On Sunday, Ed, Luke, Ian and I did a “Big Day.” A Big Day is an attempt to see as many birds within a single day within some boundaries, usually a specific state. The World Series of Birding in New Jersey is midnight to midnight. Winter Big Days, however, are not quite as big – with few birds vocal at night, no nocturnal migrants, and no “dawn chorus,” there’s little reason to become completely sleep-deprived. Therefore, we began listening for owls at 5:15am, and finished – again, listening for owls, at about 7:00 pm.

Not only are winter Big Days a little less intense; they produce far fewer birds – at least in Maine (and most of the temperate world). February is often of the least species-rich months, so we decided to hold our “Little Big Day” (in honor of our friend Rich, who moved away last year) this last Sunday in February. Our goal was 75 species.

We began at Florida Lake Park in Freeport, quickly hearing Northern Saw-whet and Great-horned Owls. A stop for Barred Owl was unsuccessful, however, but we figured we had the evening as well, if we didn’t run into one during the day. Working our way to Warren, we picked up Pine Grosbeaks (2) in downtown Wiscasset and twitched an early Northern Pintail in the Warren River in downtown Warren. Our next stop was surely a highlight of the day, the Maine-ly Poultry farm, where we quickly tallied 31 Bald Eagles, and spotted our main quarry – the Black Vulture.

Flyover Bohemian Waxwings (about 75) in Damariscotta (plus some more Pine Grosbeaks here and there), but we missed a few things between Brunswick and Freeport, before adding Dunlin (32) at Winslow Park. But, then things turned a bit cold, as two Yarmouth feeder stops (one, at a friend’s house for Red-bellied Woodpecker and Pine Siskin, and the store for Carolina Wren and White-throated Sparrow) were fruitless, but 15 Greater Scaup off the Cousin’s Island bridge did make things in Yarmouth a little better.

No Merlin, but instead a Northern Shrike, in a Falmouth Foreside neighborhood, and then great luck in Portland: 2 Iceland Gulls and the rather-undependable Glaucous Gull in Old Port, plus scoring the Peregrine Falcon on the Casco Bay Bridge (after missing it in Brunswick) without having to walk in from South Portland was big.

Cape Elizabeth produced the King Eider (1 at Dyer Point) and Brant (6 at Kettle Cove), but then we got cold again, as the Scarborough Marsh area produced only one of our targets – Eastern Bluebirds. Leaving Scarborough Marsh, we had our work cut out for us, as we had a number of “easy” birds left to see, and few “sure-things” left to twitch. Working our way through Saco, to Biddeford Pool, and then down to Wells slowly added a species here, and a species there, but the “misses” began to pile up.

Light was fading as we reached Wells, so we had decisions to make on how best to maximize the amount of remaining daylight. While Ogunquit Beach did produce Sanderlings – a bird we had not counted on today – it, and the River, nearby neighborhoods, and Moody Marsh failed to fill any more holes in our list.

We spent the sunset seawatching from Moody Point in a desperate attempt to spot a Black-legged Kittiwake, Northern Gannet, or maybe even a Dovekie, but the seas were quiet. Well, at least our final hope for Purple Sandpipers had panned out! A long-shot hope of a Short-eared Owl over the Webhannet Marsh was not realized, but 4 Red-winged Blackbirds passed by - my first of the spring - and our 69th and final species of the day, as our evening owling was unproductive.

As with all big days, there were some big misses. For us, I think Barred Owl might have been the biggest miss, especially considering how abundant they are this winter! Brown Creeper and Golden-crowned Kinglet were missed as we spent little time in or near woods, while Pileated Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, and perhaps a vanguard Turkey Vulture were other “misses.” But, with temperatures climbing from 14 degrees in the early morning to the upper 30’s, and only a moderate wind at the most exposed coastal locations, it was a great day to be out on a Big Day for February in Maine, and a very successful one at that!

Meanwhile, Jeannette and I were thinking about taking a trip this February somewhere for a vacation. However, we were not sure if Doug would have found a “real” job by now, so we were hesitant to make plans. Therefore, instead of going somewhere like Bermuda, Puerto Rico, or Mexico, we’re off to New Jersey for a wedding and more. See you in a week!

Here’s the complete list from the Big Day:
Canada Goose
Brant
American Black Duck
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Greater Scaup
King Eider
Common Eider
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Wild Turkey
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Great Cormorant
Black Vulture
Bald Eagle
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Peregrine Falcon
Sanderling
Dunlin
Purple Sandpiper
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black Guillemot
Razorbill
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Great Horned Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
European Starling
Bohemian Waxwing
American Tree Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Pine Grosbeak
House Finch
American Goldfinch
House Sparrow