I just hope the day finishes up as good as it started! Tonight, Rutgers plays Louisville in a Big East battle of the unbeatens – this one ain’t going to be easy for the Scarlet Knights. However, I’m decked out in Rutgers Scarlet today, and hopefully that will help. Not sure which win would be bigger – the Senate or tonight’s game!?

Maybe this Insight.com Bowl shirt from last year is good luck – I have worn it on every Saturday this season (don’t worry, it’s been washed plenty of time in between!)– and they haven’t lost yet! Plus, it seemed to produce some good luck while birding this morning!

I headed north to Sabattus Pond to enjoy the duckage there. After all, ducks don’t mind the rain. In fact, sometimes coastal storms can “ground” migrant ducks on inland water bodies. Whether or not that was the case, the quantity of ducks was truly extraordinary on Sabattus Pond this morning.

But first, a quick stop at the Lisbon Falls Fishing Park to check for Common Mergansers failed to produce Mergs, but I did stumble upon a Carolina Wren – my first of this expanding species in Androscoggin County. There have been more Carolinas around of late – so maybe another small incursion of this species is occurring this fall. Regardless, this one was in a new, non-coastal location.

By the time I arrived at my first stop, the drizzle had ended, and I even was treated to a few rays of sunshine. Sabattus Pond is by far the best place in the state for large numbers of the adorable Ruddy Duck – but the 656 that I tallied this morning was truly outstanding – and by far the most I have ever seen in one place at one time! The 275 Common Mergansers – mostly in one large, massive flotilla, was not too shabby either! 70 Mallards, 56 Common Goldeneyes, 65 mixed Scaup (one group a bit far too bother identifying every individual), 56 Lesser Scaup, 37 Greater Scaup, 9 Hooded Mergansers, 4 Common Loons, 2 American Coots, and 1 Red-breasted Merganser were also present today. But, wow, 656 Ruddies!

I also enjoyed some quality time with a mixed flock of Lesser and Greater Scaup that was close to shore, providing ample opportunities to practice the separation of these two similar species.

I wandered a few back roads (hoping to run into Goose flocks) as I traveled east to Bowdoinham. (By the way, I am searching for flocks of Canada Geese to sort through for Cackling Geese or other maybe-not-so-rarities, so if you know of any groups, please let me know!). At the mouth of the Abagadasset, my friend Mike reported 218 American Coots earlier this week. This is also an amazing tally, and more “Cutes” than I have seen in total in Maine since I moved here! The mouth of the Abby is rarely birded in the fall, so I wonder if this is a regular occurrence. Either way, I just had to have a look!

At mid-tide this morning, a still-amazing 167 American Coots were present, and still more than I have ever seen in Maine. They were waddling around the exposed mats of wild rice, acting – and looking – more like puffy, rotund shorebirds than the rails that they are. I find them rather comical, and downright cartoonish on land. The duck numbers here weren’t too shabby here either: 98 Green-winged Teal, 68 Mallards, 9 Northern Pintail, 7 Hooded Mergansers, 2 American Black Ducks, along with a single Pied-billed Grebe.

What a morning! Now, I have to start getting ready for the game tonight!

But, before I go read up on Louisville’s rushing defense, here are a couple of photo quiz shots. I was not attempting to get “great” shots of Scaup this morning, but I was working on my inventory of comparison photos.

Here’s the Quiz:
A) Identify the species:
Top = _________
Middle = _________
Bottom = _________

B) Which one is the Greater Scaup, and why?

C) Which one is the Lesser Scaup, and why?

D) Which scaup species is this, and why? (If you answer “Greater because its head is green,” you go straight to detention!)

E) Extra Credit: Why is this not a Gray Heron? (Actually, this isn’t really part of the test, I was just proud of this shot from Evergreen Cemetery on Sunday and had to work it in somehow!)

So, what do you think?