Wildlife Watch
February 3 2026 – Folks, it’s been a real winter out here. One storm dumped 17 inches of fluff on us during that last storm. I’ve already put in 12 hours on the tractor snow bucketing since the first snowfall in December. Even hit negative 20 some mornings. But I’m still out before dawn, filling those feeders 45 feet from the house so the finches and chickadees can swarm in at first light.
The feeders have been hopping all month. Saw 28+ chickadees most days. That’s the usual amount, just day-to-day. Also had 28+ mourning doves until they disappeared on February 1st. Then 16+ goldfinches and 52+ evening grosbeaks. Blue jays? A whopping 58 of them are bossing everyone around. Though the woodpeckers and chickadees hold their own.
Had some special guests too. Two Canada jays on January 7th. They popped over to Jimmy’s (neighbor) the next day and then were gone. Three crows. A raven pasturing Jimmy for the last three days of the month. That was January 22, 24, 31. Eight turkeys. Woodpeckers galore. 4+ downy. 3+ hairy. And one pileated. Red squirrels? At least five regulars.
Three red-breasted nuthatches showed up starting this month. Right when the doves disappeared. Got two white-breasted nuthatches, too. Plus the usual ladybugs and house flies inside during thaws.
One bonus. Caught a meteor on January 24th at 5:15 a.m. Heading south, passing east of Leo. Keeps things interesting overhead while the birds keep me busy below.
Enjoy this LIVE YouTube feed of birds in Cornell’s Sapsucker Woods.
Meet Carson Hinkley
Carson Hinkley is a seventh-generation resident of the historic East Madrid settlement in Maine’s High Peaks, where he stewards the Perham Stream Birding Trail from the farmhouse where he grew up and still lives today.
A lifelong observer of the natural world, he shares detailed notes on the birds, mammals, and seasonal changes he witnesses through “Wildlife Watch with Carson,” a regular feature highlighting the rich biodiversity and daily rhythms of the Perham Stream landscape.
