Counting birds -- winter specialties (Franklin and Kennebec Counties)

[Eric Hynes]

Hello Maine Birders,

I get a real kick out of serendipitously encountering wildlife when seeking wildlife is not my primary activity. The fresh snow was too tempting for me to do anything other than go skiing yesterday, so I drove up to Saddleback Mountain (Franklin County). As I passed by The Rangeley Lakes Trail Center on Saddleback Mountain Road, I flushed a Pine Grosbeak off the shoulder of the road.

After an awesome day of skiing, on my drive back south, I was fortunate to encounter a couple more bonus species. I was on Route 27 approaching downtown Farmington, when a giant ball of Bohemian Waxwings flew over the road in front of my car. I was tickled by that sighting but then I noticed a flock of birds in a tree behind Acme Land Surveying on the west side of the road. I turned around to confirm they were also Bohemian Waxwings and took a photo with my phone to note the time. When I got home I entered the photo into an eBird checklist. Flocks like this often surprise me in terms of total number so I decided to print the image. I took a marker and a clicker and counted each individual and crossed it out as I clicked. If you want to test your estimation skills, check out the image in the following checklist (linked below). I will send another email to Maine Birds in a day or two with the exact count. 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S296668977

My luck didn't end there. While passing through Belgrade (Kennebec County), I spotted a teed up Northern Shrike roadside. It was right along Route 27, where Sahagian Road heads off to the east.

Best,

Eric

.....................

Eric Hynes

(he/him/his)

Brunswick, ME