Having been gone for so long, I of course have been quite busy catching up with work over the last few days. However, I managed to squeeze in a little birding each morning since I have been back. Hedgehog Mountain was my first stop, but as of Friday morning, things were still pretty quiet there. The store’s birdwalk on Saturday was quite productive however, with the highlight being a lingering pair of Barrow’s Goldeneyes off of South Freeport Town Landing. 25+ Cedar Waxwings at Winslow Park were also nice to see, but wintering waterfowl numbers have certainly decreased there.

This morning, I checked out Old Townhouse Park in North Yarmouth. I have not been here before, but a birder on my birdwalk yesterday suggested having a look there. A dozen or so Red-winged Blackbirds were on territory, and small mixed flocks of Red-wings, Common Grackles, and Brown-headed Cowbirds were passing overhead. The habitat there, including marsh along the edge of the Royal River, fields, and a conifer plantation, looks prime for some good birding potential. I will certainly have to add this to my routine. A nice group of 33 Wild Turkeys and an adult Northern Shrike were at Terrison’s Orchard in Cumberland, but nearby Double-T Orchards only held a single American Robin. And finally, a quick stop at Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland produced two newly arrived Killdeer, more blackbirds, and a pair of American Kestrel.

Spring is definitely in the air! As I type this, a small flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles have descended on our feeding station here at the store. Diving ducks (such as Bufflehead) are moving out, but dabbling ducks (such as Green-winged Teal) are moving in. Hawks are on the move – keep and eye on the sky!, and sparrows are starting to wander back as well. We might not have had much of a winter, but it’s always nice to see spring return!

Tomorrow night (3/13), I will be giving a free program at the Norway Memorial Library in Norway on “Backyard Bird Feeding.” This will be an introduction to creating a successful bird feeding garden, including food, feeders, pest issues, habitat, and conservation. The program is at 7:00pm. See their website for more information and directions. Hope to see you there!