Hey everyone:
I just wanted to echo the great birds everyone else is reporting and share the results from yesterday's birdwalk at Gilsland Farm. With little-to-no ice left on the river and the meadows with only about 10% snow cover remaining, there was plenty to explore. Highlights from the morning included:
Great waterfowl diversity, notably: 13+ (American) Green-winged Teal, 4 Ring-necked Ducks, and three drake Common Mergansers which we don't see too often this far down river. The tide was out during the walk but Wednesday afternoon, during the high tide, we had 25+ Ring-necked Ducks, 1 American Wigeon, and 3-4 Northern Shovelers around the marsh off the North Meadow.
A Pied-billed Grebe was probably our 'bird of the morning' since this species is fairly rare from Gilsland Farm. A nice patch bird for me on the quest to catch up with Eric Hynes.
Raptors were on the move as winds picked up: we had a female Northern Harrier fly right over us in the West Meadow and later in the day Bob saw a gray ghost (male harrier) over the farm. Sprinkle in 3 Osprey, an adult Bald Eagle, some Red-tailed Hawks, and one buteo sp. that got away to quickly to be identified (probably RSHA?).
Other newly arriving migrants included 4+ Eastern Phoebes all around the meadows, 5+ Tree Swallows along the river, and a slightly early Swamp Sparrow in the North Meadow.
A complete list from the walk is available at: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S17723669
TRIVIA: With all the birds that are beginning to sing now, I wanted to share this song as a little bit of seasonal trivia. Bob Duchesne queued me into this song a week ago in Kennebunkport, which may have been my first time hearing it in Maine. I was able to get this recording in our parking lot a couple days ago: https://soundcloud.com/dhitchcox/trivia-bird Feel free to send me your guesses; I'll post the answer next week.
Good birding,
Doug Hitchcox
Staff Naturalist
Maine Audubon
207-781-2330 x237
dhitchcox@maineaudubon.org
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