Birding #1: Capisic Pond

For an early start on my 2026 resolution to make birding a more consistent hobby, I took a Sunday morning visit to Capisic Pond. It's a small, thin strip of pond and park around a quarter-mile long, just a short drive from home. The Maine Birding Trail guide (an Xmas gift from my wife) particularly recommends the spot for winter.

A great spot for birds, the park also provides a great walking trail for dog-owners; my arrival happened to coincide with that of a small group with more dogs than people. Fortunately, the trail splits early on with a quieter path that keeps towards the pond and brush.

The surroundings were alive with the sounds of birds; some overhead, but most seemed to come from the inaccessible bushes and trees across the water. My guess is that the birds choose to put up home there and keep safe from both man and dog. A handful of woodpeckers were less shy, with three of them working at a tree right next to where I began my stroll.

Continuing down the path, I thought I might be lucky to see some tiny birds hop through the bushes or snack on their sparse supply of berries. Instead, I caught myself glancing around repeatedly as little clumps of snow slipped off of the bushes' branches, a result of the clear sun overhead.

Deeper into the park, the pond turns into a marsh full of tall grass and cattails. The main trail also distances itself which must have made these birds feel more safe to come out.

Even farther, towards the other end of the park, some tall pine trees across the marsh were being frequented by what I believe are hawks? Two of them, plus more circling the sky in the distance. I plan to watch this spot again to see if it could be their home.

The most common birds (at least today) were cardinals and woodpeckers. Here are the others I identified:

• Downy Woodpecker, male
• Pine Warbler, female
• Northern Cardinal, male/female
• Northern Mockingbird
• some type of Sparrow

Overall, Capisic Pond was a great spot to hang around and peacefully watch for these birds - I'll definitely be back.