[Maine-birds] RFI - Red Crossbill feeding observations

Hi all,

I'm writing to follow up on my previous requests for observations of eastern red crossbills feeding on conifers.

This is an especially interesting year and time of year for crossbill feeding behavior. Last year there was a massive white pine cone crop in the Northeast that lots of type 12, type 2, type 4, and type 1 crossbills fed on until rather late in the spring. There does not seem to be such a massive cone crop this fall and most of the types 2 and 4 have returned to the western US. As such, I'm interested in seeing what the diets of the type 12 and 1 birds look like in a more "normal" year.

As a reminder, I'm looking for audio recordings of crossbill calls from the eastern US/Great Lakes with information on the conifers the birds are feeding on. The recordings do not have to be made with any advanced equipment – many phone recordings are sufficient. Pictures of the conifer cones are most helpful. However, if you are comfortable with conifer identification, notes on which conifers crossbills are feeding on are also valuable.

Based on contributions from over 100 folks across the eastern US, I've accumulated nearly 1,000 (!) records of eastern red crossbills and the conifers they're feeding on. If you're interested, I've posted a little blurb on my website (https://ckporter.weebly.com/eastern-red-crossbill-ecology.html) illustrating and describing the preliminary data for type 12, the crossbill I have the most data for and am most interested in for this project.

Although there are some intriguing patterns in the data so far, describing the feeding ecology of type 12 and other eastern call types will require much more data across many seasons and years. So, if you have crossbills in your area, please consider uploading recordings and conifer information to eBird. I've also created an iNaturalist project (link below) where observations can be uploaded. If you don't use eBird or iNaturalist, please feel free to send me any observations directly.

Thanks a ton for considering my request. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Also, please pass this onto anyone you think might be interested in participating.

Good birding,

Dr. Cody Porter

Hope College

Holland, MI

 

iNaturalist project link: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/feeding-ecology-of-eastern-red-crossbills

Project description link: https://www.ckporterlab.com/community-science

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[Maine-birds] fall feeder season, Nobleboro

A great time to sit and watch the feeder. All of our usual species are around and hungry.
Keeping up a water source the last few years, while an effort, has paid off.
The ever expanding perennial garden hasn't hurt either.
All day it is a constant parade

Black capped chickadees
White breasted nuthatches
Red breasted nuthatches
Dark eyed juncos
Blue jays
Morning doves
Goldfinch
Hairy woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Northern flicker
and when I wonder where the sparrows are, along comes a
Song sparrow

Steve Plumb
Nobleboro

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[Maine-birds] Davis Finch

Steve Myrick mentioned that new birders might not know Davis.  He was a major power in the birding world in the pre-computer/facebook age.  Davis, Will Russel, the late Ed Thompson and I headed off on the first attempt to tally 100 species in Maine in one day back in the late 60's.  Started in Bangor and headed down to Kittery to get both the Cardinal and the House Finch, the only places they could be found at the time.  How things have changed.  We did many trips on the Bluenose (the old original one) and my memories of Davis are of the end of the trip in the galley, beer, apple pie, and Canadian rat trap cheese.  No I-pads then and Davis would print all his notes in a notebook in the most precise hand- written manner.  They looked like a printed page.  I will miss him and the "old days" of birding.

Read More :- "[Maine-birds] Davis Finch"

[Maine-birds] Sabattus Pond

The highlights of my last two trips to Sabattus Pond this morning and the day before yesterday (with Mark Rolerson) were:

6 Rusty Blackbirds at the West end of the South beach.

A male Gadwall at the same location.

A female Northern Pinrtail

Several pairs of Green Teal

One Black Scoter

A pair of American Wigeon

Buffleheads

One female Hooded Merganser

One Ring Necked Duck

Both species of Scaup

Ruddy Ducks

Black Ducks

Mallards.

Danny Danforth

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Loring M. Danforth

Charles A. Dana Professor of Anthropology Emeritus

Bates College

446 College St.

Lewiston, ME 04240

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[Maine-birds] Merlin, Palm Warbler, Basin Cove, Harpswell, ME 10/18-19/24

Merlin, 10/19/24

Palm Warbler, 10/18/24

Dr. Jay Pitocchelli, Professor Emeritus
Biology Department
Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH 03102
 
Blog: http://mourningwarbler.blogspot.com/

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[Maine-birds] The passing of Davis Finch

It is with great sadness that I have to share with you the passing of
Davis Finch who died last night at the age of 87.

While new birders may not know of him, Davis was a legend to me in my
early days of birding in the 1980's and 1990's.  He co-founded Wings
Bird Tours with Will Russell in 1973 and led the idyllic life of a
birder who traveled around the world to see birds and share sightings
with birdwatchers from around the world.  Although Davis led bird trips
all over the world, his specialty was in the tropics where he led more
than 90 trips, concentrating on Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and
especially Guyana in later years.  I only came to know him personally in
the 1990's and was proud and fortunate to be able to travel with Davis
to Guyana in 1997 toward the end of his tour leading career.  His skills
as a birder and the breadth of his knowledge were incredible and
respected by all.

While Davis spent a good part of his adult life traveling around the
world, his home was always in East Kingston, and his contributions to
New Hampshire's bird records spanned 7 decades with personal records
dating back at least until 1953!  Some of his noteworthy discoveries
included the State's second record for Blue-winged Warbler in 1955, the
third state record for House Finch in Errol (of all places!!) in 1967,
the first State record of Fish Crow in Kingston in 1971, an Ash-throated
Flycatcher in his yard in 2005, a Black Vulture in his yard in 2009
(back when they were rare in NH!), a Yellow-headed Blackbird in his yard
in 2012, and more recently, the first (and only) State record of
Eurasian Collared-Dove just down the street from his house in 2016. Many
will recall Davis warmly welcoming birders into his yard to see many of
the other rare and not so rare birds over the last 20 years.  His famous
"meat pile" was visited by wintering Bald Eagles, Vultures, and gulls,
as well as the many birders and photographers who showed up to witness
this spectacle!

His contributions to New Hampshire's bird records and his educational
and conservation activities in the State culminated in New Hampshire
Audubon awarding him the prestigious Goodhue-Elkins Award in 2016.

https://www.nhaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/Goodhue-Elkins-2016-Finch.pdf

His warm smile and polite and soft demeanor will be missed.

Just a couple of photos of Davis:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemirick/albums/72177720321332880/

At this time, no services are planned; however, Davis would want any
donations on his behalf to go to the Macaulay Library where he submitted
1,175 bird sound recordings from Guyana, obtained from 20 expeditions.

https://www.macaulaylibrary.org/


Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA

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[Maine-birds] Hudsonian Godwit continues, streamside of Durham bridge, Newport.

Straight out from small boat launch area at West end of Durham bridge, Newport.

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