Northern Maine Birds: Cackling Geese, Greater White-fronted Goose, Sandhill Cranes, Great Cormorant

[Bill Sheehan]

We had a remarkably rapid and voluminous influx of Canada Geese here in northern Maine in the past few days.  

After the rain, I got out to check on a few of the bigger flocks in the late AM.  There were a pair of Cackling Geese at the mill pond in downtown Limestone and a Cackling and an adult Greater White-fronted Goose at Lake Josephine in Easton.  These were earliest fall records for me by five days.

Trafton Lake had 2000+ geese but all appeared to be Canadas.  A Horned Grebe, a juvie Great Cormorant, a Rusty Blackbird and a small flock of Greater Scaup were good treats here though.  I also had small flocks of Greater Scaup on the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfield and at Lake Jo.  Rare inland, a couple of young Surf Scoters and a pair of Buffleheads were also at Lake Jo.

I received two reports of Sandhill Cranes in the county on Friday.  A goose hunter reported that one flew over a field in Washburn and four were seen in Bridgewater.  Specifics on both of these reports were lacking.

Good birding

Bill

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Bill Sheehan
Woodland, Aroostook Co., Maine
http://northernmainebirds.blogspot.com/