Local birding report

On one of the last days of December while walking the back path along Crescent Beach State Park I noticed a flurry of activity around a gnarled old Pitch Pine Tree. I had assumed that this band of travelers was a mixed flock of Titmice and Chickadees until I caught a glimpse of the buttery yellow backside of a tiny creature darting into its shadowy hideaway.

I stood quietly for a moment and watched as a second bird disappeared into the same sheltered nook. Raising my binoculars to the spot in the tree where I last saw movement, I could clearly make out the rumps of six Myrtle Warblers, side-by-side roosting. The time was 4:09 p.m., which was the exact moment the sun went down.

Because the Yellow-rumped Warbler possesses elevated levels of bile salts this hardy species is able to diversify its diet and inhabit a winter range farther north than its relatives, particularly along the Atlantic Coast where Bayberry and Juniper berries are abundant.

In the first few days of January, I am thankful for Golden-crowned Kinglets and Brown Creepers, the sweet whistled Tufted Titmice notes that accompany the falling snow, the hurried winter song from the ever curious Carolina Wrens, the cheery warbler of rosy-red House Finches and the querulous chatter of five Eastern Bluebirds christening the new heated birdbath I had put out the night before.

Interestingly, Chickadees begin to sing in mid-January and their individual song increases in frequency as winter progresses. Females only sing occasionally.

Additionally, it was around this time last year that I had noted a consistent stream of Northern Flickers passing through our yard, practically every day from early December through the first week of January.

While this season has not been quite so productive, a single Northern Flicker did appear on our suet with a Red-bellied Woodpecker on January 8 and again on January 11.

All Flickers in the east are categorized as “yellow shafted” because the undersides of these woodpeckers’ wings and tail are bright yellow. Other observations include American Robins passing overhead across Cape in groups ranging from a few individuals to several hundred as they wander in search of food. Also, White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos (referred to as ground feeders) numbers appear to be below average again for the second winter in a row.

Conversely, Mourning Dove numbers continue to increase. On the early morning of January 10 I counted thirty-one doves in our yard. Another very resilient bird, Mourning Doves are also one of the fastest flying birds. On more than one occasion I have mistaken flying Mourning Doves for falcons. The birds design features include long, pointed wings and tail which allow these close relatives of the extinct Passenger Pigeon to accelerate to speeds of up to 55mph.

Lastly, on the first day of the new year my wife, sons and I travelled to Five Islands, Maine with hopes of spotting the Steller’s Sea Eagle that has been making national headlines.

Native to northern Japan and Eastern Russia this exquisite raptor has an eight foot wingspan and on average is a foot longer and taller than an adult Bald Eagle. There are approximately 4,000 Steller’s Sea Eagles left in the wild and this is the first recorded time that a sea eagle has been in Maine.

This particular eagle was first spotted along the Denali Highway in Matanus-ka-Susitna County Alaska in late August. From there it flew to Texas, then to eastern Canada, down to the south shore of Massachusetts and then North to the tidal rivers and tall pines of Georgetown, Maine.

The cross continent journey of this bird is truly amazing, especially when you factor in that it is an adult and not a young bird. Scientists are just beginning to understand the tendency of raptors to wander and show up far outside their normal ranges. One theory that cannot be ignored is that this rare bird is prospecting for new territories to expand into.