With rarity season winding down, what is a vagrant-loving birder to do? As always, plenty! While rarities will become fewer and farther between over the next few weeks (although there are still Cave Swallows in Kittery – and I have to get back down to visit with them!), it is still a great time to be out birding.

Waterfowl are on the move, and large concentrations of ducks can be found - such as at Sabbattus Pond, Cobbosseecontee Lake, and almost anywhere along the coast. Waterfowl are great birds to study and enjoy – they’re big, they tend to sit still longer, and most are relatively easy to identify! On the other hand, many are extremely attractive, a lot of fun to watch, and yes – there are rare ducks to be found! Diving ducks such as Common Goldeneyes and Bufflehead are building, seaducks, such as Common Eider and Harlequin Duck are massing, and dabbling ducks, such as American Black Ducks and Mallards are on the move – heading south before their freshwater habitat of choice freezes over.

While most of our passerine migration has passed us by, we may still see a big movement of finches. Our “winter finches” including Common Redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, and Red and White-winged Crossbills usually don’t begin to move until late in the fall or early winter. In some years we have more of these seed-eaters than others, depending on natural food sources to our north and west. If preferred plants have produced a good seed crop, we will see few or these more northerly birds in the winter. If crops to our north are poor, or get used up quickly, more birds will head south to grace us with their presence. Fruit eaters such as Bohemian Waxwings and American Robins may also spend the winter with us, depending on fruit resources. If small mammal prey is scarce, we may be able to enjoy Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks, and maybe even some of the rarer winter owls, such as Great Gray and Boreal. (See my blog entry for October 24)

And before we know it (less than a month now), it will be time to begin our scouting for our local Christmas Bird Counts (more on that in the next few weeks). I like Christmas Bird Counts (I usually participate in 3-4 each year!) for two reasons. 1) Everybody counts! Since we try and tally every species in a given area, everything from a Chickadee and a crow to a first state record, all count for the tally. 2) The challenge of finding new birds and new hotspots within a territory that you have covered annually for years. 3) Rarities! With so many birders out checking so many places, a number of goodies are always found!

So, once again, I strongly recommend not putting you binoculars down yet! Just add a couple of extra layers, and you’ll be good to go. See you out in the field!