Local birding report

It is at this time each year when my mind often drifts to thoughts of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks and elusive Lapland Longspurs. Far from the treeless arctic habitats from which these ground dwellers breed, all three “open-country” species are incredibly easy to overlook as they forage for grass and flowering-plant seeds in open field, shorelines, roadsides and plowed croplands. And while I have not yet seen all three of these Holarctic songbirds in Cape Elizabeth during a single winter season, I remain optimistic.

Generally speaking, Snow Buntings are typically common across the state during the winter months. By the time they arrive, their crisp white plumages have given way to deep reddish orange tones which serve to camouflage the bird on their hibernal haunts - bare ground and crop stubble. During migration and in winter when upland field seeds are snow covered this bird can be found along our shorelines dining on Eelgrass and seeds.

A species of special concern in Maine and the only native lark species found in North America, the Horned Lark is a subtly beautiful, long-bodied songbird. These larks sport black masks set against a yellow face and throat. Atop its head are two tiny little tufts of feathers which resemble horns.

While Horned Larks primarily breed in the arctic tundra, there are annually confirmed reports of larks breeding in potato fields of the Aroostook County Lowlands and very rarely in the “back dune” areas of Cumberland County. According to the North American Breeding Survey, between 1966 and 2015 Horned Larks have experienced an estimated cumulative population decline of 71%. Loss of agricultural fields to reforestation and development along with human encroachment are the primary factors for decline.

An uncommon to rare winter transient in Cape, the Lapland Longspur is a sparrow-sized grassland bird with proportionally long rufous patched wings and a distinct black face. Favoring windswept fields and beaches, Longspurs are found during winter months in mixed flocks with Snow Buntings.

On a related note, February is a good time of year to work on differentiating between the three most common gulls: Ring-billed, Herring and Great Blackbacked. Other gull types spotted off Dyer and Trundy Points and Two Lights State Park over the last several weeks include Iceland, Glaucous and Bonaparte’s Gulls and a Black-legged Kittiwake.

Other bird related mentionables about town include, on February 2 my wife reported a male and female Great-horned Owl doing the courtship dance somewhere deep within the old pine stands of Cranbrook. As the horned owl breeding season heats up so does the regularity of this sort of back forth which, in addition to duetting can include odd sounding screams and squawks.

Lastly, on the late afternoon of February 4 as the snow fell my son and I were walking in Robinson Woods (I) and came upon three Golden-crowned Kinglets singing in an old Black Spruce Tree and from somewhere high overhead came the gurgling croak of a Common Raven.