A visit to Popham Beach State Park wasn’t too fruitful yesterday, but it was nice to be out on a sunny, but blustery for a change, morning. Not too many gulls were on the beach, and at low tide most of the ducks, loons, and grebes were rather far out. However, our birding highlight of the day came in the early afternoon at home in Pownal.

We stepped out the door (to go hang up a new Barred Owl nest box; now’s a good time to do this) and a Rough-legged Hawk was circling overhead! It slowly gained altitude on the thermal of warm air that was rising from the hill that we live upon. It was only my second “Roughie” of the season (the first was way back in late October) and it was a most unexpected “Yard Bird” for us.

Many birders speak of the “February Birding Doldrums.” I don’t! I like February birding (when don’t I like birding???) It is certainly true that there is less new stuff to see: rarities have either been found by now or have perished. Few birds are on the move to show up at new locations. And yes, there are just not that many birds in the Maine Woods in winter.

But, now is the time to enjoy the winter denizens. In NORMAL winters, February is a good time to enjoy concentrations of waterfowl and Bald Eagles in areas of open water. Bird feeders are usually quite busy at this time of year. Gull-watching is at its peak. Looking for winter finches and northern owls never gets old for me! By month’s end, as ice breaks up, waterfowl and Bald Eagles begin to move north. Red-throated Loons are flying north and Rough-legged Hawks begin to move as well. Ravens and Great Horned Owls are building nests, woodpeckers are drumming, and birdsong slowly but surely increases. And then, by the last week of February, we usually see our first new arrivals: Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Turkey Vultures, along with an increase in waterfowl.

This February is a little different, as you may have noticed. Due to the near-record warm January, waterfowl concentrations have not been as significant. White-winged gulls (Glaucous and Iceland) have been few and far between this winter, and much of our winter finch supply has dried up for some reason. And, I’ve seen both Red-winged Blackbirds and Turkey Vultures already this week! (And I received a report of a Tree Swallow over South Portland!)

However, all is certainly not lost for birding enjoyment in this mild winter. First of all, the temperatures have finally dropped a bit, which may allow for some rivers and bays to freeze to concentrate ducks and gulls. Feeder activity will likely also pick up as well. We have the typical waterbird movements to enjoy and document, we do have some finches and owls around to look at, and since it has been so mild, there are quite a few birds still lingering from fall. Or, we will have the thrill of discovery of yet even more new, and exceptionally early, arrivals.

Speaking of the thrill of discovery, how about the news out of Indonesia in the past couple of days? Dozens of new species, including some fascinating birds were discovered in a remote, isolated jungle in Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, was a discovery closer to home really a discovery? A recent article in The Auk, the Journal of the American Ornithologist’s Union critically evaluates the data presented in the “rediscovery” of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas. This is not simple “nay-saying,” this a scientist evaluating science – that’s the nature of science afterall. The author exams the data that has been presented, and also explores “The interfaces of Science, Conservation, and Politics.” I found it most interesting.