We had a nice walk this morning looking for ducks at Sabattus Pond.
Fifteen people attended so we had a big group. The weather was not bad
… no rain and no wind, but also no sun (and no glare off the water),
but in my opinion relatively few birds. There were lots of ducks, an
estimated 500 Ruddy Ducks and many others but not in the numbers we have
seen other years, or maybe they were just scattered around the pond as
it was quite calm. We did the normal Long Beach / Riley Road / Access
Road loop, then Martin’s Point and the Veterans area along the river. But
we detoured to No Name Pond as well … no ducks but near 100 Canada Geese.
Birds seen and heard (H):
Canada Goose
Gadwall – 2
American Widgeon – 3
Malllard – 50++
American Black Duck – 40
Northern Pintail – 1 male
Green-winged Teal – 3?
Ring-necked Duck – few
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead – 10
Hooded Merganzer – 10 (most far)
Common Merganzer
Ruddy Duck – 500
Mourning Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Loon – 1
Great Blue Heron – 1
Turkey Vulture – 2 (as we left)
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (H)
Blue Jay – 12+
American Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
American Robin – 10, most at “antique” shop
European Startling
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow – 1
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Common Grackle – 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler – 2
Stan DeOorsey