Backyard Boreals 2007  

On Saturday, April 7, 2007, Bob and Sandi Duchesne led adventurers off on a search of boreal bird species surprisingly close to Bangor. Good spruce/bog habitat exists in Milford's Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The County Road and Stud Mill Road navigate the borders of the refuge and boreal species such as Gray Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse and others may be found next to the road. Ten enterprising birders easily located a dozen Gray Jays, plus a handful of Boreal Chickadees. Recently returned American Woodcocks displayed their resilience by finding the muddy edges of melting snowbanks and they were amazingly easy to see during the trip. Many White-winged and Red Crossbills were viewed at very close range, joined by Pine Siskins and Purple Finches picking gravel from the road.

Sunkhaze Meadows NWR group

Gray Jay

American Woodcock

American Woodcock

Woodcock Peekaboo in snow

White-winged Crossbills

Red Crossbills picking gravel out of road

Stud Mill Road