Northern Maine Birds: Northern Cardinal irruption

Bill Sheehan

unread,

Nov 21, 2020, 9:07:14 AM11/21/20

to Maine birds

I have been enjoying the reports of PIne and Evening Grosbeaks well south of their usual winter range this year. Numbers of both of these species have recently been above normal and well-distributed here in the northern part of the state as well.

I wanted to note that there also appears to be a large influx of Northern Cardinals into the northern part of the state this fall. Cardinal overwinter in this area annually, but are typically seen in low numbers and usually reported primarily at intown locations. This year cardinals started being reported across southern Aroostook and northern Penobscot counties in late October. Numbers have been building since with many birders reporting multiple birds at their feeders as far north as Caribou. Two females and a male at my feeders make a high count in the 30 years I've lived here.

Redpoll flocks are abundant in the woods and fields, but these haven't been visiting any feeders yet (that I have heard). Both flavors of nuthatches also seem to be numerous this fall.

I have gotten a couple reports of Snowy Owls locally but they seem to have been passing through and were not relocated.

Northern Shrikes and Bohemian Waxwings are being seen in typical numbers for the season thus far.

Good Birding!

Bill

--

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

Rich MacDonald

unread,

Nov 21, 2020, 1:05:22 PM11/21/20

to Bill Sheehan, Maine birds

I saw in interesting eBird graphic of cardinals all the way up the Gaspé Peninsula. There were even a few reports along the north shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence nearly up to Labrador!

Richard MacDonald

The Natural History Center

P.O. Box 6

Bar Harbor, Maine 04609

207/266-9461

Ri...@TheNaturalHistoryCenter.com

www.TheNaturalHistoryCenter.com

www.facebook.com/TheNaturalHistoryCenter

--
Maine birds mailing list
maine...@googlegroups.com
http://groups.google.com/group/maine-birds
https://sites.google.com/site/birding207
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maine birds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to maine-birds...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/maine-birds/CAK%3D1hwqxf_KuXm2NvTPyaqrvizDvJF-xv3vTX2s2HeNKhN2%2BpA%40mail.gmail.com.