Northern Maine Birds, February 2010 winter wrap up

February 2010 was one of the mildest in memory in northern Maine. Though the month came in with a few days of sub-zero temperatures, most of the days the thermometer stayed in the thirties. Cloud cover seemed the norm for much of the period yet precipitation in central Aroostook County was 25% below normal. Considering a good portion of our precipitation was in the form of rain, snow packs are quite thin in the area. While precip was detected at the Caribou weather station on 22 of the 28 days, only 10 inches of snow fell here during the entire month! This was a minimal amount compared to the 18 inches that we received last year or the 48(!) in record-breaking 2008.

In comparison, Central Park in New York received almost 37 inches of snow in February...

Snow cover is spotty in the open areas in southern Aroostook and bare spots have appeared in the fields in the central areas as well. Well over a foot of snow remains in the woods in the eastern areas. A deep snow pack (3 feet in places) continues west of Route 11 (the North Maine Woods) where snow fell when it rained in the east and south. Many smaller and mid-sized streams have opened up and an early ice-out has been forecast by those knowledgeable in ice-melt prognostication.

Overall, activity at feeders was reported to increase a bit over the period. A response possibly to dwindling natural food supplies for some species of birds or perhaps some shifting of the population in preparation for spring migration. Plenty of birds could be found in the woods with the conifer stands having the advantage.

More waterfowl overwintered in the north this season than in recent memory. As many as 40 Common Goldeneyes could be found along the reach of open water below the Aroostook River Dam in Caribou and few were seen in Presque Isle as well. Mallards and Black Ducks were seen in numbers in Presque Isle as usual, but Ashland, Caribou, Fort Kent, Fort Fairfield and Houlton also had a few of these dabblers hanging where the open water was available.

Wild Turkeys in Ashland and Castle Hill had a good winter and Ruffed Grouse survival seems to have been excellent at this point. Paul Cyr got the image above of the Ashland turkey flock on the 25th.

With the exception of Bald Eagles, there was little raptor activity reported in February. Sharp-shinned Hawks were seen in Presque Isle (2/11), Woodland (2/12) and Easton (2/13). Dottie Dudley got a shapshot of the Easton accipiter from her window.




Again this month, Bald Eagles were widely reported with the bulk of the observations coming in from along the Aroostook River. Paul Cyr was able to document an early season copulation at the nest in the Stevensville section of Fort Fairfield on the 18th.

A single adult Great Black-backed Gull in Caribou on the 9th was the only gull reported for the month.






Owl activity picked up substantially in February with Barred Owls showing well through the month. Daylight observations of the species were made in Cyr Plantation (2/15), Woodland (2/13) and regularly near Paul Cyr's giant feeding station in Presque Isle. Paul and Ken Lamb have been able to photograph the owl as it hunted for rodents. The photo of the flying Barred Owl at the top and this great action shot were taken by Ken Lamb on the 17th.

The Northern Hawk Owl continued through a second full month at the Pierce Road in Blaine. Most recently the bird was seen on the 24th. Luke Sietz got this sweet image of the bird wallowing in the snow on the 17th.










Woodpeckers are becoming increasingly territorial and noisy. Lots of drumming can be heard in area woodlots on calm mornings. Hairy, Downy and Pileated Woodpeckers have been widely reported. There has been no sign of the Three-toed Woodpeckers along the Muscovic Road in Stockholm though Luke Seitz found this male Black-backed Woodpecker as it foraged near the bog.

Scarce this year in northern Maine, Northern Shrikes were seen in Blaine on the 5th and Easton on the 12th.

2 Gray Jays were visiting a feeder near madawaska lake in T16R4 on the 18th. Common Ravens have paired up and begun to defend territories. Mid air squabbles are common place these days. American Crow numbers are increasing and these birds have started to disperse from wintering spots and are increasingly appearing out in the countryside.

Good numbers of Boreal Chickadees are being found in the woods now as these birds are vocalizing regularly. Boreal's were seen in mixed flocks with Red-breasted Nuthatches and Black-capped Chickadees in Caribou, Caswell, Conner, Limestone, Stockholm, T16R4 and Woodland. The banner season for Red-breasted Nuthatches continues with high numbers across the area. Uncommon north of Presque Isle in winter, a White-breasted Nuthatch at a feeder at Madawaska Lake in the 18th was noteworthy.

Uncommon in mid-winter in the northern parts of the county, Golden-crowned Kinglets were spotted in Woodland early in the month.

A few American Robins were reported in the area mid month. One was seen in Presque Isle on the 12th and another in Mt Chase on the 1st but not since then. A late report of a Varied Thrush was tantalizing. The bird apparently spent two weeks visiting a feeding station in Fort Kent in mid-December. Photos of this very rare bird are being sought!

Scattered mid-sized flocks of Bohemian Waxwings were observed across the region through February. Waxwings were reported in Conner (26), Easton (40+), Houlton (8) and Presque Isle (12).

Two Rusty Blackbirds were reported in Masardis on the 17th. Uncommon during the breeding season, any winter record is a noteworthy find.

Sparrow supplies were light again this month with only Snow Buntings and American Tree Sparrows reported. Snow Buntings were able to take advantage of the very open conditions this month and flocks of these were widely reported. Highest count reported was 120+ seen in Fort Fairfield on the 18th.

Unlike the rest of New England, finches were found in good numbers and diversity in northern Maine this winter. Certainly, American Goldfinches have dominated the counts at feeding stations in the region. Patty Jennings sent up this great shot of part of the flock visiting her feeder in Stacyville last month. While not showing well at feeders, daily counts of 50+ Purple Finches were not uncommon for birders venturing out into the woods of northern Maine.

White-winged Crossbills and Evening Grosbeaks were decidedly less common, but flocks of these were fairly regularly encountered. High counts for Evening Grosbeaks included 60 seen in a days birding in central Aroostook county on the 17th and 25+ that are visiting a feeder in Castle Hill. Not quite like the "good old days" but a noteworthy number, no less. Luke Sietz took this nice shot of a male evening Grosbeak at a feeder near Madawaska Lake on the 18th. A few Pine Siskins were seen at feeders including one at Madawaska Lake on the 18th and two in Woodland on the 19th. Pine Grosbeaks were seen in Stockholm (3) and New Sweden (1) on the 7th and 2 were seen in Masardis on the 17th. No Redpolls were detected thus far this winter.

An uncommon bird this far north, House Sparrows remained in moderate numbers this winter. A pair showed up at my feeders on the 13th and other small groups were seen in Frenchville and Fort Kent in northern-most Maine.

Northern Maine Birds 23 October-6 November 2008

The last days of October brought unusually warm weather as well as a dusting of short-lived snow to Aroostook County and other parts of northern Maine. Patty Jennings shared her view of Mt Katahdin from Stacyville at sun up. Once again the precipitation totals for the month were well above average. A few cold nights early in the period produced a skim of ice on smaller ponds and wetlands but warm weather has kept everything open since. Almost all deciduous trees in Aroostook have shed their foliage. Fruit supplies remain good. Crabapples were mostly consumed by a wave of migrant American Robins but apple varieties with larger fruit as well as Mountain Ash and Highbush Cranberries remain plentiful. As mentioned before, cones are available but spotty.

The freeze up in mid October seemed to push a few birds out of the area but generally there seems to be quite a few lingering half-hardy bird species.

Canada Geese continue to dominate the waterfowl numbers in northern Maine. Large flocks are still being seen through out the area and I estimate numbers at about 8-9,000, down from last month's peak at about 26,000. The yellow collared Canada Geese from Greenland were last seen on the 27th at Collins Pond in Caribou. Paul Cyr found this horde over Presque Isle.

Small numbers of Snow Geese were reported with the last bird being a single juvenile seen at Collins Pond on the 24th

The waterfowl highlight for the period is certainly the lingering drake Redhead at St. Agatha. The duck was one of two originally seen back on 13 October at the tern nesting island on the north end of Long Lake. The Redhead was seen here again on 6 November.
Also noteworthy were Northern Pintails including two drakes at Presque Isle on Oct 23rd and 4 hens at Trafton Lake in Limestone on the 23rd. Nine Greater Scaup were seen on Long Lake and a single drake was also seen at Trafton Lake on November 6th. Lake Josephine hosted a handful of its usual noteworthy species through the end of the month. These included 9 Ruddy Ducks, 4 Buffleheads, 4 Gadwall and 9 Lesser Scaup.

Large numbers of Mallards and Hooded Mergansers have been noted lately. Trafton Lake held over 120 Mallards and 86 Hoodies on the 6th.

Warm weather has encouraged tardiness with other waterbirds. Double-crested Cormorants (2), Great Blue Herons (2) and a Pied-billed Grebe were all seen at St. Agatha on the 6th of November. 12 Common Loons was a barely note-able tally for this date and location.

Its been slim pickings for raptors recently. Northern Harriers have been in steady supply with birds seen in Bridgewater, Caribou, Easton, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Presque Isle and Woodland. A dark phase Rough-legged Hawk was hunting near Christina Reservoir on the 28th. The Bald Eagle pair in Presque Isle has been sprucing up their nest recently. Ken Lamb got a series of great photos documenting their efforts. The birds were seen lugging sticks and lichens to the nest. Afterward the little male was snuggling up to the big female...

Except for single Wilson's Snipe and Greater Yellowlegs lingering through 25th at Collins Pond, no shorebirds have been reported. The 2+ inch deluge on the 26th brought water levels up across the area and seems to have flooded most shorebirds out.

Gull numbers have just about peaked and large numbers of Herring, Great Black-backed and Ring-billed Gulls are being seen in Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle, Caribou and St. Agatha. Two juvenile Iceland Gulls on the 5th at Collins Pond were the firsts for me this season.

Several Snowy Owls were spotted around the area already this season. In addition to the previously reported sighting in Woodland on the 19th, Snowy's were seen in two locations in Presque Isle and in Fort Fairfield. A shopper at the Presque Isle reported a white owl dropping from a light pole and taking an American Crow in the mall parking lot on the 25th and this Snowy was photographed by Paul Cyr about a mile or so away on the 27th. A Great-horned Owl was heard in the Woodland Bog Preserve in Woodland on the 25th and a Barred Owl was heard in Caribou. Another screeching owl of unknown identity, was heard in New Sweden.

An American Three-toed Woodpecker was encountered in Haynesville during the first week of November. A check of the Muscovic Road in Stockholm yielded only a Hairy Woodpecker on the 6th.

Large flocks of American Crows (300+) were noted in Presque Isle during the last week of October and Common Ravens have become more noticeable as the crow numbers thinned out. Large numbers of Blue Jays seemed to pass through the area during this period and many birders noted a marked increase of this species at feeders.

A Gray Jay and Boreal Chickadee were seen in the woods near Haynesville. Red-breasted Nuthatches are being reported in moderate numbers. Patty Jennings photographed her Black-capped Chickadees cleaning out a few remaining sunflower stalks in Stacyville on the 25th

As previously mentioned, larger flocks of American Robins cleaned up some of the preferred fruit supplies and numbers seemed to thin out by month's end. Handfuls of robins continue to be seen. American Pipits were still being heard through the 6th. A pipit flew over Collins Pond on the 3rd and another was heard at Lake Josephine on the 6th. Mid sized Horned Lark flocks were seen in Fort Fairfield, Limestone, St. Agatha and Presque Isle

Fox Sparrows continued at my feeder in Woodland until at least the 5th. The peak number of 6 was tallied on the 26th of October. A few White-throated Sparrows and a Song Sparrow also stayed behind at my yard through the end of the period. Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows both appeared in numbers on the 26th. The tree sparrows were right on schedule according to my records.

Though I have still yet to see any, arriving Snow Buntings were reported in Bridgewater, Caribou and Presque Isle.

A late Red-winged Blackbird was seen in a yard New Sweden on the 4th and 3 tardy Common Grackles were seen the following day in Woodland.

My first of season Evening Grosbeaks (8) were heard flying over Caribou on the 6th. Other than abundant supplies of Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches the only finch sightings were a few Purple Finches at feeders in Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield and a flock of White-winged Crossbills on November 2nd in Woodland.

Finally I can't help but report this one non-avian flying species: A peanut rustling Northern Flying Squirrel captured mid-glide by Paul Cyr!

Northern Maine Birds 15-30 August 2008

The second two weeks of August here in northern Maine were substantially drier than the early weeks of the month. Only a little more than half an inch of rain fell and the precipitation was scattered over several days...just enough to keep the dust down. Temperatures have been balmy but ran a bit cooler than normal for the period. Though frosts are a distinct possibility in Aroostook in August, it looks like there'll be none this year.

Red Maples have colored up where new beaver flowages were created this summer and some yellow is already showing here and there on the landscape in drier spots.

Land and shorebird migration continues steadily with little in the way of weather to back things up. The chips and calls of birds passing southward can be heard overhead on almost any clear calm night now. Mixed flocks of migrating warblers are a daily treat now as they work their way along edges and hedgerows. Flying ant swarms have attracted some interesting mixed flocks of aerial feeding birds in central Aroostook.

There are still a few late breeders feeding youngsters.

As usual, there is a great waterfowl show at Lake Josephine in Easton. 700+ ducks and geese are being seen here. Best birds here are 3 newly-arrived Buffleheads and a juvenile Surf Scoter that has replaced the lone Common Eider seen here last month. A dozen Ruddy Ducks, 31 Gadwall (mostly young of the year), 9 young Northern Shovelers and 130 Ring-necked Ducks were other noteworthy finds here on Saturday the 30th.

Over at Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield the Ring-necked horde numbers about 600 birds. A few American Wigeon were feeding on the north shore this week but the large flocks seen in early August have thinned out.

Green and Blue-winged Teal numbers seem to be increasing in the area. Flocks of Blue-winged Teal were seen at Collins Pond in Caribou, Trafton Lake in Limestone and at Christina and Josephine. The Canada Geese have completed their molt and are back in the air and moving from favored roosting sites to harvested grain fields in the area. Mallard and American Black Duck flocks are also taking advantage of the stubble fields.

Big groups of mergansers have been noted on the Aroostook River. On the 30th, 47 Common Mergansers were feeding in formation on the McRae flat section of the Aroostook River near the Canadian border. Just upstream, in Fort Fairfield, 19 Hooded Mergansers were loafing on an exposed gravel bar near the Route 1A bridge.

For the first time in several years, a Common Loon chick has be seen with the pair on Madawaska Lake in T16R4. Pied-billed Grebe numbers are still high at Christina Reservoir. Twenty were tallied without much effort on the 30th. Double-crested Cormorants are roosting in numbers on the powerlines over the Aroostook River in Caribou and Fort Fairfield.

Usually an uncommon wader in northern Maine, another Great Egret was discovered in the county on the 11th. Christine Mockler found the egret on shores of Churchill Lake on the Allagash River near the Jaws campsite and sent along this documentation photo. Great Blue Heron and American Bitterns are being seen regularly in shallow wetlands. Two juvenile bitterns were feeding on exposed mudbars in Collins Pond in Caribou and others were seen in Mars Hill, Presque Isle, Washburn and Easton this week. The young American Bittern skulking in the morning sun in the photo at the top of this post was accompanied by a Great Blue Heron when Paul Cyr took its picture.



Seven species of raptors were spotted by birders in the area during the past week. Northern Harriers were quite numerous with reports from Ashland (26th), Bridgewater (24th), Caribou (24th and 29th), Easton (30th), Fort Fairfield (18th), Limestone (27th) and Washburn (23rd). Some orange-plumaged juveniles are being seen. Broad-winged Hawks were seen over the Woodland Bog in Woodland on the 16th and 17th. Merlins were found in Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield on the 30th. Paul Cyr shares this fine portrait of the young Merlin he photographed in Presque Isle. American Kestrel numbers have dropped from peaks in early August but the little hawks still remain quite common in open areas. Other species seen were Bald Eagles, Ospreys and Red-tailed Hawks. Ken Lamb photographed this juvenile Bald Eagle on the 22nd.

Dropping water levels and exposed shoreline brought some increasing reports of shorebirds in the area. 3 Semipalmated Plovers were uncommon visitors spotted at Collins Pond late this week. They joined 4 Solitary Sandpipers, 6 Lesser Yellowlegs, 3 Least Sandpipers and a Greater Yellowlegs. Least Sandpipers were well represented across central Aroostook County with other groups seen at Trafton Lake in Limestone, the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfield, Lake Josephine and a farm pond in Woodland. A Wilson's Snipe was seen probing a wet lawn in Limestone on the 27th.

Gull numbers also continue to build and large mixed flocks of Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls were seen in Presque Isle, Madawaska Lake and around Long Lake near St. Agatha. A group of a dozen Ring-billed Gulls were flycatching winged ant swarms over the fairground and the east end of the airport runway in Presque Isle on the evening of the 26th. Joining the gulls in the feeding flight were European Starlings and 30 or so Cedar Waxwings. A rare juvenile Bonaparte's Gull was feeding alone at Lake Josephine on the 30th

A Great Horned Owl was also observed on the 30th in Woodland. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds continue to be seen across the county but numbers have thinned out. A male was still being seen in Mt Chase in northern Penobscot county. Patty Jennings sent up this great shot of a young hummer that apparently has yet to learn that sunflowers don't have much to offer a nectar-loving bird...

Pileated Woodpeckers were vocalizing in the Woodland Bog and in Fort Fairfield on the 30th. Juvenile Yellow-belled Sapsuckers are increasingly being seen.

Small flycatchers were part of the mixed flocks of migrants encountered in Woodland on the 23rd. Species included Yellow-bellied, Least and "Trails" Flycatchers. Since Alder and Willow Flycatchers are unseparable in the field this time of year, I use the "Trails" label as a catchall but odds would have most of these would be Alder Flycatchers this far north. No small flycatchers were found in a morning of birding on the 30th.

A family group of Eastern Kingbirds is still hanging around my yard as of this report. Last week they offered a little Kingbird love to Broad-winged Hawk passing through the area. Maybe I'm not paying attention, but I thought the kingbird's aggressive ways faded as summer progressed and I don't recall seeing this behavior this late in the season.

A small group of Barn and Tree Swallows were clustered on a utility wire along Route 11 in Herseytown in northern Penobscot county on the 29th. These were the only recent observations of swallows from the area. Red-breasted Nuthatches were seen at a feeder in Washburn on the 23rd.

A few Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos are still singing in early AM in Woodland and Caribou. Migrant Blue-heads are a regular component of the mixed flocks of migrant passerines being spotted around the area right now. A Veery was heard at Lake Josephine on the 30th and Hermit Thrushes were seen in Woodland on the same date.

Gray Catbirds were easy to find in almost any hedgerow tangle with available fruit or berries. Likewise, Cedar Waxwings are very commonly encountered across the area. They are dependably seen hawking insects from prominent perches along the rivers and wetland edges right now. They too, are enjoying the burgeoning fruit crop.

Gigantic European Starling flocks are congregating around the grain fields in central and southern Aroostook. A flock of 3000+ starlings was testing the strength of some powerlines in Presque Isle on the 28th.

Warbler migration is steady and increasing. The numbers and species seem to change each morning with new arrivals and departures. Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler numbers are an increasing percentage of any flock. Good finds this week were a very early migrant Palm Warbler of the eastern "Yellow" subspecies in a wetland in Woodland and a Bay-breasted Warbler in fresh fall plumage in Fort Fairfield. Blackburnian Warblers were found in several locations on the 30th. Other warbler species seen this week in central Aroostook County were Northern Parula, Nashville, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black-and-White, American Redstart, Ovenbird and Common Yellowthroats. This Common Yellowthroat was part of a larger warbler flock in Presque Isle.

Noteworthy here on the edge of its range, Northern Cardinals have successfully nested and fledged young this year in central Aroostook County. An adult male was seen feeding a fledgling at a feeder in Presque Isle on the 14th. This is only the second confirmation of breeding in the central Aroostook area. A pair with two juveniles was first discovered last year in Caribou. Though it is still uncommon, this species was rare and worthy of note anywhere in the county as recently as ten years ago.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak youngsters are increasing and their loud sharp "eek" call can be heard along forest edges around the area these days.

A Swamp and a Chipping Sparrow were still singing in Fort Fairfield on the 30th. Juvenile Dark-eyed Juncos were still being tended by their parents in Woodland on the 23rd.

Late Bobolink flocks are still being found in grassland areas but the numbers of these also are dwindling quickly. Mid-sized (>50) Red-winged Blackbird flocks were seen in Woodland and Fort Fairfield but only small groups of Common Grackles have been reported.

As late season breeders, American Goldfinches seen feeding young this week were expected finds. However, an Evening Grosbeak feeding a young fledgling in Stacyville on the 16th was quite late for this uncommon breeder. Again, Patty Jennings was ready with her camera to capture the moment at her feeder in northern Penobscot county! Purple Finches have been seen regularly at area feeders but the White-winged Crossbill incursion that started mid summer has waned dramatically and only single birds were reported each week.

Regarding Purple Finches: eye infections and sick and dying birds were reported in northern and eastern New Brunswick, Canada this summer. To date we have yet to hear of any on this side of the border. Area birders and feeder watchers may want to pay attention to any unusual behavior by finches they encounter.