[Maine-birds] Northern Maine Birds: Long Lake Saturday 17 November Snowy Owl, Northern Shrike, late sparrows and grosbeaks

Though our first date for the Aroostook Birders end-of-the-season Long Lake Tour field trip didn't work out, the rescheduled day was near-perfect for northern Maine in late November. It was calm and partly sunny and the temperatures ranged from the high teens to high 20's through the morning. As hoped for, Long Lake was just about the only unfrozen body of water around and the new 8 inches of snow help to concentrate lingering migrants at the feeders and plowed areas.

We ended up with a nice assortment of birds including the last waterfowl of the season, a good slug of winter residents and some half hardy migrants. 41 species in all for the morning.

Waterfowl highlights included a rare Cackling Goose with a huge flock of Canada Geese that concentrated at the lake, a young male Greater Scaup, Northern Pintail and a couple of late Green-winged Teal.

A first-of-the-season juvenile Iceland Gull was a notable member of a flock roosting on the ice behind the town office in St Agatha.

A feeder at Sinclair hosted a nice flock of Evening Grosbeaks, some late young Red-winged Blackbirds and at least 5 Canada Jays tussling with the Blue Jays for suet and peanuts. A young Northern Shrike crashed the party and chased a chickadee around for a while before vanishing again.

Ground feeders were concentrated along the edges of the plowed roads and we got to see quite a few late American Robins, a very late White-throated Sparrow, a couple late Song Sparrows and a lone Common Grackle.

A flock of Pine Grosbeaks was well seen nibbling on crab apples.

Big highlight was certainly an end of the trip Snowy Owl on station on the Flat Mountain Road in St Agatha.

A lovely day in the field and great preparation for the Christmas Bird Counts next month.

Good Birding

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Bill Sheehan
Woodland, Aroostook Co., Maine
http://northernmainebirds.blogspot.com/

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