Vibe Spring2025 - Flipbook - Page 50
What can you do to help?
Use native plants that provide seeds, fruits,
and buds; support insects like caterpillars
that birds eat; offer places for birds to build
nests and find cover; and help maintain and
recreate food webs and ecological systems
that birds depend on.
Chalie Nims photo
Chalie Nims photo
Courtesy photo
Drink shade-grown coffee that aids water and
soil conservation, provides habitat for birds,
reduces deforestation, improves pollination,
and allows birds to feed on the natural pests.
Jeannette Lovitch/Freeport Wild Bird Supply
Freeport Wild Bird Supply
LOCAL HISTORICAL RARITIES
TOP: Years ago, this Black Vulture (dubbed “DD” by locals) became a somewhat common site at Dunkin’
in Intervale. BOTTOM LEFT: This Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was spotted around the North-South Road in
2010. BOTTOM RIGHT: This Northern Hawk-Owl, spotted in Fryeburg in 2015, is named for its hawk-like
appearance and is diurnal, meaning that they hunt primarily during the day.
lina Wren. Seeing them here is not only
exciting, but also important to report
for ongoing research on the impact of
climate change.
Even more thrilling is when a bird is
sighted outside of its normal migration
route or breeding area, and therefore
considered a “rarity” or “vagrant.” A
recent example occurred in March,
2017, when a Black Vulture (affectionately named “DD”), was observed by
many regional birders as it fed from the
dumpster at Dunkin’ in Bartlett. Most
famous, and even making the Conway
Daily Sun, was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, normally seen in southern U.S. states,
that spent a couple of days feeding
on insects along North-South Road in
North Conway in May 2010.
A final intriguing category of birds
is what is referred to as “irruptives,”
birds that suddenly appear in large
numbers in a specific area, most often
seeking their preferred food source.
The MWV is a prime destination for
many irruptives, including seed-eating
finches, such as Evening Grosbeaks,
Red-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Siskins,
Common Redpolls, and Purple Finch50
es; fruit and berry eaters such as
Cedar and Bohemian Waxwings, Pine
Grosbeaks, and American Robins—this
past winter’s notable irruption; and
rodent-eating raptors such as Northern Goshawks, Snowy Owls, and even
Northern Hawk-Owls, like the one seen
in Fryeburg, ME in November, 2015.
Don’t be Shy!
Whether a first-time or regular visitor
or a MWV local, you already know this is
a special area for many reasons, including its beautiful landscapes, flora, and
fauna. Appreciation of nature, as well as
of birds, comes in many forms, so keep
exploring and learning! Try out the great
local and technological birding resources
available. And if you see people looking
in a tree or field through binoculars,
don’t hesitate to stop and ask what they
are looking at … who knows, it may just
be the next mega-rarity!
Helpful references:
www.tinmountain.org
www.nhaudubon.org
www.ebird.org
www.merlin.allaboutbirds.org
Avoid pesticides that contaminate natural
bird food (e.g., owls and hawks eating poisoned rodents), natural bird habitats, and
bird reproductive systems.
Make windows safer by using inexpensive
decals or translucent dots to reduce the risk of
collision deaths and injuries.
Keep cats indoors to reduce what is shockingly the number-one direct, human-caused
threat to birds in the United States—
approximately 2.4 billion birds are killed
every year by domestic outdoor cats.
Last but not least, participate in citizen/community science that enhances regional and
global understanding of the
distribution, abundance,
and movements of bird species, to identify bird species
in need of conservation.
Scan for more information.
MWVvibe.com / @mwvvibe
