My wet and stormy Maine winter birding trip [View all]

[jpak]

Last edited Sat Feb 16, 2019, 10:52 AM - Edit history (1)

After visiting elderly relatives in Portland, we went to the usual birding hotspots on the southern Maine coast.

Usually - by bad luck - we go on the coldest windiest day of the winter.

Not this time - we encountered pouring windblown rain and angry stormy seas and surf.

All the coastal ponds and salt marshes were frozen solid - I have never seen them like that.

But we did find some birds (all pics from Google Images)

Common Loons - and lots of them



And a big surprise - 7 red-throated loons (an arctic species)



And another surprise - lots of Barrow's Goldeneyes...



and common goldeneyes



Eared grebes



Red-breasted mergansers



Common eiders



Long-tailed ducks - and lots for inshore waters..



Black ducks



Canada geese



Cooper's hawk



Red tailed hawk



Three huge tom turkeys



And a very large coyote on the side of I-95