Sunday, 20 January 2013

[Maine-birds] Golden Eagle (Aigle royal), Benton, 20 Jan

Dave Whittier photographed an immature GOLDEN EAGLE along Wyman Road in Benton about 11:20 today. The bird landed briefly in the tree-line north of the road along a high point beyond a rundown farm. This is about 1/2 mile east of River Road, which is the main road that runs north south along the east side of the Kennebec River here. (This is the stretch of river between Fairfield and Shawmut Dam. This bird is distinctive in that it shows pale tawny leggings and a bold white area at the base of the inner primaries. It also very dark (blackish) underparts, which along with the wing and tail shape and pattern should eliminate Bald Eagle, which are here too.

Yesterday there was a light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK in this area, working the south end of the fields south of the Flood Farm dairy. Up to 4 Red-tailed Hawks are in the area as well. A week ago today, Sunday, there was an adult (or near adult) Snowy Owl, i.e. mostly white, along interstate 95 near here. The poles on which it was seen are visible from the Wyman Road. It was seen again early Monday morning but not since.

Up to 3 GLAUCOUS and 8 ICELAND Gulls are in the area too. These gull flocks often sit in the field behind the Flood Farm and are sometimes visible from River Road. Below Shawmut Dam there have been a few Barrow's Goldeneyes with the flock of Common Goldeneye, and a male NORTHERN PINTAIL among the throng of puddle ducks today (fide Don Mairs). This site is best approached from the west side of the Kennebec, but an eagle could work up and down this area widely; so it is worth checking.

Louis Bevier
Fairfield


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