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.
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.
This reported Little Blue Heron x Snowy Egret Hybrid in Spurwink Marsh of Cape Elizabeth may add to the mix of ultra-rare hybrid herons that have been occurring annually since 2012 in the Greater Scarborough Marsh area. Or does it? See below.
The last cadre of migrants are arriving, and the late spring “rarity season” is now upon us. With new arrivals, breeding birds on territory, and the expectation of the unexpected, it was a great week of birding for me as I head out to Monhegan Island with our annual tour group.
My observations of note over the past seven days included:
1 continuing reported LITTLE BLUE HERON X SNOWY EGRET HYBRID, Spurwink Marsh, Cape Elizabeth, 5/22 (with Jeannette, et al). Present since 5/16, this would be the first record of this hybrid combination in Maine, and one of the few ever. Or, is this just a funky 1st or second summer Little Blue Heron that is showing oddly dark legs? Plus if it is truly a hybrid with a small white heron, I am not sure how we would rule out Little Egret (or a hybrid that includes Little Egret) as the other half of the mix, especially with the long-ish-looking dual wiry plumes. Furthermore, some folks have raised doubts about even the potential of mixed parentage here. While clearly different from the TRICOLORED HERON X SMALL WHITE EGRET SPP hybrids that have been in Scarborough Marsh since 2012, I hypothesized about the possibility of Little Blue joining the mix(es) in my 2021 article in North American Birds. I saw the bird again on the 23rd with clients, and obtained better photos than the evening before. Unless of course, my fascination with the hybrid herons of Maine is clouding my judgement here? (Edited for clarity and for minimizing definitives*)
The bicolored bill and blue-gray lores looks fine for Little Blue Heron, but the bill seems a little longer and thinner. The two wiry plumes on the back of the head also look longer and wispier than a Little Blue – could it suggest that the small white egret that’s 50% of its blood (we think) is actually a Little Egret…or the Little Egret x Snowy Egret hybrid…or…
The extra bushy plumes suggestive of Snowy is evident here, and are the soles of the feet a little yellowish? Other photos show the blakcish legs better than this, and 1st summer Little Blue Heron should have uniformly yellow-green legs, especially if still this white.
Also very Snowy/Little-like are the bushy plumes on the foreneck. When it shook, I also observed some whispy white plumes on the back…neither of these should be so fluffy and obvious in a pure Little Blue Heron, especially in its first summer.
***5/26 am edits: The more I think about and study this bird, the less sure I am. It bothers me that the lores and bill are spot on for a Little Blue. But would color develop further when in high breeding, which it won’t reach until next year? Could this just be a super-shaggy-looking Little Blue? Howver, the legs are black or blackish, which is not a characteristic of Little Blue Heron at any age. There seem to be too many anomolous features here to dismiss it as just another splotchy 1st-summer Little Blue. Perhaps, as the summer goes on, and more adult-like characteristics develop, a true pattern and its presumptive ID will become apparent. Hope it sticks around in the same area!**
1 BLACK-NECKED STILT, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 5/23 (with clients from Maine and Idaho). First spotted by one of my clients as we were split up and scanning both sides of the marsh for sharp-tailed sparrow activity. Awesome find, Ralph! Here’s a lousy, one-armed phone-scoped photo of the bird in the distance.
1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Garcelon Bog Preserve, Lewiston, 5/25.
With the advancement of the season, my personal “FOY’s” this week were limited, as expected in late May, but many of our latest-arriving breeders are showing up on territory now.
1 Alder Flycatcher, Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, 5/21 (with Harpswell Heritage Land Trust tour group).
1 MOURNING WARBLER, Long Reach Preserve, 5/21 (with Harpswell Heritage Land Trust tour group).
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee, our property in Durham, 5/22.
1 Common Nighthawk, over Bayside neighborhood of Portland, 5/22 (with Jeannette).
3+ Saltmarsh Sparrows, Scarborough Marsh, 5/23 (with clients from Maine and Idaho).
2+ Nelson’s Sparrows, Scarborough Marsh, 5/23 (with clients from Maine and Idaho).
7 RED KNOTS, Pine Point, Scarborough, 5/23 (with clients from Maine and Idaho).
3 Short-billed Dowitchers, Pine Point, 5/23 (with clients from Maine and Idaho).
TOURS AND EVENTS:
Our June 2ndZeiss Pelagic is sold out, but we are starting a waiting list in case there are any late cancellations. Please email the store at info@freeportwildbirdsupply.com to get on it.
I found this rather cooperative, late Orange-crowned Warbler at Pond Cove in Cape Elizabeth – my 10th of the fall. Unfortunately, my camera was insisting it was the sticks I wanted a photo of, so this is the best I did.
Some of my highlights over the past seven days included the following. For the most part, my birds of note were decidedly more wintery than in the past weeks, although “late/lingering” oddities are making an appearance with the slow progression of the season and resultant concentration at seasonal hotspots.
1 Red Crossbill, private property in Freeport, 11/24 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 Hermit Thrush, private property in Freeport, 11/25.
Barrow’s Goldeneyes are one of my favorite visitors to Maine in winter. The hens provide a nice challenge to pick out, too. This was one of two distinctive Barrow’s visible from the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge in Auburn/Lewiston on the 13th.
Especially in November – and often again with the first cold snap in December – I talk about “rarity fever,” when there is that additional motivation and encouragement to go birding thanks to the expectation of the unexpected. And usually we in Maine talk about the “winter doldrums” in an non-irruption year. And this year, there are virtually zero irruptives in the southern half of Maine – other than Snowy Owls. But with the Steller’s Sea-Eagle (as you may have heard!), a Bullock’s Oriole at a feeder in Damariscotta Mills, a Townsend’s Warbler in Cape Elizabeth (I missed it twice this week with a limited amount of effort), and a Barnacle Goose in Rockland, there is no doubt I – and many other birders – are experiencing a little mid-winter Rarity Fever! And that has helped motivate me to get out birding as often as I can. The to-do list can wait until February, right?
With the fairly sudden arrival to a bitter “real winter” cold, once again “pioneering” waterfowl made up most of my highlights this week, as I spent most of my birding time searching for the next big deal. My observations of note over the past seven days include the following:
1 Northern Flicker, Village Crossings/Cape Elizabeth Greenbelt Trail, 1/16 (with John Lorenc).
At least 2 hen BARROW’S GOLDENEYES. A third hen is suggestive of an odd Barrow’s or a Common x Barrow’s hybrid (see photo captions), Bernard Lown Peace Bridge, Auburn/Lewiston, 1/20.
Fun to hear two Carolina Wrens counter-singing across the Androscoggin River – one in Lewiston and one in Auburn – from Little Andy Park, Auburn, 1/20.
In addition to a bright-orange-billed classic Barrow’s, and the perfectly good smudgy-billed individual above (and here, on the left), there was a third bird that I am pondering. It’s either a third female Barrow’s (a great tally, especially for Androscoggin County) or perhaps a hybrid between Barrow’s x Common – the males of which do occur in Maine and are fairly straightforward to identify.
And finally, we have commissioned these incredible hand-painted, limited-edition Steller’s Sea-Eagle commemorative ornaments. Check them out here, on our website.
No shame in chasing a bird that is this stunningly gorgeous! And like the chase of the ATFL earlier this week, we put in the effort to find out own beforehand – and then rewarded ourselves with another exceptional rarity! What a dapper goose.
Despite my best efforts, my “best” birds of the week were all chased and not found. Nonetheless, I had a great week of birding and birdfinding. My highlights over the past six days were as follows:
1 continuing CATTLE EGRET, 2 Common Yellowthroats, 1 Pine Warbler, 4 Semipalmated Plovers, 8 Laughing Gulls, etc, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 11/6 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
This week’s Orange-crowned Warbler was “slightly” better photographed than the individual I had here two weeks ago!
With “Rarity Season” now in full swing, my observations of note over the past seven days included the following:
2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 10/31 (with clients from Maine and New Mexico).
2 Indigo Buntings, Private property in Cape Elizabeth, 10/31 (with clients from Maine and New Mexico).
1 Great Egret, Mill Creek Cove, South Portland, 10/31 (with clients from Maine and New Mexico).
1 Indigo Bunting, Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 10/31 (with clients from Maine and New Mexico).
1 WHITE-EYED VIREO and 4 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows (FOF), Reid State Park, Georgetown, 11/1 (with Jeannette).
1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and 1 RED-EYED VIREO, Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, 11/3. My 9th-ever here and 2nd of the season. Photo above.
1 continuing CATTLE EGRET (present for 4 days), Wolfe’s Neck Road, Freeport, 11/4. Video here: https://fb.watch/93PdvTCQmg/
3 Common Goldeneyes (FOF), Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 11/4.
1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (likely continuing from 11/3), 1 American Woodcock, 32 Snow Buntings, etc, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 11/5.
2 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows, Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth, 11/5.
These two Savannah Sparrows of the “Ipswich” subspecies were most obliging at Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth on Friday morning.
Thanks to our annual note in our newsletter to keep hummingbird feeders up through early November – and to give us a call if one shows up after the first week of October – we received another call about a late October hummingbird this year. I raced over as soon as it returned to study it and get documentation photos. Unlike last year, however, this was “just” a Ruby-throated. I should have known it wasn’t another “mega” rarity as it was way too easy to photograph closely, and I only waited 5 minutes for its arrival!
Before and after the storm, it was a rather great week of birding for me. Rarity Season is now underway! Here are my observations of note over the past seven days:
1 Field Sparrow, 2 Common Yellowthroats, 7 Semipalmated Plovers, etc., Wolf’s Neck Center, Freeport, 10/24 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 juv RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, private property in Freeport, 10/28. First seen on 10/26, but not on the 27th. See photo and caption above.
1 DICKCISSEL (photo below; Abner Point Road), 1 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL (first of fall locally), 2 male BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, and 2 American Tree Sparrows (first of fall), Bailey Island, Harpswell, 10/29.
103 Common Nighthawks while driving between Pownal and Lewiston, 8/25 (with Jeannette).
50+ Common Nighthawks, over The Pub at Baxter, Lewiston, 8/25 (with Andy, Renee, and Anna Patterson and Jeannette).
Although I didn’t hit many prime spots for large numbers of shorebirds this week, a good variety – and lots of shorebirds at unusual places due to the rains of Tropical Storm Henri – produced the following high counts:
American Oystercatcher: 4 continuing (2 ad with 2 juv), Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/26.
Black-bellied Plover: 82, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/26.
Killdeer: 68, Winding Brook Turf Farm, Lyman, 8/23 (with Nancy Houlihan, Pat Moynahan, and Jeannette).
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (FOY): 1 fairly early juvenile out of place at Wainright Field Rec Area, South Portland, 8/23. Video here: https://fb.watch/7CgydYWz1P/
It was fun to watch two male Red Crossbills feeding earlier this week without even leaving the store!
My highlights over the past seven days included the following:
2 Red Crossbills, feeding on Scots Pine here at the store, 5/1.
1 continuing PROPOSED TRICOLORED HERON X SNOWY EGRET X LITTLE EGRET hybrid, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 5/2 (with clients from Maine. Full explanation in an upcoming article in North American Birds slated to be published this fall).
10 species of warblers (FOY; finally!) led by only 9 Pine Warblers and 7 Black-and-white Warblers but including 1 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Morgan Meadow WMA, Raymond, 5/7.
1 Evening Grosbeak, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/7.
As the Neotropical migrant floodgates open, my personal first-of-years and new spring arrivals included:
Maine Birding Field Notes 