Eight great days of birding, including three days on Monhegan, yielded the following highlights:

• 9/13-9/15: Monhegan Island with Down East Adventures “Migration Workshop” tour group. Brief trip report here. Some of the most noteworthy observations included:

• 17 species warblers total.
• Cape May Warblers dominated the morning on 9/14, including 3 of every 5 birds in Morning Flight and dozens in trees afterwards. Plenty on 9/13 and 9/15, but most of the arriving birds on the 14^th seemed to depart for the mainland.
• The usual “uncommon” migrants like Rusty Blackbird (2 on 9/14), Philadelphia Vireo (high count of 2-3 on 9/14).
• 1 first cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull, 9/13.
• 1 LARK SPARROW, 9/14.
• 1 fly-by Whimbrel, one probable Clay-colored Sparrow (seen too briefly), and 1 immature COOPER’S HAWK (very rare on offshore islands), 9/15.

• 1-2 American Pipits (first of fall locally) and 1 hen Northern Pintail, etc, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 9/18.

• Meanwhile, I’ve once again spent most of my mornings when home birding our Durham property, which was productive. An impressive 60-80 American Goldfinches continue, while an impressive array of migrants continue. On several mornings this week, I had plans to go elsewhere but then never left the yard. A few of the highlights included continuing single Indigo Bunting and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 1 Ovenbird, 1 Blackburnian Warbler on 9/16, 6 Common Nighthawks (getting late) at dusk on 9/16, and a nice mix of migrants on the 18^th that included 1-2 Philadelphia Vireos and the arrival of more sparrows.

The highlight though was the female-type LAWRENCE’S WARBLER (2^nd generation Golden-winged x Blue-winged Warbler hybrid) that popped up on the 18^th. After a short but perfect view, I ran for a camera and could not relocate it despite much searching.