[Maine-birds] This Week's Highlights, 2/14-20

Hi all,

Just a few sightings of note over the past seven days included:

- 5 Iceland Gulls (1 1st-winter, 1 2nd-winter, 1 4th-winter-type, and 2 adults), Bath landfill, 2/19.*

- 1 adult Iceland Gull (different individual from above), North End Boat Launch, Bath, 2/19.

- 50 Bohemian Waxwings, here at the store, 2/20.

- 24 Iceland (15 1st-winter, 6 ad, 3 2nd-winter) and 2 Glaucous Gulls, Old Port, Portland, 2/20 (with Kristen Lindquist).*

- 150 Bohemian Waxwings with 75-100 Cedar Waxwings, Terison's Orchard, Whitney Road, Cumberland, 2/20.

- 2 drake Barrow's Goldeneyes continue in what's left of the open water at the tip of Winslow Park, Freeport.

- only Common Mergansers now remain in what's left of the open water at Grist Mill Park in Yarmouth.

 

-"Winter Finch" high counts this week:

Purple Finch: 3, our yard in Pownal all week.

Common Redpoll: 50, yard in Freeport, 2/14 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

Pine Siskin: 14, our yard in Pownal on 2/18.

American Goldfinch: 35+, our yard in Pownal all week.

But our best birding of the week was on Tuesday, in Gloucester, MA, especially the 70+ Iceland Gulls in the harbor from the Jodfrey Fish Pier!  The counts above from Bath and Portland (*) are double what my tallies had been of late. Prior to the 17th in Gloucester, most reports were of just a few Iceland Gulls.  Other Eastern Mass reports, along with these Maine tallies, suggests a very recent flight into the region.

-Derek

*****************************************
Derek and Jeannette Lovitch
Freeport Wild Bird Supply
541 Route One, Suite 10
Freeport, ME 04032
207-865-6000
www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com

****************************************