Local birding report

On the drizzly morning of October 25, a pair of Evening Grosbeaks briefly visited my backyard. I first spotted the smoke gray colored female perched in a leafless Crab Apple tree. Seconds later the rich golden colored male came into view. The two robin-sized birds made several attempts to land on the feeder but only the female was successful. The chunky young male flew to the ground and foraged for black sunflower seeds. After a brief refueling the male let out a single, metallic sounding call and the two took flight, threading their way through the branches of the foggy forest and quickly disappearing out of sight.

Fortunately, reports are beginning to mirror the predictions of this year’s Winter Finch forecast. As of November 14 there have been over a dozen ebird reports of Evening Grosbeaks in Cumberland County. The two birds I had seen were the first recorded visit of these big-billed finches this season in Cape Elizabeth. True to its wandering ways, Evening Grosbeaks typically do not stick around any one place too long. When out in the woods listen for their running patter of call notes, which can be sharp, warbled, or sweet.

Originally a bird of the far northwest and unknown east of the Rocky Mountains before the late 1800s, this species expanded its presence eastward through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. What likely facilitated this expansion of the grosbeaks range was the planting of non-native ornamental berry trees. In recent decades the eastern population of Evening Grosbeaks have declined by 92%, the steepest decline of any landbird in the continental U.S. or Canada. There are several reasons for this species’ decline including boreal forest logging, disease, and lack of forest insects due to aerial spraying in the U.S. and Canada.

Also of note, I recorded seeing more American Kestrels this fall than the previous four fall migrations. Consequently, I had read an early October birding report by Ralph Eldridge, the Lighthouse Keeper on Machias Seal Island, a tiny treeless island along the Atlantic Flyway that sits 12 miles from the nearest points of land in Maine and Canada. As this island is a critical migratory resting spot, Ralph sees an incredible mix of birds. Of note on his report was the number of Kestrels spotted on the island, “literally dozens here at any moment, as many as 4 perched on the patio with others hunting the island at the same time.” It’s fascinating to think that one of these same falcons I saw pass through Cape could have been out in the middle of the Bay of Fundy only a couple weeks prior.

Other mentionings include, on October 29 while wandering Runaway Farm’s old Spruce Forest, I was admiring an opening in the canopy of mature spruce trees when I heard the distinctive flight calls, sounding something like, zweee rin of Pine Siskins. Seconds later a tight flock of tiny birds emerged from the giant Spruce tree shortly followed by a curious Red-tailed Hawk. A bit later I was standing on the bridge that crosses over Pollack Creek when I noticed a small diving duck in the creek pond that runs up to Spurwink Avenue. Although I was too far away to get a good look at this bird, I did notice the distinctive small body and comparatively large blocky head. This profile along with the bird’s location meant it was most likely a Pied-billed Grebe. These duck-like birds choose quiet ponds to forage dive for leeches, frogs and a range of small pond fish including catfish and sunfish. Otherwise, they keep hidden amid vegetation.

Additionally, on November 7 the waxing gibbous moon, clear skies and very little wind made for the right conditions to hear both a Great Horned Owl (behind town green and a local Barred Owl (fringes of Robinson woods) calling at the same time. On November 8 I flushed a lingering American Woodcock in Gull Crest and on November 12 my son and I watched a Great Blue Heron along Sawyer Road hunting in the grass and later spotted sixteen American Coots and three wild Mute Swans on Grondin Pond in Scarborough. Interestingly, the first recorded Mute Swan in Maine was in 1937 in Falmouth, and it was not until the spring of 1966 that another Mute Swan was spotted in Merrymeeting Bay. Since then, reports of Mute Swans have increased, and a small population exists in Southern Maine. Later that day I noted seven black and white sea ducks called Surf Scoters aka “old skunkhead’s” off of Crescent Beach State Park.