Tag Archives: York

This Week’s Highlights, 2/26-3/4, 2022

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There are few better places to photograph Wood Ducks in Maine than Abbott’s Pond (aka the “York Duck Pond”) in York. A quick stop here on Friday with clients visiting from Texas afforded some great photo ops!

It was a busy – and exceptionally productive – birding week for me! The extensive list of highlights – including two full days of private guiding which cleaned up on most of our regular wintering species in southern Maine – were as follows:

  • 7 BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/26 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk Group). Two days later, on 2/28, Allison Anholt, Cameron Cox, Jeannette, and I had an incredible EIGHT birds (4 pairs). This is my highest count here (or anywhere else in southern Maine) in nearly a decade.  At least 6 were still present on 3/3 (with clients from Texas). 
  • 1 first-winter Glaucous Gull, Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/26 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk Group).
  • 1 interesting, likely hybrid GLAUCOUS GULL X HERRING GULL, Bath Landfill, 3/1 (with Jeannette).  Showing characteristics consistent of this fairly-regular hybrid pair, the much darker primaries suggest the possibility of a second-generation hybrid – perhaps a backcross with a Herring Gull. Discussion on this bird continues but this is the current consensus. Unfortunately, the phone-scoped photos were further challenged by photographing through the debris netting.
  • 1 drake Northern Pintail, Falmouth Town Landing, 3/2.
  • 1 2nd winter Iceland Gull, Mill Creek Cove, South Portland, 3/3 (with clients from Texas).
  • 1 Killdeer (FOY), Fort Williams Park, Cape Elizabeth, 3/3 (with clients from Texas).
  • 4 Brant, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 3/3 (with clients from Texas).
  • 3 Green-winged Teal, Bayshore Road, Falmouth, 3/3 (with clients from Texas).
  • 1 first-winter Iceland Gull, Winslow Park, 3/3 (with clients from Texas).
  • 25 Horned Larks, 1 pair American Wigeon, 1 pair Northern Pintails, etc, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 3/4 (with clients from Texas).
  • 1 continuing PACIFIC LOON, The Cliff House, York (with clients from Texas).
  • 1 continuing pair Wood Ducks and 1 female Green-winged Teal, Abbott’s Pond, York, (with clients from Texas). Photo above.

This Week’s Highlights, 2/19-25, 2022.

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This ultra-confiding Harlequin Duck wowed the crowd at Sohier Park (the Nubble) in York during my Winter Waterbird Workshop for Down East Magazine’s Down East Adventures tour group on the 20th. 

A handful of observations of note over the past seven days included both signs of spring and winter specialties.

  • 2 male, 1 female BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/19 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 male Red-winged Blackbird, wicked early FOY, feeders here at the store, 2/19-present. Four as of 2/23.
  • 1 THICK-BILLED MURRE, The Cliff House, Ogunquit, 2/20 (with Down East Adventures Winter Waterbird Workshop group).
  • 1 first-winter Iceland Gull, Auburn Riverwalk, 2/22 (with Jeannette).
  • 6 Common Grackles (FOY), Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 2/24.
  • 1 female Northern Pintail, Riverbank Park, Westbrook, 2/24.

Northern Pintail x Mallard Hybrid in York (Wood Ducks, too)!

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While birding The Nubble on Tuesday (not seeing Dovekies or Thick-billed Murres), Jeannette and I chatted with a local birder who turned us onto a Dickcissel that was in the House Sparrow flock at the entrance to Sohier Park.
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Chatting a little longer, we learned of some overwintering Wood Ducks in York. Now, the occasional overwintering Woodie in Maine is not a shock, especially when a mild winter finally turns cold. In fact, I have seen a few this winter, including a bird that was at South Portland’s Mill Creek Cove for almost a month. But the location he mentioned was new to me, and I like learning about new places.

So we found our way over to tiny Abbott’s Pond, where, well, a few ducks overwinter.
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During our visit, we chatted with the landowner, who had come to feed the flock. He said it started with a few geese and other ducks that “people dropped off,” and then it was discovered by wild ducks. Mallards love little places like this, and in winter, the numbers swell, as if often the case where handouts are offered. And A LOT of food is offered here, fed daily from a silo holding three tons of waterfowl feed!

A bubbler and the heat from so many birds keeps some water open, which keeps numbers up during the middle of winter (or, as in now, when winter finally arrives).

And what’s so fun, from a birding perspective, about places like this where multitudes of Mallards congregate (such as Riverbank Park in Westbrook or Mill Creek Park in South Portland), there are bound to be a few unusual species now and again. This winter, a pair of Wood Ducks was recently joined by a second drake.
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Comfortable among the habituated inhabitants, the photography opportunities are unparalleled. But even more exciting, we spotted this stunning drake Northern Pintail x Mallard hybrid that has been present here, on and off, for a month or so. This rare (especially in the East) combination is not something I had seen before, so we were excited to photograph and study it!
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But even if it’s just a bunch of Mallards – the gorgeous drake would be more people’s favorite duck if it wasn’t so common – to enjoy, I know I will be back (in fact, I’ll probably be adding this unassuming little spot to the itinerary of Sunday’s Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! “Seaducks and Suds!” which does, by the way, have a few spaces left).

So a casual conversation led to finding one of my new favorite southern Maine birding hotspots. Who knows what has shown up here before, but I know I’ll find out what shows up next!

Birds on Tap – Roadtrip: Surf And Suds! 2/28/16

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brew bus at store

The first of six “Birds on Tap – Roadtrips!” with our partners at the Maine Brew Bus took place last Sunday. Our “Surf and Suds!” tour headed south, visiting two hotspots along the York County Coast, looking for waterfowl (especially Harlequin Ducks), Purple Sandpipers, and Great Cormorants and other winter denizens of the rocky shore.

We began at Marginal Way in Ogunquit, enjoying perfect conditions. With temperatures rapidly rising into the low 40’s on a very light, southwesterly breeze, it was more than comfortable. And with a high deck of clouds and calm waters, viewing conditions were perfect.
birders at Marginal Way

Harlequin Ducks are one of the premier “targets” of this tour, and they could not have been more obliging. At least 35 were along the pathway, with most very close to shore and several small groups hauled out on the rocks.

Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) at Marginal Way, Ogunquit, ME

Harlequin Ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) at Marginal Way, Ogunquit, ME

(Photo with Leica V-Lux Type 114)

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(Phone-scoped photo)

While we only encountered 15 Purple Sandpipers, we saw them exceptionally well. I just with the little raft of 8 Razorbills were a little closer! A Carolina Wren singing from the neighborhood and 250+ Black Scoters were among the other highlights, while we also took ample time to enjoy views of Common Eiders, Red-breasted Mergansers, and all three scoters.

Next up was The Nubble, where one Great Cormorant coming into high breeding posed nicely, and a goodly total of 38 Harlequin Ducks were present. It was a MUCH better look at the single Razorbill that was feeding just off the Nubble, and it would be impossible to obtain better views of a Red-tailed Hawk that was making rounds of the parking lot, the Nubble, and nearby rooftops.
birders at Nubble

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(phone-scoped photo)

Before we knew it, it was “beer o’clock” and Don took over for the beer-ing portion of this unique tour. York’s SoMe Brewing was our first destination, and after a tour of their rapidly-growing operation as we discussed the ins and outs of brewing beer, we settled in for a flight of samples. Perhaps best known for their Whoopie Pie Stout and their go-to Apostrophe IPA, for me at least (and several others) “Sugar What?” stole the show. This Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Maple Amber hit all the right notes for me.
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Back on the Brew Bus, we began our trek northward, continuing our discussions about birds, beer, and everything from “status and distribution” to bird-friendly coffee. We pulled into the unassuming South Portland neighborhood’s Fore River Brewing Company – a first visit for me, and all of the participants on the tour.
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Lygonia IPA was my favorite of our samples, although the crowd was appreciating their John Henry Milk Stout quite a bit. We also learned how their brewing system, philosophy, and background differed from our first brewery; it always fascinates me on these tours to learn about the brewers and their approach to beer.
ForeRiver-taps

With the bus unloaded in Freeport, conversation continued at the store, and plans were made for the next Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! On April 10th, “Spring Ducks and Draughts” will visit Merrymeeting Bay for waterfowl migration and Bald Eagles, followed by visits to Oxbow Brewing Company in Newcastle (I love their woodland tasting room!) and Lively Brewing in Brunswick. These trips are truly unique and we hope you will join us for the next fun-filled tour of birds and beer!