It’s unbelievable how little time I have these days. Can you say cholecystectomy? I am studying for three exams this week but I still found the time to participate in the 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). With a steaming hot cup of coffee in one hand and binocular in the other, I began tallying birds at 6:30 a.m. this morning. Surprise, surprise… Mr. Butterbutt continues to visit our suet feeders. He looks healthy and has a voracious appetite and defends his feeder from all other avian visitors.

The highlight of this morning’s count was a pair of adult Bald Eagles soaring above our frozen cove looking for for a meal. The Mergansers and Goldeneyes fled for their lives and went to parts unknown. I ended the count when a Red-tailed Hawk flew over our house and dove into the sumac near the edge of the cove. Suffice to say, that was the end of the bird activity for a while.

Here is an aerial view of the area around our home where the count was taken. Red pin denotes home.

Map of area around our home south of Bath, Maine. | Click thumbnail for larger view.

Results from 2.13.2010 for the 2010 GBBC:

Locality: 04530, Bath, Sagadahoc County, ME
Observation Date: FEB 13, 2010
Start Time: 6:30 AM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Party Size: 1
Skill: excellent
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: 2 – 4 in (5.1 – 10.2 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
rural
freshwater
salt water
Number of Species: 23
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Common Goldeneye – 4
Hooded Merganser – 2
Red-breasted Merganser – 3
Bald Eagle – 2
Red-tailed Hawk – 1
Laughing Gull – 1 Confirmed
Herring Gull – 16
Mourning Dove – 4
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Hairy Woodpecker – 1
Blue Jay – 3
American Crow – 6
Common Raven – 1
Black-capped Chickadee – 5
Tufted Titmouse – 4
Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1
White-breasted Nuthatch – 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) – 1
Song Sparrow – 2
Dark-eyed Junco – 8
Northern Cardinal – 1
Purple Finch – 2
American Goldfinch – 16

Sharon and I will head to Popham Beach early Sunday morning to do a GBBC count. I plan to do a GBBC count Monday morning near Ft. Popham and the Atkins Bay area. The weather looks to be sunny and cold, perfect for counting birds.

Here is another look at Mr. Butterbutt.

Yellow-rumped Warbler | Click thumbnail for larger view

Happy birding!

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

Related posts:

1. Mid-Winter Backyard Birds Slideshow
2. Baltimore Oriole

GBBC - 2009

The 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count is over. If you have not submitted your counts yet, you have until March 1st to do so.

Sharon and I submitted more checklists this year than we have in years past. From the 7 checklists that we submitted, we tallied 35 different species and a total of 816 birds.

Highlights of our count included a Sharp-shinned Hawk, FOY Brown Creepers, Common Redpolls, daily Bald Eagles, and almost daily Red-tailed Hawks.

The most exciting moment was a battle between a Pileated Woodpecker and a Hairy Woodpecker Monday afternoon. The two were fighting over one of our many suet feeders. As the fight ensued, the Woodpeckers fought breifly in mid-air all the while making strange noises. They then rolled down a snowbank, picked themselves up and flew off in opposite directions.

All this action happened just outside my living room picture window, not 3 feet from where I stood! I later found a few feathers, putting them on the deck to photograph later. Dumb mistake, they apparently blew away as I have not found them since.

Another highlight was watching 46 Bufflehead and 21 Red-breasted Merganser in a cove near Parker Head. Nearly every male from both species were displaying, trying to lure a female.

We hope all of you had a good count.

The following is our last checklist, submitted Monday, for the 2009 GBBC.

Locality: 04530, Bath, Sagadahoc County, ME
Observation Date: FEB 16, 2009
Start Time: 8:00 AM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Party Size: 2
Skill: excellent
Weather: good
Snow Depth: 6 – 8 in (15.2 – 20.3 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
rural
freshwater
salt water
Number of Species: 22
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Bald Eagle – 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1
Red-tailed Hawk – 1
Mourning Dove – 12
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Hairy Woodpecker – 2
Blue Jay – 8
American Crow – 9
Black-capped Chickadee – 8
Tufted Titmouse – 6
Red-breasted Nuthatch – 4
White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
American Robin – 4
European Starling – 2
American Tree Sparrow – 9
Song Sparrow – 2
White-throated Sparrow – 2
Dark-eyed Junco – 13
Northern Cardinal – 2
Common Redpoll – 3
Pine Siskin – 16
American Goldfinch – 22

Happy birding!

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

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The Bandit | Click for larger view

“While everyone is busy with counting birds,  I will help myself to some tasty treats! ”

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

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GBBC 2009 Day 3 Maine Results

Total number of species: 89
Total number of birds: 25,034
Total number of checklists: 402

Top 5 Reporting Areas
Blue Hill – 19 checklists
Bangor – 18 checklists
Rangeley – 14 checklists
Portland – 13 checklists
Unity – 10 checklists

Top 5 Birds Reported
Herring Gull – 3.646
Common Eider – 1,914
Black-capped Chickadee – 1,816
American Goldfinch – 1,787
Common Redpoll – 1,519

For my locality – Bath, Maine
Checklists – 5
Number of Species – 29
Total Birds – 160
Top Species – Black-capped Chickadee

Three of the checklists for the Bath area are ours. The other 3 that we submitted are for the Phippsburg area. The rundown for the Phippsburg area: 5 checklists, 38 species and a total of 487 birds.

As promised, here are the results from yesterdays and todays yard counts.

Locality: 04530, Bath, Sagadahoc County, ME
Observation Date: FEB 14, 2009
Start Time: 2:00 PM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour
Party Size: 1
Skill: excellent
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: 6 – 8 in (15.2 – 20.3 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
rural
freshwater
salt water
Number of Species: 18
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Bald Eagle – 1
Mourning Dove – 14
Downy Woodpecker – 3
Hairy Woodpecker – 2
Blue Jay – 8
American Crow – 14
Black-capped Chickadee – 7
Tufted Titmouse – 6
Red-breasted Nuthatch – 4
White-breasted Nuthatch – 2
Brown Creeper – 2
American Robin – 1
European Starling – 2
White-throated Sparrow – 2
Dark-eyed Junco – 11
Northern Cardinal – 4
Pine Siskin – 16
American Goldfinch – 14

Locality: 04530, Bath, Sagadahoc County, ME
Observation Date: FEB 15, 2009
Start Time: 12:45 PM
Total Birding Time: 1 hour
Party Size: 1
Skill: excellent
Weather: good
Snow Depth: 6 – 8 in (15.2 – 20.3 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
rural
freshwater
salt water
Number of Species: 23
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Red-tailed Hawk – 2
Mourning Dove – 12
Downy Woodpecker – 4
Hairy Woodpecker – 2
Pileated Woodpecker – 1
Blue Jay – 8
American Crow – 7
Black-capped Chickadee – 6
Tufted Titmouse – 6
Red-breasted Nuthatch – 4
White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
Brown Creeper – 3
American Robin – 7
European Starling – 4
Cedar Waxwing – 33
American Tree Sparrow – 11
Song Sparrow – 1
White-throated Sparrow – 2
Dark-eyed Junco – 15
Northern Cardinal – 4
Common Redpoll – 3
Pine Siskin – 21
American Goldfinch – 17

Happy birding!

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

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White-breasted Nuthatch | Click for larger view

Day 2 of the 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count is nearing an end. At first light this morning, Sharon and I drove to three count areas here in Sagadahoc County, Maine. Ft. Popham / Atkins Bay, Cox Head and Parker Head.

Although not particularly birdy this morning at these locations, we did tally several species. It was amazing that we did not see more… the weather was absolutely beautiful. Winds were a little gusty, but cobalt blue skies and temperatures in the low to mid 20′s should have made for a banner day.

Our first stop was Ft. Popham, on the shores of Atkins Bay. Upon first look with the naked eye, it seemed barren of any life at all. Bobbing to the surface mere feet from where we parked, were several Bufflehead. Using the binoculars, several other species came into view. We were treated to a Fish Crow flying directly overhead and calling. (Just about the only way to distinguish between the American Crow and the Fish Crow are when they are calling).

Downy Woodpecker | Click for larger view

The next stop was Cox Head, on the North side of Atkins Bay. Canada Geese and American Black Ducks were numerous, with most of the Geese sleeping in the lee of a small cliff. Most of the birds seen out on the head were at a feeder on private property.

Earlier in the fall, we noticed that several crab apple trees had a bumper crop. Because of deep snow and ice on the dirt road, we were unable to go to Cox Head to look for Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings who love this fruit. Today was the first time this winter that we ventured out there and the crab apple trees were bare.

Our third and final stop was Parker Head, which is along the shores of the Kennebec River approximately 10 miles south of Bath. This location was a little more interesting. Just north of the old dam, 46 Bufflehead were counted. The males were displaying and chasing after females.

Less than 100 yards north of this location were 21 Red-breasted Merganser. Like the Buffleheads, the male Mergansers were displaying and chasing the females. It’s comical watching these displays. It’s like a game to see who gets a female, “I can spin around faster than you!” or “I can scoot across this river faster than any of ya!” and “”Let’s see you tip your head back as far as I can.” The females seemed like they wanted nothing of this displaying yet. They were busy diving for food.

Our total number of species from these three locations were 33. I really expected more for these three birding hotspots in our county. There may have been several reasons for the low numbers, one of which was that the tide was very low. Although a low tide has nothing to do with songbirds and the like.

Tomorrow is forecasted to be cloudy with snow showers. We will probably just hang out at home, count yard birds and make something tasty in the crockpot. I will post today’s and tomorrows yard bird results sometime Sunday afternoon.

Blue Jay | Click for larger view

Camera: Canon 40D
Lens: Canon 100-400mm IS L
Photos from our yard during day 2 of the 2009 GBBC

Here are our results for day 2 of the 2009 GBBC:

Locality: 04562, Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County, ME
Ft. Popham / Atkins Bay
Observation Date: FEB 14, 2009
Start Time: 8:30 AM
Total Birding Time: 30 minutes
Party Size: 2
Skill: excellent
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: 2 – 4 in (5.1 – 10.2 cm)
Habitat(s):
rural
salt water
Number of Species: 9
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Canada Goose – 16
American Black Duck – 5
Common Eider – 4
White-winged Scoter – 2
Long-tailed Duck – 2
Bufflehead – 4
Rock Pigeon – 8
American Crow – 6
Fish Crow – 1

Locality: 04562, Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County, ME
Cox Head
Observation Date: FEB 14, 2009
Start Time: 9:15 AM
Total Birding Time: 30 minutes
Party Size: 2
Skill: excellent
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: 2 – 4 in (5.1 – 10.2 cm)
Habitat(s):
rural
salt water
Number of Species: 12
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Canada Goose – 22
American Black Duck – 11
White-winged Scoter – 2
Mourning Dove – 4
Downy Woodpecker – 1
Blue Jay – 6
American Crow – 11
European Starling – 6
Song Sparrow – 2
Northern Cardinal – 3
Pine Siskin – 2
American Goldfinch – 2

Locality: 04562, Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County, ME
Parker Head
Observation Date: FEB 14, 2009
Start Time: 9:45 AM
Total Birding Time: 15 minutes
Party Size: 2
Skill: excellent
Weather: excellent
Snow Depth: 4 – 6 in (10.2 – 15.2 cm)
Habitat(s):
deciduous woods
coniferous woods
rural
freshwater
salt water
Number of Species: 15
All Reported: yes
Checklist:
Canada Goose – 30
American Black Duck – 7
Bufflehead – 46
Red-breasted Merganser – 21
Mourning Dove – 12
Downy Woodpecker – 1
Blue Jay – 10
Black-capped Chickadee – 2
White-breasted Nuthatch – 1
American Tree Sparrow – 2
Song Sparrow – 3
Dark-eyed Junco – 6
Northern Cardinal – 2
House Finch – 2
American Goldfinch – 8

Happy birding!

©2012 Birding in Maine. All Rights Reserved.

Related posts:

1. Photo of the Day: American Robin