Northern Maine Birds: NO Barnacle Geese at Collins Pond

[Bill Sheehan]

Birders from Oregon and Michigan spent the day at Collins Pond in Caribou with no luck sighting the Barnacle Geese on Saturday.  The large midday concentration of waterfowl did not occur. This absence is probably due to the rainy conditions (which allows the geese to drink at the fields where they feed) rather than any exodus of the flocks from the area. 

Geese did return to the pond in the evening, but it was too dark/rainy to ID to species.

The Cackling Goose was seen here early on Saturday.

Five species of gulls including 5 Lesser Black-backed and a juvenile Iceland Gull were present later in the day.  A late-for-northern-Maine Belted Kingfisher was also spotted around noon. A few shorebirds were reported, including Wilson's Snipe, Pectoral Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs. A young Lincoln's Sparrow was the only other bird of note here.

I expect the conditions to remain the same for a couple days, at least, before dependable midday goose flocks reappear at Collins Pond.

Bill

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