Tag Archives: Ruddy Duck

This Week’s Highlights 4/18– 4/24/2026.

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Yellow-rumped Warblers increased significantly this week. I am certain that this stunning bird would be more people’s favorite warbler if they weren’t so darn abundant! This spiffy male was one of at least 40 at
Florida Lake Park in Freeport on the 22nd.

Migration ground to a halt this week, with a more wintery weather pattern and few nights conducive to nocturnal migration. Not surprisingly, my limited observations of notes this week were mostly of a more “wintery” variety.

  • BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS continue to be common and widespread this week, although they seem to be rapidly clearing out now. Nonetheless, I had 14 at Community Park in Wells on 4/19, 16 here at the store on 4/19, 15 that joined me at the Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch on 4/21.
  • 2 Evening Grosbeaks, Meadow Road, Durham, 4/23.

My few personal “first of years” (aka “FOYs”) this week included:

  • 1 Willet, Harbor Road, Wells, 4/19.
  • 1 Eastern Towhee, Community Park, Wells, 4/19.
  • 11 RUDDY DUCKS, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 4/21.
  • 1 Eastern Meadowlark, Davis Road, Durham, 4/24 (even though they have been present here, and most other places, for several weeks now).
  • However, migrant numbers built up slowly but steadily this week. Some high counts included numerous widespread Savannah Sparrows in Wells and Ogunquit on 4/19; 36 Palm Warblers at the Topsham Ponds Trails on 4/21; 40+ Yellow-rumped Warblers at Florida Lake Park on 4/22; 10 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at Morgan Meadow WMA on 4/24. Meanwhile, up to 11 Yellow-rumped Warblers are now at our feeders at home in Durham.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch is at its Peak!

The 20th year of the project began on March 15th. The quickest and clearest way to view daily reports is by clicking on the Hawkcount link contained here. Meanwhile, we will continue to post weekly summaries on the News Page of our website. Here’s the Week 5 report, including our biggest flight of the season to date.

Upcoming Tours.

Birds on Tap – Roadtrip: Hawks and Hops!

***POSTPONED due to weather to THIS SUNDAY – April 26, 2026; 9:00am – 3:00pm. There are now a few spaces open!”***

Portland Explorer (formerly Maine Brew Bus) and Freeport Wild Bird Supply are excited to continue our collaboration for 3 very special outings in 2026. 

These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with visits to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite local breweries. These tours are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to travel with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). Seasonal birding hotspots and great local beer – a perfect combination, and we’ll even do all of the driving!

This brand-new itinerary takes us to the Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch at Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal in the peak of northbound raptor migration. Now in its 20th year, this research project by Freeport Wild Bird Supply tallies an average of 4,180 migrating birds of prey each spring from the summit!

After a gentle 1-mile climb through the woods, looking and listening for migrant and resident songbirds, we’ll arrive at the summit and join the project’s Official Counter. Derek will discuss the history and methodology of the project, as the counter points out migrating raptors. Derek will lead us through the basics of hawk identification to give us a hawkwatch primer, and then if the migration action allows, we’ll sit back and enjoy the show until it is time to depart (the walk down is a steep ¼ of a mile on a wide, well-worn trail with rocks and roots and some steps; hiking sticks are suggested if you use them). This is the only Hawkwatch Workshop program that FWBS will be offering this year, so this is a tour you won’t want to miss!

After about 3 hours of birding, we will be transported to two of our great local producers to sample their offerings and learn their styles. Our brewery destinations are subject to change, but the current plan is to visit Maine Beer Company and Goodfire Brewing.

 This Week’s Highlights, 3/29-4/4/2025.

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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.
  • 3 RUDDY DUCKS (FOY), 18 Lesser Scaup, 16 Greater Scaup, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 3/31 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 1st cycle Iceland Gull, Whiskeag Trail, Bath, 4/1 (with Jeannette).
  • 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.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch

The Week 2 report can be found here.

Upcoming Tours:

Woodcocks Gone Wild re-scheduled for TOMORROW, Saturday, April 5th has not yet been cancelled. Updates will be posted here around mid-day tomorrow. The tour is sold out.

Recent Highlights, 10/10- 10/16/24

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Diving ducks and fall foliage at Sabattus Pond – it’s really October now!

Pelagics, waterfowl, morning flights, and more. It was a great week of October birding! Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.

  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/10: 285 individuals of 26 species, led by 116 Yellow-rumped Warblers.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/11: 385 individuals of 21 species, led by 204 American Robins.
  • Full list for both here:
Sandy Point Morning Flights: September – October, 2024.
  • 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:
Boothbay ½-day Pelagic Trip Report, 10/14/2024
  • 1 late Solitary Sandpiper, 226 Ruddy Ducks, 140 Lesser Scaup, 79 Greater Scaup, and 4 Buffleheads (FOF), etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 10/16.
  • 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!

 Recent Highlights, 3/25– 3/31/2024

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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.
  • 40 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, Miller Park, Lisbon, 3/26.
  • 2 RUDDY DUCKS, 21 Lesser Scaup, 6 Greater Scaup, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 3/26.
  • 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.
  • Community Pizza Night at Maine Beer Company to support Feathers Over Freeport
  • 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.

This Week’s Highlights, 4/22-28/2023

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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.
  • 21 RUDDY DUCKS (FOY), 5 Horned Grebes, 33 Lesser Scaup, 6 Greater Scaup, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 4/23.
  • 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, Long Point Road, Harpswell, 4/24 (with Jeannette).

My other personal FOY’s this week also included:

  • 1 Blue-headed Vireo, Riverfront Woods Preserve, Yarmouth, 4/22 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group)
  • 2 Barn Swallows, Lisbon Falls waterfront, 4/23.
  • 1 “Eastern” Willet, Land’s End, Bailey Island, 4/24 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 Snowy Egrets, Tidewater Farm Preserve, Falmouth, 4/28.

TOURS AND EVENTS:

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.

This Week’s Highlights: December 10 – 16, 2022

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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.
  • ~140 RUDDY DUCKS, 1 drake Green-winged Teal, 1 drake Northern Pintail, 52 Lesser Scaup, 19 Greater Scaup, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 12/12.
  • 2 Red Crossbills, private property in Freeport, 12/13.
  • Scattered tarrying Turkey Vultures this week included a high count of 4 over the store on 12/13.
  • 1 continuing GRAY CATBIRD, 1 continuing Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and 1 continuing Wood Duck, Saco Riverwalk, 12/15.

This Week’s Highlights: October 8 -14, 2022

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Northern Fulmar on our ½ day Pelagic on Tuesday.

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 Bobolink, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 10/8 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 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.
Boothbay Mini-Pelagic Trip Report, 10/11/22
  • Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 10/13: 158 RUDDY DUCKS, 84 Lesser Scaup, 56 Greater Scaup, 2 American Wigeon, 1 Spotted Sandpiper, 1 Ring-necked Duck, etc.

This Week’s Highlights, 11/17-19, 2021.

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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.

Derek’s Birding This Week, 3/27-4/2/2021

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My highlights over the past seven days included the following:

  • 5 Fox Sparrows continue in our yard in Pownal.
  • 7 SANDHILL CRANES (FOY), Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 3/27.
  • 2 Pine Siskins (FOS), feeders here at the store, 3/27 – present.
  • 5 RUDDY DUCKS (FOY) and 1 first-cycle Iceland Gull, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 3/28.
  • 1 Eastern Phoebe (FOY), Sebago Lake State Park, 3/29 (with Jeannette).
  • 8 EVENING GROSBEAKS (FOS), our yard in Pownal, 4/2.
  • 3 Red Crossbills, feeding in the yard here at the store, 4/2.

Derek’s Birding This Week, 2/20-26/2021.

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My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

  • 19 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, Runaround Pond Road, Durham, 2/20.
  • 1 pair BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/21.
  • 1 continuing Hermit Thrush, Maquoit Bay Conservation Land, Brunswick, 2/22.
  • 68 scaup spp, Mere Point Boat Launch, Brunswick, 2/22.
  • 1 continuing female RUDDY DUCK, ~450 total scaup, 1 Belted Kingfisher, etc, Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 2/22.
  • 1 Turkey Vulture, Cook’s Corner, Brunswick, 2/22.
  • 1 Northern Shrike, Foothills Land Conservancy, Wilton, 2/23 (with Jeannette).
  • 32 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, White Granite Park, Jay, 2/23 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 continuing DICKCISSEL and 1 Northern Flicker, Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 2/24 (with Robby Lambert); Dickcissel still present on 2/26.

This Week in Finches:

  • Red Crossbill: 4 (Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 2/24 with Robby Lambert and continuing on 2/26).
  • PINE GROSBEAK: 13 (Downtown Brunswick, 2/15); 2 (Paul Street, Brunswick, 2/15).