I just had a Carolina Wren at my suet feeder

[jpak]

A Carolina Wren in central Maine in December?

And this is not evidence of global warming?

[WhiteTara]

1. Oh my, I thought "we have many"

at our feeders all the time. I'm not seeing any unusual birds here. Fewer regulars than last year.

[2naSalit]

2. Over here

in Montana @ roughly 5500ft, there is no snow, has been only a few inches at times, mostly in October. Been above freezing most nights this month and highs in the 40s and 50s. Bird migrations have been strange all this season.

[jpak]

3. We have lots of "Southern Birds" here in Maine now

There's a mockingbird that hangs out at the local McDonalds.

I have winter resident Cardinals and Tufted Titmice at my feeder right now.

and Red Bellied Woodpeckers in the neighborhood

Turkey vultures everywhere

Laughing gulls on the Maine coast.

None of which were in Maine when I was a kid.

[2naSalit]

5. I spent most of my choldhood in Maine and

I never heard of or saw any of those there, and I was really into watching the birds. I saw a couple birds that I couldn't identify the past couple years in my area, granted we're in a major flyway but still.

And Cardinals and Turkey Vultures in Maine? Wow. I never saw a Turkey Vulture until I went to the desert SW!

[csziggy]

14. There is even a great black hawk in Maine right now!

This is extraordinary!

How a great black hawk became a Maine celebrity
By Bob Duchesne, Special to the BDN • December 13, 2018 12:00 pm
Updated: December 13, 2018 12:30 pm

Not all who wander are lost. There is a great black hawk in Portland that has become quite famous — but only he knows if he left Mexico because our squirrels taste better.

The great black hawk is a native of Central and South America. Until now, you could say it never, ever leaves its tropical home. But this one did. It appears to be the same bird that was spotted on South Padre Island in Texas last spring. It’s a young bird with a distinct plumage characteristic that is identical in photos taken there and here. Somehow, it journeyed all the way to Maine, where it was first spotted in Biddeford last August.

It disappeared for a while and then astonished birders again by popping up a couple of weeks ago. It was rediscovered in Portland’s Deering Oaks Park at the end of November, where it seemed to be doing pretty well, feasting on gray squirrels. He was sitting quietly in a tree when I first saw him, and there was a squirrel working its way through the bare branches just two trees behind it. Apparently our squirrels are tasty and stupid.

More: https://bangordailynews.com/2018/12/13/outdoors/how-a-great-black-hawk-became-a-maine-celebrity/

[jpak]

15. Checked it off after Thanksgiving - and it's still in downtown Portland Maine

Everyone is rooting for it.

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Wow,you are living Climate Change in real time.

Your area should have twenty inches of snow on the flat at this time of year.

Here in Vegas,we have had only one night where the temp was under 32 degrees,should have had at 5 or 6 by this time of year. Over night low tempts are running 4-8 degrees above norms. Daytime highs are pushing the same above Average.

As far Migratory Birds,not so many,as many have stated,looks like the migration patterns are in major change. Usually our lawn is loaded with Robins this time of year.

[2naSalit]

6. Today there are grassfire danger warnings!

The wind has been blowing for a couple weeks with only a couple days without strong winds haven't seen snow for over a week, there's snow above 7000ft, I can see it on the mountains but none outside my door.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Scary isn't it.

Hopefully you folks get a taste of this next storm just now coming ashore in Washington.

[2naSalit]

8. Sounds like we're supposed to see something

the next few days but I wonder how much snow we'll get and how long it will stick around.

[Wellstone ruled]

9. Used to dread the trip

to Billings and Bozeman for the Holidays. Usually one major snow storm. Thanks for the 4 wd Toyota.

[2naSalit]

10. Ha!

I know that route better than you might know! And funny you should mention 4wd Toyotas, I have one, they're kind of mandatory if you don't have a Subaru. I try to avoid driving in storms anymore, I try to plan ahead which is easy since I live far from a big enough town to get groceries I can afford.

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Oh boy,

When we did the 15 run to 90-94,you just knew you would hit the ugly South of Twin Falls,when we did the 94 coming from the east,you knew Bismark and Mandan could be the Ugly.

[2naSalit]

12. Yup

I ran all of these roads in semis a long time ago, some large parts of the Interstate system were not yet complete when I started out. Did plenty of "skating" out in the middle of nowhere.

[Wellstone ruled]

13. Especially with the frozen whippers

smacking away. You pull off to beat the suckers clean fearing some idiot would come in the back door.