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Saturday, December 15. Orono, Bangor (Map
23) An amazing 56 bird species, a record, were found by over 50 diligent
bird watchers on the Audubon Society's Dec. 15 Orono-Old Town Christmas Bird Count. The record number is attributable to the warm fall and the prevalence of open water, enabling many water birds to stay north later than usual.
This year's count included: Common Loon 5, Snow Goose 1, Canada Goose 132, Black Duck 52, Mallard 342, Lesser Scaup 1, Bufflehead 1, Common Goldeneye 99, Barrow's Goldeneye 22, Common Merganser 121, Hooded Merganser 45, Osprey 1, Bald Eagle 6 adults, 3 immature, Sharp-Shinned Hawk 2, Ruffed Grouse 7, Pheasant 1, Black-Headed Gull 1, Herring Gull 64, Great Black-backed Gull 9, Ring-billed Gull 25, Rock Dove 326, Mourning Dove 459, Kingfisher 1, Downy Woodpecker 21, Hairy Woodpecker 21, Black-backed woodpecker 1, Flicker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 4, Blue Jay 84, Crow 302, Raven 17, Black-capped Chickadee 449, Tufted Titmouse 17, Red-breasted Nuthatch 40, White-breasted Nuthatch 51, Brown Creeper 2, Golden-crowned Kinglet 9, Robin 13, Mockingbird 1, Bohemian Waxwing 781, Starling 455, Cardinal 32, Tree Sparrow 12, Song Sparrow 4, White-throated Sparrow 6, Junco 34, Snow Bunting 1, Pine Grosbeak 291, Purple Finch 6, House Finch 58, White-Winged Crossbill 6, Common Redpoll 254, Hoary Redpoll 2, Goldfinch 165, Evening Grosbeak 25, House Sparrow 193.
These were rare finds: Black-Headed Gull (a mostly European species), Hoary Redpoll, Lesser
Scaup, Black-Backed Woodpecker. These were very unusual on this Christmas Count because they are out-of-season: Loon, Bufflehead, Canada Goose, Snow Goose, Hooded Merganser, Osprey, Kingfisher, Flicker. Other highlights were the
unusually high numbers of Bohemian Waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks, and Redpolls. Notable absences were Pine Siskin, Shrike, and Snowy
Owl (a rare bird, but present statewide this year and one was in Orono 2 weeks before the count).
Twenty-five birders and 25 feeder-watchers amassed these
record numbers. J.K.M.
Friday, December 21. Caribou (Map 65) Light snow
yesterday afternoon and during the night left about 1/2" of new
accumulation on the ground. A Carolina wren that first visited our feeders
on December 7 has become a regular visitor. At first, it preferred to stay
on the ground close to cover (cedar hedge and mature trees). Now it comes to
hanging seed and suet feeders, and even to a drilled stick holding a peanut
butter mix.
No black flies! C.B.K.
Monday, December 24, noon. Biddeford (Map 4) I walked out of work at noon and had a small brown moth, about 3/4" across, fly by me and land on the wall. On Christmas Eve, yet! J.B.
Monday, December 24. Windsor (Map 13) There
is still a rawness in the air, despite warm temperatures into the forties.
The rain pours down, fog in the fields and woods where the snow is melting.
Many birds, starlings, snow buntings, jays and chickadees feeding here in the rain at our feeders, and the warmth astounds me.
At the rate it is raining, I think we've had at least an inch!
When it gets colder tonight, as they say it will, we will have some icy
snow left, but nowhere near the eleven inches or so we had on the ground.
P.S.H.
Tuesday, December 25. Monson (Map 31) At our cross-country ski area, surface snow conditions are considered to be frozen granular. Average snow depth in the woods is 6 inches. J.C. and S.C.
Tuesday, December 25. Caribou (Map 65) Very little bird activity today. At o0ur backyard feeders: Carolina wren, cardinal, 3 black-capped chickadees, 2 red and 2 gray squirrels. In open water below the Aroostook River dam: 8 common mergansers, 5 black ducks. C.B.K.
Friday, December 28. Brunswick (Map 6) and York
(Map 1) Friday was a busy day Nature-wise for me. It started out early, at about 4:00
am. The moon was calculated to pass in front of bright planet Saturn for much of the United States that morning.
This is called an "occultation". Unfortunately, southern Maine was at the extreme northern limit of visibility for this event.
I checked the Sky and Telescope web site and called up timing predictions for our state.
Portlanders could see it at about quarter after 4, but Augusta and Bangor were too far north.
I knew it would be a very close call for me here in Brunswick. I predicted a possible "grazing" by the northernmost limb of the moon, perhaps causing Saturn to "wink" on and off as it crossed behind craters, mountains, and other features of relief.
The predawn sky was clear as I wiped sleep from my eyes and set up my
tripod-mounted 7X50 binoculars. The moon was well-placed low in the west and I could view conveniently from my deck.
As the time drew close, I strained to spot any sign of flicker from the tiny image of Saturn.
I watched as it seemed to ride right along the top edge of the moon for 10 minutes or so but it never wavered.
Finally as it passed to the bright (west) limb of the moon, I realized it was not to be. But this event was enjoyable immensely nonetheless; it was my very first try at viewing an occultation.
Though it concluded with a negative result, it was good practice for the REALLY good
Moon/Saturn occultation that will take place on February 20-21. That one will be very favorable for us here in the northeast due to the time, track, and phase of the moon.
Let's hope for clear skies! Check out the useful website at http://www.skypub.com/.
Or pick up the February issue of Sky & Telescope and see page 92.
After a few more hours of sleep, my wife and I decided to make a trip down to Cape Neddick in York to try our luck at seeing a Snowy Owl.
A lone individual had been reported, by the MaineBirds internet list, hanging around the headlight for the past couple of days; and this species is at the top of our bird
wish list. I figured I'd get a double bonus since I also could check out the interesting geology of "The
Nubble".
Just after starting south, we encountered a muskrat ambling across New Meadows
Road in West Bath. He was coming from a small pond next to the District Courthouse.
My Audubon Guide suggested he may have been traveling overland due to overcrowding back home!
Immediately upon arriving at Cape Neddick Light, we spotted the Snowy Owl sitting at the top of the roof at the far left side.
A glorious sight in the noon sun! Through my wife's spotting scope, his piercing yellow eyes could be seen observing all the activity around him.
He did not appear at all flustered by the crowd of tourists at the parking lot. In fact he spent much time staring in the direction of our parking lot.
I could sense an intense curiosity focused upon the human activity. His puffy feathers were ruffled by the shore breeze.
Sadly, almost all of the humans were completely unaware of this beautiful creature poised so grandly nearby; the people saw only the man-made structure that, while interesting, paled
beside the grand creation of Nature perched regally upon it.
My wife alerted the people near her and soon dozens eagerly sought a look at the bird through her scope.
They were unanimously impressed. For nearly 2 hours the Owl put on a show for us, flying to different observation posts as if "making his rounds".
Once he set upon some small food item in the brush below the lighthouse. We could not identify what it might have been, but the owl made quick work of it with his sharp talons and beak, and soon returned to his high places.
Afterward my son, Danny, and I explored the rocky shoreline and its ice-cold tidepools. I had read that this place, called "The Nubble" was underlain by a rock different from and younger than the surrounding bedrock.
The rock is called "gabbro", an intrusive igneous rock composed of different minerals than the ordinary granite we are all used to.
I expected it to be a dark color (it's chemically the same as basalt) but was surprised to find it mostly medium to light
gray.
This seemed to be its real color rather than due to weathering. I managed to find a couple of small samples to take home with me and add to my rock collection.
When I get the chance, I'll study them and try to figure out why they look like a different kind of rock to my amateur eye.
A.R.S.
Saturday, December 29. Windsor (Map
13) For the last week or so, on fair days, the turkeys have been quite obvious.
They know where the bare patches of ground are. They know where the bird feeders are.
They move, single file into an area then pick, peck, flutter and talk for a while, then move on.
We've had groups here on the Windsor Neck Road of more than 20 young hens, with a couple young toms in the group.
My wife hung some cobs of corn in the bushes. It was funny to see the turkeys give them a wide
berth. Not knowing what they were the turkeys wouldn't approach even to within fifteen feet!
P.S.H.
Sunday, December 30. Caribou (Map 65) In the open water below the Aroostook River dam: 8 common mergansers, 5 black-backed gulls. Very little snow is on the ground, and grass is showing through on most lawns. The streets and roads are bare and dusty. Old leaves are blowing around. Fewer birds are at the feeders since the weather turned colder again. C.B.K.