Cape Elizabeth birding report

If there is a silver lining to the current pandemic it likely lies in the form of increased awareness for nature, conservation and of course, birds. Fortunately, this awaking could not have come at a more critical time for the estimated four billion birds that die each year, primarily by cats and window strikes, both of which are preventable. On a related note, according to researchers the number of bird species in ones vicinity has a direct effect on one’s overall well-being. A recent quality-of-life study conducted with over 26,000 adults across 26 European countries, found that a 10% increase of bird species increases the European’s life satisfaction as much as a comparable increase in income. The German Centre for Integrative Biodiviersity lead author summarized this study by saying, “the happiest Europeans are those who can experience numerous different bird species in their daily life, or who live in near-natural surroundings that are home to many species.”

As for my notes from the field and yard, on February 6 just after twilight, my wife, son and I were out walking when we heard a rather faint version of the too-too-too song from a Northern Saw-Whet Owl. As quickly as we were able to stop and quietly listen, the song faded away. James Audubon compared the sound to “faint tones of a distant bell.” Seconds later we were startled by a harsh, loud cat-like meow that ushered forth from the shadowy branches of the dense understory as if to scold us for merely inquiring. Was there a second larger owl in the vicinity ? In the moment I thought that there was no way a tiny Saw-Whet could make such loud, uncouth whines. Debriefing with my wife later that evening I realized that the loud cat-like sounds had to have been coming from a Saw-Whet and not another owl species. The point I would make here is that owls in general, perhaps Saw-whets more so than some others, can be quite challenging to identify by calls when they stray from the tell-tale toot or who cooks for me all. Saw-Whets are master ventriloquists and have a range of squawks, barks and meows that, in some instances may resemble the calls of a female Great-horned owl. Learning the lesser known calls is key.

On the morning of February 7, the following birds were seen along our coastline between Kettle Cove and the far fringes of Crescent Beach State park – a solitary Northern Mockingbird guarding his Winterberry throne, a Herring Gull pilfering a Common Eiders hard earned meal (a mussel), two diving Horned Grebes, nine Black Scoters, six Surf Scoters, one male Long-tailed Duck, three Common Loons, one Red-breasted Merganser and one adult Bald Eagle that flew rather low along the length of the beach.

Additionally there was a male Common Goldeneye in Seal Cove. Dovekies, Razorbill and a single drake King Eider were reported around this date as well. On the same morning a flock of thirty-one Brant geese were foraging on the falling tide for eelgrass and aquatic vegetation in Kettle Cove. These handsome mid-sized geese are long distance migrants down from their breeding grounds in the central canadian artic. Listening to the Brant’s guttural ‘ruk-ruck’ and ‘crronk’ sounds made my mind wander to a wilder place.