new August record!
Black-bellied Plover: 142, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 9/1.
Killdeer: 3, United Ag and Turf, Auburn, 8/31 (with Jeannette).
Semipalmated Plover: 150+, The Pool, 9/1.
Piping Plover: 1, The Pool, 9/1.
Whimbrel: 4, The Pool, 9/1.
RED KNOT: 16 juv, The Pool, 9/1.
Sanderling: 1, The Pool, 9/1.
Least Sandpiper: 32, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/31.
White-rumped Sandpiper: 11, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/28 (with Jeannette).
Pectoral Sandpiper: 2, Eastern Road Trail, 8/31.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 450-500, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/28 (with Jeannette).
A handful of non-shorebird highlights this week also included:
A productive week of birding on our Durham property produced a number of highlights. In fact, most mornings, it was hard to pull myself away from the yard. At least 11 species of warblers have been in our yard daily this week, with a high count of 12 on the 28th. A female MOURNING WARBLER was present 8/27-8/29. A Phildelphia Vireo on the 28th-29th was our 144th yard bird, followed moments later by the arrival of #145: An American Bittern (photo above). A DICKCISSEL (FOF) briefly paused in the yard on the morning of the 1st for our 146th yard bird! 32-38 Common Nighthawks were feeding over the yard late in the day on 9/1 as well.
12 adult SANDHILL CRANES, Mayall Road, Gray/New Gloucester, 8/30 (site high count and noteworthy that no juveniles were present – failed breeding season due to high water and flooding?)
Sandy Point Morning Flight, 8/31 (FOY):
6:00-9:15am
57F, mostly clear, NE 4.7-7.6 increasing to 7.3-9.8 and gusty.
This juvenile Marbled Godwit continues at Hill’s Beach in Biddeford, making a nice addition to my “Shorebird Big Day” effort on Tuesday.
After being thwarted by weather on a couple of days recently, I conducted a “Shorebird Big Day” on Tuesday the 22nd. I birded between Sanford and Brunswick, seeking shorebirds from near-dawn to dusk. My goal was “at least 20” species of shorebirds, so I was happy to finish my day with 22 species. Needless to say, that day dedicated to shorebirding produced the majority of my high counts this week:
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 6 adults, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
Black-bellied Plover: 126, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/22.
A nice list of non-shorebird highlights this week also included:
At least 12 species of warblers have been in our yard daily this week, with a high count of 15 on the 24th. A Tennessee Warbler that I spotted while conducting our Bird Safe Open House birdwalk on the 19th was our 141st yard species.
Common Nighthawks have been on the move all week, with nightly sightings. My high counts included 16 over the Bates Mill in Lewiston on the 19th (with Dan and Renee Klem) and 244 in an hour over Wharton Point in Brunswick on the 23rd.
1 continuing proposed TRICOLORED HERON X SNOWY EGRET X SMALL WHITE EGRET SP(P) HYBRID, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough marsh, 8/20.
3 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, Green Point WMA, Dresden, 8/21 (with Jeannette).
1 ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull, Hill’s Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz)
Continuing mid-summer scoter Hat Trick off Biddeford Pool Beach, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz): 2 White-winged Scoter, 2+ Surf Scoters, 75-100 Black Scoters.
2 continuing adult RED-NECKED GREBES, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/22 (with Luke Seitz).
Maine Birding Field Notes 