Category Archives: Week Reports

This Week’s Highlights 10/8 – 10/14/2025.

Leave a reply

No photos represented my birding week more than Yellow-rumped Warblers in flight! Thanks, as always, to Bill for allowing me to use his photos here.

  • My tour report from our 10/5 Half-Day Pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor is posted here, including a complete species list and lots of photos.
2025 Fall Half-Day Pelagic with Freeport Wild Bird Supply and Cap’n Fish’s Cruises.

Next, my observations of note over the last seven days included the following:

  • Highlights from our Durham property this week included 1 Rusty Blackbird 10/8-9 and 3 American Woodcocks on 10/14.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/9: A record-shattering day!

An exceptional Morning Flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning. In fact, it was record-breaking!

6:48-10:48am

41, clear, lt-mod NW (did not take early wind reading) decreasing then increasing back to 7.7-10.5mph before becoming increasingly gusty)

3244 Yellow-rumped Warblers (NEW RECORD!)

1423 American Robins

585 Unidentified (mostly high bunches or too far to north or south)

576 Dark-eyed Juncos (NEW RECORD!)

100+ White-throated Sparrows (Conservative estimate in parking lot area after flight; a handful appeared to cross at dawn).

59 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

50 Palm Warblers

74 Northern Flickers

72 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

44 Rusty Blackbirds (NEW RECORD)

43 Golden-crowned Kinglets

18 Chipping Sparrows

16 Black-throated Green Warblers

15 Northern Parulas

14 Cedar Waxwings

11 Purple Finches

10 unidentified kinglets

9 American Pipits

8 Blue-headed Vireos

6 Blackpoll Warblers

6 Hermit Thrushes (minimum, with two or several repeatedly visiting pasture rose hips at bridge base)

4 Eastern Bluebirds

4 Eastern Phoebes

4 American Goldfinches

3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers (NEW RECORD!)

2 Black-throated Blue Warblers

2 White-crowned Sparrows

2 Brown Creepers

2 Swamp Sparrows

2 Tufted Titmice (several false starts)

2 Merlins

2 Magnolia Warblers

2 Common Loons

1 Swainson’s Thrush (confirmed by Bill Thompson)

1 Yellow Warbler

1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER

1 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (from photo review by Bill Thompson)

1 Red-tailed Hawk

1 Red-winged Blackbird

1 Common Yellowthroat

1 American Redstart

1 Blue Jay

1 Turkey Vulture

1 unidentified sparrow (probably a Field)

1 Eastern Towhee

1 Cooper’s Hawk

1 Pine Siskin

X Song Sparrows (significant increase in parking lot area but did not count)

***Total = 6,428 *** 2ND HIGHEST ALL-TIME COUNT and HIGHEST OCTOBER COUNT!***

  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/10:

A good morning flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning. Given the calm winds of much of the night, and the completely calm dawn, it was much more active than I expected. Kinglets were swirling all over, so my counts may be too high or very low. The Ruby-crowned count seems a touch high, while the Golden-crowned count feels low. Meanwhile, the slower and lower flight, with more birds pausing before crossing despite the lack of wind made for excellent viewing and much more relaxing and enjoyable morning!

6:49-9:52am

33F, clear, calm with a developing puff of WNW.

449 Yellow-rumped Warblers

138 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

106 American Robins

52 Golden-crowned Kinglets

37 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

35 Dark-eyed Juncos

25 Cedar Waxwings

16 Northern Flickers

10 Eastern Bluebirds

9 Blue-headed Vireos

8 Palm Warblers

8 Chipping Sparrows

8 White-throated Sparrows

5 Red-breasted Mergansers

5 Nashville Warblers

5 Northern Parulas

4 Brown Creepers

3 Tennessee Warblers

3 Black-throated Blue Warblers

3 Hermit Thrushes

2 Blue Jays

2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers (2nd highest tally after yesterday’s record 3!)

2 American Goldfinches

2 Common Loons

2 Eastern Phoebes

2 Tufted Titmice (numerous “false starts.” Same two as yesterday?)

2 Black-capped Chickadees

2 Red-breasted Nuthatches

1 Osprey

1 Purple Finch

1 Black-throated Green Warbler

1 House Finch

1 Downy Woodpecker

1 unidentified Catharus

1 Common Yellowthroat

1 American Redstart

1 Hairy Woodpecker

1 American Pipit

1 Northern Harrier

1 Savannah Sparrow

1 Lincoln’s Sparrow

1 Red-eyed Vireo

1 Swamp Sparrow

Total = 960

  • 3 continuing juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 1 continuing juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/10.
  • 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow (FOF), 1 Saltmarsh Sparrow, 4 Nelson’s Sparrows, 2 Red Crossbills, 2 Northern Pintails, etc, Reid State Park, Georgetown, 10/12.
  • 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow and 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 10/13.

Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

  • Birds on Tap℠ – The Boat Trip! Rare Birds and Island Exploration with Portland Explorer.

This Sunday! October 19, 2025; 9:00am – 2:00pm

​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!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage, and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025. 

During last year’s wildly successful outing in which we became the first birding group ever on the island, we found oodles of Yellow-rumped Wabrlers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene. 

Building on that success, we’re visiting the private House Island in Portland Harbor twice in 2025. We’ve been granted special permission to come ashore and scour the island here in the peak of fall migration. We’ll follow well-maintained trails through the island’s mosaic of open habitats, scrub, and young woods. These are great habitats to search for a variety of migrants, and perhaps even a rarity!  

Returning in late October, once again rarities will be on our mind. While rare birds are rare, we are still going to expect the unexpected. But more likely are regular migrants of the season such as Yellow-rumped Warblers, a variety of sparrows, and a growing diversity of waterbirds. At the very least, we’ll have resident waterbirds and several species of gulls to sort through. We are having daydreams of a rare flycatcher!

As we motor back across the harbor, we’ll continue to familiarize ourselves with some of the common waterbirds, such as Common Eiders, Common Loons, and the vanguard of our winter diving ducks while enjoying a local craft beverage produced in the city of Portland. While the exact plan is subject to change, we’ll be sure to come up with a plan to adequately celebrate our discoveries.

This Week’s Highlights 10/1 – 10/7/2025.

Leave a reply
We were surprised to find a tarrying American Oystercatcher still hanging out on Upper Green Island (where we documented them breeding once again this summer) during our Birds of Casco Bay Boat Tour on the 6th.
  • My tour report from Monhegan, 9/26-9/30, including lots of rarity photos can now be viewed here. Sorry for the delay here, especially for those waiting for the trip list.
2025 Monhegan Fall Migration Weekend Tour Report

Then, my observations of note over the last seven days included the following:

  • Highlights from our Durham property this period included a Tennessee Warbler on 10/2, 1 Rusty Blackbird on 10/3, and 4 American Woodcocks on 10/7.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/1.

North to north-east winds are usually not very productive for the Morning Flight at Sandy Point, but the radar images showed a huge flight overnight, so I decided to give it a try. Good thing I did! A northwesterly component inland must have “stacked” birds up against the coast, where they were then influenced by the increasing northeasterly component offshore, producing a better than expected push across the channel. The more I observe the flight here, the more I have to learn! In the end, an unexpectedly good flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, this morning.

6:38-10:00am

46F, Clear, N 8.2-10.4 increasing to NNE 13.3-16.9mph.

238 Cedar Waxwings

222 Yellow-rumped Warblers

73 Blue Jays

64 unidentified

39 Black-throated Green Warblers

35 Dark-eyed Juncos

34 Canada Geese

33 Northern Parulas

28 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

27 Palm Warblers

26 Savannah Sparrows

23 Blackpoll Warblers

16 White-throated Sparrow (3 may have crossed at first light)

14 Northern Flickers

12 American Robins

10 Golden-crowned Kinglets

9 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

9 Chipping Sparrows

6 Nashville Warblers

6 Rusty Blackbirds

6 American Goldfinches

5 Magnolia Warblers

3 Scarlet Tanagers

2 Common Loons

2 Ospreys

2 Cape May Warblers

2 Tufted Titmice (5+ false starts)

2 Hermit Thrushes

1 Pine Warbler

1 Downy Woodpecker

1 American Pipit

1 Baltimore Oriole

1 Red-breasted Nuthatch

1 Sharp-shinned Hawk

1 Brown Creeper

1 Merlin

1 Blue-headed Vireo

1 Swamp Sparrow

1 Cooper’s Hawk

T= 959

2 Monarchs

  • Whale Watch with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/3: 15 NORTHERN FULMAR, 13 Great Shearwaters, 1 Cory’s Shearwater, 3 Red Phalaropes, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, etc.
  • 6 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS with 1 Short-billed Dowitcher, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 White-rumped and 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers, etc, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/4 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 DICKCISSEL, garden here at the store, 10/4 (with m.obs).
  • Freeport Wild Bird Supply/Cap’n Fish’s Cruises ½ Day Pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/5 was incredible. Highlights included 18 Northern Fulmar, 29 Atlantic Puffins, 1 Pomarine Jaeger, 55 Great Shearwaters, 2 Razorbills, 54+ Red-necked Phalaropes, 3 Red Phalaropes, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Peregrine Falcon driving an Ovenbird into the ocean, and a playful pod of Common Dolphins. Full trip report with photos soon.
  • 1 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER (Upper Green Island; photo above), 125+ Laughing Gulls, 126 Black-bellied Plovers, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, etc, Casco Bay, 10/6, via Birds of Casco Bay boat tour with Seacoast Tours (Photo above).

Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

October 19, 2025; 9:00am – 2:00pm

​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!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage, and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025. 

During last year’s wildly successful outing in which we became the first birding group ever on the island, we found oodles of Yellow-rumped Wabrlers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene. 

Building on that success, we’re visiting the private House Island in Portland Harbor twice in 2025. We’ve been granted special permission to come ashore and scour the island here in the peak of fall migration. We’ll follow well-maintained trails through the island’s mosaic of open habitats, scrub, and young woods. These are great habitats to search for a variety of migrants, and perhaps even a rarity!  

Returning in late October, once again rarities will be on our mind. While rare birds are rare, we are still going to expect the unexpected. But more likely are regular migrants of the season such as Yellow-rumped Warblers, a variety of sparrows, and a growing diversity of waterbirds. At the very least, we’ll have resident waterbirds and several species of gulls to sort through. We are having daydreams of a rare flycatcher!

As we motor back across the harbor, we’ll continue to familiarize ourselves with some of the common waterbirds, such as Common Eiders, Common Loons, and the vanguard of our winter diving ducks while enjoying a local craft beverage produced in the city of Portland. While the exact plan is subject to change, we’ll be sure to come up with a plan to adequately celebrate our discoveries – or the one that got away! 

This Week’s (Plus) Highlights 9/22 – 9/30/2025.

Leave a reply
One of the stars of the show during an epic weekend on Monhegan included this Black-throated Gray Warbler that I found with my tour on 9/28. There are only 5-7 previous records of this spiffy western warbler in Maine. It was relocated by others on and off that day, and through much of the day on the 29th. The best show for everyone was when Doug Hitchcox re-relocated it a few feet from where my group and I first discovered it!
That’s when Bill Thompson got this crushing photo.

My observations of note over the last 9 days included 5 remarkable days on Monhegan Island included the following:

  • Highlights from our Durham property this period included 2 continuing Indigo Buntings and 2 Solitary Sandpipers on 9/22; 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 9/23-24; and 5 Lincoln’s Sparrows on 9/24.
  • An exceptional day in and around Biddeford Pool on the 23rd with Jeannette included a number of highlights and excellent counts of uncommon birds. Some of the most notable observations include an astounding 26 FORSTER’S TERNS together at Hill’s Beach (with scattered individuals elsewhere that may or may not have been part of this tally,  the shockingly large “irruption” of this tern – especially given the lack of a tropical system to cause it – continues); a juvenile YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON at Great Pond, a late juvenile BAIRD’S SANDPIPER on Biddeford Pool Beach, single CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS in Hill’s Beach and East Point, 12 American Oystercatchers off of Ocean Avenue, a goodly 41 Red Knots in The Pool; 7 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Hill’s Beach, and an arrival of fresh juvenile (technically 1st winter as most showed a couple of replaced feathers by now as expected) Dunlin in various locations (high of 30+ on Biddeford Pool Beach).
Forster’s Terns
Baird’s Sandpiper
Clay-colored Sparrow
  • 2 Marsh Wrens, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 9/24.
  • 2 Ruddy Ducks (First of fall), 1 Dunlin, 1 Pectoral Sandpipers, etc, Sabattus Pond, 9/25.
  • It was like the good ol’ days on Monhegan for my tour group this weekend. I was on the island with the tour 9/26-9/29, and then enjoyed a day off with Jeannette on 9/30. I’ll have a complete tour report posted next week (including rarity photos), but for now, the mind-blowing list of rarities and excitement for my group and I included the following:

1 BELL’S VIREO, 9/28 (refound by my group after being discovered by Jess Bishop and Bill Thompson on 9/28).

1 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, 9/28-29 (Found by my group, on 9/28 and refound by m.obs on 9/29).

1 immature female PAINTED BUNTING, 9/26 (independently identified – eventually – by my group and Bill Thompson).

1 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, 9/27

1 WESTERN KINGBIRD, 9/27.

21 total species of warblers.

Up to 2 Lark Sparrows daily beginning 9/28.

Up to 6+ Clay-colored Sparrows daily.

Up to 3 Dickcissels daily

Up to 2 Orange-crowned Warblers daily beginning 9/27.

1 American Bittern, 9/26-9/27.

Up to 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls daily.

1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 9/26.

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 9/28.

1 Nelson’s Sparrow, 9/27.

1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo on 9/29 (with my group) and 1 Black-billed Cuckoo on 9/30 (with Evan Obercian and Jeannette).

Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

October 5, 2025   – 9:00am

​​Join us on a special cruise dedicated to off-shore birding: a collaboration with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises offering half-day “mini-pelagics!” We’ll seek out the rare and common seabirds that occur in our nearshore waters, but we will always have the hope for something unexpected. Derek will team up with the boat’s expert naturalists to spot, identify, and point out pelagic seabirds. Chumming efforts will provide opportunities to attract the birds in for better photo ops and viewing. While we’ll stop to look at any whales and whatever other interesting sea life we encounter along the way, it is the feathered wildlife we’re searching for, and will be focused on.​​

This annual fall excursion gives a chance at some very sought after pelagic species, such as Great and South Polar Skua. More likely species include Northern Fulmar; Black-legged Kittiwake; Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger; shearwaters – Great, Sooty, Cory’s, and possibly even Manx; Leach’s Storm-Petrel; Razorbill and Atlantic Puffin; Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, and much more. With the later departure date this year, we hope for more jaegers and a better chance at Great Skua, along with the chance at more early-arriving alcids.

Each of our four October trips have been very different, with each year providing some unexpected highlights. Once again, we will be chumming at at least one hotspot, and we’ll have an additional spotter who will keep dedicated eBird lists for those who so desire and want it shared with them. 

October 6, 2025; 9:00 – 12:00

THREE SPACES JUST OPENED WITH A CANCELLATION.

Join the crew of Seacoast Tours and Derek Lovitch from Freeport Wild Bird Supply on a special tour of the islands and waters of Casco Bay. We’ll explore the inner islands of Freeport, Brunswick and Harpswell as we search for eagles, migrant waterfowl, and an occasional seal basking in the sun on the ledges of hidden coves. We’ll focus on the common resident and migratory water and shoreline birds of the region, including photographic opportunities whenever we can.

​Conditions and tide permitting, we’ll poke around the mouth of Maquoit Bay and especially up into Middle Bay, two of the richest areas for waterfowl concentrations.  If we can find a mass of American Black Ducks, we’ll scour them for a variety of other dabblers, such as Green-winged Teal and Northern Shovelers.  Some of our wintering and migratory bayducks, such as Surf and White-winged Scoters will just be arriving, and Common Loons begin to build in for the winter.

October 19, 2025; 9:00am – 2:00pm

​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!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage, and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025. 

During last year’s wildly successful outing in which we became the first birding group ever on the island, we found oodles of Yellow-rumped Warblers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene. 

Building on that success, we’re visiting the private House Island in Portland Harbor twice in 2025. We’ve been granted special permission to come ashore and scour the island here in the peak of fall migration. We’ll follow well-maintained trails through the island’s mosaic of open habitats, scrub, and young woods. These are great habitats to search for a variety of migrants, and perhaps even a rarity!  

Returning in late October, once again rarities will be on our mind. While rare birds are rare, we are still going to expect the unexpected. But more likely are regular migrants of the season such as Yellow-rumped Warblers, a variety of sparrows, and a growing diversity of waterbirds. At the very least, we’ll have resident waterbirds and several species of gulls to sort through. We are having daydreams of a rare flycatcher!

As we motor back across the harbor, we’ll continue to familiarize ourselves with some of the common waterbirds, such as Common Eiders, Common Loons, and the vanguard of our winter diving ducks while enjoying a local craft beverage produced in the city of Portland. While the exact plan is subject to change, we’ll be sure to come up with a plan to adequately celebrate our discoveries – or the one that got away! 

This Week’s Highlights 9/15 – 9/21/2025.

Leave a reply
This Northern Wheatear graced Scarborough Marsh from 9/15 through 9/17. For some reason, there are only about 4 records in the last ten years, as this spiffy and charismatic bird has become even more rare in the state, or perhaps, just more rarely detected. Jeannette and I caught up with it here on the 16th although it didn’t want to come to close to the trail for us that afternoon.

My observations of note over the last seven days included two light Morning Flights at Sandy Point and a rarity chase.

  • Birding our property in Durham this week was once again very productive. Several Lincoln’s Sparrows were in the yard on the 16th and 17th, and the first White-throated Sparrows appeared at the feeders on the 17th. Other highlights include a continuing juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk; a vole- and frog-stalking Great Blue Heron all week; a tarrying immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird from 9/17 through the 19th; several Lincoln’s Sparrows daily; a Brown Thrasher and Scarlet Tanager on 9/18; and a really nice variety of warblers.
  • A light flight over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/15 (with apologies for all of this superfluous spacing…I’m trying to figure this out!)

6:19-8:50am

55F, mostly clear, NNW 5.3-6.6 to N 6.5-7.2mph

103 Northern Parulas

29 Unidentified

8 Red-eyed Vireos

8 Blue Jays

7 American Redstarts

6 Black-throated Green Warblers

4 Yellow Warblers

4 White-throated Sparrows

3 Purple Finches

3 Red-breasted Nuthatches

3 Blackpoll Warblers

2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

2 Palm Warblers

2 American Goldfinches

2 Blue-headed Vireos

2 American Robins

1 Magnolia Warbler

1 Indigo Bunting

1 Common Loon

1 Merlin

1 Osprey

1 Savannah Sparrow

1 Baltimore Oriole

1 Cape May Warbler

1 Prairie Warbler

1 Eastern Phoebe

1 Northern Waterthrush

1 American Pipit

1 Nashville Warbler

1 Peregrine Falcon

1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Bay-breasted Warbler

1 Northern Flicker

X Common Yellowthroats

Total = 205

This Savannah Sparrow appeared to be contemplating walking across the bridge instead of
taking to the air yet again.
  • 1 continuing NORTHERN WHEATEAR, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/16 (with Jeannette). Present since the morning of the 15th, we successfully visited the bird on the afternoon of the second day of its stay. Photo above.
  • A light but rewarding flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/19.

6:24-9:24am (with Bill Thompson)

55F, mostly clear. NW 4.3-5.2 increasing to 5.1-11.0mph.

99 Northern Parulas

44 unidentified

32 Blackpoll Warblers

18 Black-throated Green Warblers

14 White-throated Sparrows

8 Red-breasted Nuthatch

6 Magnolia Warblers

6 Blue Jays

6 Red-eyed Vireos

4 American Redstarts

4 Purple Finches

4 American Goldfinches

2 Chipping Sparrows

2 Baltimore Orioles

2 Cedar Waxwings

1 American Pipit

1 Palm Warbler

1 Blue-headed Vireo

1 American Kestrel

1 Merlin

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker (four “false starts”)

1 CONNECTICUT WARBLER (photo below)

1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

1 Scarlet Tanager

1 Nashville Warbler

1 Tufted Titmouse (5 “false starts”)

1 Bay-breasted Warbler

Total = 266

Connecticut Warblers are essentially annual at Sandy Point, but I never get a photo off and am often reticent to pull the trigger on the call without a really good look. Luckily, Bill Thompson joined me in “my office” this morning and was at the ready for the large yellowish warbler with long wings barreling towards us. This stellar photo shows the diagnostic complete eyering, pale throat, and long yellow undertail coverts of this robust warbler.

  • 1 dead DICKCISSEL, killed by unprotected windows at the Smith Center at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment. More info here.


Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

A few spaces are now open!

September 26-29, 2025

Join me on Monhegan during the height of migration for 1-4 days searching the island for regular visitors, rarities, and vagrants. If you haven’t experienced Maine’s Migration Mecca, now is the time! And if you’re like many of our regular travelers, you know you can’t wait to get back.

This is a casual outing, with boat and hotel reservations, as well as meals, on your own. Also, you can come and go as you please, based on whatever boat and departure times and locations suit you best. Sign up for 1,2, 3, or 4 days, we will give you the time and place to meet us on the island based on when you arrive.
In the eleven years we have run this trip on this weekend, we have averaged 95 species, including 17 species of warblers!

​October 5, 2025   – 9:00am

​​Join us on a special cruise dedicated to off-shore birding: a collaboration with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises offering half-day “mini-pelagics!” We’ll seek out the rare and common seabirds that occur in our nearshore waters, but we will always have the hope for something unexpected. Derek will team up with the boat’s expert naturalists to spot, identify, and point out pelagic seabirds. Chumming efforts will provide opportunities to attract the birds in for better photo ops and viewing. While we’ll stop to look at any whales and whatever other interesting sea life we encounter along the way, it is the feathered wildlife we’re searching for, and will be focused on.​​

This annual fall excursion gives a chance at some very sought after pelagic species, such as Great and South Polar Skua. More likely species include Northern Fulmar; Black-legged Kittiwake; Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger; shearwaters – Great, Sooty, Cory’s, and possibly even Manx; Leach’s Storm-Petrel; Razorbill and Atlantic Puffin; Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, and much more. With the later departure date this year, we hope for more jaegers and a better chance at Great Skua, along with the chance at more early-arriving alcids.

Each of our four October trips have been very different, with each year providing some unexpected highlights. Once again, we will be chumming at at least one hotspot, and we’ll have an additional spotter who will keep dedicated eBird lists for those who so desire and want it shared with them. 

October 19, 2025; 9:00am – 2:00pm

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!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage, and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025. 

During last year’s wildly successful outing in which we became the first birding group ever on the island, we found oodles of Yellow-rumped Wabrlers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene. 

Building on that success, we’re visiting the private House Island in Portland Harbor twice in 2025. We’ve been granted special permission to come ashore and scour the island here in the peak of fall migration. We’ll follow well-maintained trails through the island’s mosaic of open habitats, scrub, and young woods. These are great habitats to search for a variety of migrants, and perhaps even a rarity!  

Returning in late October, once again rarities will be on our mind. While rare birds are rare, we are still going to expect the unexpected. But more likely are regular migrants of the season such as Yellow-rumped Warblers, a variety of sparrows, and a growing diversity of waterbirds. At the very least, we’ll have resident waterbirds and several species of gulls to sort through. We are having daydreams of a rare flycatcher!

As we motor back across the harbor, we’ll continue to familiarize ourselves with some of the common waterbirds, such as Common Eiders, Common Loons, and the vanguard of our winter diving ducks while enjoying a local craft beverage produced in the city of Portland. While the exact plan is subject to change, we’ll be sure to come up with a plan to adequately celebrate our discoveries – or the one that got away! 

This Week’s Highlights 9/8 – 9/14/2025.

Leave a reply

To “count it” or “not to count it,” that is the question. Regardless, what’s more iconic about birding on Monhegan Island than a Ring-necked Pheasant?

My observations of note over the last seven days included my first two Morning Flights of the season at Sandy Point and 3 days on Monhegan included the following:

  • A light flight over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/8:

6:12 to 8:00am.

50F, mostly clear, calm.

  • 57 Northern Parulas
  • 31 American Redstarts
  • 17 unidentified
  • 8 Cedar Waxwings
  • 6 Magnolia Warblers
  • 5 Black-throated Green Warblers
  • 4 Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • 3 Yellow Warblers
  • 3 American Goldfinches
  • 2 Swainson’s Thrushes
  • 2 Bobolinks
  • 1 Black-and-white Warbler
  • 1 Purple Finch
  • 1 Cooper’s Hawk
  • 1 Bay-breasted Warbler
  • 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • 1 Northern Flicker
  • 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • 1 Osprey
  • 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Total = 147 

  • 1 DICKCISSEL, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 9/9.
  • 2-3 Red Knots, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 9/10.
  • A very good flight over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/11 featured over 1,000 migrants and 16 species of warblers.

6:13-10:20

46F, mostly clear. NW 1.8-2.8 increasing to 6.1-8.8mph.

  • 312 Northern Parulas
  • 272 American Redstarts
  • 144 unidentified
  • 81 Cedar Waxwings
  • 34 Red-eyed Vireos
  • 25 Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • 25 Black-throated Green Warblers
  • 24 Magnolia Warblers
  • 23 Yellow Warblers
  • 16 Blue Jays
  • 11 American Goldfinches
  • 10 Black-throated Blue Warblers
  • 9 Canada Geese
  • 8 Swainson’s Thrushes
  • 7 Northern Flickers
  • 7 American Kestrels
  • 7 Black-and-white Warblers
  • 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 4 Eastern Wood-Pewees
  • 4 Purple Finches
  • 4 Ospreys
  • 3 Bay-breasted Warblers
  • 3 Wilson’s Warblers
  • 3 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 3 Mourning Doves
  • 2 Blackburnian Warblers
  • 2 Common Loons
  • 2 Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warblers
  • 2 Blue-headed Vireos
  • 2 Philadelphia Vireos
  • 1 Palm Warbler
  • 1 Pileated Woodpecker
  • 1 Savannah Sparrow
  • 1 Tennessee Warbler
  • 1 “Traill’s” Flycatcher
  • 1 House Finch
  • 1 Hairy Woodpecker (6 “false starts”)
  • 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • 1 Pine Warbler
  • 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  • 1 unidentified Empid
  • 1 unidentified flycatcher
  • 1 Turkey Vulture
  • 1 unidentified vireo
  • 1 Merlin
  • 1 Cape May Warbler
  • 1 White-throated Sparrow

Total = 1,069

  • Monarch 1
  • Green Darner 2
  • Monhegan Island 9/12-14 (with Down East Adventures tour group):

Very slow by Monhegan standards, only Merlins and especially Red-breasted Nuthatches and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were above average (significantly so for the hummingbird) for the date. Island notable species for us were limited to 2 DICKCISSELS all three days; 1 ORCHARD ORIOLE, 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and 1 Marsh Wren on 9/13; and 1 Mourning Warbler on 9/14. Great insect-watching though.

Upcoming Tours:

  • Birds on Tap℠ – The Boat Trip! Migrant Birds and Island Exploration

September 21, 2025; 9:00am to 2:00pm

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!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025. 

Building on that success of last year’s tours, we’re visiting the private House Island in Portland Harbor twice in 2025! Once again, we’ve been granted special permission to come ashore and scour the island here in the peak of fall migration. We’ll follow well-maintained trails through the island’s mosaic of open habitats, scrub, and young woods. These are great habitats to search for a variety of migrants, and perhaps even a rarity!  

https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/birds-on-tap

This Week’s (Plus) Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 8/29 – 9/7/2025

Leave a reply
One of three Little Gulls encountered in Head Harbor Passage, New Brunswick via Eastport on the 2nd, this one posed nicely for us as Captain Butch adeptly drifted the stern inshore for a close approach and photo ops.  

A delightful ten days of birding, from Lubec to Biddeford, including the following observations of note:

  • Migrant highlights from our property in Durham included 2 Prairie Warblers on 8/31 and 13 species of warblers including 2-3 Bay-breasted on 9/1.
  • 6 SANDHILL CRANES, 1+ Red Crossbill, 3 Prairie Warblers, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 8/31.
  • 2 continuing COMMON GALLINULES, Essex Marsh, Bangor, 9/1 (with Jeannette).
  • Red Crossbills: scattered 1’s and 2’s throughout coastal Washington County, 9/1-4 (with Jeannette, et al).
  • 1 Snowy Egret with 1 Great Egret, Downeast Sunrise Trail Marsh, Machias, 9/1.
  • 1 continuing juvenile FORSTER’S TERN and 3 LITTLE GULLS, 1 Common Murre, high number of Artic Terns, etc, Head Harbor Passage via Eastport Windjammers, Eastport, 9/2 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Renee Patterson, Cynthia Phinney, Jeannette, et al).
I was pretty excited to pull out this long-staying juvenile Forster’s Tern as it was a new bird
for New Brunswick (and Canada!) for me!
  • 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 White-winged Scoters, etc, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/3 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Cynthia Phinney, and Jeannette).
  • 1 Spruce Grouse and 25 nearshore Razorbills, Great Wass Island, Jonesport, 9/4 (with Jeannette).
  • An great count of 6 FORSTER’S TERNS foraging together in The Pool from the Hill’s Beach side, 9/7.
  • 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 9/7.
  • 1 adult and 1 2nd cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7.

Recent forays yielded a decent 21 species of shorebirds this period, with my high counts over these past 10 days being the following. With the progressing season and other priorities and destinations, this will be my last shorebird high count report for the year.

  • American Oystercatcher: 5, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 9/7.
  • Black-bellied Plover: 179, The Pool, Biddeford, 9/7.
  • AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER: 2, Winding Brook Turf Farm, Lyman, 9/7, plus singles at: Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/5 and Hill’s Beach, 9/7.
  • Killdeer: 13, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 9/7.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 138, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/5.
  • Piping Plover: 8, Hill’s Beach, 9/7.
  • Whimbrel: 4, The Pool, Biddeford, 9/7.
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 15, Biddeford Pool Beach, Biddeford, 9/7.
  • Red Knot: 2 juveniles, The Pool, 9/7.
  • Sanderling: 112, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7.
  • Least Sandpiper: 125, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/3 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Cynthia Phinney, and Jeannette).
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 26, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7.
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 3, Eastern Road Trail, 9/5.
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1800-2000, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7 with an honorable mention of 1500, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/3 (with Brandon Baldwin, Shenna Bellows, Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Cynthia Phinney, and Jeannette).
  • WESTERN SANDPIPER: 1 juv, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/5.
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 14, The Pool, 9/7.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 8, Sabattus Pond, 8/31.
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 1, multiple locations this week.
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 21, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 9/6 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • “WESTERN” WILLET: 2 juveniles, The Pool, 9/7.
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 28, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 9/6 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

This Week’s (Plus) Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 8/19 – 8/28/2025

Leave a reply
For the last 13 summers now, hybrid herons have occurred in Scarborough Marsh, with one individual continuing this summer. Likely also present last summer, this bird is significantly darker on the neck and back than the only bird present from about 2021 to 2023, possibly suggesting yet another backcross (Gen 4?) with Tricolored Heron (especially when observed with its breeding plumes earlier in the summer). It does appear quite similar to my proposed 2nd or 3erd generation Tricolored Heron x Snowy Egret x Little Egret that was present from 2016 to at least 2020, so it could possibly by the same bird (Labeled 3A in my article Hybrid Herons of Maine from my North American Birds article in 2021, Volume 72, Number 3. At this point, I believe the hybrids are best described as “Tricolored Heron x small white Egretta species,” or, “Patches” as I dubbed it and most birders refer to it now. Whatever it is, this year’s individual cooperated for me along the Eastern Road Trail on the 26th.

It was another busy period for me, with most of my mornings spent only birding our property before work. Luckily, the yard has been fantastic as it turns out to be this time of year, with a nice variety of migrants, and lots of local breeders fattening up on our plentiful Black Cherry trees. Some of the migrants detected this week included a Prairie Warbler on 8/19, a Swainson’s Thrush on 8/20, Canada Warbler on 8/21, Cape May Warbler 8/24-25, a single Common Nighthawk at dusk on 8/26, and a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER on 8/27.

Otherwise, it was a weekend trip to Bar Harbor and a shorebird little-big day on the 26th that kept me going, with the following observations of note over the past 10 days.

  • 1 continuing COMMON GALLINULE, Essex Marsh, Bangor, 8/22 (with Bill Thompson).
  • The big adventure this week was the 12-hour pelagic/whale watch out of Bar Harbor with Flukes and Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co to Cashes Ledge in the Gulf of Maine. I’ll leave the complete checklist to others, but my highlights from the trip were the total of 33* Leach’s Storm-Petrels, repeated great view of a total of 15* Pomarine Jaegers, the feeding frenzy of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels (day total of 1,573*) at Ammen Ledge, and the scattered flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes.

Pomarine Jaeger (above) and Great Shearwater (below)

  • 2 Horned Grebes (oversummering or really early?) and 2 Red Crossbills, Hollingsworth Trail, Petit Manan NWR, Steuben, 8/24 (with Bill Thompson).
  • 2 FORSTER’S TERNS, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
  • 2-3 continuing adult RED-NECKED GREBES, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
  • 1 continuing postulated TRICOLORED HERON X SMALL WHITE EGRETTA SPP, aka “Patches,” Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/26. Photo and notes above.

Fueled by a 19 shorebird species day on the 26th, I tallied 22 species of shorebirds this week, with my high counts over these past 10 days (see last week’s post for explanation) being the following:

  • American Oystercatcher: 7 (4 ad, 3 juv), Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/26 (with Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth).
  • Black-bellied Plover: 156, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
  • Killdeer: 46, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 8/25.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 150+, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/26.
  • Piping Plover: 15, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/26 (With Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth).
  • Whimbrel: 2, The Pool, 8/26.
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 12*, Mt Desert Rock via Cashes Ledge boat trip, 8/23.
  • Red Knot: 8, The Pool, 8/26 and 3, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/25.
  • Sanderling: 5, Hill’s Beach, 8/26.
  • Dunlin: 1 adult, Wharton Point, 8/25 (early).
  • Least Sandpiper: 98, Eastern Road Trail, 8/26.
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 10+, The Pool, 8/26.
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 2, Eastern Road Trail, 8/26.
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 512, Wharton Point, 8/25.
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 18, Hill’s Beach, 8/26.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 2, Ocean Ave, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 1, Rte 136, Durham, 8/26.
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 19, Eastern Road Trail, 8/26.
  • “Eastern” Willet: 8, The Pool, 8/26.
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 41, Wharton Point, 8/25.
  • RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: 218*, Cashes Ledge boat trip, 8/23.
  • RED PHALAROPE: 1* but I had at least 3 more, Cash’s Ledge boat trip, 8/23.

*Official trip tallies kept by others, although my personal numbers would likely have been similar.

This Week’s Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 8/9 – 8/18/2025

Leave a reply
Suspected of breeding in 2022 and confirmed in 2023, a pair of American Oystercatchers has now nested annual on the tiny Upper Green Islands way up in Casco Bay off Yarmouth. On the 17th, our annual shorebird-focuses Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours collaboration documented a pair of adults with a juvenile once again. Since we discovered them on this tour in 2022, it’s been exciting to visit them each summer. Who would have thought this tiny island and ledge could support one of only a dozen or so pairs in the entire state?
Full trip report here.

Two birdwalks, two shorebird-centric tours, and two whale-watches made for a very nice, diverse array of observations of note for me over the last 10 days (see note in shorebird high counts):

  • 3 Long-tailed Ducks (2 continuing from previous week), Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 8/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Bonaparte’s Gull and 6 Great Egrets, Sabattus Pond, 8/11 (with Jeannette).
We checked the underwing patterns of every Cory’s Shearwater we could.
  • 8/12 afternoon Puffin/Whale Combo cruise with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor: 5 American Oystercatchers at Eastern Egg Rock. Offshore of EER = 104 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels,  6 Cory’s Shearwaters, 3 Great Shearwaters, 2 Northern Gannets, 1 MANX SHEARWATER.
  • 1-2+ Red Crossbills, Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg, 8/14.
  • 1 molting adult Bay-breasted Warbler (more evidence of a limited molt-migration in Boreal birds to the southern coastal plain), Old Town House Park, North Yarmouth, 8/16 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

For my “shorebird high counts,” I prefer to visit at least one of each: high tide hotspot, low tide spot, “grasspiper spot,” and a freshwater location, and it must include a visit to local hotspots Wharton Point and the Walsh Preserve as I attempt to make these comparisons comparable week-to-week and year-to-year, which, for my own notes if nothing else, is why I put these together (but hope you find them of value, too). Just due to life and scheduling, it now often takes me more than a week to hit all of these “requirements,” so I am going to try and do every 10 days instead of weekly. Therefore, here are my high counts over these past 10 days:

  • American Oystercatcher: 5, Eastern Egg Rock, 8/12 (via Cap’n Fish’s Cruises Puffin/Whale combo trip). Plus 3 (2 ad with 1 juv), Upper Green Island, 8/17 (with Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours tour group). Photo above
  • Black-bellied Plover: 163, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Killdeer: 13, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 8/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • Semipalmated Plover: 300+, The Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Piping Plover: 13, Popham Beach State Park, 8/14.
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 3, multiple locations this week.
  • Sanderling: 20, Popham Beach State Park, 8/14.
  • 1, Popham Beach State Park, 8/14 and 1 at Great Pond, Biddeford Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Least Sandpiper: 42, Sabattus Pond, 8/11 (with Jeannette).
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 15, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1600, The Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 40, The Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 4, Sabattus Pond, 8/11 (with Jeannette).
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 66, Royal River, Yarmouth, 8/17 (with Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours tour group).
  • “Eastern” Willet: 24, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • “WESTERN” WILLET: 1 (FOY), Pine Point, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 22, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
Just including this Wilson’s Storm-Petrel photo here because it is incredible. Nice job, Bill!

This Week’s Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 7/28 – 8/8/2025

Leave a reply

One of two Baird’s Sandpipers that were in the salt pannes of the Eastern Road Trail through Scarborough Marsh on the 7th, it was one of an estimated 3500+ shorebirds present that day. Low water conditions are currently ideal, but they are drying out fast, and without some rain in the next week, this hotspot might just become too dry to hold many birds.  

With a busy few days of catching up, my birding was limited immediately upon our return from our summer vacation. However, I made up for it this week with a couple of tours and two birding outings with friends. There is a surprising number and quality of summertime rarities around the state right now, but I stayed fairly local and tried to find my own rare shorebird or two! Here are my observations of note over the past 12 days here in Maine.

  • A vocal Yellow-billed Cuckoo continues daily in our yard all week.
  • 1 Great Egret, flying over downtown Waterville at dusk, 7/28 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 Long-tailed Ducks, Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 8/1.
  • 1 TRICOLORED HERON (FOY), Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 8/3 (with Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! Tour Group). Photo in trip report here.
  • 3 adult RED-NECKED GREBES, 1 White-winged Scoter, and 1 Black Scoter, Ocean Avenue-Biddeford Pool Beach, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson)
  • 1 female PURPLE MARTIN, Timber Point, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson). Confirmed breeding as it entered a powerline visual marker ball with food and exited with a fecal sac!
  • PATCHES! Perhaps Patches the IVth? Presumed TRICOLORED HERON X SNOWY EGRET X LITTLE EGRET HYBRID that now may be a fourth-generation bird that’s a backcross again with a TRICOLORED HERON as this year’s bird has significantly more bluish color than previous years, and in all the right places for a Tricolored. In other words, “Tricolored Heron x Small White Egretta SPP”, or, “Patches.” But the hybrid heron was in the salt pannes of the Eastern Road Trail on 8/7 (with Ian Doherty). My phone-scoped photos in the heat shimmer don’t do it justice!
  • 7 Bonaparte’s Gulls, Sabattus Pond, 8/8.

And as expected for the season, shorebird migration is now in full swing and that was the focus of my birding attention, resulting in a solid 21 species. Here were my high counts over these past 12 days:

  • American Oystercatcher: 7 (4 ad, 3 juv), Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Black-bellied Plover: 60+, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Killdeer: 11, Sabattus Pond, 8/8.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 375, Hill’s Beach, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Whimbrel: 3, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/3 (with Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! Tour Group).
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 5, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Red Knot (FOF): 1 ad, Hill’s Beach, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Sanderling: 2, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • BAIRD’S SANDPIPER (FOY): 2, Eastern Road Trail Scarborough Marsh, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty). Photo above.
  • Least Sandpiper: 350+, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 75+ (wow! Great count!), Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 1, Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: Incredible concentration of 2750-3000+ at Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty), but an honorable mention of 2500+ at Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/3 (with Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! Tour Group).
  • WESTERN SANDPIPER (FOY): 1 ad, Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 58, Hill’s Beach, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • American Woodcock: 2, our property in Durham, 8/1.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 2, several locations this week.
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 1, Moosehorn NWR – Baring Division, 7/28 (with Jeannette) and Sabattus Pond, 8/8.
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 104, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 8/2 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • “Eastern” Willet: 22, The Pool, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 12, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/1.

UPCOMING TOURS w/ Space Available:

Shorebird Workshop with Down East Adventures, August 18th, 8:00am to 4:00pm.

This Week’s Highlights, 7/12-7/20/2025

Leave a reply
Jeannette and I raced down to the Kennebunk Plains on Monday the 14th for this Fork-tailed Flycatcher. A notorious “one-day-wonder,” it conveniently was discovered on a day off for a change. Even more surprisingly, unlike most Fork-tailed Flycatchers that occur in the Northeast, this one stuck around, continuing through the 16th. There are between 10 and 16 previous occurrences of this vagrant from South America in Maine – incredible considering the distance it has to fly “incorrectly” to get here!

Only in the middle of July is a trip to Monhegan not the birding adventure of the week. But betweenthe chase of a “megs,” an opportunity to visit a banding project on a mountaintop in Vermont, and a couple of boat trips, it was a great week (plus) of birding for me nonetheless. Here are my observation of note over the past nine days.

  • 1 RAZORBILL (just off of Smuttynose outside of Monhegan harbor) and 1 Atlantic Puffin, Hardy Boat from Monhegan to New Harbor, 7/12. Only tubenoses encountered on a very foggy day both to and from were Wilson’s Storm-Petrels.
  • 1 FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER, Kennebunk Plains, Kennbunk, 7/14 (with Jeannette and m.obs). Found earlier in the day by Sam Darmstadt. Photo above.
  • 7/19: I co-lead the morning Whale and Puffin Combo Cruise tour with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises: 1 MANX SHEARWATER (unexpected close fly-by between our boat and Eastern Egg Rock); 2 American Oystercatchers, Eastern Egg Rock; 3 Cory’s Shearwaters and 100-125 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels offshore. I stayed aboard for the afternoon trip and only had 1 Cory’s Shearwater and 75-100 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels offshore.

UPCOMING TOURS w/ Space Available:

Shorebird workshop with Down East Adventures, August 18th, 8:00am to 4:00pm.

Saturday Morning Birdwalks Return 8/2!