Doug Hitchcox, proper, Maine Audubon’s workers naturalist, friends skyward just lately firstly of a weekly bird-watching walk at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth. Andree Kehn / Sun Journal
Bundled-up birdwatchers armed with binoculars, cameras, subject guides and notepads will flock exterior subsequent month for the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Seven swamp sparrows, greater than normal, had been noticed within the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. Contributed / Maine Audubon Society
The Maine Audubon Society is providing a free “Birding Basics” course on-line to assist educate all ranges of birders to allow them to higher take part within the worldwide occasion.
The fowl rely helps “scientists better understand and protect birds around the world,” in keeping with birdcount.org. The four-day occasion runs Feb. 16-19.
Birdwatchers are inspired to choose one location and stay in it for quarter-hour of remark, then report their findings on-line.
Locally, birders also can take part within the rely from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 17 in the course of the Winter Carnival at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm in Falmouth.
There may very well be some surprises in retailer, in keeping with Doug Hitchcox, Maine Audubon’s workers naturalist.
Yellow-bellied sapsuckers normally depart Maine within the winter for hotter climates, however seven had been noticed throughout a fowl rely that ended Jan. 5. Contributed / Maine Audubon Society
Mild temperatures this winter and an plentiful meals provide have saved some birds round that normally spend winter in hotter climates. Seven swamp sparrows and 7 yellow-bellied sapsuckers had been noticed in the course of the organization’s forty fourth Christmas Bird Count in Greater Portland that ended Jan. 5.
“It definitely affected some of these counts,” Hitchcox stated.
Usually one or two swamp sparrows are noticed within the space in the course of the Christmas rely and most years only one sapsucker is seen, though three had been reported a 12 months in the past. Counters reported seeing 65 Carolina wrens, up from 26 a 12 months in the past with a earlier excessive of 39, simply in Portland.
An ideal egret, a summer time fowl right here, was seen in the course of the recent rely in Casco Bay.
“Almost unbelievable,” Hitchcox stated.
Great Backyard Bird Counters this 12 months may even make a uncommon sighting just like the tufted duck that discovered the Presumpscot River in Westbrook to its liking a number of years again. It grew to become an actual celeb, attracting birders from afar.
“The ducks breed across Eurasia from Iceland and the British Isles east across Russia and Siberia to the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Commander Islands. There are no breeding records of tufted ducks in North America. The ducks regularly visit western Alaska and rarely along the East Coast,” the American Journal reported in 2009.
Maine Audubon gives its free on-line Birding Basics course at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays by March 19. Each week contains a totally different subject like attracting birds to your yard Tuesday, Jan. 23; fowl conduct, Jan. 30; seagulls, Feb. 6; and birds in love, Feb. 13 for Valentine’s Day. Maine Audubon additionally gives guided fowl walks at Gilsland Farm.
For extra info on the fundamentals course, the fowl walks and the Winter Carnival, go to maineaudubon.org, name 781-2330 or electronic mail [email protected].
For details about how you can take part within the Great Backyard Bird Count and how you can report sightings, go to birdcount.org/participate.
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