Hey everyone:
Hope you all had a happy turkey day! Speaking of, the Wild Turkeys of Gilsland Farm have apparently left for the winter and right on time with previous years: http://tinyurl.com/qe75x9n. Despite the cold (18F) we did manage to tally 26 species during the walk this morning. A few highlights included:
My first Common Mergansers for Gilsland Farm came flying overhead while we were in the West Meadow. They are much more 'common' further up river and I'd have to assume the amount of hunters along the river had something to do with displacing them into our patch listing area.
It seems a little late to have a Red-winged Blackbird and three Common Grackles flying around but the real flyover-highlight was a pair of Snow Buntings in the North Meadow. I was hoping for another bird with snow[y] in its name but the rattle calls and flashy white secondaries of these arctic breeders was a nice consolation prize.
Here is a complete checklist from the walk: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S15805326
I also wanted to mention a trip I'll be leading next Tuesday to do a little birding around the Cape Elizabeth coast. Nick Lund, Jake Shorty and I did a preview of this route a couple days ago and had great success with Harlequin Ducks, Purple Sandpipers, Snow Buntings, and a bonus Snow Goose. I hope you'll join me! Details at: http://maineaudubon.org/events/2013/seawatching-and-the-cape-coast/
Good birding,
Doug Hitchcox
Staff Naturalist
Maine Audubon
207-781-2330 x237
dhitchcox@maineaudubon.org
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