All the ways Maine is wicked good
House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) were initially regarded with some rancor by many New England birders; the House finch is an invasive species. As a kid in New Hampshire, we had Purple finches and Red polls as reliable feeder visitors; I saw my first House finch in Southern California, and became familiar with House finches in Puget Sound.
I hear woodpeckers drumming quite a lot, Harry woodpeckers, Downy woodpeckers, and sometimes, Pileated woodpeckers. They all sound a little different, but sometimes, I can’t tell which is which. Today I saw a Downy woodpecker, first on the suet, then, on the finch feeder.
The little red dot marks it as a male. The slightly smaller size, the white bars on the shoulders mark it as a Downy woodpecker instead of the larger Harry woodpecker.
Starting tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday, and bringing snow and wind from about noon Wednesday to late Thursday. I’m smack-dab-in-the-middle of coastal Maine and the 12” to 18” inches.
