Purple Finch, Kennebunk Plains WMA, Maine

The other day when I was at Day Brook Pond on the Kennebunk Plains Wildlife Management Area there was a small flock of Purple Finches…at least 2 males and half a dozen females. Their singing caught my ear from half way around the pond, and I tracked them down and even got a few pics…not great pics…but Purple Finch is actually a good bird for York County. Range maps show the Purple Finch as a breeding species in all of Maine, but ebird has no sightings at all for Southern Maine. The nearest are down in Massachusetts at Plum Island (Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, and well north of Portland. So…a good bird. I suspect it is actally just under-reported, as opposed to absent, since I have seen them at least a few times at my feeders as well. I will certainly be looking for them this summer around the pond.

Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent. Program mode. +1 EV to overcome backlight. Processed in Polarr.