hen King Eider in Portland; Red-shouldered in Cumberland

[Peter Vickery]

We saw the hen King Eider from the Portland Fish Pier at midday. It was swimming close to the piers and boats and was the only duck present for a while. This is an exceptional opportunity to closely study female Kings, and well worth the effort (which is minimal). As we all know, most eider flocks are more distant and close familiarity with these hens makes it easier to identify more distant females.

Bright adult Red-shoudered Hawk along interstate in Cumberland. Seems like I’ve seen them along this stretch in previous winters as well.

Best, Peter