Wow! What a week! Although I was out of town for the huge flight Friday night into Saturday morning, my birding with a tour group on an almost-as-productive Sunday morning made up for it. Then, with an upper level low locked into place, migration ground to a halt throughout most of the rest of the week. However, a trickle of new arrivals appeared, and an impressive array of rarities were found around the state. I did a lot more chasing than usual this week (including a personal “state bird”, but a self-found rarity on Friday was a perfect way to put the icing on the cake of a tremendous week of spring birding! My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

• 15 species of warblers (FOY) between Evergreen Cemetery and Capsic Pond Park, with Northern Parula the most numerous at both, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).

• 1 ROSS’S GOOSE, Thornhurst Farm/Prince Well Road, North Yarmouth, 5/5. Found by the Boardman family, there was discussion as to its ID. When I was sent photos on the morning of the 5/5, after being present for at least 3 days, I thought it was a “pure” Ross’s Goose. When Jeannette and I then visited the bird to observe it, we left with zero doubt. I posted a series of photos, a short video, and an explanation of the identification on this Facebook post.

• 2-3 Louisiana Waterthrushes, Suckfish Brook Conservation Area, Falmouth, 5/5 (with Jeannette).

• 1 female CERULEAN WARBLER, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson). Found earlier in the morning by Doug Hitchcox. Bill and I ran into each other on Eastern Road and then raced north together for the twitch. His photo is above. My (and most peoples’) first in Maine, this was #11 on my personal next birds in Maine list, and one that feels long overdue.

• 1 continuing BLACK-NECKED STILT, Spurwink Marsh, Cape Elizabeth, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson). Well, since we were out chasing together, we figured we might as well visit this elegant rarity found by John Lorence on 5/3.

• The continuing CERULEAN WARBLER at Evergreen Cemetery on 5/8 with my Birds on Tap – Roadtrip: Warblers and Wort! Tour group. I don’t generally take photos while guiding groups, but I took a few of this bird…and completely wiffed on them!

• After all this “twitching,” I was due to find my own rarity, and did so on 5/9 with an adult breeding plumage female RUFF (REEVE) at Walsh Preserve in Freeport. There are only about 10 previous records for Maine.

My personal “first of years” this week also included:

• 2 Yellow Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 8 Black-throated Blue Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 2 Wood Thrushes, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 3 Magnolia Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 4 Chestnut-sided Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 2 Great-crested Flycatchers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 2 American Redstarts, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 2 Northern Waterthrushes, Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 7 Chimney Swifts, Capisic Pond Park, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
• 1 White-crowned Sparrow, feeders here at the store, 5/4.
• 2 Lincoln’s Sparrows, Suckfish Brook Conservation Area, Falmouth, 5/5 (with Jeannette).
• 1 Warbling Vireo, our yard in Durham, 5/5.
• 16 Willets, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 5/6.
• 18 Least Sandpipers, Eastern Road Trail, 5/6.
• 1 Eastern Kingbird, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson).
• 1 LITTLE BLUE HERON, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson).
• 1 Blackburnian Warbler, Rte 136 powerline cut, Durham, 5/7.
• 1 Wilson’s Warbler, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with Birds on Tap Roadtrip! tour group)
• 2 House Wrens, Capisic Pond Park, 5/8 (with Birds on Tap Roadtrip! tour group).
• 2 Blue-winged Teal, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 5/9.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch

The Week 7 report – in which we broke the all-time season record – can be found here.

Upcoming Tours (with space available):

Rangeley Birding Festival, June 5-8