This morning I drove slowly along Upper Road in Turner, There was a big flock of horned larks at Brigeen Farms at 278 Upper Rd in Turner, flying around from bare spots in the fields to manure piles covered in tires. Further down the road you can turn left at Pearl Rd. Just 10 or 20 yards past the intersection on Pearl Rd there is an area on the left that is often windblown. I saw a small flock of horned larks there too. Both are pretty reliable spots. Past years I have also seen snow buntings and rarely a lapland longspur in the flock. Danny
-- Loring M. Danforth Charles A. Dana Professor of Anthropology Emeritus 446 College St. Lewiston, ME 04240
Date: 1/30/26 11:34 am From: LNO/MWA <marka...> Subject: [Maine-birds] Grosbeak in Holden at Last
We have envied those around Maine reporting Grosbeak. Today we had half a dozen Evening Grosbeak that flew in to the feeders with a flock of Goldfinch. It was twenty years ago when we last saw the Grosbeak here.
Date: 1/28/26 11:01 am From: Eric Hynes <erichynes28...> Subject: [Maine-birds] Counting birds -- winter specialties (Franklin and Kennebec Counties)
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.
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
