Visiting family and college basketball games (including the Rutgers Women’s victory on Sunday afternoon, setting up yet another game against our arch rival Connecticut in the Elite 8) limited my birding this weekend.

However, on Saturday, our birdwalk group visited Dragon Field, where a Northern Shrike became my 152nd Dragon Field Patch bird – and one I had been seeking here for a long time. Meanwhile, we heard a Bohemian Waxwing (or who knows how many) call as it (they) flew overhead, #153 for the D.F.! Later in the day, a stroll at Royal River Park with Sasha produced my first Eastern Phoebe of the spring.

On Sunday morning, I only made a short stop at Yarmouth harbor. While the lone drake Ring-necked Duck is still present, the Canvasbacks have now moved on. Meanwhile, once again, feeder-watching here at the store has been particularly productive, with 20 species each day, including a newly returned Dark-eyed Junco, 3 Song Sparrows, and our resident Carolina Wren who has once again begun to sing exuberantly.

On Monday, however, I spent quite a bit more time in the field. Recently, Yarmouth came out with a handy guide to the town’s Open Space. Free, printed copies are available around town, including here at the Wild Bird Center, but it is also available online. A few of the properties were new to me, and others I had only heard about but not yet visited. While I regularly bird Bayview Preserve, Sandy Point Beach, and Royal Rover Park, and I occasionally visit Pratt’s Brook Park and Fels-Groves Preserve, I am always on the lookout for new places to bird, new patches to list, and new locations for birdwalks. With this in mind, I set out this morning less interested in bird-finding, than I was in finding places for bird-finding (although, I did find a few decent birds in the process!).

The first stop was the Sweetsir Farm Property. This small park featured mixed woods, dominated by Red Maple and Balsam Fir, with a trail that led to the Royal River. Any riparian area can produce good birding, so this place would be a good spot to check in migration, especially in early spring. Today, however, it did produce my first two Rusty Blackbirds of the season.

After two glorious spring-like days, with temperatures actually above normal for the first time in what seems like forever, it snowed . . . again. What a difference a day makes, huh?

Here’s the garden in front of the store yesterday:

And, here it is today:

But, yesterday, Jeannette and I visited Capisic Pond Park and Dragon Field in Portland before work. There was a lot of activity at Capisic, led by lots of Red-winged Blackbirds, American Robins, and Common Grackles. We also flushed three American Woodcocks, and were thoroughly entertained by 4 rambunctious drake Hooded Mergansers who were performing their hearts out for two hens, who really seemed more interested in finding breakfast.

Then, over at Dragon Field, more migrants were noted, including our first 2 Northern Flickers and first American Kestrel of the year, plus 12 Horned Larks, 3 Killdeer, 13 Song Sparrows, and numerous American Robins. While the resident pair of Red-tailed Hawks have yet to begin nesting this year, one bird was circling low over the quarry – at least until a pair of American Crows raised up to mob it. One of the crows was particularly aggressive. At one point it seemed to land on the gliding hawk’s back (or nearly landed), and actually plucked a feather! The crow circled around with the feather in its bill, appearing rather proud of his accomplishment.

Meanwhile, up on the hill, after 55 raptors were tallied at The Brad on Wednesday (our second highest count so far this season), 51 were tallied on Thursday, including our first American Kestrels of the season.

On Tuesday, Jeannette and I covered Dane’s day off a top Bradbury Mountain. Light and variable winds produced a decent count of 34 migrant raptors. (Don’t forget, daily counts can be viewed at www.hawkcount.org). We also eclipsed 200 birds for the season yesterday, which is a decent tally for this early in our count. Red-shouldered Hawks and Bald Eagle counts are both well ahead of last year’s pace at this time (two of the species we had hoped to tally more of by starting the count 5 days earlier).

Pre-hawkwatch birding was negated by a Rutgers women’s basketball game that didn’t end until midnight, but the end result – RU heading to the Sweet 16- made the sleep deprivation worthwhile. To make up for my late start to the day, I took a ride over to Maquoit Bay in the afternoon, spotting my 32nd Northern Shrike of the winter along Brunswick’s Highland Road. I then took the trail from Bunganuc Rd out to the bay, where over 200 American Black Ducks, 100+ Canada Geese, and about 30 Greater Scaup were present. Then, at nearby Wharton Point, I had a half-dozen more Greater Scaup, 200+ Canada Geese, 400+ American Black Ducks, 75+ Red-breasted Mergansers, and 3 drake Canvasbacks – adding another group to this spring’s exceptional total here in Maine.

Actually, this irruption of Canvasbacks, which is also being detected in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is nearly unprecendent. Very small numbers of “Cans” occur every year or two in Maine, but it’s usually 1 or 2. Sometimes, we can go for a few years without seeing any. Some birders, who have been birding in the state far longer than I have, have said that the 6 that have been present in Yarmouth is the largest group that they have ever seen in the state. Meanwhile, scattered individuals and very small groups have been seen elsewhere. Unless I’m forgetting some, I believe there have been 16 individual Cans so far this spring!

So, what gives? Got me! My guess however, is that the persistent northwesterly flow has pushed more Cans farther east then their usual migration route takes them (most migrate through the center of the country, with increasing numbers as you move from the Atlantic coast to the Great Plains)? Birds wintering the in Mid-Atlantic states need to head northwesterly to reach the Canadian Prairie Provinces (Cans breed from Central Alaska, east to Nunavut, south to the central Great Plains, and west through the Great Basin; roughly-speaking). Would our preponderance of westerly winds push these birds farther to the east? Or, was the stage set last fall for this more easterly northbound push? If more Cans wintered farther east and farther north than usual, more Canvasbacks would be available to wander slightly off-course to visit us. Or, is it something else entirely different? Greater Scaup, another early-migrating duck in the genus Aythya, have also been a little more common than usual this spring – especially that 300+ that I had off of Winslow Park last week. Is this related?

Anyway, I took a walk this morning at Florida Lake Park. The outlet channel is now open, as is the small pond at the parking area, and each spot held a duo of Hooded Mergansers. The lake itself, however, is still thoroughly frozen, however, but spring was definitely in the air this morning. Flocks of American Robins, Common Grackles, and Red-winged Blackbirds – along with a single Great Blue Heron – were moving overhead on mild (relatively speaking) southwest winds. A warm front passed through last night, producing a thick, wet coating of snow, and a good wind for migrating today.

Yesterday (Sunday), Jeannette and I spent the morning birding along the Androscoggin River. Our first stop was a stroll along the Papermill Trail in Lisbon, which produced 18 Hooded Mergansers and 5 Wood Ducks – a most spiffy duo! Meanwhile, across the street at the end of the trail, a large flock of 75-100 Common Redpolls had descended on a yard. We were able to sort through a portion of them, when they alighted in trees above the roof. However, most quickly dropped down into the backyard, and besides, without a scope, we would have been hard-pressed to tease out a Hoary among the masses. But, there was that quick look at one bird that did look awfully white – and a bit bigger. Alas, we’ll never know!

Elsewhere in the area, highlights included a Turkey Vulture over Lewiston, 5 more scattered Hoodies, along with a total of 6 Common Mergansers at various locales; an out-of-place drake Lesser Scaup hanging out with the Mallards along the Auburn Riverwalk; an immature Great Cormorant in the river, just downstream of South Bridge; and a 1st Cycle Iceland Gull at that sketchy John Deere place along 136 in Auburn. We also checked out the Barker Mill Trail in Auburn, which looks to me to have some decent migrant - especially early spring – potential, so I’ll have to revisit this site in the future.

But really, the birding this day was secondary. Our primary motivation for heading in this direction was to partake in Maine Maple Sunday. Since it fell on Easter Sunday this year, and since our store is closed on Easter, we took advantage of it and visited Jillson’s Sugar House in Sabattus for their pancake breakfast (I’m STILL full from it!) and other sugary treats – I especially enjoyed the maple syrup “taffy” that was made on top of snow. And ice cream with maple syrup, and maple sugar candy, and maple kettle corn . . .

In the afternoon, I spent a couple of hours up at the Hawkwatch. The winds were finally dying down by afternoon, and therefore we were treated to a decent flurry of activity towards day’s end. A flock of about 30 Horned Larks passed by as well, but the non-raptor treat was the 9 Bohemian Waxwings that dropped into the summit to feed on Common Juniper (or Ground Cedar, or whatever you want to call it) berries. The waxwings landed a mere 25 feet or so from us, in absolute perfect sunlight. Good thing my camera was on the kitchen table!

Snow and rain showers continued during the day on Thursday, along with a cold, wet northerly wind. Hmm, there’s a reason why I am no longer a full-time hawkcounter. It’s because of days like this. However, despite the fact that Dane did not see a single migrant raptor, he did have a sighting that made it all worthwhile – and made we remember why I LOVED being a full-time hawkcounter: a fly-by Snowy Owl!

Speaking of Snowy Owls, I also received a report of a probable Snowy on a rooftop along Portland’s Eastern Promenade this morning (Friday, 3/21), so observers in the area should be on the lookout. Meanwhile, after a walk at Hedgehog Mountain Park – Brown Creepers were once again especially active, I stopped off at the Yarmouth Town Landing to enjoy the continuing Canvasbacks (5 drakes and 1 hen). A drake Lesser Scaup is now present as well, along with the continuing drake Ring-necked Duck. And finally, a quick stop at Sandy Point yielded a single Snow Bunting in the parking lot.

Today’s winds are downright brutal, with gusts up to 50mph being called for. Dane can’t be having too much fun on the mountain – unless another Snowy Owl flies by, of course. However, we can and do get some birds on westerly winds, so hopefully he won’t be skunked – as was the case yesterday. Diminishing winds and sunny skies are being predicted for the weekend, which will hopefully bring us a good flight.

In the news, I am happy to report that the New Jersey State Senate has now also approved a ban of the harvesting of Horseshoe Crabs – another important step in getting the moratorium in place in order to save the Red Knot.

Yesterday, Jeannette and I spent the morning in Scarborough Marsh. A chilly north wind made for a cold start to our day, but the bright March sun quickly got things pleasantly warmed up. Canada Geese have increased significantly, and our total of 31 Hooded Mergansers was quite good. We also had 6 Killdeer, and increase in Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles. We also encountered some new arrivals – our personal “first of years – in a pair of American Wigeon and a pair of Gadwall behind the Pelreco building, and a pair of Wood Ducks across the street in Jones Creek. A few Horned Larks were on the move overhead, as well, including at least 6 over Eastern Road. The highlight for us, however, was the light-morph Rough-legged Hawk behind Pelreco – my first since November. At least there’s one Rough-leg south of Bradbury Mountain for Dane to still tally!

Speaking of The Brad, yesterday was our first good day. 62 raptors of 5 species, including 2 Red-shouldered Hawks and 13 Bald Eagles! The day started off rather slow, with those aforementioned northerly winds. However, by the time Jeannette and I went up at about 2:00, the winds had died down a bit, a thin layer of clouds had moved in (providing a better backdrop for seeing birds), and the upper-level winds had shifted to a more southerly direction, as this next storm approached. 13 birds were tallied as of 2:00, with the other 49 coming in the next 2 ½ hours.

Today, however, not so good. We thought there was a chance to open the count for a short time this morning, but then the snow began to fall. Although there were breaks in the light snow early this morning, poor visibility and moderate easterly winds precluded a count from being conducted today. But, at least the snow has not been sticking – at least here in Yarmouth. And, hopefully, the storm will clear out early enough to open the count on time tomorrow.

Meanwhile, this morning, I took a spin at Hedgehog Mountain Park as the snow began to fall. Not a whole lot, but I did encounter two pairs of Brown Creepers, plus I heard one singing, which is always nice to hear.

And, for the record, once again, the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team got completely shafted in their tournament seeding once again. They received a #2 seed – which they deserved – but they were placed in the overall #1 seed’s bracket (essentially calling them the 8th best team, despite being ranked 7th). The problem was that the #1 seed is conference rival UConn. First of all, UConn – as much as I despise them an their coach – is in fact the number one seed, and should not have to play a conference rival, who, by the way, is the only team that beat them this year! It’s not fair for UConn, and in theory, the top teams in the same conference should not play each other until at least the final four. But, then again, we’re not in Tennessee’s bracket, so it’s not that bad – until you notice that the #7 seed is Iowa State. Assuming RU and Iowa State win their first round games, they would play each other IN FRIGGIN IOWA! A (near) home game for a #7 seed against a #2? That’s friggin’ ridiculous, but, this isn’t the first time this has happened to RU. It’s a joke, and the Women’s Selection Committee is a complete joke. OK, I’m done . . . back to filling out my Men’s tourney bracket . . .

Three to five inches of sticky, wet snow fell on Saturday morning, finally winding down around noon, as a low pressure system passed offshore. While the opening of the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch was delayed a bit, we did enjoy a very successful birdwalk outing: 6 Canvasbacks, 36 Greater Scaup, 1 Ring-necked Duck, 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye, and 10 other species of waterfowl, all within the boundaries of Yarmouth!

I spent a couple of hours at the hawkwatch in the afternoon, and spotted the only 2 “countable” birds of the day – two northbound Turkey Vultures. Well, at least we weren’t skunked on Day 1! A local Red-shouldered Hawk put in an appearance, however.

An upper level trough produced some light not-really-accumulating snow on Sunday, as a stronger storm developed well offshore. During the flurries and snow showers, I spent the morning birding around Biddeford Pool. Song Sparrows, as well as Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds are definitely increasing. There were quite a few Common Mergansers around as well: 4 off of the Saco Yacht Club, 9 off of Laurel Hill Cemetery, and an impressive 64 off of the Biddeford public boat launch. I had 9 Brant at East Point, and a goodly 78 in the Pool itself – another March migrant.

Other highlights included a single Razorbill off of East Point, a drake Harlequin Duck off of Ocean Avenue, 16 Ruddy Turnstones and 4 Dunlin in Biddeford Pool, and a Red Fox in Laurel Hill Cemetery. The drake Barrow’s Goldeneye continues behind the condos on Water Street in Saco, as well. I also spotted a tight flock of about 30 Bohemian Waxwings over I-295 in Cumberland, near mile marker 14 on my way back to the store.

The Water St. Barrow's Goldeneye:

And, I was quite happy with this shot that nicely shows the differences in head and bill shape between the Barrow's and a Common Goldeneye (female).

The weak clipper system that was slated to produce 1-3 inches of snow here on Wednesday ended up producing little more than a coating of very wet snow in most places. In fact, by day’s end, most of the fresh snow had melted, as temperature was in the mid- to upper 30’s. I didn’t here anyone complaining.

It was another chilly morning on Thursday. And, for me, the birding in South Portland never really heated up either; I did not encounter anything noteworthy. However, I did spot my first Turkey Vulture of the spring over Wardtown Rd in Freeport in the late afternoon as I was on my way to the farm to pick up our co-op veggies. Another weak low produced a few flurries and snow showers by Friday morning, but at least for now, this recent series of storms have remained weak and moisture-starved. Again, I heard no complaints.

In fact, Friday morning was very spring-like, and the birding was very productive. Temperatures were in the low 30’s, and the wind was very light, making for pleasant conditions as I birded locally this morning, focusing on waterfowl. Birds were clearly on the move today, with small groups of Canada Geese in motion overhead, and a good quantity of migrant waterfowl around. Plus, a few more Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds are returning to the neighborhood.

While there were three Hooded Mergansers off of the South Freeport Town Landing, Winslow Park was more productive today than it has been all winter. Over 300 Greater Scaup, all recent arrivals, have amassed off of the park’s south side, and a single Ruddy Duck, 5 Ring-necked Ducks (my first for the park), and a few more Greater Scaup – were off of the point. One drake Barrow’s Goldeneye continues as well, along with an upsurge in the number of Common Goldeneyes. Long-tailed Ducks were also more numerous than they have been of late, but the number of Bufflehead was down significantly. One immature Bald Eagle passed overhead, while my first Belted Kingfisher of the spring rattled as it flew over the bay.

Jeannette and I spent the day on Tuesday birding the coast from Kittery through Kennebunkport. Although we didn’t find anything too out of the ordinary, we did tally a respectable 53 species, had a few goodies, and enjoyed some spring migrants. Scattered small groups and individual Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles were encountered here and there, and we noticed a distinct departure of Long-tailed Ducks, all three scoters, and Great Cormorants in particular - although the few we did see were looking good in their breeding finery.

After our traditional pre-Kittery birding breakfast at the Bagel Caboose, we hit Fort Foster, where I flushed an American Woodcock from a trail – my first of spring. An immature Northern Shrike at Seapoint Beach was my 28th of the winter, and 28 Cedar Waxwings were spotted from the York Harbor Cliffwalk.

11 Harlequin Ducks and 9 Red-necked Grebes in spiffy breeding plumage were off of the Nubble, and we tallied 7 Dark-eyed Juncos in the neighborhood – likely migrants as well – and three Horned Larks in one of the few empty lots remaining in the area. We added 20 Harlequin Ducks from the Cliff House and another 26 from Marginal Way, giving us an excellent total of 57 for the day.

Another traditional stop for us on this route is Flo’s Hot Dogs. Today, a film crew from the Travel Channel was working on a segment for their Great Weekend Getaways (or something like that) series, so we’ll see if we end up showing the birding flag (we always wear our binoculars into local businesses to help show the economic impact – and even greater economic potential – of birding.) on national TV. I just hope I didn’t have any sauce in my beard!

Anyway, back to the birding, Beach Plum Farm was productive as usual. About 50 American Goldfinches, many singing, were feeding on birch catkins, while some Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrows foraged in the brush. One stunning male Eastern Bluebird was checking out nest boxes, but unfortunately improper placement makes it unlikely that it would nest successfully here – the boxes are usually taken up by the more aggressive House Sparrows and Tree Swallows here, I’ve noticed.

Man, I have not been that sick for that long in quite some time! I had heard rumors that this year’s flu strain was a nasty one, and I must now concur. Anyway, I’m just happy to be (mostly) back in the game now.

Unfortunately, I still had to spend my morning indoors again, getting some minor work done on my car. Well, at least I spied two Common Grackles as they passed by the car dealership. I did take a quick look at Mill Creek Cove and Park while running another errand in South Portland, so at least there was a brief entry in my journal for the day. 212 Mallards, 2 American Black Ducks, and two hybrids thereof were in the creek, while a small number of the usual gulls were roosting in the cove.

At least the weather forecast for the upcoming week will provide ample opportunities to catch up on my birding. Sure it’s a bit cold – highs a bit below, and lows well below normal for most of the week – but, hey, it ain’t snowing (or icing!). And, with at least some sun most days – and just one or two potential very light snow events – there will be some melting going on. In fact, just yesterday, we saw our first few patches of pavement on our driveway. It must be spring! (Well, at least until this weekend, when another significant storm is being predicted. Once again, depending on its track, there’s much uncertainty about precipitation type.

So, with benign conditions over the next week, I would expect to see a very slow trickle of migrants into the area, despite the cold temperatures. We need a good warm spell and bought of southerly winds to bring in any significant numbers, but I would expect to see a slow but steady increase in Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds, and Turkey Vultures. Sea ducks are thinning out, but migrant ducks – especially dabblers – will be slowly filling in.

Also, it will be interesting to see what the irruptive species that we have been seeing so many of this winter do. Will we notice another pulse of finches and frugivores as they begin to head back north? Or, will they just slowly dissipate? Will we see big flocks of waxwings heading north, high overhead? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Furthermore, raptors will be on the move when winds are light this week, and if I get a chance I may head up to Bradbury Mountain for some early-season data. But, we’re only 5 days away from the start of the 2nd Annual Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, sponsored by the Wild Bird Center of Yarmouth. The count kicks off on Saturday at 9:00am, but much more on this later in the week!

I thought I was just battling through a cold earlier this week, thanks to my sleep deprivation during my NJ visit, but then on Wednesday I completely derailed with the flu. In fact, I haven’t been this sick in years, and on Thursday, I could barely make it from my recliner to the couch! Feeling quite a bit better today, however, I felt some fresh air was just what the doctor ordered, so I spent a couple of hours poking around Scarborough Marsh.

Temperatures in the low 30’s and calm conditions made it feel very spring-like, and it sounded that way too, as I was serenaded by singing House Finches and Song Sparrows at Pine Point, while Mourning Doves cooed from rooftops. A Red-tailed Hawk was clearly northbound overhead, as were 8 high-flying Horned Larks. About 30 Horned Grebes were fishing in the Narrows, and a number of the Common Loons there were beginning to make the changeover to spiffy breeding plumage.

Territorial Red-winged Blackbirds (12 total) were scattered around the marsh, and both American Black Duck and Canada Goose numbers have increased significantly. Meanwhile, a very brown immature Northern Shrike at Seavy’s Landing was my 27th shrike of the winter (!!!). Another immature shrike was along the Eastern Road Trail, but since I saw one here a few weeks ago, I decided not to add it to my season’s total. And finally, at Dunstan Landing, 4 Green-winged Teal (3 drakes and one hen) had arrived; my first of the spring.

Such signs of spring, on a very spring-like day (well, before this next potential ice-storm arrives, anyway) was perfect therapy for me! Well, that and a couple of doses of Dayquil.

So, I recently received this link to an NPR mention of the resolution of an ongoing debate in Cape May regarding a feral cat colony and its impacts on federally endangered Piping Plovers.

On Tuesday, Jeannette and I were enjoying temperatures in the low 50’s, and spring migrants. On Wednesday, we were watching ice glaze over the three inches of ice still covering our driveway!

But, let’s talk about Tuesday. A strong southwesterly flow brought mild air to the area, and also propelled a few vanguard migrants. Reports from the southern third of the state commented on the arrival of the earliest spring migrants, led by Red-winged Blackbirds. For me and Jeannette, our first new arrival of the day as a surprising (and likely surprised!) Killdeer calling, and circling, over the still snow-covered Dragon Field in Portland.

Then, Capisic Pond Park produced a total of 18 Red-winged Blackbirds, many of which were singing, and 4 Common Grackles, my first of the spring in Maine. A sharp chip note from the cattails announced an early returning Swamp Sparrow. This is my earliest date of a newly-returning Swampie for Maine (although I have had a few mid-winter birds, including one that overwintered in the “Mercy Woods” of Portland two winters ago. Meanwhile, about 30 American Robins and 60+ European Starlings were working on the still-plentiful crabapple crop here, and a northbound Common Merganser made a low pass over the frozen lake and stream, deciding that the trickle of open water in the marsh was not to her liking.

There were very few gulls around in Old Port – but it was low tide, and most gulls seem to forage out on the mudflats when the water is out, but we did see the male Peregrine Falcon perched in his usual place on the Casco Bay Bridge.

Hopes of some productive seawatching on Thursday were stymied by the ice (and snow, and sleet . . .) accumulation on the roads – assuming I could actually make it to Cape Elizabeth, by the time I got there, I probably would have had to turn around, so I stayed inside, kept an eye on the feeders, and sipped a nice, hot, mug of chai.

Jeannette and I have just returned from a week in New Jersey. Heading there for a wedding, we decided to make this into a little bit of a vacation. However, as usual, I crammed far to many things into too short of a visit. But, we had a great trip, seeing some good friends, dear family, and good birds. However, after each visit to New Jersey, I become successively happier to see that “Maine: The Way Life Should Be” sign upon our return. Cliché or not, I think it’s true, and we commented about this as we finally made it across the Piscataqua River. But, once again, our vacation came to an abrupt end when we got to our driveway. This time, 8-10 inches were piled high, and partially frozen, on top of the bed of 2-3 inches of ice that had built up before we left. Is this REALLY the way life should be?

Anyway, as I mentioned, we packed a bunch of things, birding and non, into our week. In addition to daily walks at various local park, we had three more lengthy birding outings.

The first, on Wednesday (2/27) was a chase of the Barnacle Goose that has been overwintering in Hunterdon County, in west-central NJ. We spent about 5 hours searching various farm fields and ponds, all to no avail. We checked all three of the big area reservoirs, but not only did we not find the Barnacle Goose, we only saw a few hundred scattered Canadas! 3 to 4,000 Snow Geese were amassing on Merrill Creek Reservoir (even that was fairly low for the area), which was quite a show nonetheless, as the whole flock was being eyed by a female Bald Eagle from her nest. The best bird of the day was a fairly-rare-inland Red-necked Grebe that we found on Round Valley Reservoir, along with a flock of 123 American Coots.