This Rusty Blackbird singing up a storm at Florida Lake Park on 4/2 has likely been present here since way back when I first saw it on 2/26! I don’t stop at Florida Lake very often this early in the season, but every time I have, he’s been in the same corner, often singing, making me think it’s the same individual. Even now, it’s on the early side for Rusties.
It was an up and down week of weather, to say the least, but slowly but surely spring migration was progressing. Considering fairly limited time in the field this week, I had a decent early season slate of observations of note and personal “first-of-years” over the past seven days:
Fox Sparrows at our feeders in Durham peaked at a goodly 6 on 3/30. 3 continue here at the store through week’s end.
1 continuing Rusty Blackbird (likely present here since 2/26; note and photo above), 1 Pied-billed Grebe (FOY), 2 Eastern Phoebes (FOY), and 1 Tree Swallow (FOY), Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/2.
One of two Eastern Phoebes at Florida Lake Park on the 2nd, this one seemed to be contemplating its life choices with yet another spring snowstorm on its way.
2 Rusty Blackbirds, our property in Durham, 4/3.
8 Double-crested Cormorants (FOY), Mailley Park, Bowdoinham, 4/3.
1 drake NORTHERN SHOVELER (FOY), Mouth of the Abby, Bowdoinham, 4/3.
1 Vesper Sparrow and 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 10/11.
1 Lesser Yellowlegs and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper with 28 Greater Yellowlegs, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/12 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
6 Long-tailed Ducks (first of fall), 1 Red-breasted Merganser (first of fall locally), 2 Dunlin, 2 Osprey, 12 Black-bellied Plovers, 200+ Surf Scoters, 73 Laughing and 18 Bonaparte’s Gulls, etc, Casco Bay, 10/13 (with Birds of Casco Bay boat tour group).
Highlights from a, uh, “challenging” half-day pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/14 included 1 Northern Fulmar and 2 Common Murres. Full trip report and some photos here:
Highlights from the yard this week include a dawn American Woodcock on 10/11 and 3 Rusty Blackbirds and 120+ White-throated Sparrows on 10/15.
UPCOMING TOURS:
There’s still one space open on our Birds on Tap! – The Boat Trip! To House Island in Casco Bay on Sunday, October 20th. More info here, included an updated itinerary. This is going to be a really special trip!
Presumably having wintered somewhat locally and recently set out in search of new food resources, this Gray Catbird was feasting on what was left of our Highbush Cranberry and Staghorn Sumac here at the store on 3/27.
After the snowfall, and especially ice, over the weekend of the 23rd-24th, a resurgence in feeder activity was widespread. Fox Sparrows seemed to be everywhere (I saw more driving around on the morning of the 26th than I sometimes see in an entire spring!), American Robins were being reported at feeders, and Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrows were in every feeder and patch of bare ground. I think we can expect more of that this week, based on the current forecast!
At our feeders in Durham, some select high counts included 52 Dark-eyed Juncos on 3/25 and two Fox Sparrows 3/26 – present, 3 Purple Finches and 4 Pine Siskins on 3/31, etc. Meanwhile, at least a dozen White-throated Sparrows continue, well over our usual for the season.
Away from our yard, my observations of note over the past seven days included the following:
Red Crossbills continue to be widespread in small numbers.
30 Northern Pintail, 2 American Wigeon, 6 Green-winged Teal, etc, Mouth of the Abagadasset River, Bowdoinham, 3/26.
1 GRAY CATBIRD, yard here at the store, 3/27. Photo above.
30 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, here at the store, 3/30 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
2 Red Crossbills, 1 Fish Crow, etc, South Freeport Village, 3/30 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 Tree Swallow (FOY), Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 3/31.
TOURS AND EVENTS:
April 6th’s “Woodcocks Gone Wild” is currently sold out (weather date, 4/13). This year, we are requesting pre-registration for the first time, with evening-of walk-ups only if we have extra space; sorry for the inconvenience. Give us a call at the store or email us to be added to the waitlist.
April 17: 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. 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.
We got underway for the 18th season on Friday, March 15th. Zane Baker, back for his record-shattering 6th season, kicked things off with two triple-digit counts in the first three days of the season.
Daily counts will be posted to Hawkcount.org and the BirdHawk listserve, while weekly summaries will be posted to the News Page of our website.
As is often the case with prolonged cool, wet spells in early spring, Yellow-rumped (and Pine) Warblers descended on feeders. By week’s end, at least 14 were devouring suet, nuts, mealworms, and jelly in our yard in Durham.
Migration ground nearly to a halt for most of the week with a persistent onshore flow and lots of precipitation. Wednesday and Thursday nights, however, saw some good flights of passerines, with hawks moving once again on Thursday and Friday. My observations of note over the past seven days included:
1 female Evening Grosbeak, our feeders in Durham, 4/22.
This 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. The entire schedule and more information can be found here. All events are free with park admission.
At least one Ruby-crowned Kinglet continues at the Saco Riverwalk as of 12/15 (I had three here last week). This one does not seem particularly happy about it, however.
Being short-staffed in the weeks before Christmas is not a good recipe for lots of birding time when you work in retail! Luckily, my three mornings out and about were all quite productive for mid-December.
1 DOVEKIE, 14+ Razorbills, 3 Black-legged Kittwakes, etc. in one hour of seawatching at Dyer Point, Cape Elizabeth, 12/11.
1 Field Sparrow, private property in Cape Elizabeth, 12/11.
1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Mill Creek Park, South Portland, 12/11.
My birding levels were closer to par for me this week, albeit concentrated on building our new yard list! The last two group tours of the year – both by boat – were conducted this week, with overall great success. It was also nice to have a few mornings to get some casual birding in before work. This is my favorite time of the birding year, afterall!
1 Marsh Wren (in a dry patch of burdock!), our yard in Durham, 10/8.
1 Long-tailed Duck (first of fall), 3 Snowy Egrets, 115 Surf Scoters, etc, Birds of Casco Bay Boat Tour, 10/9.
1 Indigo Bunting in a very light morning flight at Sandy Point, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, 10/10 (total – 87 migrants).
½ Day Pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/11: 1 Common Murre, 1 Parasitic Jaeger, 1 Pomarine Jaeger, 3 Northern Fulmars, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, etc. Full trip report with photos and annotated checklist, along with my Stercorariidae mea culpa can be seen here.
Part of this fall’s incursion of Cattle Egrets into the Northeast, we caught up with this cooperative individual while birding in Vermont at the Goose Viewing Area of the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area on 11/13.
After spending a long weekend in Vermont – including quite a few birding highlights – it’s been mostly catching up here at the store. Nonetheless, I did have a great morning at Sabattus Pond on Friday.
1 Winter Wren, Highland Road, Brunswick, 11/18.
Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 11/19 – 16 species of waterfowl!
520 Ruddy Ducks
444 Mallards
251 Lesser Scaup
154 American Black Ducks
74 Green-winged Teal
48 Greater Scaup
41 Common Mergansers
19 Hooded Mergansers
18 Canada Geese
16 American Wigeon
13 Northern Pintails
8 Buffleheads
3 Common Goldeneyes
2 Surf Scoters
1 White-winged Scoter
1 Ring-necked Duck
X Mallard x American Black Duck hybrid
37 Turkey Vultures
1 Carolina Wren
This out of place Brant graced the Burlington Waterfront Park when we spent the morning strolling it on the 11/14.
1 continuing RUDDY DUCK, 11 Lesser and 6 Greater Scaup (in close small group in flight) and 250+ distant scaup. I am sure the ratio of species in that close group of 17 does not reflect the makeup of the large group which will be mostly (at least) Greater. Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 1/25.
1 female BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, Anniversary Park, Auburn, 1/26.
1 Northern Shrike, Highland Road, Brunswick, 1/28
This Week in Finches, at least for the sake of continuing to organize mostly negative data, with the exception of another wave of Pine Grosbeaks hitting the immediate area:
EVENING GROSBEAK: 0
Red Crossbill: 6-8 continue on Merrill Road in Pownal.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL: 0
PINE GROSBEAK: 3-5 near-daily at the store through week’s end; 3(Route One, Brunswick, 1/25); 2 (Route One/Pleasant Street, Brunswick, 1/25); 25+ (Maine Street, Brunswick, 1/29), 16 (Topsham Fair Mall, Topsham, 1/29).
Maine Birding Field Notes 