Tag Archives: Atlantic Puffin

This Week’s Highlights 10/2– 10/9/2026.

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If Northern Fulmar was species of the day on our 10/4 pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises, then the individual bird of the day was this show-stopping Parasitic Jaeger!

A busy week of birding included our annual half-day pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor and two flights at Sandy Point, one of which was incredible!  Here are my photo-laden observations of note over the past 8 days.

  • 1 juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, Spurwink Marsh at Sawyer Road, 10/2 (with client from Philadelphia).

Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/3 (Oh wow!)

An excellent flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth. An incredible 3 RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS (one prior record of a single on 10/2/2020) passed over, seen by all present, including the birdwalk group that just arrived.

Later, we also had a magical experience with a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. The story of the woodpeckers and the cuckoo can be seen here, while an (*) signifies species recorded only after the birdwalk started; I did not add migrant counts seen thereafter to the tallies. This was a flight for the books!

  • 6:38 to 8:25, then birdwalk group through 10:15.
  • 50F, clear, NNW 4.3-5.2 to NW 6.0 to 8.2
  • 617 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 292 unidentified
  • 192 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  • 171 unidentified kinglets
  • 59 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 56 Golden-crowned Kinglets
  • 40 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 37 Palm Warblers
  • 35 Cedar Waxwings
  • 28 American Robins
  • 23 Eastern Bluebirds (**new record!)
  • 19 Northern Parulas
  • 15* White-throated Sparrows
  • 13 Blue Jays
  • 10 Blue-headed Vireos
  • 9 Black-throated Blue Warblers
  • 9 Black-throated Green Warblers
  • 8 American Goldfinches
  • 7 Tennessee Warblers
  • 6 Nashville Warblers
  • 6 Chipping Sparrows
  • 5 Black-capped Chickadees
  • 4 Rusty Blackbirds
  • 4 Black-and-white Warblers
  • 4 Cape May Warblers
  • 4 Eastern Phoebes
  • 3 American Redstarts
  • 3 American Pipits
  • 3* Swamp Sparrows
  • 3* Hermit Thrushes
  • 2 Tufted Titmice
  • 2 Savannah Sparrows
  • 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • 1 Pine Siskin (FOF)
  • 1 DICKCISSEL
  • 1 Philadelphia Vireo
  • 1 Yellow Warbler
  • 1 Osprey
  • 1 Merlin
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • 1 Swainson’s Thrush
  • 1 Greater Scaup (FOF)
  • 1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
  • 1 Great Egret
  • 1 unidentified oriole
  • 1 Common Loon
  • 1 Pine Warbler
  • 1 Red-eyed Vireo
  • 1 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO (my 9th Sandy Point record)
  • X* Common Yellowthroats

Total= 1708

  • Boothbay ½ Day Pelagic with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises, 10/4:

An incredible day offshore highlighted by 10 NORTHERN FULMARS; an astounding 128 late Wilson’s Storm-Petrels; 7 ATLANTIC PUFFIN and 3 Razorbills; 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, an American Pipit and Yellow-rumped Warblers 20 and 15 miles off shore, respectively; 1 MANX SHEARWATER and 4 Great Shearwaters; and finishing up with a close encounter and thrilling chase of a PARASTIC JAEGER. The complete trip report, including photos and checklist, is posted here:

Boothbay Half-Day Pelagic Trip Report, 10/4/26
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/6.

A very light flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning. A turbulent atmosphere overnight coupled with increasing westerly winds in the morning reduced the number of birds on the go overnight, and passing through the point after sunrise.

  • 6:45-8:40am.
  • 39F, mostly clear, W 3.4-6.6 to 5.9-8.6mph.
  • 123 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 22 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  • 3 American Robins
  • 2 Hairy Woodpeckers (total of 16 false starts)
  • 2 American Goldfinches
  • 1 DICKCISSEL (6th of season ties my record high)
  • 1 Cedar Waxwing
  • 1 Eastern Bluebird
  • 1 Purple Finch
  • 1 Black-throated Green Warbler
  • 1 Tufted Titmouse
  • 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • 1 Osprey
  • 1 Chipping Sparrow
  • 1 Eastern Phoebe
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
  • 1 Unidentified
  • 1 Palm Warbler
  • 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • X Common Yellowthroat

T= 168

  • 2 DICKCISSELS, flying together over our Durham property on 10/8.
  • 2-3 DICKCISSELS, Meadow Road, Durham, 10/8 while walking the dog. 4-5 Dickcissels in a morning in interior Maine is incredible. I wonder how many more are out there right now!
  • 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (FOF), our property in Durham, 10/9.

Upcoming Tours (with Space Available):

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 while keeping an eye out for recently arrived wintering seaducks.

During our previous outings in which we became the first birding groups ever on the island, we found oodles of Yellow-rumped Warblers, other migrants, and learned about the island’s ecology. But we were also captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. 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!  

​As our collaboration with Portland Explorer enters its 12th season, we’re mixing things up with a brand new series of joint history and birding tours. These unique, relaxed birding and history adventures combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with educational journeys through some of our local history. Join two experts in their field on this brand new collaboration! (Sorry, no beer tastings here!)

But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage and hit the water once again! We’re going to hop aboard the Casco Bay Ferry Lines for the short, 20-minute trip across Portland Harbor to Peak’s Island.

Once there, we’ll plan on walking 3-4 easy miles (paved or dirt roads and a few narrow trails including one with irregular boards over wet areas) to cover the prime birding hotspots of the island, including the thickets that were made famous last year when Derek discovered Maine’s 5th-ever Virginia’s Warbler (and first away from Monhegan). We’ll make our way along the shoreline, looking at resident and recently-arrived migrant waterbirds, but checking various nooks and crannies that can hold unexpected vagrants.

We’ll make our way to the famous Battery Steele – famous for its access, its impressive graffiti, and yes, its birding. Here, a complex of wetlands and scrubby areas combine to attract and hold a wide range of avian species, often including some that are usually long gone from Maine by now. We’ll then explore the open-access fort and even get to experience total darkness! 

Birding will continue as we traverse the island to return to town. There will be an opportunity to purchase a delicious lunch, or bring your own, and we’ll relax for a spell as we await our ferry departure.

Boothbay Half-Day Pelagic Trip Report, 10/4/26

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Our Annual Half-Day Pelagic with our partners, Cap’n Fish’s Cruises in Boothbay Harbor took place on a rather pleasant Sunday, October 4th, 2026. It was clear and calm in the harbor, with a little chop offshore on top of at most a 2-ft swell, it was about as good as we can ask for in the Gulf of Maine in October.

Thanks to the weather and last year’s exceptional outing, we hit our designated capacity (far short of the boat’s capacity to allow for plenty of room to move around) with 93 participants! I handled most of the naturalist duties as we focused on birds, with Alex Lamoreaux on checklist, Dan Nickerson on chum, and of course the exceptional crew of Captain Nate, Naturalist Amy, and Grilled Cheese Chef Valentin.

As we were slowly motoring through the harbor, a flock of 10 Green-winged Teal took off – out of place in the middle of the bay!

Our many visitors to the region – from as far away as California and Nevada today – enjoyed our “common” inshore birds, such as Common Eider and of course Black Guillemot.

We picked up a couple of Great Cormorants,  and then as we headed offshore, we soon began to spot the occasional Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. We don’t see Wilson’s this late most falls, and especially not this many! In fact, we saw them throughout the trip, including pockets of small groups. Our tally of 128 for the trip was conservative, yet still a shocking number for the date. Not surprisingly, our best views came as we passed through a mile-long chum slick we had just laid down. 

Note the distinctive yellow-webbing between the toes.
The pale fringe on the underwing coverts might bely this bird of breeding on the Falkland Islands. Some recent research suggests this could very well be a cryptic species.

That chum slick worked perfectly today, affording us exceptionally close looks at the storm-petrels, but also great views of one of our target birds for an October departure: Northern Fulmar.

Prior to chumming over the area we call Saga, we encountered two large pods of dolphins, with dozens of Northern Gannets circling overhead and plunge-diving among them. The first pod of about 60 Atlantic White-sided Dolphins was followed by an even larger mixed pod of Atlantic White-sided Dolphins and Short-beaked Common Dolphins.

Northern Gannets were abundant today, with feeding frenzies amongst the dolphins, but plenty of scattered birds all trip to keep us on our toes.

Incredibly, we encountered 7 Atlantic Puffins throughout the day, a couple of adults, but mostly juveniles as would be expected this late. Like the storm-petrels, puffins this late are noteworthy, so 7 was exceptional.

Offshore passerines are always thrilling, as they’re like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get. We only had two today, a Yellow-rumped Warbler and an AMERICAN PIPIT

It was a great day offshore, but we were – as always – still hopeful as we continued on our clockwise loop and worked our way back towards Boothbay. Luke Seitz and I were talking about how we “needed” a jaeger today, and were surprised we did not encounter one. Then, about 45 minutes from the dock, I spotted a jaeger right in front of the bow!

It was so sudden, and right “there” I almost dismissed it as a young Laughing Gull, but then it passed right across the bow. We had a decent look at this subadult Parasitic Jaeger, but then Captain Nate said “Should we go after it? I think we should.”  I supported that decision. And while we were already a little behind schedule, the chase was on!

We had another decent view as it passed by, but then we lost it as it easily pulled ahead of us. We were about to turn around when it reappeared, once again right in front of the boat, but this time in hot pursuit of a juvenile Ring-billed Gull (who was being reminded why Ring-billed Gulls don’t often venture this far offshore!)

Peeling away from the Ring-billed, it took a run at a couple of Bonaparte’s Gulls who were minding their business on the water, before it began to head for deeper waters. We followed it for a good 10 minutes, often alongside the boat, just above eye level, for all to see and enjoy.

While any day with a jaeger is a good day, this spectacular view was icing on the cake of another wildly successful mini-pelagic.

Here’s the full trip list:

*Dock/Land from harbor only

  • 13 Canda Geese
  • 3 Mallard
  • 10 Green-winged Teal
  • 169 Common Eider
  • 90 Surf Scoters
  • 9 White-winged Scoters
  • 44 Black Scoters
  • 25 Rock Pigeons*
  • 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES
  • 1 PARASITIC JAEGER
  • 7 ATLANTIC PUFFIN
  • 19 Black Guillemots
  • 3 RAZORBILLS
  • 8 Bonaparte’s Gulls
  • 23 Laughing Gulls
  • 14 Ring-billed Gulls
  • 175 American Herring Gulls
  • 89 Great Black-backed Gulls
  • 16 Common Loons
  • 128 WILSON’S STORM-PETRELS
  • 10 NORTHERN FULMARS
  • 4 Great Shearwater
  • 1 MANX SHEARWATER (Alex L only, I believe)
  • 133 Northern Gannets
  • 2 Great Cormorants
  • 349 Double-crested Cormorants
  • 1 Great Blue Heron*
  • 2 Turkey Vultures*
  • 2 Bald Eagles
  • 2 Peregrine Falcons
  • 1 American Crow*
  • 12 European Starlings*
  • 1 American Pipit (~20 miles offshore)
  • 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler (~10 miles offshore)

See ya next year!

 This Week’s Highlights 9/7– 9/16/2026.

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We teased out one, likely continuing Little Gull from the unseasonably small masses of Bonaparte’s Gulls
in Head Harbor Passage, New Brunswick on 9/9.

Our annual “weekend” downeast followed by a three-day tour to Monhegan headlined my birding this week, along with visits to shorebirds and Sandy Point to bookend the period.  Here are my copious observations of note over the past 10 days.

  • I wasn’t home much during this period, but a few recent highlights from our Durham property this period included  a Prairie Warbler on the 15th and a Brown Thrasher on the 16th.

Sandy Point Morning Flight, 9/7.

A very good flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth Island this morning. A high flight, periods of activity at all levels – including below me, and early morning clouds combined to yield a lot of unidentified as I struggled just to keep count at times

  • Thanks to Bill Thompson for some instant reply additions to the tallies.
  • 6:10-9:35am.
  • 52F, partly cloudy, NW 4.8-6.0, increasing, then diminishing to 3.9-5.3
  • 541 Unidentified
  • 448 Northern Parulas
  • 169 American Redstarts
  • 119 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 51 Cedar Waxwings
  • 46 Black-throated Green Warblers
  • 14 Yellow Warblers
  • 14 American Goldfinches
  • 13 Red-eyed Vireos
  • 11 Magnolia Warblers
  • 10 Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • 9 Cape May Warblers
  • 6 Black-and-white Warblers
  • 6 Bay-breasted Warblers
  • 6 Nashville Warblers
  • 5 Chipping Sparrows
  • 5 Northern Flickers
  • 5 Northern Waterthrushes
  • 4 House Finch
  • 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 3 Black-and-white Warblers
  • 3 Common Loons
  • 3 Blue-headed Vireos
  • 3 Tennessee Warblers
  • 2 Savannah Sparrows
  • 2 Prairie Warblers
  • 2 Eastern Kingbirds
  • 2 Black-capped Chickadees
  • 1 Scarlet Tanager
  • 1 Least Flycatcher
  • 1 Common Nighthawk
  • 1 Purple Finch
  • 1 Cooper’s Hawk
  • 1 Wilson’s Warbler
  • 1 Philadelphia Vireo
  • 1 Eastern Phoebe
  • 1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
  • 1 Downy Woodpecker
  • 1 Blackburnian Warbler
  • 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • 1 Red-winged Blackbird
  • 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  • 1 Tree Swallow
  • 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
  • 1 White-throated Sparrow
  • 1 Indigo Bunting
  • X Common Yellowthroat
  • T= 1,519
  • 1 Monarch
  • 2 juvenile Snowy Egrets, Downeast Sunrise Trail marsh and Middle Rover Park, Machias, 9/6-10 (with Jeannette).
  • 4 American Pipits (FOF), Carrying Place Cove, Lubec, 9/8 (with Jeannette).
  • Charter with Eastport Windjammers through Head Harbor Passage, New Brunswick (with Chris Bartlett, Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Renee Patterson, Cynthia Phinney, Jeannette, et al), 9/9: 1 molting adult or 2nd winter LITTLE GULL among a mere 800-1000 total Bonaparte’s Gulls, 3 juvenile Atlantic Puffins, 1 Arctic Tern, 3 Razorbills, etc.
  • 1 1st summer THICK-BILLED MURRE, 11 Black-legged Kittiwakes, 16 Great Cormorants, etc, afternoon whale watch with Eastport Windjammers through Head Harbor Passage (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Cynthia Phinney, Jeannette, et al), 9/9.

Caption: Assuming we finally had our first Common Murre of the day (they’re regular in small numbers here in the late summer), “instant reply” overturned the call on the field and provided us with a most-unexpected Thick-billed Murre!

  • 2 adult and 1 2nd-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull and 13 Laughing Gulls, Roque Bluffs State Park, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Some of the observations of note from my three days on Monhegan (9/10-12) with my Monhegan Island Birding Workshop with DownEast Magazine’s DownEast Adventures tour group included: 1 make BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (9/12), 1 continuing hen KING EIDER (9/12), 1 CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (9/13); 1 DICKCISSEL (9/12), 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (9/12), 1 juvenile Cooper’s Hawk (9/11), up to 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls daily, a respectable-for-Monhegan 8 species of shorebirds over the three days, and 30+ Wilson’s Storm-Petrels on the ferry both coming and going (getting a little late). Not bad for a “slow” weekend out there!

Sandy Point Morning Flight, 9/15.

  • 6:20-10:05.
  • 46F, clear, NNW 5.4-6.2 to N 1.5-2.6

A great flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth Island this morning.  Jayden Mowry and Bill Thompson were on the bridge with me for most of the count. Pulses of birds early and high resulted in lots of unidentified. Northerly winds resulted in lots of swirling and non-crossings, making counting migrants even more challenging! The hunting Merlin also didn’t help. A family group of 4 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHERS on a sandbar (first spotted today by Matthew Gilbert) was my 199th species at Sandy Point!

  • 297 Northern Parula
  • 287 Unidentified
  • 85 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 45 American Redstarts
  • 38 Black-throated Green Warblers
  • 30 Cedar Waxwings
  • 20 Red-eyed Vireos
  • 19 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 16 Yellow Warblers
  • 15 Magnolia Warblers
  • 9 Swainson’s Thrushes
  • 7 Black-and-white Warblers
  • 7 Northern Flickers
  • 6 Ospreys
  • 6 American Goldfinches
  • 6 Nashville Warblers
  • 5 Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • 4 Northern Waterthrushes
  • 4 Bay-breasted Warblers
  • 3 Palm Warblers
  • 3 Chestnut-sided Warblers
  • 3 Chipping Sparrows
  • 3 American Pipits
  • 3 Common Loons
  • 3 Black-throated Blue Warblers
  • 3 Tennessee Warblers
  • 3 Philadelphia Vireo
  • 3 Blue Jays
  • 2 Cape May Warblers
  • 2 Purple Finches
  • 2 DICKCISSELS
  • 2 Blue-headed Vireos
  • 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
  • 2 Eastern Phoebes
  • 2 Least Flycatchers
  • 1 Wilson’s Warbler
  • 1 Lincoln’s Sparrow
  • 1 Merlin (plus 1 hunting)
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  • 1 YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (getting late; pending review of Bill’s photo)
  • 1 Canada Warbler
  • 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
  • 1 Blackburnian Warbler
  • 1 Downy Woodpecker (at least 4 “false starts”)
  • 1 unidentified vireo
  • 1 Warbling Vireo
  • 1 Scarlet Tanager
  • X Common Yellowthroat
  • T= 956
  • 6 Monarchs

And here are my shorebird high counts over the past 10 days, which did not include any birding south of Yarmouth, hence the reduced diversity and lower numbers for many species:

  • AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 4, Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, 9/15 (with Matthew Gilbert, Lewis Holmes, Jayden Mowery, and Bill Thompson). My 199th Patch Bird here! Apparently, they have been present recently fide L. Homes and B. Thompson).
  • Black-bellied Plover: 85, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 9/16.  
  • AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER: 1 adult (FOY), Middle River Park, Machias, 9/10 (with Jeannette) and 1 juvenile, Wharton Point, 9/16.
  • Killdeer: 17, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 9/15.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 100+, Middle River Preserve, Machias, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Hudsonian Whimbrel: 2, Carrying Place Cove then the Lubec Flats, Lubec, 9/8 (with Jeannette).
  • Sanderling: 24, Lubec Flats, Lubec, 9/8 (with Jeannette).
  • Dunlin: 1 juvenile (FOF), Wharton Point Brunswick, 9/16.
  • Least Sandpiper: 100+, Sandborn Cove, Machiasport, 9/6 (with Jeannette).
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 1, several locations.
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 1, Lubec Bar, 9/8 and Middle River Park, Machias, 9/9 (with Jeannette).
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: ~3,000, Sanborn Cove, Machiasport, 9/6 (with Jeannette)
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 2, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 9/14.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 4, Downeast Sunrise Trail Marsh, 9/6 and 9/10 (with Jeannette) and 4 Monhegan Island, 9/12 (with DownEast Adventures tour group).
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 1, several locations this week.
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 143 (great number for the date), Walsh Preserve, 9/14.
  • Greater Yellowlegs: only 2, several locations this week.
  • RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: 3, between New Harbor and Monhegan Island via the Hardy Boat ferry, 9/10 (with DownEast Adventures tour group).

Upcoming Tours With Space Available:

Boothbay Harbor ½ Day Pelagic, October 4th!

I’ll just leave last year’s trip report right here.

2025 Fall Half-Day Pelagic with Freeport Wild Bird Supply and Cap’n Fish’s Cruises.

Birds of Casco Bay.  October 6, 2026: 9:00am – 12:00pm

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 while keeping an eye out for recently arrived wintering seaducks.

Forts and Feathers: House Island.  October 18, 2026; 9:00am – 2:00pm​

During our previous outings in which we became the first birding groups ever on the island, we found oodles of Yellow-rumped Warblers, other migrants, and learned about the island’s ecology. But we were also captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. 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!  

 This Week’s Highlights 7/15– 7/24/2026.

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While Ian Doherty, Bill Thompson, and I had two Tricolored Herons off of Eastern Road on the 24th, they were fairly distant. This photo was from a much closer encounter with one of the two birds last week from the same location.

Boat trips and shorebirds are the name of the game at this time of year, yet many of my notable species were wading birds during this recent period! Here is a very photo-laden report of my observations of note over the past 10 days, including my aggregated Shorebird High Counts:

  • 1 Glossy Ibis, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 7/15 (my 175th Patch Bird here!). There’s been an impressive showing of GLIB well inland this summer.
  • A trip to Eastern Egg Rock via the Cap’n Fish’s Puffin Cruise out of Boothbay Harbor on 7/16 with a group from the American Bird Conservancy enjoyed a great visit to the island with above-average numbers of Atlantic Puffins in the water, particularly good looks at Roseate Terns, and two seasonal rarities: a drake Long-tailed Duck in the Inner Harbor and a kleptoparasiting PARASITIC JAEGER about 1/2 mile off of the west side of Eastern Egg.
  • 1 continuing SANDHILL CRANE, Bar Harbor Airport from Rte 3 as we were heading into town to catch our boat, 7/18 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Highlights from the Bar Harbor Whale Watch/Flukes Seabird Island and Lighthouse Tour (with Kelley Sharp, Bill Thompson, et all) on 7/18 included 150+ Red-necked Phalaropes, 1 Sooty Shearwater and 60++ Great Shearwaters in all, many hundreds of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, scattered migrant shorebirds, oh yeah, and a few thousand Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, and Common Murres and all three terns, etc. And breaching Humpback Whales!
  • 2 TRICOLORED HERONS, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 7/24 (with Ian Doherty and Bill Thompson.
  • 1 presumed/suspected WHITE-FACED IBIS, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh 7/24 (with Ian Doherty and Bill Thompson). Bill likely has better photos from Eastern Road, but the photos below are of what appears to be the same bird an hour or so later at Pelreco Marsh (with Ian).  Adult bird in post-breeding plumage aspect and beginning to molt, showing pure red eyes, wide but faded white border to the face and behind the eye, pale pinkish-flesh facial skin, but too far past high breeding to fairly ascertain color. Vocal difference when it took flight: less croaky, and more of a goose-like honking tone. Red knees seen well at Pelreco. While nothing is suggestive of a hybrid, the lack of useful facial skin coloration might make it impossible to fully discount a hybrid given the season and plumage aspect.

As I do every year at this time of year, I post my shorebird high counts. Since most of my – and just about everyone else’s birding at this time of year is focused on migrant shorebirds – I use it to synthesize my observations of the ebbs and flows of the protracted fall shorebird migration season. Each period, I am sure to visit at least one of each: high tide hotspot, a low tide hotspot, freshwater hotspot, Wharton Point in Brunswick, Walsh Preserve in Freeport, and a Killdeer/grasspiper hotspot. In previous years, I have done this every week, but due to my current life and schedule, I’m going to do it every 10 days (which is a long time in fall shorebird migration) this year instead, just to be sure that I hit all 6 of my “data” points each period. Therefore, here are my shorebird high counts over the past 10 days (no Biddeford environs this period):

  • Black-bellied Plover: 2, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 7/22.
  • Killdeer: 9, Highland Road, Brunswick, 7/22.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 55, Pine Point, Scarborough, 7/21 (with Jeannette).
  • Piping Plover: 5, Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg 7/20 (with Jeannette).
  • Hudsonian Whimbrel: 3, Pine Point,7/24 (with Ian Doherty). 1 on 7/21 (with Jeannette) was my FOY:
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 9, Matinicus Rock via Bar Harbor Whale Watch/Flukes Seabird Island and Lighthouse Tour, 7/18 (with Kelley Sharp, Bill Thompson, et all).
  • Sanderling: 6, Popham Beach State Park, 7/20 (with Jeannette).
  • Least Sandpiper: 30+, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 7/24 (with Ian Doherty).
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 125, Pine Point, 7/21 (with Jeannette).
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 17, Pine Point, 7/21 (with Jeannette).
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 1, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 7/15.
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 3 (FOF), Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 7/15.
  • Lesser Yellowegs: 103, Walsh Preserve, 7/24.
  • (Eastern) Willet: 24, Pine Point, 7/21 (with Jeannette).
  • Caption: photo from the Eastern Road Trail on 7/14…I just didn’t get my photos sorted in time for the last blog entry…but I had to share this one!
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 21, Walsh Preserve, 7/24.
  • RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: ~150 between Machias Seal Island and Mt. Desert Rock via Bar Harbor Whale Watch/Flukes Seabird Island and Lighthouse Tour, with Kelley Sharp, Bill Thompson, et all, 7/18.

Upcoming Tours (that have space):

Boothbay Harbor Whale-Puffin Cruise with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises

This Sunday, July 26 – 9:00AM.

​​This is the second of the two trips this summer where Derek will be onboard as a Guest Naturalist for this special “Whale Watch & Birding Buffs Combo” Cruise. The itinerary will include a visit to Eastern Egg Rock as well as whale feeding grounds. Nesting colonies and pelagic sightings will be highlighted. Around EER at this time we can expect to find Atlantic Puffins, Common Terns, Arctic Terns, Roseate Terns, Laughing Gulls, Double-Crested Cormorants, Common Eider, Black Guillemots, with a chance of Razorbill and Common Murre. Off-shore sightings may include Northern Gannets, up to 4 species of Shearwaters (Great, Sooty, Cory’s, and Manx), and Wilson’s Storm Petrels. Who knows? Perhaps the wandering TUFTED PUFFIN will be spotted! Sorry, no chumming this time, but we tend to get a little more time around Eastern Egg, and if there’s enough of us, a little more freedom to chase birds offshore!

Trip Report:

Speaking of photo-laden reports, here is my trip report from our new “The Magic of Machias Seal Island,” tour which took place on July 5th and 6th.

The Magic of Machias Seal Island Trip Report, July 2026

And finally this week, Jeannette had some quality time photographing Roseate Terns on our 7/21 visit to Pine Point.

The Magic of Machias Seal Island Trip Report, July 2026

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New for 2026,  “The Magic of Machias Seal Island Tour” took place on July 6th and 7th. I think we can say this new tour was a success.

After a welcome and strategy dinner on Sunday night, we met on the morning of the 6th for a carpool from Machias to Cutler, where we boarded our boat to one of the most special places on the continent.

It could not have been a more perfect day. Mostly clear, glass calm, and a comfortable temperature rising from 60F to the low 70’s by the afternoon – an absolutely gorgeous day!

With such calm waters, the trip out to Machias Seal Island was delightful. We encountered lots of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels…

…and soon numbers of Razorbills, Common Murres, and Atlantic Puffins on the water. There were lots of Harbor Porpoise, and we even glimpsed a Minke Whale.

As we arrived in the vicinity of the island, an exceptional number of birds were in the water and surrounding the boat.

But following the safety-first procedures, we made our way to the island, and divided into groups. We chartered the boat for the tour but chose not to maximize the number of participants so we could all have a little more elbow-room in the blinds, especially with all of the long lenses in tow.

Words don’t really do the experience of being in the blinds on MSI justice, and while you all know I have words, I am going to simply let the photos do the talking.

But even on a beautiful day like this, life is tough out here. Without a permanent tern colony to mob predators, danger is always lurking, such as this Herring Gull

One blind on our tour witnessed such a thing, when a different Herring Gull grabbed a puffling out of its burrow, with the helpless adults unable to do a thing about it. At least it was quick.

After our allotted hour in the blind  – which feels like 5 minutes and forever at the same time, as time flies when you are having fun, but time also seems to stand still when fully immersed in the experience of being inches away from some of the most charismatic and entertaining birds in the world- we made our way back to the center of the island, where a couple of dozen Arctic Terns are trying to reestablish a colony, and enjoying other island denizens like Savannah Sparrow and Spotted Sandpiper.

Back on the boat, we took the traditional “victory lap” with such calm water and so, so many birds to look at. Photographers snapped away. Others sat back and enjoyed the show. I just tried to look at every single bird to find a rarity, like the famous Tufted Puffin.

I’d be happy to hear of a possible fish ID from anyone on these, but this large tasty morsel was being brought home for chicks by Razorbills and Common Murres all day, arriving mostly from nearshore waters.

During the entire ride back, we had more Wilson’s Storm-Petrels and alcids with us, until nearly within the confines of Cutler Harbor.

Now, as a guide, it’s hard to top that, but I at least tried to entertain folks for a little longer.  First, we visited the bog at Boot Head Preserve (heard a Palm Warbler and saw some of the more common warbler species in the woods), mostly to look at plants and the unique habitat.

Then, back in Machias, we strolled the section of the Downeast Sunrise Trail along the Machias River and eventually had some great looks at Nelson’s Sparrow, two likely-southbound-migrant Greater Yellowlegs, several fishing Ospreys, and a good show of Bald Eagles – including two youngsters branching about around the nest.

On our second morning, there were no expectations to top MSI, but we went birding anyway. Spruce Grouse was our goal, and although they are no longer seen often, if at all, at any of the regular places, I had a new secret spot trick up my sleeve.

I scouted it on Friday and found a dust bath with a Spruce Grouse feather.

Maybe I shouldn’t have taken my low-clearance hybrid as far in as I did, but I am glad, because a fairly short and easy walk yielded this:

Yup, she was heading right to the dust bath!

We birded the woods here and at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge without encountering any other boreal species (heard one likely Bay-breasted Warbler, but that was it), so after another great lunch, this time at the famous Helen’s, we headed over to Lubec for some really productive birding.

We did look at other birds too, such as this female Common Yellowthroat.

At the overlook of The Bar, we had a migrant flock of 6 Least Sandpipers, perhaps just arriving from points north. Oversummering Arctic sea ducks included at least 6 White-winged and 3 Surf Scoters, along with about 10 Red-breasted Mergansers and plenty of Common Eiders of course. We sorted through the loafing gulls hoping for a rarity.

Based on their behavior when a Bald Eagle flew by, there is a pair of Northern Harriers nesting near Carrying Place Cove – an unexpected bonus. That was great to see.

Quoddy State Park did not disappoint, although even the several dozen Razorbills offshore were a little anti-climactic. They’re still nice to see from land, however. And a Red-throated Loon, very rare in summer, was an unexpected treat, as was a Laughing Gull, which is quite rare this far East, at least in mid-summer…for now.

And we walked to the bog. Because bogs.

ALWAYS stopped to smell…and photograph, the Twinflower.

Even on the drive back, the birding success continued. A Ruffed Grouse crossed the road with two chicks, and I was not shy about using my vehicle to assure them safe passage. Meanwhile, for those of us staying at The Bluebird Motel, we began each day with a Tennessee Warbler singing in the parking lot and finished up daylight with Common Nighthawks foraging overhead!

Oh yeah, and as usual on an FWBS/Derek Lovitch tour…we ate really, really well, wrapping things up with one last indulgent lunch at Helen’s.

Local Cobscook Bay scallops, and their pickled beets are perfect. Both almost as good as the pie!

I guess I don’t have to say that you’ll see this tour on the calendar next year…I have already confirmed it.

This Week’s Highlights 7/5– 7/14/2026.

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I led a tour to Machias Seal Island on the 6th, and I’ll let two snapshots with my phone do the talkin’  This place is just so special and needs few words.

In addition to our new The Magic of Machias Seal Island Tour downeast this period, my birding took me around southern Maine as well, including lots of quality time with Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows, Roseate Terns, and migrant shorebirds,.  Here are my observations of note over the past 10 days.

  • 1 COMMON GALLINULE, 1-2 American Bittern, etc, Penjajawoc Marsh, Bangor, 7/5.

Observations of note from my 2+ day tour to Machias, including a visit to Machias Seal Island included the following (the full trip report, chock full of photos, can be seen here):

  • 1 Tennessee Warbler singing each morning and 1-2 Common Nighthawks each evening for those of us staying at the Bluebird Motel in Machias.
  • 1 SPRUCE GROUSE, Edmunds Twp, 7/7.
  • 1 pair Northern Harriers, 6 White-winged and 3 Surf Scoters, 10 Red-breasted Mergansers, etc, The Bar and Carrying Place Cove, Lubec, 7/7.
  • 1 Red-throated Loon, 1 Laughing Gull, 30++ Razorbills, Quoddy State Park, 7/7.
  • Migrant shorebirds included 9 Short-billed Dowitchers and 5 Least Sandpipers on MSI on 7/6; 2 Greater Yellowlegs along the Downeast Sunrise Trail in Machias on 7/6; and 6 Least Sandpipers at the Lubec Bar on 7/7.
  • 2 Upland Sandpipers, Schoodic Road, Columbia, 7/8.
  • 1 continuing proposed TRICOLORED HERON X SMALL WHITE EGRET SPP (“Patches!”) and 1 continuing TRICOLORED HERON, 12 Least Sandpipers, 9 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Little Blue Herons, etc, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 7/10.  I only saw Patches flying away, but I saw very few dark flight feathers. This could be yet another individual in the complex. I’ll need to look at photos from others and see it better myself, but regardless, this is year 14 of this quagmire in the marsh!
  • 2 Pectoral Sandpipers (FOF), Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 7/11 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • The continuing TRICOLORED HERON and a growing number of shorebirds, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 7/14 (with clients from Florida and Virginia).

Upcoming Tours (that have space):

Boothbay Harbor Whale-Puffin Cruise with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises

July 26 – 9:00AM.

​​This is the second of the two trips this summer where Derek will be onboard as a Guest Naturalist for this special “Whale Watch & Birding Buffs Combo” Cruise. The itinerary will include a visit to Eastern Egg Rock as well as whale feeding grounds. Nesting colonies and pelagic sightings will be highlighted. Around EER at this time we can expect to find Atlantic Puffins, Common Terns, Arctic Terns, Roseate Terns, Laughing Gulls, Double-Crested Cormorants, Common Eider, Black Guillemots, with a chance of Razorbill and Common Murre. Off-shore sightings may include Northern Gannets, up to 4 species of Shearwaters (Great, Sooty, Cory’s, and Manx), and Wilson’s Storm Petrels. Who knows? Perhaps the wandering TUFTED PUFFIN will be spotted! Sorry, no chumming this time, but we tend to get a little more time around Eastern Egg, and if there’s enough of us, a little more freedom to chase birds offshore!

Recent Highlights, 10/3– 10/9/24

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One of at least 15 Cory’s Shearwaters observed from a Cap’n Fish’s Cruises Whale Watch last week, showing the dark outer primaries on the underwing, making for a rounded end to the white of the underwing coverts, separating it from the recently-split Scopoli’s Shearwater.

October is my favorite month of birding in Maine, and this past week showed why. A great diversity of birds are on the move, and my past seven days featured everything from pelagics to yard birds. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.

  • Pelagic highlights from a Cap’n Fish’s Cruises Whale Watch out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/4: 4 NORTHERN FULMARS (including one dark morph), 4 ATLANTIC PUFFINS, 14-15 Cory’s Shearwaters (most seen and/or photographed well enough to see full dark outer primaries on the underwing; see above), 6 Red-necked Phalaropes, and one BROWN CREEPER landing on a person on the top deck about 14 miles off of Damariscove Island (photo below). My complete list is posted here.
  • 1 Baltimore Oriole and 1 Nashville Warbler, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 10/5 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/6: 140 birds of 18 species led by 60 Yellow-rumped Warblers. Total tally here.
  • 1 Rusty Blackbird, 1 Nashville Warbler, and 1 Pied-billed Grebe, Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 10/9 (with clients from New York).
  • 20-30+ Cory’s Shearwaters off East Point and Ocean Ave, Biddeford Pool, 10/9. Some just beyond Beach Island in good afternoon light to see dark outer primaries. 15 minutes of counting produced 18 individuals from East Point, all moving north, with 1-3 in view with almost every quick scan thereafter. Good sign for Monday’s pelagic! (with clients from New York).
  • 7 American Oystercatchers and 1 Horned Grebe (first of fall), Ocean Avenue, 10/9 (with clients from New York).
  • 1 American Redstart, Elphis Pond, Biddeford Pool, 10/9 (with clients from New York).
  • Highlights from our Durham property this week included the arrival of the first few Dark-eyed Juncos, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak on 10/4, continuing multiple Lincoln’s Sparrows, Nashville Warbler on 10/8, and another or the same Indigo Bunting on 10/9.
  • And here’s my complete trip report from my Monhegan tour and visit on September 27 through October 1st.
2024 Monhegan Fall Migration Weekend Trip Report

UPCOMING TOURS:

  • Our annual half-day pelagic with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor is on Sunday, October 14th – a nice, late date that should put us more in the season of things like Great Skua, and you can be sure we’ll be studying Cory’s Shearwaters hard to find a Scopoli’s! More info and link to registration is here. See notes above from my 10/4 outing.
  • 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.
Join us on Monday’s pelagic and maybe a Brown Creeper will land on you!

Recent Highlights, 5/11– 5/17/2024

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John Lorenc and I finally caught up with this continuing WHITE-WINGED DOVE at Donna Cundy’s feeders on Monhegan Island in our brief visit on the 17th.  It appeared minutes after we walked away for the” last time,” but we were alerted by friends and raced back. My photos have a twig in front of that beautiful powder blue eyering, so I’m borrowing Kristen’s photo.

My observations of note over the past seven days also included:

  • 15 species of warblers, led by only about 20 Black-and-white Warblers and about 15 Northern Parulas, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/12 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 1-2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/12 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 15 species of warblers, led by 9 Ovenbirds and 7 American Redstarts, our property in Durham, 5/13.
  • 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, Suckfish Brook Conservation Area, Falmouth, 5/13 (with Jeannette).
  • 18 species of warblers (FOY), led by 40+ Yellow-rumped and 13 Common Yellowthroats, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/14 (with Jeannette).
  • 15 species of warblers, led by 10+ each of Ovenbirds and Black-throated Green Warblers, our property in Durham, 5/14.
  • 15 species of warblers, led by 19 Common Yellowthroats and 10 Ovenbirds, Florida Lake Park, 5/15.
  • 5 Red Crossbills, around the store’s yard, 5/15. More impressive was the 23 that Jeannette had fly over early in the day on the 18th.
  • A very productive ferry crossing from Port Clyde to Monhegan on 5/17 included 4-6 ATLANTIC PUFFINS (FOY), a group of 6 (or possibly 9) RED-NECKED PHALAROPES (FOY), 6 Black Scoters, several Long-tailed Ducks, etc. (with John Lorenc, Jess Bishop, Ron Joseph, Kristen Lindquist, Bill Thompson, et al).  On the trip back, John and I had a total of 10 ATLANTIC PUFFINS and more Long-tailed Ducks.
  • 1 continuing WHITE-WINGED DOVE (photo above) and 1 female-type SUMMER TANAGER, Monhegan Island, 5/17 (with John Lorenc).

Additional personal first-of-years this week also included:

  • 1 Blackpoll Warbler, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/12 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 1 Red-eyed Vireo, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/12 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 1 House Wren, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/12 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 2 Bay-breasted Warblers, Florida Lake Park, 5/14 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 Eastern Wood-Pewees, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/16.
  • 4 Laughing Gull, ferry from Port Clyde to Monhegan, 5/17 (with John Lorenc).
  • 4+ Indigo Buntings, Monhegan Island, 5/17 (with John Lorenc).

It was a great week of birding on our Durham property this week, including local breeding birds on territory often put on a show. Jeannette photographed this Yellow Warbler on our property on the 15th, for example.

Tours and Events:

  • There will not be a Saturday Morning Birdwalk on 5/25 as I’ll be on Monhegan with our tour group. 

Seal Island Tour Report, July 2023

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On July 22nd we boarded the Isle au Haut Boat Service’s The Otter for our special annual charter out of Stonington to the raucous seabird colony on Seal Island.  Our partnership began while “Troppy” the world-famous Red-billed Tropicbird that called the area home for 17 years. Unfortunately, Troppy failed to appear last year, but we ran the trip anyway, and had an amazing time!

2022 Seal Island Trip Report (The “not-so-search for Troppy), 7/23.

So we did it again this year. There’s just so much life out there, and it’s such an amazing place to visit, and so I needed an excuse for my annual visit. And sure, if that wily Tufted Puffin that’s been wandering the Gulf for the last two summers wants to be the new Troppy, that would be fine, too. But for now, we headed offshore with all sorts of high hopes.

As we left Stonington Harbor, the fog began to thicken, but not before we spotted a group of 15 Red-necked Phalaropes sitting on the water. Captain Tracy did a great job getting us closer, and then inching up to them when they relocated a short distance away. It’s a treat to get so close to phalaropes on the open water.

A handful of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were bouncing around, but the action picked up as usual as we approached Saddleback Ledge Light. A 1st summer Great Cormorant was surveying the scene, and our first Atlantic Puffin circled around us for a couple of passes.  After we ourselves circled the small island twice, we turned for Seal and immediately ran into dense fog that had slowly been creeping in. The tradeoff for calm waters is often fog, and it was pea soup today.

Not surprisingly, we saw little en route, but soon enough, we were out at Seal. While we heard – and even smelled – the tern colony before we could see the island, once along its shores, visibility was adequate. Arctic Terns put on a particularly good show for us, with several near the boat feeding and bathing. Arctic and Common Tern fledglings were everywhere, and we enjoyed their antics.  There were plenty of Atlantic Puffins in the water and on land, including several groups that were remarkably confiding as we sided up to them in the glass-calm waters. And Black Guillemots were numerous, and very busy.

Razorbills were fledgling rapidly, so we only found two on the island, but later, we had great looks at one on the water, too.

We circled around the southern end, spending some time observing the state’s last colony of Great Cormorants (and Double-crested); nests were brimming with chicks! 

We kept an eye out for migrant shorebirds in addition to the locally breeding Spotted Sandpipers, but visibility remained a challenge: 4 Short-billed Dowitchers, 3 Least Sandpipers, and some unidentified peeps was the best we could do.  A Great Shearwater made a close, but brief, pass as we were on the east side of the island before vanishing back into the fog.

Somehow, it was even foggier on our way back, so seabird sightings – even with a second visit to Saddleback Ledge – were limited to just a couple more Wilson’s Storm-Petrels.

So yeah, the fog was annoying, and did impact photos and our search for the next mega-rarity. But it also produced one of the smoothest boat rides you’ll ever be on in the Gulf of Maine and yielded lots of close puffins and some great looks at phalaropes.  And besides, any day birding from a boat is a good day in our book! Especially when a few days prior we thought this trip was going to be cancelled due to wind and thunderstorms.

Harbor Seals on the way out of the harbor.

Summertime Puffin/Whale/Pelagics Trip with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises

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Beginning in 2022, Cap’n Fish’s Cruises in Boothbay Harbor and Freeport Wild Bird Supply have partnered together to offer a mid-summer seabirding opportunity. I join the boat’s naturalist as a seabird and pelagic specialist, to help everyone see all of the breeding seabirds at Eastern Egg Rock (Atlantic Puffins; Arctic, Common, and Roseate Terns; Laughing Gulls; and sometimes Razorbill and Common Murre) before we venture offshore in search of whales. While doing so, we pay special attention on this cruise to the bird life – which is often found at the same places where we are looking for whales. This trip gives us a slightly more bird-centric tour compared to the regularly-scheduled departures.

Here are the trip reports from this very popular annual event.

  • July 16. 2022

Seas were fairly high (3-5ft) as we bounced offshore to deeper water first. Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were soon visible, and we passed one Razorbill. We could not stop or turn around for it as the seas were just a little too rough for that, and this was unfortunately our only Razorbill of the day. We cruised around waters over 300 feet deep, and were treated to a good performance from Great Shearwaters, Wilson’s Storm-Petrels, and picked up a few Sooty Shearwaters. We had one offshore Atlantic Puffin, but the big surprise was a rare, mid-summer NORTHERN FULMAR – definitely the pelagic bird of the trip.

With the seas building, we made a turn and took advantage of much more pleasant conditions as we trolled the area, giving people a better chance and seeing the aforementioned species. We also spotted a couple of Mola Molas, but no marine mammals, unfortunately.

Away from Eastern Egg Rock (both coming and going), our offshore (“pelagic”) scorecard was:

  • 76 Great Shearwaters
  • 61 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels
  • 21 Northern Gannets
  • 3 Sooty Shearwaters
  • 2 Arctic Terns
  • 1 Razorbill
  • 1 Atlantic Puffin
  • 1 NORTHERN FULMAR
  • 1 Common Loon
  • scattered Common Terns and unidentified Sterna

As we approached Eastern Egg Rock, the action really picked up with all of the island’s breeding species soon apparent. Roseate and Arctic Terns joined the multitudes of Common Terns. At least a dozen Roseates included several putting on a good show, and we singled out quite a few close-passing Arctic Terns for good studies. 4 migrant Ruddy Turnstones joined island-breeding Spotted Sandpipers onshore, and we heard a couple of singing Song Sparrows. And of course a plentitude of Laughing Gulls; about half of the entire state’s population breeds here. Black Guillemots were also conspicuous today.

But Atlantic Puffins are the star of the show out here, and today, they did not disappoint. In fact, it was a great mid-summer performance, with several dozen on the water – often in very close proximity to the boat, commuters passing by, and dozens more stately stationed on the island’s rocks.

We wandered offshore on the way back, near where the boat had recently seen whales, added a few birds to the tallies, but alas, the only marine mammals of the day were two species of seals: lots of Harbor Seals and two Gray Seals. Hopefully, this got the seal of approval from the marine mammal watchers aboard today.

  • July 10, 2023.

A Parasitic Jaeger got everyone to our feet as we were motoring home through the fog.

With even more anticipation than usual, birders flocked aboard for this afternoon departure. Three hours earlier, I had spotted the near-mythical Tufted Puffin on Eastern Egg Rock aboard Cap’n Fish’s morning Puffin Cruise.  We made a bee-line for the island’s north end, but alas, the Tufted was not to be seen.

Nonetheless, we had a fantastic visit. Fog resulted in many of the island’s Atlantic Puffins being in the water and we had close birds all around the boat. We studied Arctic and Roseate Terns among the masses, making sure everyone had at least one rewarding look at each. While we searched vigilantly for the Tufted, we picked out one of two American Oystercatchers that have been here this summer, and just as we were about to leave, the single Common Murre floated around just off our bow.

It didn’t take long before our first Wilson’s Storm-Petrels of the day to be sighted, with small groups and singletons here and there throughout the rest of the trip for a total of 100-150 or so. Fog only thickened as we traveled further offshore, however, although we did find a hole where the visibility increased dramatically for a spell. While we searched diligently for whales to no avail (but plenty of Harbor Porpoises today), birds began to appear one by one.

A good look at a Sooty Shearwater. A glimpse of a Great Shearwater was followed later by a cooperative one that allowed close approach on the water. One group spotted a Manx Shearwater heading straight away, and a couple of other distant shearwaters disappeared into the fog. We only saw a few gannets today, scattered Common Loons on our way to and from, but a subadult Parasitic Jaeger spiced things up on our ride back (photo above). 

Considering how dense the fog was, we were happy to spot much of anything once we left the rock, and considering we remained just east of torrential rain all day, we were more than satisfied with the comfort of what we did see!

While we’ll have a dedicated pelagic in October one again (see our website for more information about all of our pelagic birding opportunities) and we look forward to another edition of this summer special in 2024!