Daily Archives: May 30, 2025

This Week’s Highlights, 5/23-5/30/2025

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This Lark Sparrow – always a treat in spiffy spring plumage – was among the notable birds form a
stellar weekend on Monhegan.

Five days on Monhegan Friday the 23rd through Tuesday 5/27 yielded a total of 106 species, including 22 species of warblers. It was the best Memorial Day Weekend on the island in several years, and at times, it really felt like “the good ol’ days” with a flock of warblers in every tree. Back in the real world, I was mostly guiding for local breeding specialties, but did have a few observations of note. But mostly, of course, my highlights were from my time on the island.

  • 3 Blue-winged Teal, Weskeag Marsh, 5/23 (with Evan Obercian).

Monhegan Daily Highlights (full report coming soon).

5/23, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 12 HARLEQUIN DUCKS
  • 1 2nd/3rd Cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull

5/24, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 12 HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued
  • 1 LARK SPARROW (photo above)
  • 2 continuing “Eastern” Willets
  • 3 Atlantic Puffins
  • 1 Philadelphia Vireo (FOY)
  • 3 Cape May Warblers (FOY)
  • 18 species of warblers led by 55 American Redstarts, 50 Magnolia Warblers, and 25 Yellow Warblers

5/25, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 1 continuing SNOWY EGRET
  • 8-10 continuing HARLEQUIN DUCKS
  • 2 Alder Flycatchers (FOY)
  • 18 species of warblers led by 45 American Redstarts, 45 Magnolia Warblers, and 35 Blackpoll Warblers, but also including at least 10 Bay-breasted and 4 Cape May Warblers

5/26, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 2 Willow Flycatchers (FOY)
  • 1 Common Nighthawk
  • 17 species of warblers led by 55 Blackpoll Warblers, 45 Northern Parulas, and 40 each of Magnolia and American Redstart.

5/27, with Jeannette:

  • 1 continuing HARLEQUIN DUCK
  • 1 Mourning Warbler (FOY)
  • 1 Nelson’s Sparrow (FOY)
  • 1 Pine Warbler
  • 1 Long-tailed Duck
  • 1 Ovenbird (my 22nd species of warbler on the weekend)
  • 21 species of warblers led by 100 Blackpoll Warblers, 80 American Redstarts, and 70 Magnolia Warblers, but also including at least 15 Bay-breasted, 10 Tennessee, and 6 Cape May Warblers.
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (FOY), our property in Durham, 5/28.
  • 1 continuing male Lesser Scaup, Pine Point, Scarborough, 5/29 (with clients from Arkansas).

Upcoming Tours (with space available):

Rangeley Birding Festival, June 5-8.