Northern Maine Birds 29 May -8 June 2009

The pattern of cool breezy weather continued through the first week of June here in northern Maine. Average winds were 5+ miles per hour with gusts in the teens to 20's mph on nearly every day. For temperature, most days started in the high 30s and peaked in the low sixties. A few showers punctuated the warmer days.

This sweater weather helped keep the biting bugs to a minimum. Trees are mostly leaved-out. A good cone set appears to be in the making...more on that later!

It appears to be an exceptional year for blossoming fruit trees and shrubs. Apples, Cherries, Cranberries and Mountain Ash have exceptional volume of flowers this year. Unfortunately there are very few pollinators around the trees.

Spring migration is winding down and though there were a few traveling individuals still trickling through or just arriving, most of the birds are now getting down to the business of raising young.

New and arriving species this week

Semipalmated Sandpiper (6/2)
Common Nighthawk (6/5)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (6/4)
Purple Martin (6/1)
Brown Thrasher (6/5)

The waterfowl highlight this week was a late migrant Brant that touched down for the day at Lake Josephine in Easton on the 3rd. This little goose is more commonly found in coastal setting and rarely seen inland. There are only a handful of records of Brant in northern Maine but this was the second found this spring! A close look at the great pictures that discoverer Paul Cyr took, shows some feather molt happening on the breast and neck. Shiny-black new feathers are replacing some of the worn remnants of its faded juvenal plumage. Also noteworthy, one last White-winged Scoter was also on the pond this week. Like the Brant, this individual seemed to be a youngster which explains the bird's slightly-behind-schedule movement northward.

A male Mallard x American Black Duck hybrid has been seen regularly here this week.

Other notables at Lake Josephine include Ruddy Ducks, Blue and Green winged Teal, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Northern Shovelers, Wood Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks and Common Goldeneye. Lake Jo is rapidly becoming a boys club as the females disappear (presumably onto nests in the remote nooks and crannies of this large wetland complex). Pairs of later nesting species seen included Blue-winged Teal, 8 (!) pairs of Gadwall and a few Ring-necked Ducks.

The first broods of Mallards and American Black Ducks were reported in the area this week. One family made short work of a vernal pools-worth of tadpoles in T8R7 in northern Penobscot county.

Raptor species reported this week included Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, Merlin, Northern Harrier, Broad Winged, Red-tailed , Sharp-shinned Hawks and Northern Goshawk. As predicted earlier, it looks like the Bald Eagles at the Stevensville area nest in Fort Fairfield abandoned without producing young. Ken Lamb found a vocal goshawk that would pose for him in Presque Isle.

At high noon on the 3rd, both Sora and Virginia Rails were heard at Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield

A late-migrant Semipalmated Sandpiper at Nadeau late on the 2nd was a good find. Though regular along the coast in spring, they're a tough bird to see inland. A male American Woodcock was still displaying behind my house in Woodland on the 3rd.

My first Common Nighthawk of the season was spotted over a clearcut in western-most Caswell this week. The bird was flying and doing its booming display in the middle of the day. This display probably indicates a breeding bird on territory rather than a late migrant. Common Nighthawks are rare breeders this far north.

Several pairs of Barred Owls were reported this week. In addition to pairs seen in Presque Isle and Fort Faifield, a pair in the Riviere-des-Chutes area of Easton is being seen moving to and from a nesting box in a tree there. Again Paul Cyr was there in the early AM to document the birds as they hunted.

Most woodpeckers are feeding young now. Some bedraggled and stained females are showing up as incubation ends and the period of fledgling feeding begins. An American Three-toed Woodpecker was found near Martin Pond in Caswell this week.

With the late arrival of Eastern Wood-Pewee (Fort Fairfield) the full complement of breeding flycatchers are now present. Yellow-Bellieds were heard in Caswell, Cyr, Hamlin, New Sweden and Woodland and Olive-sideds are vocally proclaiming territories in Caswell and Hamlin. A Least Flycatcher nest with three eggs was found in a small birch near Lake Josephine this week. the Great-crested Flycatchers were carrying nesting material into a snag cavity in the Nature Conservancy's Woodland Bog Preserve here in Woodland.

Cedar Waxwings were widely reported this week. Small flocks were seen gobbling up apple blossom petals in many locations. Ken Lamb photographed this dour pair in Chapman this week. A Bank Swallow colony along the Aroostook River near Camp Nomacca in Mapleton had 40+ birds early last week. A former breeder in Aroostook County, the first Purple Martins (2) reported in the area several years are said to be visiting a house in Stockholm. The first Brown Thrasher reported this year was seen near the Presque Isle Airport.

A flurry of Eastern Bluebird reports and sightings seems to support the assertion that a late arriving wave of bluebirds moved into the area in late May. Pairs Eastern Bluebirds were seen in Garfield Plantation, Oxbow, Perham, Portage Lake, Presque Isle, Stockholm and Woodland. At the top of this post, Paul Cyr photographed a pair feeding young out on the Mouse Island Road in Perham on the 7th. Kathy Hoppe sent over a picture of her male as it posed from the railing of her porch in Portage Lake.

More Gray Jay families were seen this week. These included several in the Salmon Brook Bog in Perham and four in Hamlin on the 6th.

"Only" seventeen species of warbler were reported this week. Noteworthy were the late arriving Blackpolls that were heard in Fort Fairfield, Hamlin, Washburn and Woodland and continued through at least the 4th of June. Other good warblers including a singing Mourning in Cyr Plantation and a Wilson's in Perham on the 6th as well as several singing Blackburnian and Bay-breasteds in Aroostook State Park in Presque Isle on the 8th.

Singing Lincoln's Sparrows were heard in many locations north of Presque Isle this week. While most were located in regenerating clear cuts or fields, at least one Lincoln's was found down in the Salmon Brook Bog in Perham.

A recent addition to the list of species of to worry about, a Rusty Blackbird was seen carrying food across a recently flooded clearcut off the McLean Brook Road in Sinclair. It would appear this birds are now feeding fledglings!

A few Pine Siskins are still being seen amongst the American Goldfinches and Purple Finches wherever seed is still being doled out. A pair of Evening Grosbeaks continues to visit my yard in Woodland daily.

Northern Maine Birds 8-14 May 2009

Bird activity continues to pick up in northern Maine as migration proceeds without any unusual weather systems to interrupt the flow of birds. A good soaking rain fell on the 9th and 10th and temps dropped to freezing on a couple recent nights. Otherwise its been pleasant spring weather in the region.

Insects are now abundant with the first blackflies making their seasonal debut on the warmer afternoons. Water levels have dropped significantly in area streams and the developing greenery is sucking up much of the precipitation these days. Leaf out is still below 25% at this point.

Birds have been trickling steadily and their net mass is growing daily. There haven't been any recent pulses that were noticeable.

Arriving and new species this week:

Pied billed Grebe (5/8)
Least Sandpiper (5/8)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (5/8)
Winter Wren (5/9)
American Pipit (5/14)
Nashville Warbler (5/8)
Northern Parula (5/9)
Yellow Warbler (5/13)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (5/14)
Black-and-white Warbler (5/9)
American Redstart (5/13)
Common Yellowthroat (5/11)
Lincoln's Sparrow (5/10)
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (5/9)

Waterfowl numbers at Lake Josephine are approaching peak. Quite a few high counts for the more uncommon species were tallied here on the 8th. Noteworthy were 30 American Wigeon, 10 Gadwall, 28 Northern Shovelers, 78 Ring-necked Ducks, 11 Lesser Scaup and 9 Ruddy Ducks. The gorgeous big-lipped drake shoveler above was photographed in Easton by Ken Lamb.

All three species of merganser were seen at Arnold Brook Lake in Presque Isle on the 10th. A pair of uncommon Red-breasted Mergansers joined the Common and Hooded as they fed along the far (eastern) shore of this shallow impoundment. An adult Bald Eagle in on of the tall spruces on the west side probably helped concentrate the ducks on the far side.

Arriving Pied-billed Grebes were quick to join the noisy marsh chorus this week. The grebes were heard at locations in Caribou, Easton, Fort Fairfield, Mapleton and Presque Isle this week. Common Loon and American Bittern vocalizations were widely reported again. Paul Cyr sent along a great photo of a bittern stalking frogs in Presque Isle.

The Bald Eagles continue to incubate eggs at area nests. Paul Cyr was watching one in Fort Fairfield at sunrise recently and sent me the great photo at the top of this post. Noisy nesting Merlins were found in a Caribou and Fort Fairfield this week. The birds are making such a racket that locating them was hardly a challenge. Another Merlin buzzed through my yard in Woodland on the 10th.

Virginia Rails continue to call and grunt throughout the day in the cattail marshes behind Lake Josephine.

I heard 19 American Woodcock in T11R12 while conducting a Woodcock Singing Ground Survey for USF&W Service on Monday night. 12 of the birds said "peent!" and were tallied for the count. Wilsons Snipe were almost as abundant on the 3.6 mile stretch of road we surveyed with 14 winnowing birds heard. The first Least Sandpiper of the season was flushed off of some deadwood on the shore of Lake Jo by a Northern Harrier on the 8th. According to my records, this sandpiper was earliest by a couple days.

Though Barred Owls were heard in Woodland and T11R10 this week, an extremely late Snowy Owl photographed by Paul Cyr was significantly more exciting. The owl, (an apparent male) seen on the 9th south of Presque Isle was exceptional but not unprecedented. A check of the records showed that back in 1977, a Snowy was seen on 30 May in Presque Isle! Paul's picture of the owl with the emerging foliage in the background nicely document this rare occasion.

Ruby throated Hummingbird males arrived last Friday in Bancroft and Woodland. Numbers rapidly increased through the weekend. My first Winter Wren was heard in Stockholm at dawn on the 9th.

An arriving flock of 26 American Pipits were trading back and forth behind the tractors in a potato field in Woodland on the 14th.

Arriving warbler numbers are increasing daily. To date 10 species have been reported. Nashville Warblers were seen in Sinclair (5/9) and Presque Isle (5/13). Northern Parula's were first noted in Sinclair as well (5/9). Singing Yellow and Black-throated Green Warblers were heard at the airport in Presque Isle on the 13th. A small pulse of arriving American Redstarts and Black-and-white Warbler were noted on the 12th and 13th in Caribou and Presque Isle.

An Indigo Bunting was a great find at a feeder in Garfield. Normally quite rare, this is the second reported in northern Maine this spring. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks arrived in numbers on the 9ths and had reached the feeders in my yard by the 14th.

The last American Tree Sparrow departed after being seen my yard on the 9th. Arriving Lincoln's Sparrows were right on its heels (haluxes?). I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to photograph the skulky new arrival but only managed to come up with this blurry shot as one of the two birds dodged through my flower beds and hedges. Good numbers of White-crowned Sparrows continue throughout the area and currently number ~10 in my yard.

While plenty of mixed Common Grackle, Redwinged Blackbird and Brown-headed Cowbird flocks continue to move through the area, sightings of migrating Rusty Blackbirds have dropped off to near zero lately. Out in the North Maine Woods, in Soper Mountain TWP in northern Piscataquis County, a male Rusty was seen harrassing a Red-tailed Hawk which would seem to indicate a territorial breeding bird. Seen on the 11th, it was interesting to note the bird was in a regenerating upland woods cutting away from the boreal wetland habitat normally associated with this bird.

Evening Grosbeaks were seen in several locations this week but numbers continue to wane.

Northern Maine Birds 27 March-9 April 2008

The past week has brought some long-overdue seasonable weather to northern Maine. Temperatures have been consistently in the 40's during the day and low 20's at night. The sun has put a small dent in the record breaking snowpack but only small bare spots of ground have appeared so far.

Many smaller streams have opened up and significant leads are developing in the river ice. Southerly winds on the 4th and 5th brought a good pulse of migrants but otherwise its been fairly steady rate of arrival for returning birds.

New and arriving species:

Great Blue Heron 4/7
American Kestrel 4/7
Northern Harrier 4/6
Red-tailed hawk 4/6
Rough-legged Hawk 4/6
Killdeer 3/27
American Woodcock 4/4
Wilson's Snipe 4/7
Ring-billed Gull 4/8
Herring Gull 3/31
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4/8
American Robin 4/6
Fox Sparrow 4/1
Common Grackle 3/27
Red-winged Blackbird 3/27
Brown Headed Cowbird 4/2

Waterfowl numbers seem to be increasing proportionally with the area of open water in the county. Small flocks of Canada Geese were seen in Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Fairfield and Mars Hill. A dozen stood on the very much frozen Christina Reservoir in Fort Fairfield this weekend. Hooded and Common Mergansers were seen in small groups. Common Goldeneyes increased with 20+ on Presque Isle Stream and on the Aroostook River in Presque Isle . Both Mallard and American Black Duck numbers increased quickly in first few days of the month with flocks of 50+ seen in Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle and Easton... Alice Sheppard photographed this hardy Black Duck wallowing through the snow in Presque Isle. Ring-necked Ducks are overdue but they'll have to wait a few more days till some ponds open a bit.

The first Great Blue Heron of the year was reported in Presque Isle on the 7th.

A good pulse of arriving raptors appeared on the 6th with Presque Isle being the center of the action. The first American Kestrel was seen in Mapleton on the 7th. 2 Red-tailed, a light phase Rough-legged Hawk and 2 Northern Harriers were all newly arrived in Presque Isle. Bald Eagles appear to be tending nests at Fort Fairfield, Portage Lake, Presque Isle (2 locations) and near Mud Lake in Sinclair. Young eagles were seen at deer carcasses in Ashland and Benedicta.

Seen in Mars Hill on March 27th, the first Killdeer of season was a bit early by the calendar and very early judging by the conditions. The bird was circling over completely snow covered fields not far from Mars Hill mountain. At this time, Killdeer have overspread the county and are quite visible in the few patches of bare ground. Wilson's Snipe arrived on the 7th at Presque Isle and the first American Woodcock was flushed from a Chapman road on the 4th. Both were on schedule despite the conditions. Ken Lamb shared these pictures of the snipe and killdeer which he saw in the same waterway in Presque Isle.

Gull numbers have increased quickly in the past two weeks. Herring Gulls returned by the 31st at Caribou and Ring-billeds followed shortly thereafter on the 8th. Best of all, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull seen roosting on the ice at the Caribou Dam on the 8th and 9th. Uncommon inland and very rare in northern Maine, this gull is being seen with 100+ Great Black-backed, Herring and Ring-billed Gulls.

The first Eastern Phoebe of the season was seen picking cluster flies off the south side of a house in Mt Chase on the 8th.

Northern Shrikes seemed to be passing through the southern Aroostook area in the first few days of the month. 2 were spotted at Bancroft in southernmost Aroostook on March 30th, another was photographed in Mt Chase on the 1st and yet another shrike was seen in Littleton on the 3rd. Horned Larks were seen in Westfield (3/29) and Mapleton (4/1)

Most Common Ravens in central Aroostook have quieted down and are currently incubating eggs at their nests. Most reports indicate American Crows are still constructing nests.

50 Bohemian Waxwings were seen in Presque Isle on the 8th. The Presque Isle Tufted Titmouse continued through the period. Three Boreal Chickadees were seen with a flock of Black-cappeds in Woodland.

American Robins apparently arrived all at once on the 4th. First of year Robins were reported on that date in Bancroft, Houlton, Smyrna, Westfield, Presque Isle, Caribou and Madawaska. Northern Cardinals have paired in Presque Isle and Caribou. The Presque Isle male is singing.

American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos are increasingly seen. Both species are singing now. Numerous small flocks of Snow Buntings are being spotted across northern Maine. The largest flock was 130+ in Chapman. Several males were almost in complete breeding plumage. Singing Song Sparrows reached Collins Pond in Caribou on the 8th and Woodland by the 9th. Two newly arrived Fox Sparrows were foraging beside the road in Caribou on the 1st.

Blackbird species have also quickly overspread the area. The first Red-winged Blackbird was reported at a feeder in Caribou on the 27th and large flocks were being seen by the 4th. The female Rusty Blackbird in Presque Isle has darkened up and is becoming quite vocal. The bird posed for Paul Cyr's camera again last week. Common Grackles were first reported in Littleton on the 27th and had reached Madawaska in northernmost Aroostook by the 28th. Male Brown-headed Cowbirds were at feeders in Woodland and Presque Isle on the 2nd.

Pine Grosbeaks have dwindled to twos and threes but are still being seen in Woodland and Caribou. Common Redpolls continue in small flocks but the consensus of reporters is they are starting to wane. Pine Siskins were seen at New Sweden (2) and Presque Isle (8) and single American Goldfinches were reported at Woodland and Caribou. An Evening Grosbeak flock of 40+ is regular at my feeder in Woodland.

Northern Maine Birds 12-26 March 2008

Its still winter in northern Maine.

The Easter Weekend Blizzard dropped 14+ inches of snow in Caribou pushing the tally to a record 185+ inches (over fifteen feet). More snow fell in the St. John Valley. Record low temperatures (down to -14 F) were hit on the past three evenings. Snow depths range from 2 to 5 feet from north to south. Even open areas have a deep snow cover.

Some streams in southern and central Aroostook have opened up but overall there remains little open water available.

Despite all local meterological evidence to the contrary, the spring migration season is finally upon us and a few early scouts are arriving in southern areas of the region.

Arriving Species :
Canada Goose 3/26
Turkey Vulture 3/25
Merlin 3/26
Horned Lark 3/14
Song Sparrow 3/16
Red-winged Blackbird 3/20

15 arriving Canada Geese were seen on the edge of a narrow lead in the ice of the Aroostook River in Presque Isle. A single goose was also seen in another part of town on the same day (26th). This date tied last years record for an early arrival. Common Goldeneyes were spotted on Presque Isle Stream in Presque Isle on the 25 and below the Aroostook River dam in Caribou on the 16th. Common Mergansers were at the dam on the 19th. There were 27 American Black Ducks and 20 Mallards at a small pond near the hospital in Presque Isle on the 26th. Ken Lamb noted this Black Duck appeared a bit hard of hearing...

A skier at Mars Hill Mountain was enjoying the post-blizzard powder on Saturday the 22nd when they flushed a roosting Ruffed Grouse from the deep snow on an ungroomed trail.

Raptor reports are trickling in. Bald Eagles continue sprucing up the nests in the area, but we've yet to hear of any settling in to incubate eggs. Ken Lamb photographed the eagle above in Presque Isle on the 25th.

Reports of injured and killed eagles, ravens and crows on stretches of I-95 in southern Aroostook and northern Penobscot continue. The Department of Transportation's unfortunate decision to log and thin the median strips near deer wintering areas between Benedicta and Medway, this winter, has resulted in numerous (dozens) of road killed deer. The deer which are struggling with a particularly tough winter, are tempted to cross the interstate to get to the tasty tree tops that are being stacked here. Though it appears some of the deer carcasses are removed, enough have remained and are an attractant to these scavenging birds. Ironically, DOT says the purpose of the thinning project was to reduce wildlife injury and accidents....

In Caribou a newly arrived Merlin was photographed on the 26th. The female/juvenile appeared to have an injured or frozen foot but still managed to take a Mourning Dove at a feeder here. Carroll Knox was able to get a picture as the bird digested its meal on the phone lines in front of his house.

A few blocks over, a Sharp-shinned Hawk scattered the flocks of finches at Trina Coffin's busy feeder and then posed for the image below.











An arriving Turkey Vulture was seen over Hersey in southern Aroostook on the 25th.

19 Great Black-backed Gulls were seen at the dam in Caribou on the 18th and a single was seen over Presque Isle on the 20th. No other gull species have been reported yet.

All the regular corvids were noted. A Gray Jay was seen in Westmanland on the 15th. Crow numbers continue to increase. Common Ravens continue to work on a nest in Castle Hill and others were observed carrying sticks in Chapman and Easton. A returning flock of four Horned Larks was first spotted along the snowbank-bound roads in Mapleton on the 14th. The birds have subsequently been seen in open fields in Limestone and Caribou.

The Presque Isle Tufted Titmouse survived the blizzard and stretched out its overwinter stay here. 10+ Boreal Chickadees encountered in a woodlot in Westmanland on the 16th, was a high count for this usually-less-than-gregarious species

Snow Buntings have been seen in small numbers in Caribou, Limestone, Presque Isle and Woodland. A vocal Song Sparrow in Mt Chase on the 16th was a bit early in its arrival. Overwintering American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos were still visiting feeding stations in Caribou and Presque Isle.

The female Rusty Blackbird continues at a feeding station in rural Presque Isle. An arriving Red-winged Blackbird stopped briefly in Mt Chase on the 20th. This too, was slightly early.

Pine Grosbeaks were still being seen in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle and Woodland but numbers have dropped and several reporters have noted their complete departure from their yards. Pine Siskins, American Goldfinches and Common Redpolls continue to increase throughout the area with redpolls dominating the counts. Trina Coffin, in Caribou photographed her goldfinch which is starting to change to summer plumage.

A Hoary Redpoll joined a flock of 60+ Commons in my yard in Woodland for one day on the 22nd. Also seen was an interesting "yellow"-poll which had a bright yellow cap replacing the normal red spot on this Common Redpoll.

Evening Grosbeak numbers also seemed to have waned though as many as 12 were still visiting my feeders as late as the 25th.

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.