I’ve enjoyed two very productive days of birding on Monday and Tuesday. Although I have no real rarities, per se, to show for it, lots of birds and pleasant weather made for two good days out and about.

On Monday, I covered the Southcoast from Kennebunk Beach to Kittery. I began at Kennebunk Beach, searching for Scarlet Tanagers – not what one usually goes out looking for on a February morning in Maine! But, I received a report of two adult males from a yard here – a very intriguing sighting indeed. It was seen on Thursday, and as I later found out from the homeowner, it has not been seen since. I searched the area a bit, but didn’t turn up anything bright red other than a male Northern Cardinal. But, about 50 Purple Sandpipers offshore and a close pass by a Cooper’s Hawk made the stop worthwhile.

I then worked my way down to Wells, then skipped down to Kittery. Two Savannah Sparrows at Fort Foster were probably my default “bird of the day,” but I was more than happy with the full-scope views of a mixed flock of American Robins (about 15) and Cedar Waxwings (about 30). Actually, it was these two species – in mixed groups and in small homogenous flocks as well – that were the news of the day; I encountered many of each throughout the day in all sorts of locations from parking lots to parks.

A couple of Harlequin Ducks at the Nubble brightened the day, as did a photogenic Great Cormorant:

(This shot suffered from overly bright conditions, but the breeding plumage was certainly in full affect!)

(Action shot, resulting in a flashback of a day spent helping researchers on St. Paul Island, AK studying Black-legged Kittiwake nestlings, BELOW a plethora of nesting Red-faced Cormorants!)

51 Harlequin Ducks at the Cliff House in Ogunquit, however, was a great count, and probably one of the highest that I have made at any single Southcoastal Maine location. Then, I added another 26 Harlies along Marginal Way (and over 185 Mallards in Perkin’s Cove) before finishing the day back in the Webhannet Marsh of Wells.

A truly rare event occurred on Friday morning - I DIDN'T go birding! After a nice, relaxing big breakfast and mug of tea, I decided to head to work early to make some progress on some projects. With my third winter hous project finally completed, it's time to get some writing projects off the slate. One, it opens my schedule up for a potential very big project that I am considering, and also it opens up the schedule for more time in the field with the impending spring migration! Red-winged Blackbirds are likely only a week or two away, so its time to get some work done!

In early December (December 7th and 8th to be exact), I made some predictions about what this winter will bring for a selection of bird species. Let's see how I did!

Purple Finches and Pine Siskins.
Prediction:
“With a great crop of Yellow Birch and Speckled Alder to our north, I don’t expect too many Purple Finches and Pine Siskins will arrive, but those that are already here will likely stick around.”
Observations:
I was half right! Virtually NO Purple Finches are Pine Siskins arrived, but even fewer stuck around. It was a suprisingly “PUFI” and “PISI” free winter.

Common Redpoll.
Prediction:
“This should be an “on” year for Redpolls, but last year – an “off” year – was actually quite good for this species. So, who knows what this year will bring? Is the on/off switch resetting, or will we get three good years in a row?”
Observations:
It was most definitely an “off” year.

American Goldfinch.
Prediction:
“I would expect we’ll see good numbers throughout the winter, with nyjer and other feeders becoming more important, and more often visited, as the winter progresses and seed resources are depleted.”
Observations:
Whoo-whoo! Got that one right. Lots of goldfinches are around, but only in the past month have they returned in force to many feeders.

Red and White-winged Crossbills.
Prediction:
“Early predictions suggested a dearth of Red Crossbills and White-winged Crossbills due to excellent food resources to our north (cones of various flavors). However, as previously mentioned, recent reports of White-winged Crossbills suggest maybe it will be a good winter for this species afterall. It’s possible that they will “invade” Maine to take advantage of our tremendous spruce cone crop.”
Observations:
Few Reds, but boy, have the White-wings moved in! They certainly arrived, and have continued to increase in numbers throughout the state, but especially in the Western and Northern areas. Many are singing now, which means they may be sticking around to breed since there is so much food to be found.

My first stop this morning was Winslow Park. Low tide concentrates waterfowl near the tip of the park, and this is usually when I tally my highest counts of Barrow’s Goldeneyes for any particular week. Since I last visited the park at high tide on Tuesday, and only saw 5 individuals, I hoped to “up” my week’s high count today. 7 drake and one hen obliged - an improvement from Tuesday - but a decline from last week’s high count. The river is opening up here, and elsewhere, and I wonder if they have already begun to disperse? In seasons past, my high count is usually in the 3rd week of February, with numbers trickling down after that. With temperatures again in the mid-30’s today, it sure is beginning to feel like spring!

Then, it was on to Portland. Usually, I spend more time birding the Portland Peninsula (primarily for gulls and waterfowl) during the winter than I have been this season. For one thing, the paucity of “white-winged gulls” has kept my interest of wandering around Old Port tempered a bit. Furthermore, I usually couple birding trips into the “Big City” with errands or other excursions into town. However, (SOAPBOX ALERT! SOAPBOX ALERT!), I have been less than enthused about spending money in downtown Portland of late, and have been able to avoid doing so.

See, a couple of months ago, Portland enacted an ordinance barring all new “formula businesses” from opening in certain districts of town. This indiscriminant, all-encompassing policy was rushed into place due to concerns over a potential Hooters Restaurant. Now, I wholeheartedly believe that a community has every right to oppose certain businesses based on various reasons. However, this policy seemed to be more than a little overreaction to the issue. This included not just chain and franchise restaurants that some deem socially unacceptable, but any and all businesses that some elitists have determined aren’t good enough to be in the town. Jeannette and I own one such “formula business,” in a franchise. (By the way, the difference between a chain and a franchise is a chain is owned by one owner, often a company based somewhere else, while a franchise is locally owned and operated). Franchises can provide the means for small business owners to survive in a brutal business world by providing knowledge, support, a proven formula, food, or product, etc. In exchange, the business owners pay a very small percentage of their profits to the home office. (Again, as opposed to a chain, like, say Wal-Mart, where ALL of the profits leave the area).

I believe small locally-owned businesses are the heart and soul of the economy, and it certainly seems to be the case here in Greater Portland. So, since my store would be banned from opening up in certain sections of Portland (not that a Wild Bird Center would seem to make a good fit in Old Port, buy you get the idea), and we did not think we would be able to get a store off the ground completely on our own, clearly I’m not good enough to open a store in Portland. Therefore, I do not see why my hard-earned money is “good enough” to be spent in the area. So, I have avoided spending it there! Simple as that. Think of it as one of my (many) little economic battles. While Jeannette and I pride ourselves on supporting fellow local business, and believe a healthy downtown Portland is good for the entire region's economy, I have been taking my money elsewhere.

Well, today, I had to visit a shop (outside one of the effected districts, so my mini-boycott was not hampered) in Portland, so I combined it with some urban birding. First, I visited the woods along the Commercial Street Extension. Expectedly quiet. Then, I checked out Western Cemetery. The various evergreens here will someday host some crossbills for me, but today the only finches present were about 30 American Goldfinches in a tamarack.

Next, it was on to Old Port, where I walked from one end to the other, up and down each accessible pier. Once again, gulls were surprisingly sparse – a continuing indication of the decline of Portland’s fishing industry. I began my walk at the Casco Bay Ferry terminal, and it wasn’t until I hit the Fish Pier (Marine Trade Center) that I finally spied an Iceland Gull – an adult that has been frequenting the area this winter.

Then, when I returned to the store, I picked up today’s paper and read that Portland’s “City Council repeals ban on chains.” Although the headline, as usual, oversimplified the issue (it wasn’t just chains that had been banned), I was happy about the outcome. Instead, a task force has been created to achieve a balance between all kinds of establishments. Good for Portland. And, now I can return to some of my favorite eating establishments in good conscience! And, I’ll likely be birding around town a bit more often again.

Jeannette and I attempted to ski some trails around the Cathance River in Topsham (off of Cathance Rd) yesterday, but it wasn’t as successful as we hoped! Snowmobiles and above-freezing temperatures over the weekend resulted in a hard-packed, icy, rutted, crunchy, hard surface. Basically, I’m a pretty lousy skier, so icy trails make even small hills significant obstacles for me (especially attempting to make turns on the way down)! Oh well, we got our exercise in.

However, we were hoping to run into some finches (a friend had a few White-winged Crossbills in the area last week), but no doubt the noise we were making while crunching through the icy snow would have drowned out any whispering finches and sent them on their way. The area, however, looked great for finches – with lots of hemlock and Paper Birch, and a fair amount of spruce and Yellow Birch. Better skiing conditions will result in further exploration of this area.

Meanwhile, a walk around Hedgehog Mountain on this beautiful morning did not produce anything unexpected, but I enjoyed hearing a cacophony of territorial Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers calling and drilling away. Spring is on its way!

On the way to the store, I once again stopped at the Lower Falls on the Royal River in Yarmouth. A small patch of open water remains, and on it, all three mergansers (1 male Hooded, 2 female Common, and 2 female Red-breasted) continue. While watching one of the Red-breasted Mergs this morning, I witnesses it snag a large (8” or so) eel (or eel-like fish) that had to be at least 3-4 inches “tall” as well. It was wrestling with it, before a Herring Gull standing on the ice nearby jumps into the fray and snags the eel, swallowing it in a few quick gulps. The Merg looked more than a little annoyed! The Gull looked full.

On a sad note, a story from New Hampshire about the mysterious deaths of 17 Common Loons has been in the papers. Happily, a few were rescued and released, but apparently the others were caught by a rapid freeze-up on Lake Winnipesaukee. Although the first article I read on the event seemed to overplay the population significance (in the headline) of the deaths, I was interested in the human-interest comments included (such as the thought that people had been passing all of these birds by, with no interest in helping – or contacting someone who could. Personally, such apathy always astonishes me. On a more scientific note, the whole event – the congregation of so many loons, the rapid freeze, and resulting deaths is extremely odd, and I wonder what biologists will learn.

And, since I like to end on a positive note, check out my friend’s YouTube video of wildlife clips from Alaska to Antarctica.

I wasn’t sure why I choose this morning – the coldest and windiest day of the week – for my 6-mile Pownal walk, but despite more-than-a-little blustery conditions, I was rewarded with quick, but very good, looks at 4 White-winged Crossbills. This loop that I walk every now and then passes through some very nice mixed woods, including some good stands of spruce. One stretch of Libby Road, at the edge of Bradbury Mountain State Park, has looked especially good for finches, and it was here where I saw the crossbills today.

The weather yesterday, however, couldn’t have been better for mid-winter on the New England coast. I headed south to Cape Ann, Massachusetts to join up with my friends from New Jersey Audubon’s Sandy Hook Bird Observatory. Yes, it is a fairly social event, but I earn my keep as an unofficial assistant leader, and the birding is always good.

In fact, yesterday, it was excellent. After a quick stop to not see a Shrike at the new Parker Island NWR office, we headed into Gloucester and began there. Our second stop was the state pier, where we were treated to a fantastic gull show – the best I have seen in a while. The three adult Black-headed Gulls were a real treat, and the 1st Cycle Glaucous Gull standing next to a 3rd Cycle Iceland Gull provided a great opportunity for close study. At least one other Iceland Gull, an adult, was also present. Personally, I could have stayed here forever, but we all elected to move on.

One half-decent shot of a Black-headed Gull, taken through binoculars.

A group of 15 Lesser and Greater Scaup off Rocky Neck were tallied, making up for our “dip” on a reported Dickcissel. Then, the big shock of the day – we actually SAW the mythological Eared Grebe off of Niles Beach! And, we saw it well!

This bird has been returning to the same area for at least 11 years now. However, despite many visits to East Gloucester in winter (and this location is along the road to Jeannette’s parent’s house, so we check for it with some regularity), this was only the 2nd or 3rd time that I have seen this bird! And, the previous two times, it was a distance spec – identified only by its distinct silhouette. This time, the bird was in perfect light, and not TOO far away! In fact, of 8 or 9 years that Scott and Pete have run this SHBO trip, this is only the second time that they have seen it as well. Yet, today it was even with range of some lousy digiscoped photos.

This morning was spent on snowshoes in the woods. First, a local woodlot trail, followed by a loop at Bradbury Mountain State Park. Neither excursion was all that birdy (and no finches – as I had hoped for in the hemlock, spruce, and/or fir groves), but I was just happy to be out in snow deep enough for snowshoes! Still plenty of Golden-crowned Kinglets in the woods though. Good excercise, and it means I don't have to get on that blasted stationary bike this evening!

And don’t forget today through Monday is the Great Backyard Bird Count. Make sure you submit data for your feeders, and anywhere else you go birding during these four days!

Meanwhile, yesterday I mentioned some of the discussion that is occurring regarding the proposal to add Barrow’s Goldeneye to Maine’s list of Threatened and Endangered Species. Additional research, along with communication and discussion about the topic with a number of folks, has led me to refine my opinion further. In fact, my fear that no action at all will be taken has convinced me to be open-minded to a potential compromise.

For those of you interested in the issue, I’ll paste my recent comments that I sent to the legislature’s Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Committee regarding the proposed listings. I encourage you all to submit comments as well.

Now that’s the kind of snowstorm I’ve been craving! Although this morning was spent clearing the driveway, porch, feeders, etc, the next few days will provide excellent cross-country skiing and snowshoeing – finally.

During the storm yesterday, I opened the store for the first half of the days and there were certainly more customers at the store’s feeders than in the store! 18 American Goldfinches (our flock has varied from 6 to 27 this winter, although they have been present just about daily), a single White-throated Sparrow (we’ve had 1-3 all winter, below our usually sparrow selection here), and our first Hairy Woodpecker in a month or two (this summer was the first time we had these at all at our feeders here, as our store is in a much more developed area – Hairy’s need a fair amount of mature woods in the area).

The feeders at the house were less active, but by the time I got home, the blizzard conditions were beginning, so the feeder-watching was less than productive.

The other day, I posted a request for comments to be submitted to Maine’s Department of Inland Fish and Game regarding the latest round of proposed additions to the state’s threatened and endangered list. One particular species, that I am admittedly quite fond of, that is generating a bit of controversy is the Barrow’s Goldeneye.

Some hunter’s groups are opposing the addition of this species due to the potential for accidental shooting when hunting the similar Common Goldeneye, as described in a recent article in the Bangor Daily News.

Yesterday, there were two relevant posts on the Maine-birds listserve. One was a posting suggesting birders submit comments. The next posting was from State Rep, and birder, Bob Duchesne. And finally, here was my response that I posted today (However, I think my reference to a “precipitous decline” in Barrow’s populations should probably be retracted as we don’t have a lot of data on this species, so my interpretation was based mostly on anecdotal data and conversations – and not referenced to any peer review study; for those of you who are submitting comments - which I urge you to do!)

With temperatures climbing into the low 30’s by early afternoon, I anticipated a great half-day in the field. Unfortunately, the stiff – and chilly – northwest wind picked up sooner than expected, and the birding was actually really slow.

Biddeford Pool was the destination today. 2 Brant off of East Point Sanctuary were really the only highlights. The Sanctuary, the neighborhood, and the surrounding shoreline hosted the expected species, but the Pool itself was actually quite busy: lots of Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Mallards, American Black Ducks, and 122 Canada Geese.

I stopped at various locations along the Saco River between Hill’s Beach and Saco Island, but this produced only 2 Common Mergansers and a handful of the common ducks. Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, my final stop of the morning, still holds a decent amount of crab apples, but the fruit trees were completely birdless today.

Oh well, still a great morning to be out! And any morning birding is a good morning in my book! But, with the bitter cold day on tap for tomorrow, followed by a predicted significant Nor’Easter (I’ll believe it when I see it!), the rest of the week might just be prime for feeder-watching (and maybe little else!).

So, while you’re sitting at home watching the snow fall (I hope), how about also writing a letter or two on behalf of birds? One topic right now is the amending of the state’s list of Threatened and Endangered Species by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Four species (two birds: Least Bittern and Barrow’s Goldeneye – which I talk about frequently at this time of year) have been left of the list of additions, although the data suggests that they should be included. You can comment on this via Maine Environmental Citizens Online, or write to IF&W yourself.

Meanwhile, the Federal Budget proposed by President Bush last week included some really terrible news for our environment. Drilling in the Arctic is there again (apparently, they won’t take no for an answer), as is SELLING OFF PUBLIC LAND, slashing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and underfunding a number of important agencies and programs. Yes, we need a balanced budget, but is this the right way to do it??? Write your legislators to let them know what you think. Learn more, and take action, through the Wilderness Society’s website.

Just some food for thought while sitting in front of your window looking at your feeders in the upcoming (again, hopefully) snowy days.

So, with my self-esteem stoked by the responses to my finch query last week, I am going to be greedy and ask for more feedback. First, definitely keep me updated on changes in finch numbers that you may notice in the coming weeks.

But, now, I want to ask about sparrows (native ones). Who out there has White-throated, Song, American Tree Sparrows or Dark-eyed Juncos at their feeders (or, especially any others!)? Is this more or less than usual? How about out in the field – seeing many? Did you notice an influx before/during/after the upcoming storm? (Oh, and don't forget to mention where you live).

With little wind, and temperature rapidly rising to the mid-20’s, it was a beautiful morning to be out. I chose to spend it in Scarborough Marsh.

I began on the Eastern Road Trail, with 9 Hooded Mergansers in a small patch of open water in the river. Another pair of Hoodies were under the trail’s bridge (and two more birds were slightly farther downriver at Seavey’s Landing).

Hoodies have certainly been around in unusual numbers this winter. It seems that of late, every little patch of open river has at least a pair. My guess is that the mild first half of the winter allowed more Hoodies to linger than usual. Now, with ice finally starting to fill in, they have concentrated along the coast, wherever they can find some open habitat. My hypothesis (and admittedly, I have no data whatsoever to support this!) is that now that the birds are running out of open water, it is already late enough in the winter that their hormones (triggered by the rapidly lengthening days) are kicking in, minimizing their interest (to oversimplify and anthropomorphasize) to head farther south. In only a few weeks, many ducks will begin (if ice conditions allow) to move north, so these Hoodies may simply be trying to wait out this cold snap (like most of us!). We can see that those hormones are certainly kicking in, as many males – of most species of duck, actually – have been displaying actively for some time now.

Anyway, back to my outing in the marsh . . . from the bridge, I spotted one very distant Rough-legged Hawk, a light-morph bird. 6 Horned Larks passed overhead. The surprise, however, was a out-of-season Northern Flicker foraging along the trail.

A walk around the neighborhood and beach at Pine Point, and a short time scanning the narrows produces only the usual cast of characters. Unusual, however, was I soon found myself back at the car SHEDDING layers!

As you may have noticed, my birding excursions have been relatively short of late. (But, at least 2 out of three home winter projects are now completed, so this weather is certainly good for something!) That needed to change, so Mike and I finally made our trip up to the Augusta Landfill today, despite still nippy-temperatures.

However, except for a period with some gusty winds, it’s amazing how warm the low 20’s feel when it’s been in the single digits and teens! When the wind wasn’t blowing, it actually wasn’t too bad at all.

We began at the dump (birders are one of the few, if only, groups that can find so much entertainment and enjoyment from a pile of trash!). Our goal was to look for unusual gulls, but we ended up a bit disappointed with the gull numbers. Only about 400 or so Herring Gulls, a half-dozen Great Black-backed Gull, and one 1st Cycle Glaucous Gull (although it was actually my first of the winter, so I was pleased). While the gull show wasn’t as impressive as we hoped, the Bald Eagle show more than made up for it!

We tallied at least 7 different eagles (3 adults, 1 4th-cycle, 1 3rd-cycle, 1 2nd cycle, and at least one 1st-cycle). Making repeated passes over the gull flock, and often landing nearby - including this one about 30 feet from the car!

Well, it’s still wicked cold out there. Birding highlights over the last few days have been few. On Tuesday, Jeannette and I spent the morning cross-country skiing, but the bird highlight of the day was a Great Horned Owl perched in a roadside tree at dusk as we drove through the New Gloucester Marsh on our way to dinner in Auburn (causing my heart to skip a beat after saying to Jeannette, "Wouldn't it be nice to see a Great Gray Owl sitting in a tree tonight?")

A walk yesterday at Hedgehog Mountain produced little, but better-than-usual numbers of Golden-crowned Kinglets continue. Today, a walk around Florida Lake Park, with finches in mind, produced a single White-winged Crossbill. However, a number if spruces had their cones completely cleaned off (only the center stem remaining on the tree), a sure sign that crossbills, and possibly lots of them, have been around.

Today, I also checked Pratt’s Brook from the Muddy Rudder Restaurant along Rte 1 in Yarmouth, where three Hooded Mergansers continue in a rapidly shrinking patch of open water. Meanwhile, what’s left of the open water at Yarmouth Harbor held only three Red-breasted Mergansers.

Here’s a couple of links worth checking. The first is a segment from David Attenborough’s Life of Birds (I believe) on the amazing vocal repertoire of a lyrebird in Australia. Personally, I found the fact that it was imitating a chainsaw to be rather depressing, however.

The next link was posted to the ID-Frontiers listserve during a thread about our visual perception of different colors of gray, in regards to a discussion on the mantle tones of gulls. (I just thought this was cool).

And finally, today, I end with a plea . . . .Send me some comments! See, I was bored the other day and I was looking around at the other various blogs on Mainetoday.com and I saw how many comments many other bloggers received. I feel so unloved! (Thanks for the comment on the other day’s blog, though, Dan). Someone must have something to say about this mindless dribble that I spew here in Field Notes. Or, is no one actually reading this?

But, if my lack of comments is due to a problem with the website – like the fact that previewing your comment deletes what you wrote (which I assume it is still doing, so DON’T PREVIEW your comment!) – is the problem, let me know, and I will hound the powers that be to do something about it.

So, to generate some interaction here, I will start with a request for information. Actually, I am interested in this for my own records, as well as making an attempt to draw some conclusions about the current distribution of birds in Maine. (But I welcome input from anywhere anyone is reading this) So, I ask the following:

1) Do you have any Purple Finches at your feeders?

2) If so, how many? Is this more or less than usual?

3) I have the same questions for Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, American Goldfinch, and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

4) Have you been seeing any of the above species in the woods/fields/etc, but not at feeders?

5) Have you had any Crossbills at your feeders or in your area?

6) Has ANYONE seen ANY Evening Grosbeaks?

Yup, it’s still cold out there. In fact, it was so cold (and windy) that at Winslow Park this morning, my tearing eyes caused my face to literally freeze to my spotting scope! Luckily, no skin was lost in the process.

Seven drake, and one hen Barrow’s Goldeneyes – and increase of two since last week – made it worth it. And, the flock of about 25 Dunlin continues there as well. Other than an hour or so birding the lower Harraseeket this morning, birding was again relegated to feeder-watching.

What a difference a year makes! On this date last year, I had two male Red-winged Blackbirds, vanguards of the early spring. The most recent Southcoastal Maine Rare Bird Alert (SCMRBA) was dominated by waterfowl that are normally absent from Maine in winter. However, this year the lack of ice – until recently – allowed larger numbers of ducks (especially those that prefer freshwater) to linger, and are only now being forced to move around and concentrate in locations that remain open.

Meanwhile, the first SCMRBA for February of ’06 was headlined by some very out-of-season visitors, such as a Forster’s Tern and 1-2 Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows - not to mention a continuing Western Tanager. Two years ago, the SCMRBA noted more Thick-billed Murres than normal, but otherwise seemed to represent a more “normal” set of birds for early February in Maine. On our website, we archive past Rare Bird Alerts for just this reason – the ability to compare bird sightings from year to year. I believe this is very helpful for learning about, and understanding, the differences that occur from one year to the next. It’s also a great tool for planning upcoming birding trips!

While the SCMRBA archives are not meant to be a study of population dynamics, Cornell’s Great Backyard Bird Count most definitely is. This year’s GBBC is on Saturday, February 16-19. To help folks prepare for that, we’re hosting a free workshop this Saturday (February 10) at 3:00pm (here at the store). We’ll cover the basics of the GBBC, including how to collect and submit data, why we collect the data, and finally tips on identifying our winter feeder visitors. (Please call the store, 846-8002, if you plan on joining us, as seating is limited).

The Great Backyard Bird Count, Project Feederwatch, Christmas Bird Counts, and Breeding Bird Surveys are some of the “Citizen Science” projects that help us to monitor changes in bird populations and distribution. One such change – and a disturbing one at that – is the precipitous decline of the Rusty Blackbird. And, we don’t know why it’s happening - but we're trying to find out.

It’s wicked cold out there again! Perfect weather for feeder watching! Personally, I have been glued to the window here at the store this morning, with an abundance of activity outside. Especially exciting was the return of Carolina Wrens to our feeding station. After seeing one most of the last 2 years, we had not had one visiting the feeders since sometime in November, I believe. However, two have been frequenting a neighbor’s yard a mere 200 yards or so away. But, until today, they had not visited us. Jeannette and I were feeling unloved, but the two birds returned today and have spent most of the morning feeding on insect suet and pecan blocks. While I rushed out to restock our live mealworm supply, I do think the Black-capped Chickadees cleaned them out once again.

Especially popular in this bitter cold are heated birdbaths. Here at the store, it has been especially active today, and I’ve already had to refill it once after a flock of European Starlings decided to take a bath! Meanwhile, at our house in Pownal, a dozen American Goldfinches were lined up on the rim this morning, taking turns dipping for fresh, clean, and unfrozen water.

With the forecasts calling for strong winds, bitter cold, and bone-chilling wind-chills, I do believe that feeder-watching will be my most common activity for the next few mornings! At home, our neighbors across the street had a dozen Purple Finches this morning, so I’ll have to be on a lookout for them – we haven’t had them in the yard since November. Plus, I received another report of 2 pairs of Purple Finches at a Freeport feeder this morning. Although they have been common in Northern Maine, they have been nearly absent along the coast.

Is anyone seeing Purple Finches (or Pine Siskins?) in their yards? I would love to know (use the comment field below, but DON’T preview the comment as there continues to be some stupid bug in this system).

The very cold air is also concentrating waterfowl, so any open stretches of rivers and lakes, and sheltered saltwater coves should be checked carefully right now. Large flocks of overwintering Mallards – at places like sewage treatment facility outflows or springs – can sometimes hold out-of-season surprises. With the dearth of winter finches in the area, ducks will be our focus for a while, but other winter visitors, such as Rough-legged Hawks have been seen with unusual frequency of late. There’s never a time to stop birding!

I often mention that the free birdwalks that we lead from the store at 8:00am every Saturday morning will go in ANY weather – as long a I could make it to the store to lead it. Well, with the 4-5 inches of new snow yesterday, our driveway nearly prevented my departure, and I considered staying home to clear it instead of heading to meet the birdwalk group. I didn’t think anyone would bother making it out, but three hardy souls were here to greet me – good thing I made it down the driveway! And, we were all rewarded with a great outing, which included sightings of Barrow’s Goldeneye, Dunlin, Purple Sandpipers, Northern Shrike, Hooded Mergansers, and a Bald Eagle!

In other news . . .

An alarming story from my old haunts (where I spent a total of 12 months over the course of three years as a Tour Guide) of St. Paul in Alaska’s Pribilof Islands reports continued significant decreases in the Northern Fur Seal population there. This story hits home for me, because I could see the difference in the density of the island’s seal colonies decrease significantly between my first season (2000) and last season (2003) there.

On a sad note, the introduction of a self-sustaining Eastern population of the Endangered Whooping Crane took a big hit this year, when the entire year’s brood perished in the recent violent weather in Florida.

But, to end on a happy note, recent evidence suggests that the catastrophic decline of vultures in India has been stopped.

After canceling plans with Mike to head farther a-field today due to predicted snowfall – which as of 2:30pm, had yet to arrive - Jeannette and I decided to spend the first hours of the day seawatching at Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth. Dovekies, Jeannette’s nemesis, were our goal.

However, in addition to the lack of snow, this morning also failed to deliver its predicted northeasterly winds. Instead, the winds were light out of the north, less conducive to a good seabird show.

In fact, there wasn’t a whole lot going on offshore at all. 11 Harlequin Ducks rode the surf, while 5 Purple Sandpipers foraged on the rocks. In the next hour, we remained glued to our scopes, straining our eyes for a bird the size of a starling somewhere out in the surf and shimmer. No Dovekies were to be seen today, and only six Razorbills were spotted. 10 Red-necked Grebes, a handful of all three scoters, and some Long-tailed Ducks, and the rest of the expected cast of characters passed by as well. 3 of the 5 Great Cormorants that we saw were already in full breeding-plumage; spring can’t be that far away!

At nearby Kettle Cove, we enjoyed the 10 Brant loafing on the small patch of snow-free grass. Although this group has been present here for about 2 weeks, this is the first of this species that Jeannette and I have seen this year. 4 Horned Larks foraged along the margins of the parking lot.

The highlight of my walk around Crescent Beach State Park was a flyover by a light morph Rough-legged Hawk, and an even closer adult male Northern Harrier. I enjoyed this, but the local crows did not.

I then headed over to Two Lights State Park with some trepidation. Jeannette had left to head to the store, and I was afraid that I would turn up a Dovekie here – resulting in another trip to the dog house, no doubt. Lucky for me, I did not see a Dovekie, or much else for that matter. A male Northern Harrier, quite possibly the same bird from earlier made a very close pass, which provided a great ending to the morning’s outing.

Is it really February already? Where did January go? By the end of this month, spring migration will be getting underway! Depending on ice and snow conditions, we can expect to see at least a few Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds by month’s end. Snow Buntings will soon be on the move, and seaducks will begin to stage for their northbound trips. Bald Eagles will work their way northwards, and if we get a good push of southerly winds, a few Turkey Vultures are not out of the question. Time flies when you’re having fun (out birding)!

I’m looking forward to some of those new arrivals, as pickings were pretty slim this morning as I wandered around coastal South Portland. Northern Mockingbird was definitely the bird of the morning, as I encountered at least one at just about every stop. In fact, at both Bug Light Park and Spring Point Light, a single Mocker was the only landbird that I detected.

All three Scoters (and three Mockingbirds) were off of Willard Beach, and the shore from Fort Williams Park was quite productive. Nothing out of the ordinary, but good numbers of White-winged Scoters, Common Loons, and 3 or 4 Red-necked Grebes.

My tally of the ducks in Mill Creek was: 299 Mallards, 19 American Black Ducks, and 7 hybrids thereof – a nice concentration indeed. However, once again the cove was white-winged Gull-free.

But hey, at least I was downright warm for a change. With temps only in the low 20’s to start the day, and quickly rising to 30, I was actually overdressed for a change!