Christmas bird count statistics

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The 113th Audubon Bird Count was held in the Dover-Foxcroft area on Tuesday, Dec. 31. The sky was clear all day. It was four degrees in the early morning, to 14 degrees in the afternoon. Snow cover was two feet, water frozen, partly open in small areas, wind speed zero.

    What was reported on Dec. 31 by the observers at feeders and in the field is as follows:
    Bald Eagle, 1, Coopers Hawk 1, Ruffed Grouse 2, Wild Turkey 27, Rock Pigeon 100, Mourning Dove 49, Barred Owl 1, Hairy Woodpeckers 8, Downy Woodpecker 7, Blue Jay 97, Common Raven 7, Common Crow 72,
    Black-Capped Chickadee 210, Tufted Titmouse 7, White-breasted Nuthatch 26, Red-breasted Nuthatch 14, Starlings 48, Cardinal 2, Pine Siskin 15, American Goldfinch 41, Eastern Towhee 1, Dark-eyed Junco 13, Tree Sparrow 41, Chipping Sparrow 8, Lapland Longspur 1, Snow Bunting 89, for a total of 26 species.
    Observers in the field were: Charles and Mary Dorchester and Kate Weatherby. Feeder watchers were James and Linda Anderson, Joan Clark, Ruth French, Verne and Lou Gray, Aileen Hall, Jeannette Hughes, Edith Hussey, Debbie Lander, Mary Rideout, Gale Robinson, Ellen Tucker and Priscilla Tucker.
    Thanks to all who helped watching feeders and covering the count area watching the fields, trees and sky.
    One person’s comment regarding the eagles. For the last week or so eagles have been scarce, but her kids were ice fishing and when cleaning the fish caught at the pond, they threw away the fish entrails, and an eagle was there almost before the entrails hit the ice. She also said that ice fisherman throw sunfish, etc. to the eagles. So the eagles may be hanging out at the local frozen ponds waiting for the ice fisherman.