Not long after posting my last blog entry on Sunday, my THIRD Northern Shrike of the day dropped into our store’s feeding station and grabbed an unsuspecting Song Sparrow. Although I admit that I’d have preferred the shrike to snag a House Sparrow, it was exciting nonetheless, and I was happy to add one of my favorite birds to our store’s yard list, which now stands at 115.

My sea-watching attempt from Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth Monday morning was thwarted by distortion from heat shimmer, and a long walk through Kettle Cove and Crescent Beach State Park was rather fruitless, save for two small groups of Common Redpolls, a fly-by immature Northern Goshawk, and a very late Semipalmated Plover on the beach. Quick looks at a couple of land trust properties were fruitless, and a visit to Village Crossings was fruitful only in the literal sense – there was plenty of fruit, just no birds eating it! There was a Carolina Wren singing away, however, and I did spot two Pine Grosbeaks along Rte 77, just south of Fox Hill Rd feeding in a roadside crab apple tree. Funny how spoiled we are becoming so far this winter: only seeing two Pine Grosbeaks and two small groups of redpolls is considered a slow day!

No, a slow day of birding was Tuesday, when Jeannette and I decided to check out the trails of the Poland Spring Preservation Park. Now, THAT was unproductive. Walking just about all of the trails here produced exactly 1 Blue Jay, 1 American Crow, and 4 Black-capped Chickadees.

But, it wasn’t surprising given the habitat – few conifers (just a few hemlock and a scattering of White Pine) in a forest of oak, beech, and maple. There’s not a lot of food or cover in the deciduous woods in the winter. However, we made a note to check this place out in the breeding season. Plus, with the first snow of the season – for the coastal plain anyway – falling, it was still a pleasant outing. The first flurries began soon after we started the walk, and by the end, there was a thick coating on the ground – just enough to add to the silence of the woods as the fresh snow muffled the sound of crunching leaves.

Hedgehog Mountain Park was only a little birdier on Wednesday morning, but today’s auditory winter experience was the pitter-patter of sleet pellets bouncing off the ice-glazed forest floor.

It is a series of low pressure systems tracking along a stalled frontal boundary has produced this mixture of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow– depending on where you were in Maine. A complex system – with quite a bit of forecast uncertainty – is setting up for the next couple of days, so in between bites of Turkey and stuffing, keep an eye on those feeders!

And have a Happy Thanksgiving!