Cape Elizabeth birding observations for early February

The polar conditions through early February made for slow birding pretty much everywhere except the backyard. This time of year, it’s hard not to marvel at the resilience of the birds who stick around to endure our winters. In the celebrated “from away” category are the Tufted Titmice, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and Eastern Bluebirds, all species that you would not have found here during the winter months in Cape fifty years ago, yet today are quite common.

Now considered a Maine local, the female Northern Cardinals wings have a warm reddish tinge to them and the male is striking in his red suit. Cardinals have been expanding their northern range for over a century now and have benefited from the presence of humans (feeding) perhaps more than any other songbird. I am certainly thankful to have six or more of these brilliant birds at the feeders all winter long.

On February 2 I witnessed a flock of 50 or more Pine Siskins over Great Pond Cove. I wonder how often birds from the Northern Boreal forest actually fly out over the open Atlantic Ocean? Not often I would imagine!

On the evening of February 5, the Barred owl I have been seeing with some frequency was sitting in a maple tree quite close to the house. The bird heard me as I tried to better position myself and flew off a little ways to get its bearings.

Seeing the bird in flight (aided by moonlight and snow reflection) reminded me of the actual size of this deep forest dweller. The Barred owl has a wing span of up to five feet. Besides its overall size, another way to identify a Barred is by its lack of feathered ear tufts or “horns”, familiar characteristics of the Great Horned owl and the much stealthier Long eared owl. Amazingly, it is thought that Barred owls and Great Horned owls can distinguish between their own, at some distance and under the cover of darkness, by the presence of or lack of these feathered tufts.

Other noteworthy mentionings - On February 9 at Crescent Beach State Park, I came across Ruffed Grouse tracks in the snow while walking a game trail deep in a stand of old conifers. When the weather gets to be too much for the Ruffed Grouse they are known to “snow roost” which as you may imagine involves burrowing down into the snow to find refuge from the wind and white stuff. I have yet to find a grouse snow cave, I’ll bet they are out there though.

On February 10, Three Common Goldeneyes and a couple Common Eider hens were spotted off Pond Cove. Common Goldeneye ducks have brilliant amber colored eyes and nest high up in pine, spruce and larch tree cavities deep within the northern “snow forests” of inland Canada. Goldeneye chicks leave their nest just one day after hatching, often having to jump 40 or more feet to the ground and their awaiting momma.