It has certainly been cold out there hasn’t it? Personally, I love this weather – although I could use a little more snow (and that wish may come by the end of the week!). By the way, before you mutter “So much for global warming!” I think I should mention that such extreme swings in weather is just what is to be expected with Global Climate Change. Just food for thought, but I digress.

Anyway, with the weather as boogey-freezing cold (the scientific term) as it has been, it certainly affects birds and birding. From a birding perspective, there are far fewer birders in the field, and therefore fewer birds are being found. Furthermore, many species that have been lingering (freshwater ducks, and bluebirds for example) have now been forced farther south.

However, ice is now concentrating waterfowl at a number of prime locations. With the snow cover and colder temperatures feeding stations have been much more active. Also, as food supplies dwindle, birds can concentrate at locations with a plethora of food. Keep an eye out on patches of Mountain Ash and Crab Apple!

No matter how cold it gets, birds have to eat to survive, so there are birds out there to see! Meanwhile, breeding activity has already begun – woodpeckers (Pileated, Hairy, and Downy) are drumming, Common Ravens and Great Horned Owls are courting, and many seaducks are displaying already. While the woods have been quite here in southern Maine with almost no winter finches around (although American Goldfinches remain quite numerous), large numbers of White-winged Crossbills, Pine Siskins, and Purple Finches are being seen and heard in Northern and Western Maine – hopefully some of these will trickle down our way.

Ya know, I really need to stop reading the opinion section of the newspaper! As usual, I get angry about something I read, my blood pressure rises, and I type away at yet another letter to the editor. Then, I get frustrated on my inability to whittle down a complex issue and my strong feelings – me? Strong feelings, nah! - into the sound bites necessary to be heard and understood (and possibly printed) by most of the American media (oh wait, this blog appears on the website of one such American media, I better be careful!) Then, I usually swear a bit, and write some more, start over, or just hit “delete” and move on.

Then, I sit down to write something else – this blog, for example – and I’m all fired up. Luckily, my passion for birds and birding soon brings my blood pressure down to a healthy level, my mind clears, and I enjoy writing again (until I start to think about the issue again, and the vicious cycle begins anew.

Funny, some birders find the same anger and frustration when it comes to the identification of gulls (like that segway?). Personally, I love gulls and the challenges of gull identification. There’s also a trick to it. While I wouldn’t call it easy, it is doable, and anyone can be an expert on gulls with a little patience and practice. Then, feeling comfortable with your ability to identify most of the gulls we come across, we can relax and enjoy their fascinating behavior and the beautiful plumages of some species.

That is why I agreed to lead a field trip entitled the “Gulls of Greater Portland,” for York County Audubon today. Despite a chilly 17-degree start (which actually felt warm compared to the last two days!), 7 folks met me this morning at Portland’s Back Cove.

The goal of today was to learn HOW to identify gulls, not just learn the identification OF gulls. While we hoped for a rare species or two, our attention was focused on our three common winter gulls: Ring-billed, Herring, and Great Black-backed. First, I demonstrated why practicing gull identification is quite simple. My prop: a half-loaf of stale bread. A few handfuls of chum, and we had dozens of study subjects at our feet. Basically, gulls are big and tend to sit still a lot - unlike sparrows for example - providing ample opportunity for in-depth studies.

Winter has certainly set in, and I’m loving it! It was another invigorating morning, as I began my birding day at Dragon Field in Portland. Not much there, but one Cooper’s Hawk made a nice, close pass. Very little at Evergreen Cemetery, but once again Capisic Pond park comes through with a couple of treats: a very late Swamp Sparrow and a calling Carolina Wren.

After checking Back Cove (which is much more productive at high tide at this time of year, and I hit it at dead low this morning), I worked my way up Rte 88 towards Yarmouth, checking town landings along the way. Neither the Falmouth or the Cumberland town landings produced much, but the Yarmouth Town Landing area was much more productive.

I actually viewed the Harbor from the marina area on the south side of the river to avoid looking directly into the sun. The rapidly shrinking swath of open water was full of birds this morning. The highlight was all three species of Mergansers! 17 Red-breasted, 13 Hooded (a good bird in January in Maine), and 5 Common Mergansers. 12 Common Goldeneye were also present, along with a bunch of Herring and Ring-billed Gulls loafing on the ice.

Speaking of ice, check out this amazing photo essay on Antarctic penguins.

For those looking for warmer thoughts, here’s a link to a Birding Magazine Web Extra featuring a “scrapbook” of images and letters (Part 1 and Part 2) from this summer’s American Birding Association Annual Convention in Bangor. I’m not sure if I’m all that proud of one of the shots though!

I’m not sure which was a more surprising juxtaposition, the Wood Thrush and American Tree Sparrows on Sunday, or a Painted Bunting and cross-country skiing yesterday!

Jeannette and I began the day in a kitchen in Waldoboro, awaiting the arrival of a female or young male Painted Bunting that has been frequenting a feeder. This “Mega” for Maine does occur every few years, but this is a first winter record. Arriving in November, and continuing through mid-January, the bird returned this past weekend. Since this was a state bird for me, and a North America bird for Jeannette, we just HAD to go!

With the unexpected snowfall (up to 8 inches fell, when only a few snow showers were originally predicted!), we made slow progress, being slowed by traffic and plows as we made our way east. On Monday, the bird visited at 7:45 am, and was not seen again. Our goal was to be there by 7:30, just in case, but as 7:45 passed we were just turning off of Route 1.

We arrived at 7:55, to the awful sound of “It just left.” Oh no! Luckily, with 15 minutes, the bird returned and sat on the feeder, posing for pictures. We stayed for an hour, enjoying the stunning neon lime-green (especially well set-off by the snow lighting the bird from below) bird. A real treat, and a major milestone for Jeannette: ABA # 550.

We headed south to Pemaquid Point, hoping our good luck in chasing of late would rub off and finally produce Jeannette’s lifer Dovekie, which really has become a major nemesis. No Dovekies today (choppy seas and brutal heat shimmer didn’t help), but there were plenty of Razorbills and Northern Gannets to keep us entertained.

After lunch at Morse’s Sauerkraut, we headed back home, grabbed the cross-country skies and finally got out on them for the first time this winter. Two Red-tailed Hawks frolicked about, while Sasha flushed a Ruffed Grouse, and we enjoyed the skiing through perfect light, fluffy powder under the setting sun, bringing to end a great winter day.

Thoughts of Rough-legged Hawk and Northern Shrike, or maybe a King Eider, were on my mind as I ventured down to Wells this morning. Beginning at Wells Beach, then birding around Webhannet Marsh and Wells Harbor, I pulled into Community Park (on Harbor Road) at about 10:00, and had yet to write anything in my notebook. The usual cast of characters was around, of course, but the unexpected had yet to surface.

That soon changed. In the woods, I began walking towards a calling Yellow-rumped Warbler (which, up to know, was my only noteworthy species of the day) when a thrush flushed in front of me. Hermit Thrush is the only likely candidate to be in Maine in winter, and with the mild weather until very recently, a handful have in fact been lingering.

However, my impression of this bird was that it was a bit larger than a Hermit, and in the quick look that I got, I thought the entire back, head, wings, and tail were bright rufous. A second look confirmed that, and when it turned around, I noted the heavy, dark spots on the entire white underside of the bird, from throat to belly. Brown-streaked white cheek, white eyering, bicolored (yellow at the base, black on top and at the tip) bill. What the heck?

My mental field guide flipped through the pages of European thrushes, like Fieldfare and Song Thrush, but this bird was clearly of the domestic variety – a ridiculously out-of-season Wood Thrush!

I tried to get some photos, but I only managed one. Kind of.

What? Can't see a bird? Try this one:

No? I'll try and help, despite my rudimentary Photoshop skills.

Photos from our trip to Georgia. To read about the trip, check out Georgia Birding Part 1 and Part 2.

The colonies of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, as in many locations, are marked with white rings.

The woodpeckers dig holes in live trees (this one has been protected with a metal guard) and drill sap wells to cover the trunk with sticky pine sap, possibly to deter predators.

We rarely splurge on lodging, but this time we treated ourselves to a night in a historic downtown inn.

The Savannah Riverfront.

We began the second day of our mini-vacation across the border in South Carolina at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. (Jeannette’s 49th state!). Waterfowl, and lots and lots of waterfowl, are the draw here. Thousands upon thousands of Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Ducks, and American Coots were present – a really spectacular show. This was by far the most Blue-winged Teal and shovelers that I have ever seen!

Smaller numbers of other ducks were around as well. A highlight for us was the good number (probably over 50) of White Ibises that were feeding around the marsh.

After finding a great roadside BBQ place for lunch, we head south a bit to check a few locations mentioned in the birder’s guide for wading birds – specifically Jeannette’s life Wood Stork. At our second stop, I spotted a white lump behind a cluster of brush that seemed far too heavy for a Great Egret. We adjusted our angle, and when the bird picked up its neck, it revealed the naked grayish head and massive yellow-gray bill of a Wood Stork!

As we headed east towards Tybee Island, we added Jeannette’s third lifer of the trip when I spotted a couple of Eurasian Collared-Doves in a Savannah yard. Pulling into a church parking lot, we jumped out and got good views of a pair of this increasingly common alien species. (Many more were to be seen on Tybee, but this provided a clean sweep, 3 for 3, for Jeannette’s targeted lifers).

Winds had picked up considerably by the time we arrived at Fort Pulaski National Monument, but the rain had stayed away, and I was still out in shorts and a t-shirt, so I was not complaining! A few more birds were added to our triplist, including a Red-throated Loon, which is at its southernmost limits around here. But, the wind prevented us from searching for salt sparrows (Nelson's and Sharp-tailed Saltmarsh and Seaside), our main reason for stopping here.

The last thing Jeff said to Jeannette and I when we left the trade show on Sunday, was “I guarantee it!” As in guaranteeing that we would see Red-cockaded Woodpeckers on the next morning. Jeff reiterated this guarantee multiple times, despite our insistence that he stop trying to jinx us. There’s no guarantees in birding!

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are an Endangered species that inhabits that pine forests of the southeastern US. Intense management, using selective logging, and especially prescribed burning, has saved this species from further declines and possible extinction. Now, most are found on land managed specifically for them, especially military bases and other federal lands. Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, not far from Macon, is one such place, and this was where we began the leisure half of our trip on Monday morning.

A refuge employee we spoke to over the phone directed us to an active colony that was alongside of a road, so easy to find before dawn. In theory, anyway. See, in winter, the Woodpeckers can be a challenge to find. They disperse from their colony widely, and are usually silent. Talking about a needle in a haystack! However, just after dawn, the birds leave their roost holes and vocalize and socialize actively before dispersing. Therefore, is you arrive before they disperse, you can be in place to observe their antics.

We followed the directions, parking “just beyond the bridge,” and looking into the woods on our right. Active roost holes are marked with a white ring of paint, and the woodpeckers drill wells of sap (producing huge splotches of white around their holes), further helping to identify the trees. The problem was, we couldn’t see any white paint – or sap!

In fact, we couldn’t see much at all. It was cloudy, and we were there a half hour before sunrise. As sunrise approached, we began to worry. Where was the colony? Was it just deeper into the woods, and therefore we couldn’t see the rings? Where we in the right place?

Well, it finally felt like January in Maine this morning, I was rather happy about it! It was nice to step out and feel that crisp, cold air. A little of the white stuff on the ground would have been preferable, but beggars can’t be choosers, I guess. I did enjoy the change of pace of being chilled for a change.

With errands to run again in the big city, I birded around the Portland Peninsula a bit. The area along the Commercial Street Extension and West Commercial Street weren’t too productive though – just a smattering of the expected sparrows: White-throated, American Tree, and Song, as well as the other expected urban residents.

Suprisingly few gulls were present in Portland Harbor, much to my dismay. But, with the tide going out many birds were out feeding on the mudflats, and not roosting on buildings and piers. Plus, the mild weather has likely kept more gulls inland and inshore. Furthermore, and quite possibly most significantly, the decline of the fishing industry in Portland means there’s a lot less scraps, bait, etc to be snagged by hungry scavengers. But, if you catch it right – like when a shrimp boat just arrives, being escorted in by a cloud of gulls – gull-watching can still be quite productive.

The bird of the day, however, was a Turkey Vulture soaring over the store as I pulled into the parking lot. Usually, we don't see Turkey Vultures after mid-November, so having so many reports in January is really exceptional.

So, if the forecast for the next week or so holds true, it looks like we may have a change to some wintry weather for a bit. However, the weekend may be a bit sloppy, as a mix of rain, snow, and ice is being called for. Darn, wish I was going to be here for it! But alas, Jeannette and I will be in Hot’lanta for a trade show. But, after a couple of days stuck inside, we’re taking three days to do some good Georgia birding.

First, we head to Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge, hoping to see Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, a life bird for both of us. Then, it’s on to the coast. Savannah NWR one day for waterfowl, and Tybee Island the next for waterbirds and shorebirds. Hopefully, one of these places, or somewhere in between, will provide Jeannette with her life Wood Stork and Eurasian Collared-Dove. We’re also planning on spending some time in beautiful, historic Savannah and plenty of time eating great southern food – bring on the grits, fried chicken, collards, and plenty of BBQ!

I just hope we can make it up our driveway by the time we return!

Yesterday, Jeannette and I spent the entire day birding the southernmost coast. We began, shortly after sunrise in Kittery, and ended at sunset at Moody Point. In between, we scoured the coast and tallied 49 species on the day. The highlights, not suprisingly, were “late” birds that should be quite a bit farther south than Maine right now!

Despite a stiff westerly wind, we were quite happy with the totals. Landbirding was slower due to the wind, and the west winds pushed seabirds away from shore. I really had hoped to find Jeannette a Dovekie today, but the winds certainly didn’t help us in our attempts to alleviate her of this nemesis bird.

However, with temperatures in the low 40’s, it was more than bearable out! In fact, it was a rather pleasant change to be looking at Harlequin Ducks at the Cliff House in York and not be freezing our butts off!

White-winged and Surf Scoters seemed especially common, with numbers of both scattered all along the coast. Red-necked and Horned Grebes were also quite common. There weren’t as many gulls around, and many other ducks seemed to be in lower concentrations than usual. We also saw more Song Sparrows than we usually see at this time of year, no doubt a function of the mild weather and lack of snow cover.

We started at Legion Pond in Kittery, where a drake Wood Duck was lingering, along with a number of Mallards and the continuing family of Mute Swans. Nothing of note at Fort McClary, and Fort Foster failed to produce anything out of the ordinary.

It’s January 7 in Maine. Winds were blowing out of the west at about 15-20mph. I was standing on East Point in Biddeford Pool. I should have been cold. I wasn’t – I was removing layers, and it was still only about 9:30am. But, it was a bit chilly today – only 20 degrees above normal, compared to yesterday’s obscene 35 degrees above normal – setting a new all-time record high for January of 67 degrees. The previous high for the date was eclipsed at 7:00am!!! This is ridiculous.

Dabbling ducks on ponds, lingering Bluebirds, few birds at feeders. I SHOULD have been, and would greatly have welcomed being, freezing my butt off this morning, looking for alcids, white-winged gulls, and seaducks. But this winter, or lack thereof, birding has been, well, odd (to say the least).

Today’s outing to Biddeford Pool didn’t produce any particularly rare species. About 30-40 Horned Grebes were off of Vine’s Landing. A raft of 22 Red-necked Grebes were asleep off of Ocean Ave. No alcids other than a few Black Guillemots, thanks to the westerly wind, but there were a few adult Northern Gannets offshore. A long walk around the neighborhood produced suprisingly little.

However, I did have a record high count of BIRDERS for the area. I had to look around and check my calendar to make sure that I was not in Evergreen Cemetery in May! I saw at least 9 birders, and heard from, or of, at least 7 more who were in the area today. This amount of birding activity was great to see. For one thing, it’s just nice to see people out. Secondly, the more birders that are out and about, the more “good” birds that can be found. Biddeford Pool was well covered today, indeed.

One of the reasons that there were so many birders around was that there have been a couple of very good birds seen in the area of late, such as a Yellow-breasted Chat and a Dickcissel (neither were seen today by me, or anyone else that I talked to). However, while not a true rarity per se, the real star of the show was a Great Horned Owl that has been hanging out for a week in the area.

Finally caught up - well mostly anyway – on both sleep and work after last week’s Texas Bowl trip, I headed down to Scarborough Marsh this morning. I began shortly after dawn at Eastern Rd, and was greeted by an adult Bald Eagle. No larks, longspurs, or buntings however.

Then, over at Pine Point, I spent some “quality time” with a most cooperative Black Guillemot, right off of the dock.

I snapped these photos by holding my digital point-and-shoot camera up to my binoculars.

Not bad, ey? However, good, bright light, no wind, and a very close, cooperative bird made these shots possible. Most of the photos that I have shared with you on the blog in the last year or so have been using this technique (such as the vulture and shrike in Texas from yesterday’s post). Every now and then, I also “digiscope” by holding my camera up to my spotting scope. I have been frustrated in the past by a number of different adaptors that I have tried, so I have stuck to “hand-holding” - a most inefficient technique.

In addition to checking what was around the marsh this morning, I also headed down to meet up with Stephen Ingraham from Zeiss Optics. One of the perks of writing product reviews for Birding Magazine, is that I get to play with fun new toys. Occasionally, I even get a sneak peek at a new product before it “hits the streets.”

Since I'm using this post as a convenient way to share photos with friends and family, those interested in "just birds" will have to bear with me!

Up at dawn the FIRST morning, for a visit to Challenger 7 Memorial Park:

Black Vulture.

Loggerhead Shrike.

White-tailed Deer.

Heading into Town for the Pep Rally: