Tag Archives: Falmouth Town Landing

This Week’s Highlights, 2/22 – 2/28/2025

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These three female Greater Scaup appeared with the Mallard flock off of the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge between Lewiston and Auburn last week, and continued through the 25th

I had an excellent week of late-winter birding this week, with a nice mix of overwintering birds and some new, spring-like arrivals. Towards week’s end, birdsong from our resident species increased dramatically, and winter concentrations of waterfowl are beginning to disperse. But – at the risk of sounding a little corny – I have to say, showing people their first ever Harlequin Duck is always a winter highlight for me! It was also nice to have a tour run, and not postponed or cancelled due to weather. My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

  • The single Fox Sparrows continues here at the store, and our one at our Durham feeders reappeared in the snow on the 27th after being absent for a few days.
  • At least 2 Turkey Vultures continue in the Cumberland-Freeport corridor of I-295. Part of the local overwintering flock (up to 15 total roosting in Brunswick at the peak), the first northbound migrants of spring are now arriving. This appears to now be a year-round species along Maine’s southern coast, as birds have overwintered locally for the last three years.
  • 1 drake GADWALL, Falmouth Town Landing, Falmouth, 2/22 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 4 Brant (FOY), Dyer Point, Cape Elizabeth, 2/23 (with Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! Tour group).
  • 1 Merlin and 1 Horned Lark, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 2/23 (with Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! Tour group).
  • Full trip report here.
  • 1 Northern Shrike (FOY/3rd of winter), Bridge St, Newfield, 2/24 with Jeannette).
  • 1 RUSTY BLACKBIRD and 1 Winter Wren, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 2/24 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 continuing drake Green-winged Teal and 3 continuing female Greater Scaup, Anniversary Park – Bernard Lown Peace Bridge area, Auburn-Lewiston, 2/25 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 continuing hen AMERICAN WIGEON and 3 Barrow’s Goldeneyes (1 pair plus 1 immature male), Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/26.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch

We’re only two weeks away from the start of our 19th season! Free and open to the public, we welcome Zane Baker back for his record 7th season as Official Counter. 9-5 every day, weather permitting. More information and a link to counts can be found here.

Upcoming Tours:

  1. Woodcocks Gone Wild: Saturday, March 29th.  Registration and more information is here.

Derek’s Birding This Week, 2/13-19/2021.

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This putative BLACK-HEADED X RING-BILLED GULL HYBRID has returned for its second winter to the Falmouth Town Landing.

It was a very good week of birding for me! My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

  • 1 female KING EIDER, The Nubble, Cape Neddick, 2/14.
  • 1 continuing pair Green-winged Teal, Abbott’s Pond, York, 2/14.
  • 1 Northern Flicker, US Route 1, Kittery, 2/14.
  • 1 Hermit Thrush, Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, 2/15.
  • 175-200 distant scaup spp, Mere Point Boat Launch, Brunswick, 2/15.
  • 26 Lesser Scaup and 420 Greater Scaup in careful count of birds closer than they have been, Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 2/15.
  • 4 BARROW’S GOLDENEYES (2 pairs), Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/18 (with Beth Edmonds and Dan Nickerson; this is my highest count in three years here).
  • 1 putative BLACK-HEADED X RING-BILLED GULL HYBRID, Falmouth Town Landing, 2/18 (with Beth Edmonds and Dan Nickerson). Was present in February of 2020; this was the first report for this winter that I am aware of. Video at: https://fb.watch/3KpP3olnTd/

This Week in Finches:

  • Red Crossbill: 15 (neighborhood behind Marginal Way, Ognuquit, 2/14).
  • PINE GROSBEAK: 9 (Downtown Brunswick, 2/15); 2 (Paul Street, Brunswick, 2/15).
This poorly phone-scoped female King Eider off of The Nubble was my first of the winter.