Local birding report

Up until recently I have always associated seeing Pine Siskins with the cold months of the year. On occasion my mind would wander to the cool coniferous forests on high mountains or in northern latitudes far from here where these nomadic little boreal finches chiefly breed. Since late January, a pair of Pinus Spinus’ have stuck around my backyard feeders. On late spring afternoons I have cherished their wheezy z-zing trills intermingled with the Goldfinches twitters and warblers.

One morning in the third week of May my binoculars happened upon three small birds huddled together deep within a mess of invasives. Upon closer inspection I noted subtle yellow edgings on each of the bird’s wings and clove-brown streaking on their breasts. What I had discovered were two fledgling Pine Siskins with their mother!

According to Peter Vickery’s “Birds of Maine,” Pine Siskins are known to breed far south of their normal breeding grounds during irruption years and when there is a dependable food source. Although still fairly common across parts of North American, Pine Siskins’ population has decreased by nearly 70% in the last sixty years.

Other brief observations from the last two weeks in the yard and field include:

May 14 – A very pleasing morning in Fort Williams. Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Orioles calling from wooded section. Fish Crow’s nasally caw heard overhead. Ten different types of Wood Warblers heard and seen including a Cape May Warbler with its tiger striped breast, bright yellow belly and orange-chestnut ear patches aglow and a plucky female Black-throated Blue in the tangles below.

May 15 – A timid, White-crowned Sparrow made a brief appearance in our yard this morning. Truly an aristocratic looking sparrow.

May 16 – Early morning, two male Scarlet Tanagers spotted outside the bedroom window and a Tennessee Warbler twittering away from the top of a flowering Serviceberry Tree along Scott Dyer Road. Late in the afternoon Least Terns darting and diving over Spurwink Marsh.

May 17 – This afternoon I came across a female Purple Finch resting in a small Pine Tree on the outskirts of my backyard. I stood silently, a few feet away from this little creature and she did not seem to mind, observed as bird processed the surrounding chatter.

May 18 – Runaway Farm and Town Farm marsh loop. Alder Flycatcher spotted within the wet tangles, call was a distinctive wheezed “ree-BEE-a.” Bobolinks, three total frolicking across uncut pasture, their bubbly music bouncing across the marsh.

May 20 – Blackburnian Warblers high up in White Oak Tree in backyard. Eastern Wood-Pewees calling after sunset.

May 21 - Robinson Woods I, II and III – After a big night of migration there were lots of birds. Ovenbirds sounding off across the forest floor, Chestnut-sided, Pine, Myrtle, Black-and-White, American Redstart, Northern Parulas, Black-throated Green and first of season Blackpoll and Bay Breasted Warblers.

May 23 - Canada Warbler and a Tennessee Warbler dueting in neighbors Dogwood tree.

May 24 - At dusk four Common Nighthawks gracefully foraging over the Pond Cove brook corridor section of Robinson Woods.

May 25 – Lightning bugs and small brown bats along Shore Road. Of note, I was quite certain that I heard the harsh chortle of a Black-billed Cuckoo migrating overhead. Cuckoos are also known to sing while flying at night.

May 27 – A Magnolia Warbler and Wilson Warbler softly singing along the fringes of a fog drenched Fort Williams.