Birding Opportunity in northern Maine

Here is a great opportunity for birder/volunteer at the State Park here in northern Maine. Please spread the word. Sounds great for a retired couple with an RV or any adventuresome birder looking for a place to spend the summer and ornithologically explore northern Maine.


Looks like a sweet gig to me!

Aroostook State Park, Presque Isle, Maine

Birding / Campground Host Needed:

The Maine Department of Conservation is seeking applicants for campground host for the
2009 camping season at Aroostook State Park in northern Maine. This volunteer position
is provided a free campground site with water, power, and sewer hookup. Season runs from approximately mid May through mid Sept.

Prefer active birder or birding couple familiar with northern Maine bird identification to
lead weekly bird walks in the Park and to assist Park staff in campground maintenance.
Work schedule is 20 hrs. / 5 days per week per volunteer. Work schedule is very flexible.
Host will also assist in the organization and presentation of Aroostook Park Birding Festival on June 13th, 2009. Aroostook Park Birding Festival is a day long program that focuses on the native birds of northern Maine and includes bird walks and an informational program for campers and local residents.


Aroostook State Park is comprised of 800 acres with a 30 site campground. The Park is
located in Presque Isle, Maine along the western shore of Echo Lake, The oldest park in
Maine’s System, Aroostook State Park is mostly forested and includes 7 miles
of hiking trails on and around Quoggy Jo Mountain. Over 100 species of birds have been
identified at Aroostook State Park.

To apply, send resume, arriving no later than February 28, 2009 to:

Scott Thompson
Park Manager
Aroostook State Park
87 State Park Rd.
Presque Isle, Maine 04757
Phone:207-768-8341
Email: Scott.P.Thompson@maine.gov

Up on the roof and another Snowy Owl

Here in northern Maine, a few times a winter, I have to spend a day and shovel off the roof of my house...and porch...and parts of my barn..and shed. On the out-buildings its done purely to relieve the snow load (literally tons of weight from the snow).

On the house, the snow cover provides insulation which is good... to a degree. Unfortunately, I've found, if left unattended, the attractive snow blanket on my less-than-fully-insulated house roof melts on the bottom layers. The melt water travels down to the eave where it refreezes in breathtakingly large ice dams. The ice dams create awesome leaks during melting times and cleave off gutters, railings and other parts of my house when they eventually fall off so,... off the snow must come.

Its hard work but I really don't mind it. Particularly because it gives me an good opportunity to watch my yard birds from an unusual perspective... at and below eye level.

On Sunday I had a large flock of Snow Buntings and Evening Grosbeaks with a handful of Pine Grosbeaks, American Goldfinches, Common Redpolls and American Tree Sparrows working the feeders while I scraped up the snow above them. A handful of White-winged Crossbills buzzed me and lit in my nieghbor's pines to feed. Best of all was Gray Jay that emerged from the Woodland Bog across the street and gnawed on my suet bags for a while.

Today on my way back from an afternoon meeting I stopped at a feedlot in Easton and watched an impressive aggregation of Snow Buntings that has been feeding here for about a month. Though even a marginally accurate count was impossible with some portion of the flock always in motion, I would say 2,500+ buntings are present here. There were at least two Lapland Longspurs in the horde. Starlings, Ravens and American Crows made up the balance of the bird life here.

Late in the afternoon, the Snowy Owl was back at the curve on Route 10 between Easton and Presque Isle. Paul Cyr was able to come over and got these great pictures of the apparent young male before the sun faded.

Northern Maine Birds 15-30 January 2009

The second half of January was bitterly cold and snowy in northern Maine.

Temperatures remained well below average most of the period with temps below zero (F) on 12 of the past fourteen nights and -40 F widely reported on a couple nights. It has not yet reached above freezing at any time so far this year.

Some snow fell on 12 days during the past two weeks with the most recent storm (on the 28th) dropping about a foot. There is currently between 30 to 36 inches of snow in the woods and about 15 to 18 inches in windswept open areas.

As previously reported, most bird observations are being made around feeding stations and at in-town locations. Natural food sources remain limited. The chilly American Tree Sparrow, pictured above was at Patty Jenning's feeders in Stacyville in northern Penobscot County. The finches have been a dynamic group with flocks of different species appearing and leaving at some feeders. A few signs of breeding behavior were reported.

Waterfowl were in short supply in northern Maine. Nearly all water is now frozen with the exception of a few short leads along the swiftest stretches of water and a spring hole or two. Only Mallards and American Black Ducks were reported.

The only Ruffed Grouse reported were in Reed Plantation on the 16th and Woodland on the 24th

Bald Eagle reports have dropped a bit since early in the month. The loss of most of the open water and the dwindling supply of waterfowl in the area probably had something to do with this.
Again, reports are of adult eagles only. Bald Eagles were seen in Presque Isle (~1/16), Benedicta (1/21), Bridgewater (1/29), Hersey (1/18) and Island Falls (1/21). A Northern Goshawk was cruising along the ridge of Mars Hill on the 17th, staying well clear of the wind turbines there. A apparent Sharp-shinned Hawk continues to hunt around the feeding stations in Presque Isle and was most recently seen on the 22nd. On the 16th, an other (an adult) was marauding some chickadees at a feeder on Hardison Road on Green Ridge in Caribou. Bill Hersey was able to get its mugshot with the help of his spotting scope.

Though Mourning Doves were thought to be dwindling by some observers, reports of flocks at a couple feeders in southern Aroostook still number over 30. 41 were counted at a feeder in Littleton on the 29th.

Another Snowy Owl was seen along Route 10 in Easton on the 30th. Paul Cyr was able to snap this shot before the bird was flushed by a loud log truck. This is at least the 10th reported in Aroostook county so far this season. A species that hasn't been mentioned in a while, a Barred Owl was seen in Linneus on the 19th of January. Sue Young sent along this image of the nocturnal hooter. The Stockholm Northern Hawk Owl was not seen.

The hardy Northern Flicker survived some -30 F nights and continued at a feeder in Caribou through the 30th. Downy, Hairy and Pileated were all well reported again!

In Fort Fairfield, a Northern Shrike was chasing chickadees around the feeders on the 19th.

After my comments about the dearth of White-breasted Nuthatches being reported at mid-month, I have been made aware they are well and thriving here in northern Maine! White-breasts were reported from Caribou, Easton, Presque Isle and Washburn. Red-breasted Nuthatches were also noted from across the region.

Bohemian Waxwings are all over the area but numbers seem highest in the south. Multiple flocks numbering 50-70, were seen in Caribou, Houlton and Presque Isle. Other smaller groups were seen in Amity, Fort Fairfield, Hodgdon, Mapleton, Portage Lake and Woodland. Two Northern Cardinals continue near Mantle Lake Park in Presque Isle and another is being seen in Caribou.

A single Lapland Longspur was hiding in a huge flock (1,200+) of Snow Buntings at a small feedlot along Route 1A in Easton. The flock was seen on the 17th and again on the 29th. My overwintering White-throated Sparrow continues to make forays out to the feeders from under my deck here in Woodland. The bird was seen as recently as the 29th. American Tree Sparrow numbers remain high across the area.

Rare anytime of year, but truly noteworthy is a Rusty Blackbird that has been reported overwintering at a feeder in Easton. The bird was most recently observed last week. this comes on the heels of Aroostook's first wintering record last year!

The northern finch show continues to please area birders. Pine Grosbeaks were reported in good numbers from Benedicta and Amity north to Fort Kent. A large flock of 40+ was seen in Washburn on the 22nd. Trina Coffin has this nice male visiting her feeders in Caribou. White-winged Crossbills were reported from Caribou, Easton, New Sweden, Presque Isle, and Woodland. Of the smaller finches, American Goldfinches are the most widely reported but Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls are being seen regularly as well. Larger Evening Grosbeak flocks seen were: 30+ in Chapman on the 18th, 18 in Stockholm on the 19th and 19 in Woodland on the 24th.

A pair of possible House Finches were well described as they visited at a feeder in Presque Isle on the 17th. The sighting was noteworthy considering the rareity of this species in northern Maine.

Northern Maine Birds 1-14 Jan 2009

The first couple of weeks of January were a bit colder than average in northern Maine. Recent nightime temperatures reached -20 F in my valley. Obviously, all precipitation in this period came in the form of snow. The snowstorm on the 7th and 8th dropped about 4 inches in southern parts of the county but almost a foot in the St. John River valley.

Most water is frozen now and snow depths range from about 10 inches in some open fields up to 2+ feet in the woods in the northern parts of the county.

As previously mentioned, I've received lots of reports of very busy feeders. Though I haven't been spending much time off of the plowed roads, my impression is that the woods are still very quiet. The increasing daylength has apparently helped to get some chickadees singing and woodpeckers drumming.

Despite the dwindling open water, there are still a few waterfowl being seen in the area. A small group of Mallards and American Black Ducks is wintering in Presque Isle and appearing near the hospital there. Several male Common Mergansers and a four Common Goldeneyes were seen recently at the dam in Caribou. Three Common Goldeneyes were also seen feeding just below the dam on Presque Isle Stream in Presque Isle.

Ruffed Grouse have been widely reported and the population appears to have done well surviving the winter thus far. Four were seen together "budding" in some alders at dusk in Caribou on the 3rd. Others were seen in Chapman, Reed Plantation and Stockholm. Paul Cyr got the nice picture above of a high stepping grouse earlier in the winter.

A few raptors have been observed Aroostook county lately. An adult Northern Goshawk was spotted cruising low over the woods on a ridgetop in New Sweden on the 10th. Bald Eagles continue to be spotted around the county (though they seemed to have dispersed a bit since early December when the concentrations of waterfowl were easy pickings). Most sightings are of adult birds and their appearance well away from open water would suggest these birds are now scavenging. Bald Eagles were seen in Caribou (1/9), Monticello (1/9), Presque Isle (Jan 2,3,6,7,9) and Stockholm (1/3). A Sharp-shinned Hawk has been spotted around the Mantle Lake area of Presque Isle (1/2). Though numbers of Red-tailed Hawks lingered into December, no new reports have come in in January.

No gulls (of any type) have been reported in the area in January.

Mourning Doves were well reported lately but a couple observers who live out of town noted a drop in numbers with the declines in temperatures.

The Stockholm Northern Hawk Owl continues and was spotted as recently as the 10th of January but it appears to be roaming a bit more than when it was intially seen. There have been no new reports of Snowy Owls since the last update.

Vying for the notable bird of the month, the hardiest Northern Flicker in the state continues to be seen at a feeder off the Hardison Road in Caribou. First seen in early December, the bird has survived some painfully cold weather so far. Bill Hersey sent me some photos of the bird last weekend. The other common woodpeckers (Downy, Hairy and Pileated) were all well represented in the reports I received. All three species have already begun to drum. On January 4th, some noise from an unknown woodpecker in the Stockholm area was suspected to be an Black-backed or American Three-toed Woodpecker but the bird remained un-ID'ed.

Plenty of Northern Shrikes are being reported. Adults were seen in Caribou (1 Jan)Presque Isle (9 Jan), New Canada (10 Jan) and Woodland (11 Jan). The Presque Isle shrike was chasing a chickadee. Another shrike was harassing the small finches at a feeder in Mapleton last week.

Bohemian Waxwings continue their strong showing in central and southern Aroostook county in early January. In addition to undated reports last week in Fort Fairfield and Caribou, 50+ were seen in Hodgdon on January 9th and 87 were in Presque Isle on January 11th. No Cedar Waxwings were mentioned in this neck of the woods.

Several Gray Jays were spotted in Stockholm on the 3rd and one was heard in the Woodland Bog in Woodland on the 11th. However, Blue Jays continue to dominate many area feeders. Substantially fewer American Crows have been reported thus far this winter, as compared to the last two winters. Common Ravens are a bit more vocal and visible recently as their early breeding season approaches.

Three Horned Larks were feeding in a windswept potato field on Green Ridge in Caribou on the 3rd. These birds are an uncommon sight in winter in northern Maine

A couple of interesting plumaged Black-capped Chickdees have showed up recently. In Caribou an exceptionally white-tailed chickadee was found and photographed by Bill Hersey. This picture, taken on the 7th shows the normally black tail is clearly lacking some pigment. Six miles south in Presque Isle, individuals of the melanistic population continue to be spotted. These chickadees are showing all black head though an entirely black individual was reported.

Several Boreal Chickadees were encountered in the Stockholm area on the 3rd. Remaining in the hard-to-find category lately, a few White-breasted Nuthatches were finally reported this winter. One was seen in Presque Isle and 2 in Caribou on the 3rd and another visited a feeder for a single day in Mapleton last week.

A male Northern Cardinal appeared at a feeder in Caribou last week. There have been substantially less reports of cardinals in the county this winter after a couple of banner years.

American Tree Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos of the slate-colored type continue in small numbers at many locales. Snow Bunting numbers also remain good across the county. Larger flocks were 80+ at Westfield on the 3rd, 120 in Presque Isle on the 9th and 60+ in Chapman on the 11th. Patty Jennings found this handsome couple of Snow Buntings visiting her feeder in Stacyville. Patty's photo even made the local evening news!

A single American Robin lingering in Linneus was spotted near Grammies Restaurant on the 9th. One of a pair of hardy Common Grackles that showed up on the Presque Isle Christmas Bird Count continues to visit a feeder off the Chapman Road in Presque Isle.

There has been a steady increase in the numbers and diversity of finch species observed around the county. Pine and Evening Grosbeaks are widespread and numerous. Flocks of Pines were seen in Ashland, Bridgewater, Caribou, Chapman, Easton, Fort Kent, Haynesville, Houlton, Perham, Presque Isle, Stockholm, Washburn and Woodland. A few Common Redpolls have joined the American Goldfinches at the thistle socks. Numbers of Pine Siskins are being seen in southern Aroostook but only a few have be reported in central and northern parst of the region. Small numbers of White-winged Crossbills have been encountered lately, pairs were seen in Presque Isle and Washburn on the 12th and a flock was reported from Stockholm on the 2nd and 3rd.

Purple Finches remain undetected this winter.

Snowy, Boreal and Northern Hawk Owls in Northern Maine

Northern owls have been making a great showing in Aroostook county this season. Most everyone has heard the populations of the birds' normal food supplies in the north (lemmings, voles and other small rodents) are apparently in a cyclic low and these predators are roaming south to avoid starvation. Luckily for the owls (and local birders) the rodent populations are doing very well in northern Maine and lots of these owls are showing up.

In their high latitude habitats, some of these birds experience extra long day lengths and are comfortable being out and about in the daylight... and so they are a bit more detectable than our more common locally breeding species which are active in the dark.

Up until last week, Snowy Owls were the story. At least eight have been seen in the central Aroostook area and there are plenty of second-hand accounts and rumors of more in other northern Maine locales. The first of these showed up back in October and new Snowys continue to be found. Recently new birds were discovered by Paul Cyr in Easton and Presque Isle. Above is one of Pauls photos of the Easton owl.

On the Presque Isle Christmas Bird Count last Saturday, Linda Alverson and George McPherson glimpsed a Snowy Owl flying over an unharvested corn field in Washburn. The bird was quick to disappear down into the corn (to catch a rodent attracted by the grain no doubt).


Early last week, the Reynolds family in New Sweden discovered a small owl in their yard as they dug out from the latest blizzard.

They tentatively narrowed the identity of the owl down to either Saw-whet or Boreal Owl (very similar species). The Reynolds were able to get some great pictures and circulated them around and quickly confirmed the bird's ID as a Boreal.




Here's a great shot of the little owl taken by Wanda Reynolds:



















A close look revealed a few flecks of blood in the snow and a rodent tail protruding from under the little owl!

The Boreal is one of the most rarely detected species of the northern owls in this neck of the woods. They prefer denser cover and usually do their hunting in night.

Chelsea Reynolds offered this account of the discovery:

"This was the first time we saw this type of owl at our house. My father noticed the owl around 8am on Tuesday. The owl was in the same spot for approximately five hours. It seemed alert and knew we were around but never moved from the spot. My father was snowblowing the driveway and had the tractor on next to him and it didn't seem to phase the owl (that's when he noticed it). Originally he thought it was a Barred Owl but then suggested it might be a Saw-Whet Owl. My mom suggested possibly a Boreal Owl. My parents have observed other types of owls over the years but never one as petite and tame as this one. Another item to point out - my father feeds all types of birds in a tree approximately 10 feet from where the picture was taken."

Unfortunately the bird has not been seen again since the 23rd.

As if the Boreal Owl wasn't enough, Wanda Reynolds went on to discover a Northern Hawk Owl just a couple of miles from their house a few days later. Another rare species of owl in Maine, these birds are much more active during the daylight and not shy about perching out in the open so they are seen a bit more frequently than the Boreal Owl. As is the case with the Snowy and Boreal Owls, the Northern Hawk Owl rarely wanders this far south unless there is a shortage of food in the north.


This owl has been staying around the brushy field where it was first discovered near the intersection of the West Road and Route 161 in Stockholm (DeLorme Atlas Map 68). Paul Cyr visited the field at sun up today and was able to get this great shot of the bird.

Presque Isle ME Christmas Bird Count 2008

The 2008 Presque Isle Christmas Bird Count was held Saturday 27 December despite the usual nasty weather. 13 field observers covered the region despite the intermittently falling snow and cold temperatures. There was about 1 foot of snow on the ground and only the fastest water was not frozen.

The PI CBC is the northern-most count in the eastern US and this was the 51st time the count has been run.

35 species were found during the day, which was right on the 10 year average for this count. Highlights included some count-firsts: the overdue Sharp-shinned Hawk and an unexpected Merlin. Sharp-shins have shown up as Count Week species in the past, but until Saturday, it was not found during an actual count day. We also found our second-ever Cooper's Hawk which is not unexpected considering this species continued expansion in the region.

Notable high counts were record numbers of Bald Eagles, Blue Jays and Bohemian Waxwings. Even with some conservative editing to avoid duplicate observations of the same individuals, the final tally of 11 eagles shattered the previous high of 3. All sightings were 4th year or mature birds. Even through the heavy snowfall, Paul Cyr was able to get a shot of this eagle eyeing the ducks in the Presque Isle waste water treatment plant.

Other noteworthy finds on the count were Common Merganser, Snowy Owl, Song Sparrow and Common Grackle. Among the missing were White-breasted Nuthatch, Purple Finch and any gull species. A Canada Goose seen during the count week was not found during the count.

All observers commented that generally the woods and fields were very quiet and most sightings were made around feeders and in town locations. The cone crop this year is spotty at best and the last of the fruit is being gobbled up by the waxwings.

In addition to the recent and widespread invasion of Bohemian Waxwings, Evening and Pine Grosbeaks both made good showings. Four Northern Shrikes made for the second highest count ever.



Thanks to the field observers, feeder watchers and the Griffiths for hosting the post-count potluck and tally!


Here's the (unofficial) numbers:

Canada Goose		CW
Mallard		22
Am. Black Duck		56
Mallard x Am. Black Duck hyb		1
Common Merganser		1
Ruffed Grouse		5
Bald Eagle		11
Sharp-shinned Hawk		1
Cooper's Hawk		1
Merlin		1
Mourning Dove		103
Rock Pigeon		333
Snowy Owl		1
Downy Woodpecker		19
Hairy Woodpecker		12
Pileated Woodpecker		2
Northern Shrike		4
Blue Jay		257
Common Raven		123
American Crow		85
Black-capped Chickadee		374
Red-breasted Nuthatch		7
Bohemian Waxwing		270
European Starling		137
Northern Cardinal		2
American Tree Sparrow		10
Song Sparrow		1
Dark-eyed Junco		23
Snow Bunting		495
Common Grackle		2
Pine Grosbeak		148
Pine Siskin		1
Common Redpoll		23
American Goldfinch		193
White-winged Crossbill		10
Evening Grosbeak		204
House Sparrow		23
total species		35
total individuals		2961

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!