Northern Maine Birds 18-31July 2008

The last two weeks of July continued with the warm and wet weather in northern Maine. Four and a half inches of precipitation was measured for the month at the Caribou Weather Station. This was about 1/2 inch more than average. Streams and rivers remain at bank-full levels.

Fledglings of many species are noisily begging and trying out their wings for the first time. A few species are massing into large flocks.




A waterfowl highlight for period was the presence of a hen Redhead and young found last week at a wetland near Lake Josephine in Easton. Also at Lake Jo, a young drake Common Eider was a great mid summer discovery! The bird was found and photographed by Ken Lamb on the 23rd.

Large numbers of molting Ring-necked Ducks are appearing in central Aroostook locations. 400+ were counted on Lake Josephine and another 350+ (mostly males) were seen on Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield this past week. Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle is also hosting a sizable congregation of ratty looking Ring-necks. Other high counts noted at Lake Josephine were 120+ Gadwall, 50+ Green-winged Teal and 20+ Northern Shovelers on the 26th. Most of these birds were juvenile ducks with their mothers.

Pied-billed Grebe broods were spotted at Washburn and Fort Fairfield last weekend.


Wading birds are dispersing after breeding and have become noticeable around the area. A noteworthy find was two Great Egrets discovered along the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfieldon the 31st. The birds were feeding on minnows along the flooded banks.

Two American Bitterns were seen a Christina Reservoir and Great Blue Herons were widely reported in the Aroostook and St John River Valleys.


This has apparently been a great season for nesting hawks in northern Maine. Lots of juvenile raptors are being seen across the county. American Kestrels seen especially abundant in the area right now. 17 kestrels were counted along an 8 mile stretch of road in Caribou in Presque Isle on July 30th and juvie kestrels have been reported in Ashland, Chapman, Caribou, Easton, Fort Fairfield, Portage Lake, Stockholm and Woodland. Kathy Hoppe sent over the top photo of one of her young kestrels as it perched on the railing of her deck.


This juvenile Broad-winged Hawk with a bad leg was photographed by Nadeen Plourde in T16R5 near Square Lake on the 27th. Broad-wings were also seen in Woodland and Stockholm where they were mobbed and scolded by passerines with young.

Other raptors seen include a banded juvenile Bald Eagle in Fort Fairfield, Ospreys in Easton, Island Falls and Presque Isle, a Sharp-shinned Hawk in Caribou on the 29th and Northern Harriers in Washburn and Presque Isle.

Sora and Virginia Rails were still quite vocal on the 26th at Lake Jo.

Southbound shorebirds are about but tough to locate with all the high water. A small collection of shorebirds was found in a normally-dry gravel pit in Washburn on the 26th. These included Killdeer, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers and 4 Wilson's Snipe.

A Three-toed Woodpecker was feeding quietly off the Muscovic Road in Stockholm on the 30th. There was a bit of a resurgence in thrush song in late July. Hermits, Swainson's and Veeries could be heard singing in the early am at Woodland Bog in Woodland as recently as the 31st. Likewise with Winter Wren. Singing males were heard in Woodland, Washburn, Stockholm and up on Mt Katahdin in Baxter State Park over the past two weeks. An adult American Pipit was feeding young on the Tablelands of Mt Katahdin on the 20th. Also on that date, 3 Philadelphia Vireos were singing in and along the trail near Roaring Brook Campground in Baxter State Park.

As Aroostook's grain fields ripen and the harvest approaches, I find it interesting to note that European Starlings have formed some big flocks in the area. In Caribou, a flock of 1200+ was circling over a barley field on one of the few dry days last week.

Small mixed species flock of warblers are being found here in Woodland. On the 30th, I had a family of Yellow-rumpeds, along with Nashville, Magnolia and Black-and-White as well as Northern Parulas working the treetops in my yard. A late singing male Canada Warbler at Lake Josephine on the 26th was my first of this species at this location. Blackpoll Warblers were persistent singers on the Roaring Brook Trail up Mt Katahdin on the 20th. Northern Waterthrushes were still singing at Collins Pond in Caribou on the 31st and at Lake Josephine on the 26th.

Evening Grosbeaks have joined the increasing numbers of White-winged Crossbills in central Aroostook county recently. The grosbeaks were seen/heard in Stockholm and Woodland last week. Pine Siskins were feeding young in my yard in Woodland on the 30th.

Northern Maine Birds 1 - 8 May 2008

Hola.

Northern Maine enjoyed quiet weather this week. Temperatures were in the 50's and 60's during the day and dipped below freezing a couple times early in the period. Rain fell only twice this week but both were steady rains. A bit of a migrant wave was seen on the 7th and increased on the 8th. Otherwise, most migrants seemed to be moving through at a steady pace.

Almost all open areas are now snow free. Wooded areas in central and southern Aroostook have snow in isolated spots. Up to a foot still hangs on in the north Maine woods but the warm temperatures and predicted rain should finish it off within the next week. The ice melted off of most of the lakes this week.

Water levels remain high in northern-most Aroostook along the St. John and Fish Rivers following the record breaking flooding. Most damaged roads have been repaired in the settled areas, but dozens of wood roads and bridges were trashed and this will probably affect access to the North Maine Woods throughout the summer in places. The flood has left acres of standing water throughout the region and waterbirds are well dispersed across the region.

Deciduous trees are flowering across county and leaf buds are starting to open in south Aroostook locales.

New and Arriving Species this week:

Northern Pintail 5/7
Lesser Scaup 5/7
Surf Scoter 5/8
White-winged Scoter 5/8
Red-necked Grebe 5/4
Great Egret 5/8
Glossy Ibis 4/29
Broad-winged Hawk 5/1
Virginia Rail 5/4
Lesser Yellowlegs 5/8
Solitary Sandpiper 5/8
Least Sandpiper 5/8
Great-horned Owl 5/6
Northern Saw-whet Owl 5/8
Cliff Swallow 5/8
Bank Swallow 5/8
Blue-headed Vireo 5/7
American Pipit 5/6
Gray Catbird 5/2
Brown Thrasher 5/6
Hermit Thrush 5/4
Northern Parula 5/7
Northern Waterthrush 5/7
White-crowned Sparrow 5/7

The first week of May in northern Maine is usually a time when numbers and diversity of waterfowl are at their peak. This may be the case this year, but its hard to find any concentrations of waterfowl thanks to all the water left after the flood. Geese, dabblers and the fish eating diving ducks all seem to find the new habitat to their liking. It seems like only Common Goldeneyes, Ring-necked and Ruddy Ducks are sticking mostly to their usual haunts.

A Canada Goose nest with two eggs was found on the 2nd near still-partially-ice-covered Barren Lake in Caribou. Another was found with 6 eggs on the 8th. The results of Ken Lamb's recent Canada Goose portrait session is above. Quite a bit of oil was spilled during the flood along the St. John River. An oil covered Snow Goose was recovered on the 4th in Van Buren during the cleanup.

Newly arrived species this week were pairs of Northern Pintails and Lesser Scaup on Lake Josephine in Easton. A Surf Scoter also at Easton and a pair of White-winged Scoters on Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle were firsts of the season. 6 Gadwalls and 3 Ruddy Ducks were also seen at Lake Jo on the 7th and 8th. Blue-winged Teal were spotted in Eagle Lake (5/6) and Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield (5/7). Noteworthy high counts this week included 22 American Wigeons, 15 Northern Shovelers, 60+ Common Goldeneyes and 280+ Ring-necked Ducks at Lake Josephine.

Common Loons arrived at area lakes immediately after (during?) the rain and subsequent ice-outs. 5 were on Eagle Lake and 3 were seen at Arnold Brook. Very rare inland, 3 Red-necked Grebes found at Christina Reservoir on the 4th and another on Arnold Brook Lake on the 8th were good finds. Pied-billed Grebes were also found at Christina Res.

The avian highlights this week were a couple of rare waders. A Glossy Ibis in Hodgdon from 30 April through 3 May was only the second record for Aroostook County and likely the northernmost record in the eastern US. Almost as rare, a Great Egret was discovered in a wetland near Lake Josephine on the 8th. Bill Daniels was able to document the big white bird with the image above.


Great Blue Herons are on the nests at a rookery in Easton and American Bitterns were seen and heard in Caribou, Easton and Woodland. Paul Cyr caught up with some courting herons on the 8th.

Eight raptor species were seen in the area this week. A high count of 6 Northern Harriers were seen in southern and central Aroostook county on the 4th. A Red-tailed Hawk was found on a nest in Westfield on the 8th.

A Virgina Rail calling in a wetland near Lake Josephine on the 4th was an early surprise. Wild Turkeys seen in the Sheridan section of Ashland and along Route 1 in Bridgewater show the birds are continuing to expand northward despite the severe winter. Drumming Ruffed Grouse were widely reported. A Chukar photographed by Alan Chalou at his feeder in Castle Hill in mid April was almost certainly an escapee, but noteworthy none-the-less.

Some newly arrived shorebirds set early date records. Four Least Sandpipers and two Solitary Sandpipers at Lake Jo on the 8th were the earliest ever by my records. Arriving Lesser Yellowlegs here were also a bit early. Greater Yellowlegs were seen in twos and threes in Caribou, Eagle Lake, St. Agatha, Houlton, Mars Hill and Easton this week. 6 Wilson's Snipe together in a wet pasture in Presque Isle led me to suspect that migrants of this species continue to pass through the area.

Owls made a good showing this week in the county. A Barred Owl was calling in the Woodland Bog most nights and a Barred and Great Horned Owls were heard in Amity in southern Aroostook county on the 6th. A Northern Saw-whet Owl calling at 3 in the afternoon was a first of the season for me. The bird was winding up some Northern Flickers and American Robins near Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle.

Belted Kingfishers were widely reported. Ken Lamb sent along this great shot of a kingfisher playing with her food.

A singing Blue-headed Vireo was reported in Caribou

Swallow numbers jumped this week with the warming weather and Cliff and Bank Swallows joined the Tree and Barn Swallows on the 8th. The Cliff's arrival date was the earliest ever for me in Aroostook Co. Rare in spring, an American Pipit was heard over Eagle Lake on the 6th. A Gray Catbird in Hodgdon on the 2nd and a Brown Thrasher in Bancroft on the 6th were new arrivals in this neck of the woods. Also in Bancroft, an Eastern Bluebird found on the 8th was the first report for the county this year. Hermit Thrushes are still only trickling in, but vocal.

The increasing numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers were joined by only two other species of warbler this week. A Northern Parula and a Northern Waterthrush were both first heard this season in Caribou on the 7th.

American Tree Sparrow numbers waned but they lingered through at least the 6th. Increasing Chipping Sparrows were quick to take their place. 13 was a high count in my yard on the 8th. Fox Sparrows also lingered through the 6th here in Woodland. White-crowned Sparrows arrived all at once on the 7th when flocks were seen in Caribou, Presque Isle and Woodland.

Common Redpolls were still being seen as of the 3rd in Caribou and the 2nd in Woodland. Purple Finches continue to increase throughout the area. Trina Coffin photographed both species at her feeder in Caribou. The Evening Grosbeak flocks were widely reported but seem to be dispersing. The grosbeaks were seen in Caribou, Chapman, Easton, Fort Kent, Eagle Lake, Presque Isle and Woodland.

Northern Maine Birds 28 Feb-11 March 2008

I'll be away (spending a couple days skiing in Baxter State Park) this week, so thought I'd get a report out a bit early.

Winter's kept a firm grip on northern Maine so far this March. Temperatures continue to run below normal, almost all water is frozen and another 2 feet of snow have fallen in the first 10 days of the month. As a matter of fact, the meteorologists say fourteen FEET of the white stuff has landed in central Aroostook this winter. Only about 13 inches to the total snowfall record...great....

Needless to say, there is little change to report in the numbers or diversity of birds. Generally, a trend towards increasing numbers of American Crows and less Pine and Evening Grosbeaks was noted by several reporters.

Two Hooded Mergansers photographed by Ken Lamb on Arnold Brook in Presque Isle may have been over-winterers rather than early migrants. The birds were photographed on the 28th but had been seen at this location for almost a month. Mallards and American Black Ducks continue in Presque Isle stream in PI. Since the Aroostook River has almost completely frozen over at the Caribou Dam, no Common Goldeneyes or Mergansers have been seen here in over a week.



An apparent Sharp-shinned Hawk was photographed by Russ Mount in Castle Hill on the 2nd following a big snowstorm. The hawk was attracted to a good sized collection of Pine Grosbeaks, Mourning Doves and Common Redpolls at a feeder here. Bald Eagles have been seen recently adding sticks to the nest on the Aroostook River in the Stevensville section of Fort Fairfield.

A Snowy Owl was reported at an in-town location in Presque Isle on the 1st.

Also in Castle Hill, a Common Raven pair has been observed constructing a nest in a dense stand of mature spruce trees. As previously noted, the number of American Crow arrivals continues to increase.

Blue Jays are increasingly vocal.

Over fifty Bohemian Waxwings were seen in Mount Chase on the 10th. The Northern Shrike continues to thin the chickadee flock at my yard in Woodland.

Paul Cyr found a gorgeous male Pileated Woodpecker excavating a hole in Presque Isle on the 8th and was kind enough to share what he saw.


This has been an exceptional winter for Northern Cardinal reports in Aroostook County with as many as a dozen different birds being reported from around the region. Again, this week, we hear of these birds in Caribou, Houlton, Island Falls, Fort Fairfield and Presque Isle. Ted Roberts recently snapped a picture of this brilliant male wallowing in the snow with a group of Mourning Doves in Presque Isle

Small Snow Bunting flocks have been reported regularly from throughout the region, with larger flocks being seen in the vicinities of feedlots and horse barns (Oakfield, Fort Fairfield, Woodland). I imagine with 3+ feet of snow in the fields that its difficult to find seeds elsewhere. I suspect if the snow cover continues for more than few more weeks, we may find an abundance of migrating sparrows visiting our feeders by necessity.

On a sad note, the intrepid Eastern Towhee that was overwintering in Sherman was killed by a neighbor's cat on the 28th.

Pine and Evening Grosbeaks are still widespread. In Bancroft, a Pine Grosbeak flock grew to its greatest numbers of the season (20+), but overall numbers continue to drop a bit. A nearly all white (leucistic) Pine Grosbeak was photographed in Fort Fairfield on the 2nd (See previous post).

A few American Goldfinches (Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield) and Pine Siskins (Presque Isle) were reported this week. Common Redpolls seem to be conducting guerrilla-style raids on unattended thistle feeders around the area. One observer said their long-neglected feed sock was emptied in a single day but that the flock did not return once it was refilled. I wonder if these are not flocks on the move.

We should have some migrants to talk about next time!

A leucistic Pine Grosbeak

Earlier this week, I recieved some images of a strange canary-looking bird taken by Joe and Penny Bernard in Fort Fairfield. The bird has been coming to their yard for a while and they were only just recently able to get some pictures of it. It was a bit of a puzzler and not like anything I've seen in northern Maine before... exciting stuff for a bird nerd.

As you can see from Joe's picture, the medium sized bird was mostly white with some light yellow on the head, rump and breast and black and white on the wings. The beak and legs were pink. Unfortunately the bird was all alone, so there were no clues to its identity to be gotten from its associates...

There aren't too many species of birds that can reasonably be considered as candidates in Aroostook county in the winter...The closest looking normal-plumaged bird common in this area is probably the Snow Bunting. By comparing the Fort Fairfield bird to Paul Cyr's Snow Bunting photo in the previous post, you can see that this ID wasn't a good fit. Northern Shrikes have black wings and a lighter body, but they also have a black mask and a black tail which this bird didn't have. Young shrikes also have some brownish tint to some of the plumage but not the lemon-y yellow Joe's bird showed.

The only other birds with white, black and yellow plumage that came to mind were Evening Grosbeak and American Goldfinch. This bird was too big, mis-proportioned and way too light to be a goldfinch. All the white on the upper wing looked good for an aberrant plumaged Evening Grosbeak but the tail was too long....hmmm

On closer look, I found some clues to the birds identity. The bird looked like it had a thick, stubby beak. Medium sized birds with this kind of bill around northern Maine right now are Evening and Pine Grosbeaks and Northern Cardinals. As I said the long tail didn't work for Evening Grosbeaks, and the bird obviously didn't have the crest of a cardinal...Pine Grosbeak?

The shape/morphology was right, but the color? I got thinking about the yellow color. The head, breast and rump were yellow in the same places as a normally colored female/young male Pine Grosbeak. (See the bird in Paul Cyr's photo here) What appeared to be missing was the gray pigment that dominates the appearance of a female Pine Grosbeak. Missing pigment would also explain the beak and legs being pink rather than dark gray/black.

As I understand it, when birds appear to have reduced or partially missing dark pigments (melanin) most ornithologists call it leucism. For some reason the use of this term gets the hackles up on some people who prefer to call birds with lighter than normal plumage partial albino. I've used the term partial albino for such birds before, and had it explained to me that albinism is an all or nothing affair. Either the bird has two recessive genes and NO pigment(=albino), or not. A bird cannot be partially albino.

So, anyway... Joe's bird with some black and yellow pigments looked like it could be a leucistic Pine Grosbeak.

I hadn't heard of one before so I googled around for a while and found several references to such a bird. In our geographical area, there was one collected in Massachusetts in 1965 and a couple others reported in New Brunswick in the past five years. Most surprising was a photo of one taken just a couple of weeks ago (February 23rd) in Quispamsis, NB that looked alot like Joe's bird! This bird was decent enough to be photographed in the company of three other Pine Grosbeaks.

I sent the pics around to a few Maine bird experts and they all concurred with my suspicion that this was a very rare, leucistic Pine Grosbeak. Thats a really good find. Thanks for sharing it Joe and Penny!

Northern Maine Birds 14-27 February 2008

The pattern of regular precipitation in northern Maine continued in the second half of February. Of course, most of that precip has come down in the form of snow. Despite a brief thaw and rain event on the 18^th, snow depths weren’t impacted much and remain at about four feet in the woods. The Caribou weather station noted a couple of daily record snowfalls during the period and totals now stand at about 12 feet of snow this season. About four feet of this snow came down in February. Southern portions of Aroostook County seemed to get more snow than the north. A couple of recent storms also resulted in some significant icing there. Patty Jennings photographed this Hairy Woodpecker in Stacyville after one of the ice storms.

Though the expected late-February warming trend is being experienced, most streams and rivers remain locked up in a thick layer of ice. The lowest and warmest temperatures of the month occurred on Presidents Day weekend (16-18^th) and made it interesting for travelers.

With the increasing day length and sun intensity, the birds appear to be getting restless and some movement is already being seen. Some early bird song, territorial behavior and breeding displays were noted by reporters. The Great Backyard Bird Count turned up some good birds in northern Maine this year.

Common Goldeneye drakes have started doing their bizarre breeding display for the hens at the Aroostook River dam in Caribou. Mallards and American Black Ducks were seen in a couple of locations in Presque Isle. A mixed flock of ~30 were seen in a pond behind the hospital here.

Judging from the up tick in reports, it appears that Bald Eagles have begun returning to the area and have even started to show up at some nest sites. Adults were seen at the nest on Crystal Lake in Hersey in southern Aroostook County and at the nest on the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfield. Others were seen Ashland, Caribou, Island Falls, Houlton, Littleton and Presque Isle. Paul Cyr photographed this adult in Fort Fairfield on the 17th.

A Northern Goshawk buzzed some feeders in Caribou on Sunday the 24th. An early (overwintering?) Red-tailed Hawk was spotted along Interstate 95 in New Limerick on the 26^th. The Presque Isle Cooper’s Hawk continues.

The only gull species reported in the area was a small flock of 16 Great Black-backeds that returned this week. They have been seen in Caribou and at the Tri-Community Landfill in Fort Fairfield.

A Barred Owl was heard calling in the Woodland Bog Preserve in Woodland on the 24^th.

With the onset of the breeding season, the woodpecker species have featured prominently in many reports. Literally dozens of Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers were reported drumming from around the county. Pileated Woodpeckers were also seen in good numbers especially at in-town locations.

Northern Shrikes were seen in Caribou (21^st), Woodland (23^rd) and Chapman (24^th). As Ken Lamb's picture shows, the weak mask, barring on the belly and bi-colored bill all indicate the Chapman Shrike was an immature bird.

As of yet unsubstantiated, a Black-billed Magpie was reported to have been photographed in Limestone on the 18^th. If it can be confirmed, this would be a first for northern Maine.

Gray Jays were seen last week near Chamberlain Lake in northern Piscataquis county and 5 were reported from the Houlton area over the President’s Day weekend. American Crows appear to be increasing in numbers and spreading out around the countryside. A Common Raven was seen carrying a stick in Mount Chase…an early nest builder for sure!

The Great Backyard Bird Count produced a bunch of interesting discoveries during the count weekend of the 15^th through the 18th. Reports included the first returning Horned Larks in Fort Fairfield, Boreal Chickadees found in Mars Hill and a Brown Creeper in Island Falls. A second over-wintering Tufted Titmouse for northern Maine, was reported in Island Falls on the count. The long-staying Presque Isle titmouse continues as the northern-most in the US!

Both White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches turned up on the count in good numbers. Rare away from feeders in northern Maine, a White-breasted Nuthatch was seen near Chamberlain Lake northwest of Baxter Park last week. Ken Lamb and Trina Coffin photographed these nuthatches in Presque Isle (White-breasted)and Caribou (Red-breasted).

Northern Cardinals were seen in Caribou, Houlton and Presque Isle. The Caribou bird has begun to sing.

The Eastern Towhee continues on in Sherman Mills and according to the GBBC maps, appears to be the northern-most individual of this species on the continent! The bird is reported to be coming to the feeder daily.

Snow Buntings are reappearing in good numbers as winter winds down. Double digit counts were reported from flocks in Ashland, Caribou, Patten, Presque Isle, Smyrna, Washburn and Woodland. Paul Cyrs Game camera captured a couple of squabbling buntings at one of his feeding stations in Presque Isle.

The over-wintering Rusty Blackbird continues in Presque Isle and was seen as recently as the 26^th.

Finch highlights this period included three Hoary Redpolls at a feeder in Mount Chase, a Red Crossbill in Island Falls and House Finches at northern outposts in Caribou and Houlton. Carroll Knox documented his House Finch in Caribou with this photo. Both American Goldfinches and Pine Siskins were seen as increasing in numbers, following the lead of Common Redpolls which are dominating counts at many area feeders. Rare this winter, Purple Finches were seen in Washburn and Mars Hill.

Pine Grosbeaks remain widespread and numerous throughout the county. Evening Grosbeaks are more spotty, but good sized flocks are still being reported. 50+ of each species visit my feeders daily in Woodland.

Northern Maine Birds 31 Jan-13 Feb 2008

There appears to be no end in sight of the harsh weather northern Maine is experiencing this winter.

Snow fell in Caribou on eleven of the past 14 days,... three feet in the first half of February. Well over TEN feet of snow has now fallen here this season and the Caribou Office of the National Weather Service says we're on track to break the record for snow fall before it all ends. Temperatures have averaged slightly below normal, which means it has regularly dipped below zero over the past two weeks. There remains very little open water.

Another somewhat-dependable indicator of this winter's severity: my mailbox was flattened on Wednesday by the snow plow truck... for the fourth time this winter. A new season high record.

Bird-wise there have been no pronounced changes except for an apparent increase in the numbers of Common Redpolls in the area.

A few Common Goldeneyes and Common Mergansers continue to hang on at the dam in Caribou despite the ever decreasing pool of open water. Likewise the flock of Mallards and Black Ducks at Presque Isle is shrinking apparently due to regular visits by Bald Eagles.

The accipiters were well represented in the past week. A Northern Goshawk was reported from Westfield on Sunday the 10th. A Coopers Hawk was seen again this week in Presque Isle. A Sharp-shinned Hawk visited another location here.

Ruffed Grouse were mentioned for the first time in a while. One is visiting an in-town yard in Presque Isle and another burst from a roosting spot under the snow were it had spent a cold night.

Pileated Woodpeckers showed well over the past two weeks. The big birds were spotted in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Mars Hill, Mt Chase Presque Isle, Westfield and Woodland. Alice Sheppard photographed this female that has been at her suet blocks daily. At least 5 Hairy and 4 Downy Woodpeckers are coming for the suet and seeds at my feeders in Woodland.

The first Golden-crowned Kinglets reported in central Aroostook in a while were seen at the Nordic Heritage Center ski trails in Presque Isle on the 1st. Four Bohemian Waxwings discovered some crabapples near Barren Lake in Caribou and were feeding on them in the chilly pre-dawn on the 8th.

The hardy Tufted Titmouse persists at its northern outpost in Presque Isle. The titmouse has been frequenting the yard since November. Some birders have noted the high counts of chickadees coming into feeders in the area. I estimated 40+ Black-cappeds in my yard today and I had a Boreal Chickadee feeding here on the first and second, but not since. Red-breasted Nuthatches have been widely reported and White-breasted Nuthatches were regular at feeders in Presque Isle, Chapman and Caribou. The Brown Creeper still shows intermittently in my yard.

Two Gray Jays were seen here dependably from the 1st through the 8th. A male Northern Cardinal remains regular at a Caribou feeder. Several reporters responded to my recent fretting over Mourning Dove declines and said the flocks at their locations were fine. A high count of 17 was reported at a Caribou yard. Ken Lamb took the top photo of one of his doves in Chapman late last month.

A high count of 6 American Tree Sparrows is the best I could gather by keeping the ground under my feeders snow free. The dropped seed that was tossed out in the yard by the snowblower has attracted a small gathering of seven Snow Buntings. Good yard birds! Counts of four and six Dark-eyed Juncos were the most recent tallys at feeders located in Caribou and Presque Isle respectively.

The female Rusty Blackbird continues its bid to successfully overwinter at its Presque Isle location. The bird sat for a photo session with Paul Cyr on the 12th. European Starlings in Mars Hill were heard warming up their repertoire of amorous vocalizations just in time for Valentines Day.

Pine Grosbeaks continue at many area feeders. Flocks were reported in Ashland, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Portage Lake, Presque Isle and Woodland. The Evening Grosbeak flock here at my feeder has swelled a bit to about 80 birds now. Evening Grosbeaks are also being seen in Caribou Presque Isle, Westfield and Portage Lake.


As earlier mentioned Common Redpolls seemed to increase in numbers and distribution during the first half of February. Flocks of 20+ birds are regular at 3 locations in Fort Fairfield, 2 locations in Presque Isle, Houlton, Caribou, Chapman and New Sweden. Smaller sized flocks were reported in Castle Hill, Easton and Woodland. Ten year old, Kendra Coffin of Caribou snapped this picture of some redpolls associating with an attractive crowd of Pine Grosbeaks and a male Cardinal at her feeder. A few Pine Siskins are showing themselves in Caribou and Presque Isle. Rare north of Bangor, House Finches were reported at a Caribou feeder.

Northern Maine Birds 23-30 Jan 2008

The achy-cold, sinus freezing weather northern Maine felt this week has got to be hard on birds. Taking in enough calories to sustain their bodies for another frigid night is serious business for the small passerines these days.

It was barely light enough to see, on another -20 morning this week, and the American Tree Sparrows were already hunched in the gloom, scratching under my feeders. Likewise, the ever-growing Black-capped Chickadee flock here in Woodland starts its sunflower seed-shuttle early and runs late. Feeding looks like desperate business for these birds and they’re singularly focused on the process of grabbing a seed, flying to a perch, shelling and eating it and getting back to the feeder for another…If the feeders run low, few will even flit in and grab a seed before I’m finished pouring the refill.

I noticed that, early in day, some of the chickadees tail feathers are bent in a curve, I assume from a night of roosting in a tight cavity somewhere.

The Pine and Evening Grosbeaks use a different tactic on really cold mornings. The birds arrive in small groups from their roosting spots down in the bog and assemble in the top of the tallest tree in my yard. Here they wait for the sun to crest the hill to the east and provide some solar heating prior to feeding. Once they warm up a bit, they’ll start to descend down to the platforms a few at a time.

My last remaining Mourning Dove just sits in the sun and looks miserable. Not much of a cold weather survival strategy for these late-comers to northern Maine... Though the dove population has seemed to build in the area in the past few years, the reports would indicate they are taking a hit this year.

Most water remains frozen. This should be no surprise, when you look at the map of low temperatures for the 24^th and 25^th prepared by the NOAA weather guys in Caribou.

Snow levels remained about the same as last report (prior to the current rainy weather we had today). There is about 2 to 2.5 feet in the woods and around a foot in the open areas.

The Common Goldeneyes haven’t been reported in Caribou this week, but a few Common Mergansers continue there. The regular crowd of Mallards and Black Ducks continue on Presque Isle Stream An adult Bald Eagle was seen on Sunday near the nest east of Presque Isle.

This apparent Sharp-shinned Hawk was puffed up against the cold in a yard in Presque Isle when Alice Sheppard photographed it. The dark red iris indicates the little hawk is an adult.

Unusual in January, 17 Great Black-backed Gulls were spotted on the ice of the Aroostook River in Presque Isle on the 28^th.

As previously mentioned, Mourning Dove numbers have been thinning out in January’s cold weather.

10 Bohemian Waxwings were seen in Caribou on the 28^th. Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatches are frequenting feeders in Caribou and Presque Isle. The Tufted Titmouse continues to over winter in Presque Isle and was visiting as recently as the 26^th.

Northern Cardinals are still being spotted at two locations in Presque Isle. No reports of this species were received this week from other locales. Snow Bunting flocks were seen in Cross Lake (T17R5), Van Buren and Easton. A White-throated Sparrow lingers on in a yard in Presque Isle.

The Sherman Eastern Towhee was photographed again this week by Patty Jennings. The bird obligingly showed off its diagnostic wing pattern that separates this species from its western counterpart, the Spotted Towhee. A sparrow authority looked at Patty’s pictures of the Sherman bird and noted the white on the bases of the primary wing feathers. The degree of white varies geographically and he indicated this bird appeared typical of northern populations of the Eastern Towhee.

Pine Grosbeaks continue to be so common and widespread that they are barely noteworthy. An unusually bright yellow Evening Grosbeak showed up in the flock at my feeder in Woodland this week. The bird didn’t have the usual “sooty” look to the yellow of the upper parts. Pine Siskins are increasing but still only showing in single digit flock sizes. No new Hoary Redpolls were reported but some bright male Common Redpolls are being seen. Ken Lamb photographed this guy at his feeder in Chapman.

A Mid-Winter Report

The days are noticeably longer and small hints of things to come are evident from local bird behavior. I’ve heard male Black-capped Chickadees doing some tentative singing and the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers have been drumming a bit as the sun rises. I’ve also noted the Common Ravens are starting to get a little territorial and crabby about trespass by others. Optimistic observations, yes…, but I know there’s still plenty of winter left.

So far, January weather has been quite varied. A record breaking warm spell in the second week brought steady rain and dropped snow levels by about half. The ice cover on some area streams opened up and wintering waterfowl took advantage and moved around a bit. Some icing at the tail end of the warm spell probably made it difficult for the birds that make a living picking cocoons and pupae out of crevices on trees... Recently, its been bitterly cold and snow depths have resurged back to their early January depths.

A notable observation this month, is the dramatic lack of birds out in the woods. Several northern Maine birders, who spend significant time outdoors, have noted the dearth of birdlife in most woodlots in eastern Aroostook County. The near complete cone failure coupled with an early winter onslaught of frugivores and finches have left little in the forest for passerines to eat. I’m sure the ice cover didn’t help the few gleaning species like chickadees, nuthatches and Brown Creepers.

The good news is, that things are busy at area feeders. Some county birders are reporting a fairly dynamic feeder population with regular changes in species and overall numbers. Seed sales have been brisk at the Presque Isle seed store.

The Mallard and American Black Duck flock has held steady in Presque Isle. Black Ducks were seen in Fort Fairfield and Mars Hill during the thaw. The Common Goldeneye flock at Caribou Dam on the Aroostook River grew to over 50 birds following the warm spell. A few Common Mergansers continued here as well. Some Common Goldeneyes were seen on the open water on the St. John River in Madawaska.

Bald Eagles continue to be seen in Ashland, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle, Island Falls and near Oxbow. An adult was eyeing the aforementioned Goldeneyes at the Caribou Dam on the 15^th. The Coopers Hawk was reported in Presque Isle in the first week of January but not since.

A Ruffed Grouse was seen sunning itself in Westmanland on the 20^th. Barred Owls were heard in Fort Fairfield in early January.

The Three-toed Woodpecker was seen on the 5^th at the usual spot along the Muscovic Road in Stockholm. A group of three Gray Jays were also seen here. Pileated Woodpeckers were seen in Presque Isle, New Sweden and Woodland.

Blue Jays were one of the most widely reported bird species in Aroostook County this month. Ken Lamb photographed this jay at his feeder in Chapman. A few American Crows continue to winter all they way up to Madawaska and Fort Kent. The only waxwing reported so far this month was a window-killed Bohemian Waxwing found in Caribou on the 9^th. Northern Cardinals were reported in Caribou and Presque Isle.

Several observers reported declining Mourning Dove flocks recently.

Large numbers of Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches have been reported at feeders across the area. White-breasted Nuthatches are being seen at feeders in Caribou and Presque Isle. An uncommon Brown Creeper was a one-day visitor to my yard in Woodland on the 6^th.

An adult Northern Shrike was chasing redpolls at a feeder in Mt Chase.

Sparrow species seem well represented so far this winter. This is surprising considering the duration and depth of the snow cover we’ve experienced so far.

A sharp looking male Eastern Towhee over-wintering at a feeder in Sherman is only the fifth winter record/report for this species in Aroostook County. The bird was first seen in early fall and continues to show at this time. Patty Jennings got this great image on the 11th.

A White-throated Sparrow was reported in Presque Isle and American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos were seen in several locations in the past week. Reports of Snow Bunting flocks have declined a bit but single birds were seen over last weekend in Caribou and Woodland.

Large numbers of Pine Grosbeaks continue to be reported from across the area. High counts included 35 in Mt Chase, 30+ in Castle Hill, 20+ in Portage Lake and 45+ in Woodland. Smaller counts were reported from Ashland, Caribou, Presque Isle and Stacyville, St. Agatha and Sherman. 62 Evening Grosbeaks were counted at my feeder in Woodland on the 17^th.

Common Redpolls have been frequently reported in northern Maine this month, but the distribution has been spotty. One observer complained that he’d yet to refill his nyger feeder this winter and others, nearby, reported good numbers of the finches in their yards. A few American Goldfinches are visiting feeders in Presque Isle and Caribou. Purple Finches remain unseen.

Its not often that there are as many Hoary Redpolls to report as Pine Siskins but this was the case this week. Usually rare, Hoarys have been seen recently at feeders in New Sweden, Castle Hill and Mt Chase. Russell Mount got this good shot of "his" Hoary holding its own against the Pine Grosbeaks at his feeder in Castle Hill on the 22nd.

(The Siskins were visiting in Caribou, New Sweden and Woodland.)

Presque Isle, Maine Christmas Bird Count 29 December 2007

Despite the snow that fell for most of the day on Saturday, the 2007 Presque Isle Christmas Bird Count broke a couple of records and produced some noteworthy finds.

As expected on a day of less-than-ideal weather, the number of individual birds found in the count circle was lower than the past few years totals. However we managed to tally 35 species which wasn’t too shabby for this northern count. (The average species count for the past eight years is exactly 35 species).

The conditions this year were tough for the birds and the birders. The snow was nearly two feet deep in fields and woods and most water was frozen. Natural food sources were very limited with almost no cones, seeds buried in deep snow and very few berries or small fruit left after the waxwing onslaught earlier this fall. Field observers noted that the woods and fields were very quiet and most of the birds were found around yards with feeders.

New high tallys were made for Mallard and Rock Pigeon this year…ugh. The pigeon’s numbers were almost twice the previous high count. Despite some bold predictions, the Pine Grosbeak numbers were just a bit shy of the record set back in 1987.

The big news of the day was THREE species seen for the first time ever this count. Two staked-out birds: a Rusty Blackbird and a Tufted Titmouse, obligingly lingered long enough to be counted. In addition, a count-first Hoary Redpoll serendipitously showed up at the same feeder as the Titmouse. This was a nice surprise indeed.

If that wasn’t enough, this yard also produced the Presque Isle count’s second-ever Cooper’s Hawk. The hawk buzzed through the yard, as if on cue, while the local television crew was filming the titmouse for news piece on the Christmas Bird Count. The camera man did an impressive job of quickly getting the camera on the streaking accipiter and, it too, made the evening news!

Other notables included the rare Aroostook winterers: Brown Creeper, American Robin and Hooded Merganser. Two Northern Shrikes and three Bald Eagles were also nice finds.

Remarkable in their absence were waxwings of any sort, Purple Finches and Pine Siskins. Common Redpoll numbers were surprisingly low for an “on” year and nowhere near the numbers being tallied on counts to the south. Only a single American Goldfinch was found.

The preliminary numbers:

Mallard 39

American Black Duck 46

Hooded Merganser 1

Ruffed Grouse 3

Bald Eagle 3

Cooper’s Hawk 1

Great Black-backed Gull 1

Mourning Dove 90

Rock Pigeon 617

Downy Woodpecker 4

Hairy Woodpecker 18

Pileated Woodpecker 3

Northern Shrike 2

Blue Jay 40

Common Raven 139

American Crow 138

Black-capped Chickadee 333

Tufted Titmouse 1

Red-breasted Nuthatch 9

White-breasted Nuthatch 2

Brown Creeper 1

European Starling 292

American Robin 1

Northern Cardinal 1

American Tree Sparrow 3

White-throated Sparrow 2

Dark-eyed Junco 6

Snow Bunting 223

Rusty Blackbird 1

Pine Grosbeak 148

Hoary Redpoll 1

Common Redpoll 79

American Goldfinch 1

Evening Grosbeak 25

House Sparrow 19

Total Species 35

Total Individuals 2264