Heading south on Friday of last week, I could not resist some quality time with the continuing King Eider on the Kittery Waterfront!

I enjoyed a weekend in Rhode Island thanks to being invited to lead a walk and speak at the Annual Meeting of the Ocean State Bird Club. Thanks to everyone there for the invitation and the great turnout! My bird of the weekend were these three continuing “Black” Brant in Providence that Jess Bishop and I caught up with on the 12^th before I headed north.

Meanwhile, here in Maine, the migratory floodgates (and not just for birds!) really began to open with the warm weekend weather and conducive winds, at least to start the week. Here are my observations of note over the past 8 days (5.5 of which were in Maine):

• 1 continuing drake KING EIDER, Oak Terrace overlook, Kittery, 4/10 (photos above).

• I spent some time watching the Rock Row, Westbrook Peregrine Falcon nest on the 13^th – much better than sitting in the waiting room of a car service center!

• Not directly bird-related, but Jeannette and I enjoyed a productive “Big Night” in Durham on the evening of 4/14, highlighted as usual by Blue-spotted and Spotted Salamanders.

• BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS continue to be a highlight this week – they are always a highlight for me! – around the area. About 100 on Stonewood Drive in Freeport on the 17^th was my high count this week, with 35-40 here at the store at the same time. 2 were with 20 Cedars at the Walgreens on Route 1/9 in Scarborough earlier that morning. Some have been around the Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch on and off this week, and a flock of 24-30 in our property in Durham was our 156^th Yard Bird!

• 4 breeding-plumaged (FOY) Dunlin, 4 Greater with 23 Lesser Scaup, and hundreds of Black and White-winged Scoters, etc, Pine Point, Scarborough, 4/17.

My other personal “first of years” (aka “FOYs”) in Maine this week included:

• 1 Broad-winged Hawk, Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 4/13.
• 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, our property in Durham, 4/14.
• 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/15.
• 1 Barn Swallow, Florida Lake Park, 4/15.
• 1 Brown Thrasher, our property in Durham, 4/16.
• 1 Field Sparrow, Cedar Pond Road, Durham, 4/16.
• 4 Black-bellied Plovers, Pine Point, Scarborough, 4/17.
• 1 drake Blue-winged Teal, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 4/17.
• 130+ Glossy Ibis, total in Scarborough Marsh, 4/17 (unfortunately more than half were too distant to sort through).
• 15 Snowy Egrets, total in Scarborough Marsh, 4/17.
• 17 Greater Yellowlegs, total in Scarborough Marsh, 4/17.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch is Going Strong!

The 20^th year of the project began on March 15th. The quickest and clearest way to view daily reports is by clicking on the Hawkcount link contained here. Meanwhile, we will continue to post weekly summaries on the News Page of our website. Here’s the Week 4 report.

Upcoming Tours.

Birds on Tap – Roadtrip: Hawks and Hops!

***THIS SUNDAY – April 19, 2026; 9:00am – 3:00pm -Will likely be postponed until 4/26 due to weather. Please let us know if you are interested in the new date, and there are a couple of spaces open for this Sunday if the forecast improves***

Portland Explorer (formerly Maine Brew Bus) and Freeport Wild Bird Supply are excited to continue our collaboration for 3 very special outings in 2026. 

These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with visits to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite local breweries. These tours are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to travel with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). Seasonal birding hotspots and great local beer – a perfect combination, and we’ll even do all of the driving!

This brand-new itinerary takes us to the Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch at Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal in the peak of northbound raptor migration. Now in its 20th year, this research project by Freeport Wild Bird Supply tallies an average of 4,180 migrating birds of prey each spring from the summit!

After a gentle 1-mile climb through the woods, looking and listening for migrant and resident songbirds, we’ll arrive at the summit and join the project’s Official Counter. Derek will discuss the history and methodology of the project, as the counter points out migrating raptors. Derek will lead us through the basics of hawk identification to give us a hawkwatch primer, and then if the migration action allows, we’ll sit back and enjoy the show until it is time to depart (the walk down is a steep ¼ of a mile on a wide, well-worn trail with rocks and roots and some steps; hiking sticks are suggested if you use them). This is the only Hawkwatch Workshop program that FWBS will be offering this year, so this is a tour you won’t want to miss!

After about 3 hours of birding, we will be transported to two of our great local producers to sample their offerings and learn their styles. Our brewery destinations are subject to change, but the current plan is to visit Maine Beer Company and Goodfire Brewing.