Maine Outdoor Journal

With a couple more fresh, fluffy inches on the ground this morning (and more light snow continuing through the afternoon), I FINALLY got out on my new cross-country skies for a short outing at Old Townhouse Park. With errands to run in Portland, I first made a detour out to Capisic Pond Park in search of frugivores. I was not disappointed. In fact, I swept the roster of winter frugivores in Maine: 150+ American Robins, 35+ Cedar Waxwings, 8 Bohemian Waxwings, 6 European Starlings, 2 Northern Mockingbirds, and 2 Pine Grosbeaks. Then, while walking around downtown Portland, I noticed there were still a lot of crabapples around One Portland Square. 6 American Robins were present, along with two overwintering White-throated Sparrows. However, when I walked by again an hour later, the trees were swarming with another 150+ American Robins and at least 100 Cedar Waxwings. So, it looks like the big mid-winter flocks of Robins - arriving from point north, west, and east - are now upon us. I'm seeing a lot more in the past weeks, and the sightings reports are flooding into the store. Many of these birds are noticeably darker red below and blacker above. These birds are likely from the Canadian Maritimes, especially Newfoundland. At least when we see an entire flock of such richly-colored birds we can assume that they are from here (as opposed to just individual variation and sexual dimorphism). And yes, it is normal to see robins in the winter in Maine. 100 years ago it may not have been, but today's warmer climate has helped them survive farther north. However, the bigger impact is our plantings - there are a lot more fruit sources, especially apples, crabapples, European Mountain Ash, plus some invasive species now then there may have ever been, producing a whole lot of food for these familiar birds. But, they aren't as familiar as you may think - these are not the birds that spent the summer on our lawns our nesting under the porch. Instead, these are birds that have in fact flown south for the winter - Maine is quite a bit farther south than Labrador, afterall. So, I'm sorry to have to say that the recent robin arrivals are not a sign of spring (in fact, the opposite, really). We'll just have to patiently wait for the first true migrants of spring: Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles and/or a vanguard Turkey Vulture, which - weather permitting - can arrive as early as the end of February. And yes, the robins with us now are doing just fine. Flocks will descend on food sources, clean them up - literally a single crabapples will be tough to find when a big flock gorges on a single tree - and then move on. However, both you and I are only too happy to help out. Just like our winter seed-eaters, feeders can be an excellent supplement to natural food sources. While robins rarely, if ever, take seed (when desperate, they will occasionally consumer hulled sunflower), they can be enticed to stick around our yards a little longer with offerings of dried and fresh fruit, live and dried mealworms, and sometimes suet. Customers of our store have discovered robins have a particular affinity for these berry-infused suet pellets that we carry. We can't keep them in stock of late, as flock after flock is descending on yard after yard. Personally, I'm taking the time to carefully sift through each and every flock. Not just for the sheer enjoyment of it, but also for the hopes - however remote - of discovering something like a Fieldfare, Redwing, or Song Thrush! (Uh-oh, a mid-winter case of Rarity Fever!?) And, finally, this from the American Bird Conservancy: This Sunday, February 10, at 8pm EST, the award-winning PBS series "Nature" will feature migratory Red Knots and the horseshoe crab. Crash: A Tale of Two Species examines the amazing relationship between these two threatened species; check local listings