The state’s 4th or 5th Virginia’s Warbler – and the first away from Monhegan – was one of the rarest birds of the year in Maine, and it was even more special for me since I found it on Peak’s Island in November!
It’s once again time for my annual Predictions Blog, where I view into my crystal binoculars and attempt to forecast some of the “new” birds to grace the State of Maine – and then my own personal state list – in the coming year.
But first, let’s look back at last year’s predictions.
It was a great year for birding in Maine, with rarities at every season, especially during a truly epic November Rarity season. As a snapshot of just how many notable species were in the state in 2025, consider Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth’s Maine Big Year total of 332 species broke the old record by an astounding 10! Surprisingly, with such an eventful year for rarities in the state, no new species were added to the state’s list in 2025. With that, I’m going to keep Next 25 Species to be found in Maine list the same, but based on current trends and regional sightings, I am doing a little shuffling at the top to bump up Limpkin as the northward mini-irruptions of this tropical/sub-tropical bird continue.
1. Limpkin
2. Scopoli’s Shearwater
3. Neotropical Cormorant
4. European Herring Gull
5. Black-chinned Hummingbird
6. California Gull
7. Gray Heron
8. Bermuda Petrel
9. Graylag Goose
10. Little Stint
11. Audubon’s Shearwater
12. Common Shelduck
13. Anna’s Hummingbird
14. Heerman’s Gull
15. Common Ground-Dove
16. Allen’s Hummingbird
17. Spotted Redshank
18. Lewis’s Woodpecker
19. Ross’s Gull
20. Black-capped Petrel
21. Lesser Nighthawk
22. Dusky Flycatcher
23. Painted Redstart
24. Hooded Oriole
25. White Wagtail
It’s only a matter of time for Maine to be visited by its first ever Neotropic Cormorant, but it’s another Neotropical species that took the stop slot this year!
As for me, there were so many great birds seen in Maine in 2025, and the birds I chased just scratched the surface of the litany of vagrants this past calendar year as once again, my birding involves fewer and fewer chases each year. The MacGillivray’s Warbler in Yarmouth in November was one of the highlights – including becoming the 255th All-time Saturday Morning Birdwalk bird!- and a Fork-tailed Flycatcher in the Kennebunk Plains in July.
My first self-found rarity of the year was a Ruff at Walsh Preserve on 5/9…
..and Jeannette I chases the Northern Wheatear in Scarborough Marsh in September for a new ABA Area bird for her.
Black-throated Gray Warbler on Monhegan. A state bird for almost everyone, but “just” an exceptional “Island Bird” for me.
I even added two species to my State List in 2025, starting with an overdue Cerulean Warbler (#11) found by Doug Hitchcox in Evergreen Cemetery on 5/6. But nothing beats a “self-found” rarity, so finding a Virginia’s Warbler (#20) on Peak’s Island on 11/24 was even more special!
Of course, a few potential State Birds got away from me last year. However, all appeared to be one-day wonders, so it’s hard to complain: Crested Caracara in Scarborough Marsh on 4/30, a Franklin’s Gull (some day!) in The County on 5/21, an Anhinga over South Portland on 5/27, and an un-chaseable Ancient Murrelet at Matincus Rock on 6/19.
So, with those hits and misses, my updated list of the Top 25 Next State Birds for Me is now:
Franklin’s Gull (this is getting amusing/frustrating)
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
California Gull
Brown Booby
Crested Caracara
Slaty-backed Gull
Boreal Owl
Calliope Hummingbird
Graylag Goose
Gull-billed Tern
Pacific Golden-Plover
Limpkin
Wood Stork
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Anhinga
Yellow Rail
Scopoli’s Shearwater
Western Wood-Pewee
Red-necked Stint
European Herring Gull
Gray Heron
Heerman’s Gull
Little Stint
Well there ya have it, let’s see what 2026 brings, at least when it comes to the birds in Maine.
I think it’s about time for another Wood Stork to visit the state as well.
This Rufous Hummingbird graced a Bath yard for almost two months. The story below.
Life in retail during the holiday season, followed by a trip to the Motherland of New Jersey for Christmas resulted in limited Maine birding for me over the past two weeks. However, a couple of good days in the field here in Maine produced several observations of note:
Recent ice and more snow resulted in a nice little surge of Dark-eyed Juncos and American Goldfinches into our Durham yard. A male Purple Finch on ½ was the first I have seen locally in at least a month, and a Northern Flicker dropped in on 12/30.
1 continuing drake Green-winged Teal and 1+ Fish Crow, Auburn Riverwalk, 12/23.
2 drake and one hen BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, Bernard Lowne Peace Bridge, Auburn-Lewiston, 12/30 (with Kelley Sharp)
3 Fish Crows and 1 1st-cycle Iceland Gull, Auburn Riverwalk, Auburn, 12/30 (with Kelley Sharp).
1 pair American Wigeon, Rockland waterfront, 1/1 (with Jeannette).
Rufous Hummingbird in Bath, 10/31-12/26, 2025.
A Rufous Hummingbird arrived in a Bath yard on Halloween. And she stayed until the 26th of December! These birds are just incredible! Unfortunately, it was not in a yard that was conducive to visitation, so we had to keep the sighting under wraps. I really am sincerely sorry about that, but the homeowner’s rights and the bird’s welfare will always be put first and foremost with us. But it was well photographed, well studied, and well monitored. Here’s the story, identification particulars, and more.
We only had one morning for birding after visiting family, and we chose to spend it with an estimated 100,000 American Robins!
It was awesome and I hope these videos do it a modicum of justice! This was in Oldwick, NJ, discovered by Evan Obercian (yup, a birding friend of mine since high school who also now lives in Maine!) around 2021 (although he heard of a former roost not far away before this one). This was the largest gathering he has seen, at least around Christmastime. We just enjoyed the show, but he recently made the estimate (based on counting sample minutes and extrapolating). There were also about 1,000 European Starlings – look for a couple of dense flocks exiting the leaning bamboo during the videos. A few hundred Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds were also present (mostly exited before sunrise in the first video), and Jeannette and I picked out a single Hermit Thrush. 3 Cooper’s Hawks and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were present, but they too seemed to be overwhelmed by the masses!
The videos can be seen here:
New Year Predictions Blog!
I know you are waiting with bated breath, but I’ll publish this soon. Of course, when I am delayed in getting it posted, something really rare shows up! So keep you eyes open!
Confirmed by in-hand measurements and very detailed photographs, this adult female Rufous Hummingbird graced a Bath yard from October 31st to December 26th, 2025.
On Halloween, Sue and Bill Barker had quite a treat in their Bath yard: a hummingbird!
Each year, we put out a call on our email and print newsletter to keep your hummingbird feeders up as long as freezing temperatures permit, and to call us if you see a hummingbird after October 1st (and especially after October 7th). Among other outstanding records, this resulted in New England’s first Broad-tailed Hummingbird in 2022.
This year, we have received five hummingbird reports since October 7th, with the previous four including photos and/or video that were good enough to identify as Ruby-throated. Or, at least, rule out everything but that and the state’s first Black-chinned Hummingbird (we’re waiting!). Given the date of the 10/31 report, the statistics suggest that it’s more likely to be something else, so I asked for some photos.
Sue took some photos through her window and screen, and they suggested a warmth in overall color to the bird that would be on the extreme end of Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Sue invited me over for a look, and after waiting for about 45 minutes in the early afternoon on November 2nd, the bird appeared and soon flashed the reddish-brown in the tail indicative of a hummingbird in the genus Selasphorous.
My photos are not very good (mediocre camera in shadow and low afternoon winter light), but they clearly show a Selasphorous hummingbird.
After discussing the situation with the homeowners, it was clear that, unfortunately, this was not a location that could be made public. It sucks, but there was no way to share this widely. Small, dead-end road, partially shared driveway, proximity to the house and the neighbor’s house, and all of the other circumstances that can lead to well, things going wrong when masses appear. We’ve had this happen often enough to guard against it, and privacy and homeowners’ rights always come first in our book (it’s partly why we are trusted with these special birds!). I did wander around and see if there was enough parking nearby to place a hummingbird feeder in a much less intrusive location (like we did with the aforementioned Broad-tailed) but that wasn’t practical or feasible in this case. I am sorry.
But needing to know more, and learn the bird’s identification, the decision was made to allow a very small number of visitors to contact the homeowner and arrange a time to view the bird and obtain additional photographs. I reached out to Scott Weidensaul, and arrangements began to be made to have it captured, banded, measured (and released).
Of course, I dispatched Bill Thompson immediately! And as usual, he “crushed” it!
Highly suggestive – and perhaps all but conclusive, short of in-hand measurements – of an adult female Rufous Hummingbird based on the observations and photographs by several of us, and especially with a close analysis of the tail feathers in particular (critical for these non-adult male Selasphorous), Scott attempted to band it. Unfortunately, the first effort was not successful.
The bird continued to visit, more frequently and reliably as the days got shorter and colder. On 11/11, Jeannette and I visited the yard and were treated to three visits in a mere 30 minutes. While Jeannette worked on getting additional photos, I observed the bird’s behavior and feeding pattern in case we needed to get creative with the next banding attempt. I saw where she came from, fed in the backyard, then perched in a sunny bush with a good view of the front feeder, before feeding longer at that front yard feeder. And then repeat the pattern, as hummingbirds are wont to do.
Then, on 11/14, Scott Weidensaul successfully trapped and studied the hummingbird in the hand, taking measurements and confirming our identification of adult female Rufous Hummingbird. This would be the 15th or 16th accepted record of Rufous Hummingbird in Maine according to the Maine Bird Records Committee. However, “unreviewed” reports likely include identifiable individuals, and I stand by my identification of this bird in our Pownal yard in 2021 as a Rufous Hummingbird, despite the lack of measurements in the hand (she departed before banding could be arranged).
And here’s the official banding report from Scott:
Band number: J73404 (the J code stands for 5100-, which won’t fit on the band). Species: Rufous hummingbird Age: After hatching year (adult, at least two years old) Sex: F Wing: 44.15mm Tail: 26mm Culmen (bill): 19.92mm
Bill grooving: 0 (typical for an adult) Gorget feathers: 20+ Weight: 3.5 grams Fat (0-5 scale): 3 Width of R5: 3.69mm R2: moderate nippling
Scott then said, “All of her measurements are in line for a female rufous vs. and Allen’s. Her wing, tail and culmen measurements are all good for RUHU but beyond the upper limit for ALHU, which would lack the slight notch or nipple on R2. All in all she seemed to be in great shape and was quiet and cooperative in the hand.”
__________________________
Rufous vs Allen’s Hummingbirds, in non-adult male plumages are one of the most challenging identifications in all of North American birds, and so all the stops were pulled out here to confirm it’s identification. This blog will be submitted to the Maine Bird Records Committee for its review as well to add to “the record.”
When Jeannette and I first opened the store way back in 2004 (!), we were surprised to find out how persistent the myth of “take down your hummingbird feeders by Labor Day or they won’t migrate” was. It’s simply untrue. Instead, we encouraged people to keep them up much, much later, as it’s the latest migrants that need the help of supplemental food the most, especially after the first hard frost that knocks out most if not all of local flowers, such as the late blooming native, Orange-spotted Jewelweed. We also knew that there had to be more records of rare hummingbirds occurring in Maine, so we encouraged people to keep their feeders out, their eyes open, and to give us a call.
Meanwhile, a frequent question we receive is “what happens to these really late hummingbirds?”
It’s a great question! And with banding, we are beginning to find out! For example, a lot of these birds are departing the northeast on favorable winds after strong cold snaps but in good condition (fat score in particular). That suggests birds are doing the right thing and leaving when they need to.
With an increasing number of banded Rufous Hummingbirds – and other species – overwintering in the southeastern US, and returning in subsequent years, we know that not all of these vagrants are evolutionary dead ends. In fact, perhaps just the opposite – the survivors who are adapting to a changing world and a changing climate.
Thanks to our loyal customers and observers, this is the 3rd Rufous Hummingbird that has come to light through us, along with one other Rufous/Allen’s, and of course, the famous Broad-tailed. And countless truant Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been aided (and we have confirmed at dozens of late Ruby-throats, averaging about 5 direct reports of late hummingbirds after October 7th each year since 2014) along the way.
Sue and Bill’s Rufous hummingbird turned out to be just as tough as so many vagrant hummingbirds in the Northeast prove to be. Sue reports, “Our little friend made it through all that snow and the low temps, but I think by last Friday she had had it and took off. She was real active in the morning, (we saw her frequently), and was doing a lot of feeding. Then she was gone.”
Thanks to Sue’s diligent care, and the deployment of a heated hummingbird feeder – the same one that sustained the Broad-tailed as it was donated to the cause by its host! – the Rufous was afforded every opportunity to fuel up, continue to molt and build strength, and depart when she was ready.
This perfectly fits the pattern and behavior of “lingering” vagrant hummingbirds. Scott added “That sounds like absolutely classic departure behavior…My hope is that one of my many colleagues down on the Gulf Coast will recapture her this winter, read that band number and let us connect the dots. No guarantees, obviously, but it happens more often than you’d think… And Derek and I will be waiting to perhaps hear from you again next fall that she’s back, because *that* happens even more often than later, distant encounters.”
While I personally had planned to get back over there for some updated photos to see if her molt has progressed at all, I didn’t make the time before she finally departed. I am OK with that! I join Sue, Bill, and Scott in wishing her on her way!
I found Maine’s 4th or 5th Virginia’s Warbler on Peak’s Island on Monday, the 24th. Or at least I was confident that I did. I returned two days later to alleviate any lingering doubt, re-found it, saw it much better, and managed to photographed it! Many other birders have seen it through the 28th among a flock of other late/lingering warblers. Details below.
It was simply another incredible week of birding. Frustrated by not having found a mega-rarity since Monhegan (in an otherwise amazing fall for vagrants), I went to Peak’s Island on Monday. It worked! It was a six-warbler week for me, highlighted of course by the Virginia’s Warbler – a new state bird for me! My “Rarity Fever” is raging now! Here are my observations of note over the past eight days:
Evening Grosbeaks have become more regular locally this week, with single birds, mostly flyovers, here and there. Scattered 1 to a few Red Crossbills continue as well. Additionally, there was also a nice little surge in American Goldfinch and Pine Siskin numbers this week locally.
Plenty of the typical “late” migrants still around, such as Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, scattered Swamp Sparrows and Northern Flickers, Red-shouldered Hawk, etc.
1 Orange-crowned Warbler, Trout Brook Preserve, South Portland, 11/23.
Peak’s Island, 11/24: 1 almost-definite VIRGINIA’S WARBLER with 2 NASHVILLE WARBLERS (see below) on Seashore Ave, and 1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT at Battery Steele.
1 NASHVILLE WARBLER, Commercial Street (near the cruise ship terminal), Portland, 11/26.
Back to Peak’s Island, 11/26: 1 VIRGINIA’S WARBLER (confirmed! Photo above) with 2+ NASHVILLE WARBLERS, 1++ Orange-crowned Warbler, and 1+ Yellow-rumped Warbler, Seashore Avenue. Complete details here:
4-5 NASHVILLE WARBLERS (4 continuing since being found by B. McKay et al on 11/26; I had a single bird at the other end of the hillside that was likely a 5th individual) and 1 Hermit Thrush, West Commercial Street, Portland, 11/28. This has been an insane fall for “late/lingering/pioneering/vagrant” Nashville Warblers here in Maine. Interestingly, this phenomenon appears to be rather widespread, as well above average numbers of NAWA are being seen along the Northeast coast as far south as Cape May this fall. Fascinating!
My best photo of the week was not of of the rarities, but I enjoyed this photo of one of four very cooperative Snow Buntings at Kettle Cove on the 23rd that I caught this one mid-stretch-break.
It’s been an extraordinary rarity season in Maine this fall. Perhaps it’s been the weather patterns, widespread drought, increasing use of neonicotinoid pesticides, or perhaps – according to a recent paper – geomagnetic storms!
But whatever it is, it’s made for an active month for vagrants here in Maine. Monhegan was epic at the end of September, October was pretty good on the mainland, and November has been exceptional. And, we still haven’t fully entered the rare-birds-at-feeders season, although there have already been quite a few noteworthy feeder visitors.
Personally, I’ve had a great fall, especially on Monhegan, and as you have read in my This Week’s Highlights blog (if you’re the one or two people who actually read it!), I’ve had quite a few notable finds, some fun chases, and overall great birding recently. But I hadn’t turned up a “mega” to add to the tally. On Monday, 11/24, I continued my search by taking a day to bird Peak’s Island, one of my favorite late fall birding destinations.
Arriving on the 7:45 ferry from Portland, I began my usual circuit, working around town to Picnic Point. The wrack line here always looks prime for a vagrant!
A short while later, at about 8:30am, I paused at one of my usual thickets on Seashore Ave, diagonally opposite the 5th Regiment Museum. There are always birds here, augmented by a dense tangle, some tall trees, and a few small feeders behind it.
On Monday, it was very active as usual, with numerous Northern Cardinals, a lot of House Finches, and other typical residents. Movement caught my eye in a stand of still mostly-still-leafed willow trees towards the back right of the thicket, approximately 25 yards from the roadside.
Three warbler-like birds were chasing each other. One appeared to be an aggressor, and I was hearing repeated short, high-pitched call notes that were either, or very similar to, Nashville Warbler. It’s been an extraordinary fall for “late” Nashville Warblers (although they are likely drift vagrants, mirror vagrants, or even reverse migrants rather than just behind schedule), so this was not too surprising. But three non-Yellow-rumped Warblers in one tree? That’s notable on November 24th!
The first bird I saw well was a bright, adult male-type Nashville Warbler (NAWA). The birds, still chasing each other and not sitting still, were not easy to see, but the second bird I got my binoculars on was rather confusing. I observed it for as long as I could, but the distance was just a bit too far.
A very drab Orange-crowned Warbler (OCWA) first came to mind, especially with the yellow undertail coverts, but the bird was really, really gray. A flat, cool, not at all yellowish or greenish gray. It was flicking its tail like a NAWA, but even more emphatically. It turned around, and I saw its breast, and there was a small amount of yellow there. Wait, what!? The patch was smaller and more isolated than a drab female Northern Parula, but there were no wingbars are at all, and it was too long-tailed.
I noted an eye-ring, but the distance made it hard to tell how bold it was, whether or not it was complete, or even if it was really white like a NAWA. I went for my camera, hoping to zoom in to see detail, but the birds were far too active and in too dense of a twiggy tree, so coupled with the distance, this was a complete fail.
Two birds departed to the right, but the bird of interest remained for another minute or three, calling very similarly to a Nashville Warbler, but quite emphatic. I then lost it, too.
By now, I was putting the pieces together and was under the suspicion that this was a Virginia’s Warbler, but I was not convinced. With all three birds departing as of 8:48, I opened up my Sibley app to refresh my memory (it’s been quite some time since I have seen a VIWA!) and listen to the call. The call recording on the app included two pitches of calls, the second of which was spot-on for what I was hearing from this very drab, gray, not-quite-Nashville warbler.
Hmm…but why didn’t I notice the yellow rump? Or was I just focusing on the rest of the bird? All of the views were so painfully brief, and I never saw the complete bird at one time.
About 10-15 minutes later, the trio returned: the adult male-type NAWA, a second, drab immature-female-type NAWA, and the likely VIWA. In a brief view, I noticed the all gray head, reminiscent of a female American Redstart, and confirmed the presence of yellow in the center of the breast.
The birds departed again, to the right, across Ryefield Street, but I only glimpsed one bird and it was likely the VIWA. I walked around the block, noticed a few feeders on New Island Avenue, but I did not find any warblers. Since they had returned to the original stand of willows three times now, I stood in place now, about a full hour after my original observation and I started sending out texts and scribbling notes.
I noticed that the recycling container at the house adjacent to the thicket had been taken in. Damn; I missed the homeowner! I needed to get closer to the thicket if the bird returns, but I am absolutely unwilling to trespass or enter yards without being invited/given permission. Many of you have understood this from my tours to Monhegan, but I stand by this elsewhere. But did it cost me today?
Happily, a short while later, the homeowner was in his yard and after a brief chat, allowed me to hang out in his backyard. It was now 10:28. He even brought me a comfy chair! I was so appreciative, now that I was camped out next to the willows, no warblers reappeared. I took another loop around the block, then returned to my chair. A single Evening Grosbeak dropped into the thicket, and I glimpsed what was almost certainly a Lark Sparrow within a House Sparrow flock, but I did not pursue it to confirm.
By 11:15, I was cold and needed to get a real walk in, so I departed, birding my usual circuit out to and through Battery Steele (found a Common Yellowthroat there) and otherwise enjoyed a rather birdy day on the island. A Hermit Thrush, a couple of Swamp Sparrows, a growing cadre of Red-necked Grebes offshore, and tons of Red-breasted Nuthatches in the woods. Song Sparrows were also unusually abundant.
I walked into town for lunch to go (the wraps at Unruly Girls’ Peaks Cafe are fantastic as always, but the hot chai was even more clutch!). I was back to the thicket at 1:36. The sun that broke through while I was far away had mostly been enveloped by clouds once, and the wind was picking up. Neither was particularly helpful. I departed at 2:25 to catch the 2:45 departure (I had planned on leaving before lunch!)
I was frustrated. I knew what I saw, but was bothered by what I did not see, and how unsatisfying and conclusive my views were. I felt confident that it was indeed a VIWA, but I don’t like birding by default or identification by the sum of all parts!
I thought about going back the next day but couldn’t. I must say, the oral surgery may have been less painful than having this bird get away!
I looked at guides, viewed photos online, and concluded there was little doubt that I had seen a VIWA. But the mind can play tricks on you, and memory can be affected by the post-observation studies, so it was bothering me. Jeannette asked if I was going to “count it?”
I didn’t know. So, on Wednesday morning, I decided to be a little late for work and go back to Peak’s Island. I couldn’t help it; I had to! Jeannette agreed.
Walking to the ferry terminal, I stumbled upon a Nashville Warbler on Commercial Street, near the cruise ship terminal, which I took as a good sign. 7:45 ferry, 8:05 arrival on the island, and I was to the thicket by 8:30, after a thorough check on Picnic Point on the way (the foggy conditions had me hoping to refind the bird on the wrack line like so many late-season insectivores find sustenance).
I stared at the thicket, but overall bird activity was much slower than two days prior. At 8:55, I began walking down Seashore, towards Maple Street. I soon heard warblers! I first heard a Yellow-rumped Warbler from quite some distance, but then heard NAWA, or NAWA-like, calls.
In the side yard of 66 Seashore, I found not three, but 5 warblers: 2 NAWA, a YRWA, and a drab Orange-crowned. Very drab. Hmm…could I have blown this mystery warbler? Was this all I had seen? No, no way! And then warbler #5 popped out: Virginia’s Warbler!!!!!
Between this yard, and the first yard on Maple Street a minute later, I had several perfect views at varying distances, and all field marks were observed. With a good look, there sure wasn’t any mistaking this bird!
Thin, slim warbler with a thin bill; bold but thin white eyering; cool gray upperparts with no wingbars, and here, you can just make out part of the yellow rump.Most of my views – and all of them on Monday – were like this: small parts of a small bird between twigs! Here, however, you can see the plain gray overall color, complete, thin eye-ring, and a hint of the yellowish undertail.
I followed the flock back towards the original thicket and willow trees, but I lost their tail. I decided to be responsible and head back for the 10:00 ferry and get to work. I also had left my Tylenol in the car. Besides, my job here was done! This is the 4th or 5th record for Maine, and the first away from Monhegan.
Addendum: Several friends arrived on the next ferry, and after a short while found the bird in the same area, often returning to the original thicket from Monday. I was so focused on identification of the VIWA that I probably didn’t take a full inventory of all of the warblers that were around. They had at least 4 OCWA now, 2-3 NAWA, 2 YRWA, and crushing views of the VIWA. The bird was seen by many through the afternoon. And thanks again to the homeowners who accepted my presence in their yard and invited others in later that day!
I also can’t help but wonder if there will be a “Patagonia Picnic Table Effect” as birders descend upon and follow this possibly-growing flock of unseasonable warblers. Could I be heading back to Peak’s soon? I’ll at least be able to grab another Mediterranean wrap this time.
12/1 UPDATE: The VIWA has not been seen since the afternoon of 12/29. Birders searched for it on 12/30 and had 1+ NAWA and 4 OCWA in the area. Today, Jeannette and I spent the morning looking for it to no avail. In the Seashore Avenue area, we had 2 NAWA and 2-3 OCWA. As we widened our search, Jeannette and I had a continuing COMMON YELLOWTHROAT in the same spot as last Monday and another OCWA, both near Battery Steele.
The Yarmouth MacGillivray’s Warbler has been hanging out since November 2nd, but its skulky nature makes it hard to photograph. The few fuzzy, out-of-focus photos I have obtained don’t do this gem justice, so I am “borrowing” these from Bill Thompson. Because he’s really, really good at this.
Rarity season continues, but I was a little more limited in my birding this week – other than a few “professional chases,” so I didn’t add to the roster of vagrants currently being seen. However, I did have some notable observations here and there over the course of the past seven days.
Sabattus Pond waterfowl on 11/7 including 341 Ruddy Ducks, 98 Green-winged Teal, 97 Lesser Scaup, 40 Greater Scaup, 6 American Wigeon, 3 Gadwalls, etc. 1 Rusty Blackbird was also present.
1 continuing MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER, Grist Mill Park, Yarmouth, 11/8 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group). Originally found on 11/2 by Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth, it had been present all week, and we had a great (and unusually efficient) visit with it on our birdwalk. It was the 255th all-time species encountered on our Saturday Morning Birdwalks!
Back to Grist Mill Park for the still-continuing MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER on 11/9 with my Birds on Tap Roadtrip! “Rarity Roundup” tour. We found it within seconds of our arrival on the entrance path, foraging for the second day in a row in a patch of cultivated Pink Turtlehead.
2 Fish Crows, Anniversary Park, Auburn, 11/10 (with Jeannette).
1 Rusty Blackbird and 2 Red Crossbills, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 11/12.
1 BOHEMIAN WAXWING (first of fall), over the store with American Robins, 11/12.
Although there was a previous state record, few if any of us were expecting to have the chance to see a Willow Ptarmigan ever again in Maine. Fewer of us expected to see one taking refuge on a lawn chair, as this one did in the Small Point area of Phippsburg in late August.
It’s once again time for my annual Predictions Blog, where I view into my crystal binoculars and attempt to forecast some of the “new” birds to grace the State of Maine – and then my own personal state list – in the coming year.
I was busy this year. Lots of birding tours here in New England, vacations to the Dominican Republic and the Gaspe of Quebec, a scouting trip through the Gulf of Maine, an even further diminished interest in “chasing” when I am actually home, and a lot more time spent casually birdwatching on our property – more and more my time is spent observing whatever is in front of me, instead of searching for rarities. I didn’t even spend much time at Sandy Point this fall, although weather had a lot to do with that.
There are several reasons for this change of motivation, but that’s a blog for another day. I did put in some concerted effort during a wild fall “rarity season,” but for the most part, my yard list in Durham was the only real priority. A Yellow-throated Vireo on the intriguing date of 7/21 was our 153rd species here since we purchased the property a little more than 4 years ago. Not a bad start! A Gray Catbird that showed up today, January 2nd, as I wrote this, is our first winter record (of course), and a good sign for productive yard birding in the new year!
Two species were added to Maine’s list this year, a Ferruginous Hawk at the Auburn Airport on July 14th and an Anhinga in Somerville for 6 days in July. I saw neither. Both times we were in Quebec. I think it’s a sign.
While Ferruginous Hawk was only marginally on my radar, Anhinga had been relegated to the Honorable Mentions list as northern reports have really dried up for a spell. I was wrong.
So, neither of the first state records were on my list, but I will do a little reshuffling to add two recent splits to the list: Scopoli’s Shearwater and European Herring Gull.
Scopoli’s Shearwater – recently split by most authorities from Cory’s Shearwater – likely has already occurred here. I saw at least one set of photos from this past summer that looked good to me, but the identification is a challenge, and we’re only learning how to identify them semi-reliably in the field (study up!). But I have little doubt that if we looked at every past photo of Cory’s Shearwater that has been taken in Maine, coupled with renewed scrutiny of the pattern on the underwing of the outer primaries of recent and future birds, that this will soon be confirmed in Maine.
Likewise, “American Herring Gull” (that’s our bird) and “European Herring Gull” are now separate species. European Herring Gull is another cryptic species that has also likely already occurred here, but it is another challenging, cutting-edge identification made more challenging by the extensive variation exhibited by our bird. Add to this Vega Gull from Asia, hybrids, and well…my Gull ID Workshop is open for registration (although I will not yet dive down the rabbit hole of American vs European Herring Gull…we’ll spend more time with Herring Gull vs “damn seagull.”
So here’s my list of the Next 25 Species to be found in Maine:
Scopoli’s Shearwater
Neotropical Cormorant
European Herring Gull
Black-chinned Hummingbird
California Gull
Limpkin
Gray Heron
Bermuda Petrel
Graylag Goose
Little Stint
Audubon’s Shearwater
Common Shelduck
Anna’s Hummingbird
Heerman’s Gull
Common Ground-Dove
Allen’s Hummingbird
Spotted Redshank
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Ross’s Gull
Black-capped Petrel
Lesser Nighthawk
Dusky Flycatcher
Painted Redstart
Hooded Oriole
White Wagtail
As for me in 2024, I did add four species to my personal State List: Willow Ptarmigan (not on list), Tropical Kingbird (Honorable Mention), American White Pelican (#2), and Common Gull (#24).
The most surprising was the second state record of Willow Ptarmigan that Jeannette and I were lucky enough to catch up with in a private backyard in Phippsburg on August 28th. After being seen on Cliff Island in early May, it miraculously appeared in Phippsburg in a yard of a home that the friend of a birder was house sitting for! Then it showed up in a nearby yard where limited access was granted. Jeannette and I were in the right place at the right time when news broke, and were among the first to try out the arrangements and see then bird. Unfortunately, a couple of days later, the ptarmigan likely fell victim to an owl.
A Tropical Kingbird at the Skelton Dam Boat Launch in Dayton was found by a dog-walker and birdwatcher at the end of June, but news finally made it to the birding community in the middle of July, and I raced down to see it on the 18th. It has been on and off the Top 25 list for many years, but I’ve left it off for the last few. No complaints though, as the second modern, and third overall, state record was chaseable this time.
Later in the year, the birding community lost a great one with the passing of Davis Finch. Years ago, I would see Davis and Denny Abbott at a rarity, and they would be among the first people I would call when I found one (yup, we used to only call people to alert them to rarities!). Davis and I had a tradition where my final words as we were departing was always “See you at the ____” and pick a rarity. In fact, that might have even been the inspiration for this annual blog. This tradition became even more meaningful when I once left with “See you at the Ash-throated Flycatcher!” And a short time later, I found an Ash-throated Flycatcher (at the Saco Riverwalk, the second state record in November of 2006). Davis and Denny were the first to know, and I’ll never forget Davis saying “why the heck were you birding this dump?” as he offered congratulations on the find – a state bird for all (it has been cleaned up a lot since then and it has become a significant birding hotpsot). While there were plenty of other birds mentioned in between, for the last few years, it was always “see you at the Tropical Kingbird!” I heard someone say he was driven to Dayton to see the kingbird. I hope this is true…he really wanted that bird!
Moving on, I finally caught up with an American White Pelican on 8/26, conveniently close to home/work. Following a Saturday Morning Birdwalk, Kevin Harding and Brandon Baldwin stopped by Wharton Point in Brunswick on their respective ways home and found the pelican. They called the store (yup, phone calls still work), and I dropped what I was doing to head over. The bird was really far by the time I arrived, so Brandon and I walked down the Maquoit Bay Conservation Land trail for a closer look. A little while later, as other arrived, the pelican flew right over our heads for an incredible view!
And finally, after Common Gulls were found in Eastport in February and on Matinicus Rock in September, Evan Obercian found one much more conveniently located at the Samoset Resort in Rockland on Halloween. I was finally able to sneak away four long days later, getting to enjoy the bird on November 3rd.
Of course, I missed more than I saw, both with travel and a lessening interest in chasing. I missed a total of four Franklin’s Gulls (#1): Seapoint Beach in Kittery on 6/30, Hill’s Beach in Biddeford on 7/22, Sewall Beach on MDI on 9/14, and one in Wells on 9/15. I’ll catch up with these notorious one-day/hour wonders some day in Maine!
The aforementioned Anhinga and Ferruginous Hawks were not on my Top 25 list, nor was the Mountain Bluebird that was on Monhegan in early May – before twice-daily ferry service had begun. I did take a day trip with a friend for the heckuva it six days after it was last seen. There was also a Brown Booby (#6) that wasn’t chaseable on Seal Island in August, but had we not been in Quebec twice, it would have been a truly incredible birding year for me in Maine. Oh well, a weekend with friends and 100,000 Northern Gannets more than made up for it.
So with those hits and misses, my updated list of the Top 25 Next State Birds for Me is now:
Franklin’s Gull (will this finally be the year?)
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
California Gull
Brown Booby
Crested Caracara
Slaty-backed Gull
Boreal Owl
Calliope Hummingbird
Graylag Goose
Cerulean Warbler
Gull-billed Tern
Pacific Golden-Plover
Limpkin
Wood Stork
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Yellow Rail
Scopoli’s Shearwater (undoubtably after further review of photos!)
Virginia’s Warbler
Western Wood-Pewee
Red-necked Stint
European Herring Gull
Gray Heron
Heerman’s Gull
Well there ya have it, let’s see what 2025 brings, at least when it comes to rare birds in Maine.
I think it’s about time for another Pacific Golden-Plover to show up here in Maine. This juvenile was photographed in Hawai’i.
Monhegan’s third Ash-throated Flycatcher was found by Ken and Sue Feustel on Monday, September 30th. I was lucky enough to relocate it a short time later and snag these photos. Despite much searching, only one observer saw it on 10/1, but it is likely still on the island but having recovered, moving around widely. It was not in great shape, with a real tattered plumage, but as the morning went on it continued to feed and look healthier. Although one half of the tail is tattered, the photo below shows the diagnostic pattern in the outer tail feathers, where the dark brown from the outer web wraps around to the end of the inner web. This feature eliminates an even rarer Myiarchus flycatcher, which was important given the rather early date of this individual.
My birding this week included five wonderful days on Monhegan, and two very productive mornings on our Durham property.
My observations of note from Monhegan included (full trip report with photos soon):
1 YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (calling after dark; not with group)
9/29 (with Monhegan Fall Migration Tour group):
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
2 Clay-colored Sparrows
3 Nelson’s Sparrows (ssp subvirgatus)
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9/30 (on my own and then with Jeannette):
1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (see photos and notes above)
2 Clay-colored Sparrows
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Wilson’s Snipe
10/1 (with Jeannette):
2 Dickcissels
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Wilson’s Snipe and 1 Semipalmated Plover
Highlights from the yard included 8+ Lincoln’s Sparrows and a late Nashville Warbler on 9/26, while on the morning of 10/2, 70+ Swamp Sparrows, a continuing Indigo Bunting, and a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks were among the birds present.
Lincoln’s Sparrows have been quite common in our yard all week, offering ample photo ops.
UPCOMING TOURS:
Our annual half-day pelagic with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor is only 1 ½ weeks away! Join us on this annual favorite on October 14th – a nice, late date that should put us more in the season of things like Great Skua. More info and link to registration is here.
A few spaces remain on our Birds on Tap! – The Boat Trip! To House Island in Casco Bay on Sunday, October 20th. More info here.
The only thing sweeter than seeing a first state record is when you find it yourself! This Spotted Towhee that I found in November at Fort Foster in Kittery was #4 on my list of next birds for Maine.
It’s once again time for my annual Predictions Blog, where I view into my crystal binoculars and attempt to forecast some of the “new” birds to grace the State of Maine – and then my own personal state list – in the coming year.
It was another great year for “mega” rarities in Maine. Whether it’s more birders and better communication, a climate in crisis, neonicotinoid pesticides effecting navigation, and more – or likely, all of the above – more really strange birds are ending up in really strange places – Maine definitely included. Four new species showed up in Maine in 2023, plus a first state record whose photos surfaced from 2022. I also had another pretty good year, despite much reduced birding as I recovered from shoulder surgery and a series of setbacks thereafter coupled with a record-busy year for tours and private guiding.
Last winter, recovering from shoulder surgery, I spent a lot of time watching our feeding station, quantifying those ebbs and flows, and paying a lot of attention to behavior. From dominance hierarchies in junco flocks to a case of Sharp-shinned Hawk cannibalism, dedicated feeder-watching (in a house designed to maximize it!) was a great way to pass the time stuck indoors. I recounted many of my observations in blogs earlier this year, especially these two:
Once up and about, I found myself forgoing birding mornings afield – especially in the fall – to just enjoy migration through our property in Durham and build our rapidly expanding yard list. Having moved in last fall, it was exciting to see the seasons change. Fall migration was particularly productive, and I found myself not wanting to bird anywhere else before work. Some great yardbirds over the year included a Snow Goose on 3/27, three different Mourning Warblers (one each in May, June, and September), an American Bittern for the day on 8/28, and a Dickcissel on 9/1. The yard was already approaching 150 species by year’s end.
Furthermore, I put more effort than ever into birding Androscoggin County in general, and while I didn’t find any rarities in the county this year, I did spend lots of quality time at Sabattus Pond and in search of patches for future birding focus – I didn’t find any of those, either, but I did get to know my new home county a lot better. In other words, when I did get out birding this year, I put a lot more focus on staying close to home – this less carbon-intensive mode of birding is what I believe the future of birding is (eg the “5 Mile Radius” list, which is all the birds seen within a five mile radius of one’s home) anyway, and I plan on keeping this focus for 2024.
But back to the rarities. Let us start as usual with a look at last year’s prognostications and see how I did.
Of the five new species for Maine, three were in my Top 12. I found Maine’s first confirmed Spotted Towhee at Fort Foster in Kittery on November 19th (and continued obligingly through the end of the year). This long-overdue addition to the state’s list was #4 on my predictions list.
Right behind it at #5 was the Hammond’s Flycatcher found on Monhegan in October. I’ve felt flycatchers were going under-detected in Maine for a while, and therefore they have been prevalent on my predictions lists. Then, a photograph from Mount Desert Rock from August of 2022 was reanalyzed and showed a Western Flycatcher (as it is once again rightly called, with Pacific-sloped and Cordilleran finally “lumped” back together), which was #12 on my list.
That strange date for a vagrant flycatcher is rather remarkable, as was the other addition to the list from the MDI region when a Red-footed Booby was photographed in Lamoine in July of this year. This tropical sulid didn’t even make my honorable mention list.
And finally, just before the clock was about to strike twelve, a remarkable Hepatic Tanager was found in Stockton Springs! While it was on my radar due to several well out of range records, it did not qualify for my Honorable Mentions list. It was the icing on the cake to another exceptional year of birding in Maine.
With three birds from the 2023 List off the board, I’ll do some reshuffling. A possible Gray Heron was photographed in Scarborough Marsh on the Portland CBC in December, but the photos – although very suggestive – were inconclusive. A search the next day didn’t turn anything up, but I hope others remain on the lookout. Nonetheless, it was suggestive enough to bump Gray Heron up from my Honorable Mention list into the Top 25, that is for sure. Lewis’s Woodpecker, Dusky Flycatcher, and White Wagtail are making their debut in the rankings while I’ve dropped Black-tailed Gull out of the Top 25 as North American records seem to have dried up.
As we found out when we saw this Gray Heron while vacationing on Prince Edward Island in 2022, they are not always easy to pick out of a crowd, as we looked through a lot of Great Blue Herons during our search for this long-staying individual. Hopefully, our view in Maine will be a little better, like this one Jeannette photographed in Norway.
Neotropical Cormorant
Black-chinned Hummingbird
California Gull
Limpkin
Gray Heron
Bermuda Petrel
Graylag Goose
Little Stint
Audubon’s Shearwater
Common Shelduck
Anna’s Hummingbird
Heerman’s Gull
Common Ground-Dove
Allen’s Hummingbird
Spotted Redshank
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Ross’s Gull
Black-capped Petrel
Lesser Nighthawk
Elegant Tern
Dusky Flycatcher
Painted Redstart
Hooded Oriole
White Wagtail
Common Scoter
Personally, I added 5 new species to my own Maine State List this year, despite relatively limited birding and a less concentration on rarities in general. Three days after my shoulder surgery, however, Jeannette loaded me into the car and took me down to Timber Point in Biddeford for a Common Ringed-Plover, which was #10 on my predictions list. Can’t say it was my most comfortable twitch, however. Medication helped.
In June, I raced down with Jess Costa between tours to see the Loggerhead Shrike at the Kennebunk Plains, which was my 399th species in Maine (recently relegated to my honorable mentions lists as they have become increasingly rare anywhere out of their contracting range).
So for #400, I said it had to be “the Tufted Puffin or self-found” – I wasn’t going to chase anything else. With several sporadic sightings in June and July, and with numerous boat tours scheduled in July, I had high hopes. With an observation at Eastern Egg Rock on July 9th, and with a tour there scheduled the next afternoon with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises, I was getting excited. And to hedge the bet, I hopped aboard their morning Eastern Egg Rock trip, and as we approached the island in the fog, a large, dark, puffin stood towering over the local residents! “TUFTED PUFFIN!!!” I exclaimed. No microphone was necessary. And this was #400.
With so few sightings – all being one-minute wonders – in the previous years, I hadn’t elevated this to my personal Top 25, but that’s OK – it was just as sweet.
A Purple Gallinule (honorable mention) in the North Maine Woods near Moosehead Lake in October was beyond my chasing range, but when another – or perhaps, the same bird – appeared at a small park in Kennebunk, I was on my way!
The absurdity of the locale and ease of viewing simply forced me to go back for another look a week later with Dan Nickerson…after dipping on a nearby Western Wood-Pewee as Luke Seitz struck again. Making that miss worse was the reason I didn’t chase it on its day of discovery: we were on lockdown during the manhunt after the tragic Lewiston mass shooting. My state list was just not a priority I will readily admit.
Of course, the aforementioned Spotted Towhee, which was #15 on my list was a welcome self-found addition.
And finally, Evan Obercian and I paid a visit to the Hepatic Tanager in Stockton Springs on New Year’s Eve, bringing 2023 to a close.
Of course, I missed a few rarities this year, too! Although I only “dipped” on one chase (the pewee), I was simply unavailable to chase anything else, such as the Kirtland’s Warbler (unlisted) on Seal Island in September (can’t get there from here!). And I just didn’t have the time to chase Hammond’s Flycatcher (#14) on Monhegan. Meanwhile, the Red-footed Booby (unlisted) was a one-day wonder, and of course I missed a couple of Franklin’s Gulls (#2) as usual. Notorious one-day wonders, there was one on September 24th passing Schoodic Point, and one on November 18th at Long Sands Beach. I was going to “end up” at Long Sands the next day at the same time and tide, but my birding outing began and ended with my towhee find at Fort Foster. This rare but regular transient is officially my nemesis in the state!
But the one that really stings was missing out on Crested Caracara once again. I was birding with clients in Spurwink Marsh in late May when a friend texted me that he had one (the one?) flying over his house…we were no more than 2-3 miles away! Thankfully, my clients were game for a little searching, so we spent some time looking before having to move on. The caracara then resurfaced a couple of other times in the Mid-Coast, near Belfast, but I was on Monhegan or with a tour group elsewhere. So close!
Last year, I also predicted that my #400 would come from my Top 25 list. But Tufted Puffin wasn’t on it, so I was wrong about that. Forgive me if I wasn’t upset, however.
I did some reshuffling (it’s just a matter of time before I finally find or catch up with a Franklin’s Gull, right? RIGHT!?), and therefore my forecast for my next 25 species on my personal Maine list reads as follows:
Franklin’s Gull
American White Pelican
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
California Gull
Brown Booby
Crested Caracara
Slaty-backed Gull
Boreal Owl
Calliope Hummingbird
Graylag Goose
Cerulean Warbler
Gull-billed Tern
Pacific Golden-Plover
Limpkin
Wood Stork
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Yellow Rail
Virginia’s Warbler
Western Wood-Pewee
Virginia’s Warbler
Gray Heron
Common Gull
Heerman’s Gull
It’s about time for me to finally see a Franklin’s Gull in Maine.
But really, who knows what might show up these days? For example, I am sure that no one had Red-flanked Bluetail on their Next Birds in New Jersey list, but one showed up in a random inland neighborhood in early December. It continued through year’s end, and it was awfully nice of it to remain at least through December 26th, when we just happened to be in the area for Christmas. In fact, it was only 24 minutes away from my Mom’s house. A bonus Christmas gift!
Bring it on, 2024. But less injuries and other birding-limiting events, please. I also have a goal of finding a rarity in Androscoggin County away from Sabattus Pond or our property! Will it be on this list?
On Sunday, November 19th, 2023, I found Maine’s first confirmed Spotted Towhee at Fort Foster Park in Kittery. Fort Foster is one of my favorite birding locations, especially in fall “rarity season.” I’ve been lamenting the complete dearth of vagrants found in Maine during the month of November so far, and so I set out for the southern York County coast that morning in hopes of changing that.
It didn’t take long.
A little more than an hour after I arrived at the park, slowly birding the warm, sunny edges of a chilly morning, I encountered a pocket of activity as I was turning off the main coastal trail and up the slight hill towards the Small Pier Pavilion. A tardy “WESTERN” PALM WARBLER that I encountered earlier had flown this way with a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and these two birds were at the edge along with several resident species including Black-capped Chickadees and Northern Cardinals as well as migrants including Golden-crowned Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows.
As I approached the top of the rise, I noticed a towhee sitting in the sun at the edge of one of two fairly large Eastern Red Cedars. Since I had my camera at the ready since it’s rarity season afterall, I immediately grabbed it. Although I was assuming it was just a late Eastern Towhee (not unreasonably rare in a mild fall even at this date), it was a nice photo – towhees don’t sit still in the sun often enough! The bird was facing directly at me, so all I could see was its black hood, rufous sides, and white belly.
As I focused through my viewfinder, the bird shifted slightly, showing just enough of its side to reveal large white spots on it’s wing! A vagrant Spotted Towhee! Incredible!
And to think I almost blew this…if I didn’t go for my camera for “just” a nice shot of an Eastern Towhee, perhaps I wouldn’t have looked at it long enough to see its diagnostic wings and back. That was a close one! (That one twig right across the face though!)
Knowing that hybrids between the two towhees (formerly known collectively as “Rufous-sided Towhee”) have occurred out of range, I knew I needed some better views and more photos. Over about 10 minutes, I observed and photographed the bird in the cedars, having it drop down once into the brush only to return to the cedar, perhaps as a result of some gentle pishing.
During this second photo session, a Cooper’s Hawk flew overhead, and all of the activity in this pocket dove for cover and remained silent (9:28am). As birds slowly returned to the edge, the towhee did not. A late Hermit Thrush that was also in the cedars reappeared, but the towhee did not.
As I waited, I sent out some text messages and checked my photos. Within about 45 minutes, Maili Waters and Luke Seitz arrived, and we began a thorough search, slowly increasing our search radius. It took until about 12:15 before Maili and Luke finally relocated the towhee on the other side of the very large and dense thicket. Luke’s excellent photos showed a more complete view of the wing and back, crucial field marks for confirming the bird’s identity.
I was on the other side of the park, searching for the towhee and whatever else might have been present, turning up a very late PRAIRIE WARBLER, a Gray Catbird, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet – all good birds for the date. It took me a while to get to where Luke and Maili were, and we were soon joined by Doug Hitchcox and Matthew Gilbert.
We waited for about 30 minutes before the need for water and lunch finally got the best of me, and I headed out. I was halfway to Kittery Center when Noah Gibb spotted the bird once again at the original location. It was here, in the two cedars, that numerous observers were able to see the bird early in the morning the next day as well.
Returning home and in discussion with Luke, Maili, and Evan Obercian, we confidently ruled out any suggestion of a hybrid. The amount of white in the primaries had us a little wary, for example, but the National Geographic Guide to the Birds of North America nicely shows the regional variation with Spotted Towhees, including the more extensive white “slash” on the primaries of the Great Plains subspecies – the expected source of vagrants to the East.
Big white spots on each scapular, two complete wingbars (one bold on the greater coverts and one more subtle bar on the median coverts), the spotted-streaked back mantle, and the extensively white undertail are all consistent with a phenotypically pure Spotted Towhee – Maine’s first, and a long-overdue addition to our state’s list. In fact, this was #4 on my “Next Birds for Maine” predictions list. But as always, it’s always better find than to chase!
Maine Birding Field Notes 