My wet and stormy Maine winter birding trip

[jpak]

Last edited Sat Feb 16, 2019, 10:52 AM - Edit history (1)

After visiting elderly relatives in Portland, we went to the usual birding hotspots on the southern Maine coast.

Usually - by bad luck - we go on the coldest windiest day of the winter.

Not this time - we encountered pouring windblown rain and angry stormy seas and surf.

All the coastal ponds and salt marshes were frozen solid - I have never seen them like that.

But we did find some birds (all pics from Google Images)

Common Loons - and lots of them



And a big surprise - 7 red-throated loons (an arctic species)



And another surprise - lots of Barrow's Goldeneyes...



and common goldeneyes



Eared grebes



Red-breasted mergansers



Common eiders



Long-tailed ducks - and lots for inshore waters..



Black ducks



Canada geese



Cooper's hawk



Red tailed hawk



Three huge tom turkeys



And a very large coyote on the side of I-95

[2naSalit]

1. Over the past week

I have noticed that the hawk migration is on and has been going since about the beginning of the month. Some of the eagles are back, not all migrate out. The geese never left. And I saw six or seven eagles on a deer carcass, one was a Golden, the rest were Bald. That same day, in the same valley I saw two groups of Arctic Buntings. Haven't seen those for a few years.

We started having winter a couple weeks ago so things might get uncomfortable for some species.

[jpak]

2. I saw a bald eagle flying up the road last week

But not much action at my bird feeder or crab apple tree the this winter ...

[Scarsdale]

3. I started to sprinkle

bird seed on the patio, along with the bird feeders. Got plenty of birds feeding. Doves, chickadees, sparrows, cardinals. One morning there was a racoon eating the seed!! Now I have to re-think putting seed on the ground. This is on the border of Wisconsin/Illinois. Bitterly cold winter, lots of ice, too. These photos are beautiful. Thanks for posting.

[Bayard]

4. GORGEOUS PHOTOS!!

Thanks for posting!

[shenmue]

5. Yes

[pansypoo53219]

6. could be a cowolf hybrid. more on the east coast.

[pazzyanne]

9. That is what I was thinking also!

[Demovictory9]

7. those Canadian geese poop all over our Southern Calif. parks. ALL OVER!

the city parks with small ponds in them.

[Solly Mack]

8. Wonderful!

[proud patriot]

10. We have a birding festival here

on the Big Island of Hawaii .. it's kinda new .. might want to check it out ..

wonderful pictures thanks for sharing

[jpak]

12. I went camping a few Years back in Kīlauea National Park on the Big Island

I desperately wanted to see Nene's.

And who showed up at my tent door at sunrise?

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Also camped out at a state park in Kauai - right on their famous cliffs.

Saw these guys... i'iwis

[proud patriot]

13. beautiful

[SWBTATTReg]

11. Thanks for the nice nature hike! Beautiful pictures! NT