Monday, October 24, 2011

Seaducks and Snow Buntings: Changing of the guard

I found a bunch of interesting birds today at Portage Lake...birds usually associated with the Maine coast in winter.  Most interesting among them was 7 Horned Grebes a high count for me in the county.  I also spotted three different juvenile Surf Scoters (no surf here!), four Red-breasted Mergansers and a lone Black Scoter!

Heres a picture of one of the Scoters:



I checked Lake Jo and Christina after work and found more birds on their way to the salt water:  Best was a group of three Red-necked Grebes right by the dike!  Heres a photo of the trio:








Other unusual species here included a couple Buffleheads, both flavors of scaup, and another Surf Scoter.  On the way out I spotted a little passerine feeding in the road.  The bird dropped down to the shoreline: A Snow Bunting.  First of the season!


Over at Christina Reservoir there were a few more treats:  Fifteen American Coots was a high count for me in the county.  Some more scaup and yet another Surf Scoter were nice finds.  A few Pied-billed Grebes made for a three grebe species day!

Nice stuff.

4 comments:

grammie g said...

Hi Bill...3 Grebe day ...congrat's !
Good to hear a report from you from that end of the state...the Snow Bunting is a beauty!!
I was in Linneus just outside of Houlton this past week and was so glad to see a family of 5 Bluebirds and a Turkey Vulture at my daughters farm!
When I was growing up there those where never seen that far north...in fact Bluebirds where very rare at the time in Maine!
Nice to see them make a great comeback ...I had 2 clutches in my boxes this year, they are still hanging around about 12 in a group!!

Take Care
Grace

Bill Sheehan said...

Thanks Grace! I remember what a big deal it was when Bluebirds first arrived at our farm in Mt Chase. One of the things that makes birding so fun, watching the changes!

Kathie Brown said...

You make me want to come back up to the county! wow!

Elizabeth J. Neal said...

Well at 1am I was 80... no big deal right? I almost told my mom we could go back to sleep Snow Guards because I'd eaten and I was sure I'd come up after eating the better half of a banana... thank God I didn't because I was in the fifties five minutes later (do the math... that's crazy dropping!)