New arrivals and “first of years” this week often appeared right in front of us at our feeding stations, as if often the case this time of year. No matter how often we see them, it hard to not get excited about each and every “FOY,” especially when they look as gorgeous as a Rose-breasted Grosbeak!
While there were no incredible flights or fallouts this week, there was a nice steady progression of spring migration on several nights and days. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days, led by a slew of new arrivals.
4 Gadwall, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 4/27.
It was another exceptional week at the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch. On 4/28, an Osprey was our 6,022nd migrant tallied this season – a new all-time record!
7 species of warblers, led by only 20-30 Yellow-rumped Warblers but including one LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Morgan Meadow WMA, Gray/New Gloucester, 4/29. A single fly-over Fish Crow here the same day was my first ever for this patch.
1 BLACK VULTURE, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/29. Our record 6th of the season (but my personal FOY) – previous record was 3.
My personal “first of years” this week also included:
Back for yet another year, Jeannette and I refound the/one of the long-returning LITTLE EGRET X SNOWY EGRET HYBRIDS on the 20th at Tidewater Farm in Falmouth. It was nearly to the date that we relocated it here last year for the first time, and it really favors the tidal creek here at low and mid-tides. The long Little Egret-like neck plumes are highly suggestive of a Little, but they are coupled with some short, wispy neck plumes and yellowish lores indicative of Snowy Egret genes.\
The migratory floodgates opened this week, starting with a big flight Friday night into Saturday morning. Then, during the day, a huge hawk flight occurred. Furthermore, the weather of Friday through Saturday resulted in a small “overshoot” even where birds were facilitated further north than usual for the season, or at all. Locally, this resulted in several rather early dates for returning migrants. Another great hawk flight on the 21st, and good passerine movements on several other nights made for an exciting and productive week of spring birding. A coastal sparrow-heavy fallout for the morning of the 25th yielded another large arrival of birds, with sheer numbers dominated by White-throated Sparrows. Here are my observations of note over the past seven great days, from a returning hybrid heron to a local first Patch record:
35+ Palm Warblers, 30+ Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 20+ Ruby-crowned Kinglets, etc, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/19 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
Saturday was an extraordinary day at the Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch. I was fortunate to be able to catch two hours of it, even if it was as the flight was waning. The record-shattering total of 2,712 migrant raptors crushed the old single-day record of 1,814 (5/3/2020). Today’s total was more than 700 birds more than we had for every previous day combined for this season to date. Not only that, but today’s tally eclipsed our two lowest SEASON totals 2,123 (2007) and 2,321 (2011)!
1 returning LITTLE EGRET X SNOWY EGRET HYBRID, Tidewater Farm, Falmouth, 4/20 (with Jeannette). Photo and details above.
2 SANDHILL CRANES, Morgan Meadow WMA, Gray/Raymond, 4/21 (with Jeannette).
~125 Palm Warblers, ~75 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 2 Pine Warblers, Florida Lake Park, 4/23.
7 Brant, Wood Island (restricted access), Biddeford, 4/23 (with Bethany Woodworth’s UNE Ornithology class).
1 COMMON GALLINULE (FOY), Florida Lake Park, 4/25 (with Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth). First flushed by Noah and Stacey. Was a real challenge to get a look at, but eventually it came out to an edge for a handful of minutes. My 170th species at Florida Lake!
My personal “first of years” this week also included:
1 Blue-headed Vireo, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/19 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 BANK SWALLOW (quite early), Florida Lake Park, 4/19 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 Barn Swallow, Florida Lake Park, 4/19 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Morgan Meadow WMA, Gray/Raymond, 4/21 (with Jeannette).
1 Eastern Towhee Wood Island (restricted access), Biddeford, 4/23 (with Bethany Woodworth and UNE’s Ornithology class).
1 Common Yellowthroat, Florida Lake Park, 4/25.
1 Black-and-white Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 4/25.
Although Black-crowned Night-Herons have likely been around for a few weeks by now, these three at Wood Island in Biddeford on the 23rd were my personal first of the year.
This immature Snow Goose was a surprise to find in the marsh off of the Footbridge Beach Parking lot in Ogunquit on the 15th. Later, my client and I found it much closer (although heat shimmer and distance still confounded my phone-scoping attempts) off of the North Beach parking lot across the river.
After another complex and long-duration storm system put the brakes on migration from Friday night through Tuesday, there was a huge flight of birds into the area for Wednesday morning and a great hawk flight on Friday. Here are my observations of note and new arrivals over the past seven days:
Our last Fox Sparrow at our home and here at the store departed the night of 4/15. Not seeing one on the 16th anywhere ended my streak of 120 consecutive days of seeing a Fox Sparrow when in Maine! Of course on appeared/reappeared at home on the 17th.
A sparrow fallout was experienced along the immediate southwestern coast of Maine on the morning of 4/15. I caught a small sample of it with 50-75 Savannah Sparrows, 150+ Dark-eyed Juncos, 30+ Song Sparrows, 1 Fox Sparrow, etc, at Beach Plum Farm in Ogunquit (with a client from New York).
7 Harlequin Ducks and 12 Purple Sandpipers, Perkin’s Cove, Ogunquit, 4/15 (with client from New York).
1 immature SNOW GOOSE, Footbridge Beach parking lot, Ogunquit, 4/15 (with client from New York). Relocated later from the North Beach parking lot. Photo above.
The large rafts of several hundred (mostly) Greater and (at least a few) Lesser Scaup, along with White-winged Scoters, continues this week at Wharton Point in Brunswick, at least through 4/17.
My personal “first of years” this week also included:
2 Palm Warblers, our property in Durham, 4/13.
10 Broad-winged Hawks, Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 4/16.
3 Yellow-rumped Warbler (FOS), Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/17.
1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Florida Lake Park, 4/17.
This Rusty Blackbird singing up a storm at Florida Lake Park on 4/2 has likely been present here since way back when I first saw it on 2/26! I don’t stop at Florida Lake very often this early in the season, but every time I have, he’s been in the same corner, often singing, making me think it’s the same individual. Even now, it’s on the early side for Rusties.
It was an up and down week of weather, to say the least, but slowly but surely spring migration was progressing. Considering fairly limited time in the field this week, I had a decent early season slate of observations of note and personal “first-of-years” over the past seven days:
Fox Sparrows at our feeders in Durham peaked at a goodly 6 on 3/30. 3 continue here at the store through week’s end.
1 continuing Rusty Blackbird (likely present here since 2/26; note and photo above), 1 Pied-billed Grebe (FOY), 2 Eastern Phoebes (FOY), and 1 Tree Swallow (FOY), Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/2.
One of two Eastern Phoebes at Florida Lake Park on the 2nd, this one seemed to be contemplating its life choices with yet another spring snowstorm on its way.
2 Rusty Blackbirds, our property in Durham, 4/3.
8 Double-crested Cormorants (FOY), Mailley Park, Bowdoinham, 4/3.
1 drake NORTHERN SHOVELER (FOY), Mouth of the Abby, Bowdoinham, 4/3.
Don’t panic – this wasn’t in Maine! But it was my bird photo highlight over the past two weeks. This Boreal Owl was spotted a short distance north of Duluth along the famous North Shore Road on the first day of a visit there with friends on March 1st. I don’t usually chase birds out of state, but this winter has been incredible for Boreal (and Great Gray) Owls and we just couldn’t resist any longer! Photos from this, and other recent trips, are currently being posted regularly to the store’s Facebook page.
After a quick last-minute trip to Duluth, Minnesota for a birding weekend with friends (Boreal and Great Gray Owls!), Jeannette and I did our usual pre-hawkwatch long weekend and used it to visit friends in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (Green Jay fix and other Lower Rio Grande specialties!). In between and thereafter, it’s been mostly catching up at the store and life, but in some free moments, I had a few observations of note, including the vanguard of spring migration.
Our overwintering Fox Sparrow here at the store continued through week’s end, although it has become much more sporadic at the feeders.
Our Fox Sparrow at home in Durham continues as well, often singing in the morning.
1 Red-winged Blackbird (FOS), our feeders in Durham on 3/5. Increased to 3 on the 6th. 20-25 by the 12th, etc.
1 Common Grackle (FOY), our feeders in Durham, 3/12.
3 Brown-headed Cowbirds (FOY), our feeders in Durham, 3/12.
There was a nice little arrival of Song Sparrows to the area on the morning of the 12th.
1 probable CACKLING GOOSE, Rte 136, Durham, 3/12. Among 600+ Canadas, I had to reposition for a better and confirming view and shortly thereafter all geese were flushed by an eagle. Subsequent searches failed to relocate the suspect bird.
4 Fish Crows (FOY), Anniversary Park, Auburn, 3/13.
1 Killdeer (FOY), Thornhurst Farm, North Yarmouth, 3/13.
Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch
The 19th season of the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch starts tomorrow! Free and open to the public, we welcome Zane Baker back for his 7th season as Official Counter. 9-5 every day, weather permitting.
The waterfowl concentration in the open stretch of river between downtown Lewiston and Auburn continues to grow. On Thursday, Dan Nickerson and I had over 1700 ducks of 9 species, most of which were here, off of the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge.
Most of my birding time this week was spent driving to and from Montreal to not see a Boreal Owl on Monday and Tuesday, but away from that sojourn, my observations of note over the past seven days still included the following:
The single Fox Sparrows continue here at the store and at our feeders at home in Durham.
Speaking of feeder birds, last weekend, I posted a blog comparing feeder bird counts at our home in Durham to roughly the same ten-day period over the past two years. You can find that here:
The stretch of Androscoggin River in downtown Auburn and Lewiston continues to be exceptionally productive. Another uptick in waterfowl this week was evident, with at least 1500 Mallards now just downriver of the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge. There, on 2/20, Dan Nickerson and I teased out a drake GREEN-WINGED TEAL and 3 female Greater Scaup. A hen Bufflehead continues as well. Then, upriver at the Auburn Riverwalk, a second GREEN-WINGED TEAL (likely the continuing bird present since at least 1/30 and a drake WOOD DUCK, present in the area since at least 1/13 and at this location since 1/30.
1 Hermit Thrush, North River Road, Auburn, 2/20 (with Dan Nickerson).
A Fox Sparrow, present at our feeders in Durham since mid-December has been a welcome addition to our winter feeder watching sessions.
After beginning a “feeder watching blog” while stuck at home from shoulder surgery in the winter of 2023 (here and here), I continued the tradition last year in an attempt to gauge the difference between the two winters. A lot of folks were commenting at the store at the time about how few birds there were at feeders in the winter of 2023-24, but this was changing by the time I collected my data in February of 2024.
This year, a lack of feeder birds has most definitely not been the complaint. In fact, bird seed sales are through the roof in much of the East, and at our store, we are really, really busy. Most folks are commenting about how much birds are eating at their feeders. And while recent snowfall is part of that, this pattern began in the fall.
My perception, however, is that there is actually somewhat lower diversity at our feeders (especially the complete dearth of any “winter finches”), and perhaps the number of individuals at the feeders is a little lower than usual, but those species and individuals that are at our feeders are eating a lot more.
Let’s start with the numbers. Once again, I dedicated time to counting feeder birds at our feeding station in Durham each day for at least one hour. I was unable to dedicate the time on two dates, so I counted for 10 of 12 days between February 2nd and February 13th – a window that began three days earlier than last year. Like last year, I used the standard methodology of using “high counts” (maximum number of individuals seen at any one time, unless they were readily identifiable as being different).
February 2 – February 13(minus 2/8 and 2/11), 2025.
Species
Avg./day 2023
Avg./day 2024
Avg./day 2025
Average 3 years
Difference 24vs25
Difference 25 vs 3yr
Wild Turkey
0.2
0
0
0.07
0
-0.07
Mourning Dove
13.5
26.5
29.6
23.2
-3.1
+6.4
Sharp-shinned Hawk
0.4
0.2
0
0.2
-0.2
-0.2
American Goshawk
0
0.1
0
0.03
-0.1
-0.03
Red-bellied Woodpecker
1
1
1.2
1.07
+0.2
+0.13
Downy Wo-odpecker
2.4
2.9
2.5
2.6
-0.4
-0.01
Hairy Wo-odpecker
2
2
2
2
0
0
Pileated Woodpecker
1
0.1
0
0.37
-0.1
-0.37
Blue Jay
7.8
3.0
9.2
6.67
+6.2
+2.53
American Crow
0.7
0
1.8
0.83
+1.83
+0.97
Black-capped Chickadee
7.4
2.9
5.2
5.17
+2.3
+0.03
Tufted Titmouse
4
3
4
3.67
+1
+0.33
White-breasted Nuthatch
2
1.4
2.4
1.93
-1
+0.47
Red-breasted Nuthatch
0.7
0
0.6
0.43
+0.6
+0.17
Brown Creeper
0.4
0
0
0.13
0
-0.13
Carolina Wren
0.9
1
1.8
1.23
+0.8
+0.57
GRAY CATBIRD
0
0
0.1
0
+0.1
+0.1
European Starling
1.1
2.7
8.7
4.17
+6
+4.53
Eastern Bluebird
4.4
3
5.7
4.37
+2.7
+1.33
House Finch
2.1
0
0.4
0.83
+0.4
-0.43
Purple Finch
0.5
0.3
0
0.03
-0.3
-0.03
Pine Siskin
0
0.2
0
0.01
-0.2
-0.01
American Goldfinch
26.6
46.8
25
32.8
-21.8
-7.8
FOX SPARROW
0
0
1
0.3
+1
+0.7
American Tree Sparrow
8.0
4.2
6
6.07
+1.8
-0.07
Dark-eyed Junco
16.6
30.3
13.2
20.03
-17.1
-6.83
White-throated Sparrow
2
2.3
0
1.43
-2.3
-1.43
Song Sparrow
0
0.9
0.6
0.5
-0.3
+0.1
Northern Cardinal
5.2
3.8
6.7
5.2
-2.9
+1.5
Total individuals/day
110.9
138.6
127.5
125
-11.1
+2.5
Every year is different, and every yard is different. Controlling here for time and place, we can make some comparisons, however.
Once again, I am sure I undercounted Black-capped Chickadees, and likely Tufted Titmice and White-breasted Nuthatches as I think there could be two small mixed species foraging-flocks around. I also think there are more than one pair each of Hairy and definitely Downy Woodpeckers, but using the “high count” method, I only tabulated the maximum seen at one time.
Two seasonal rarities graced us with their presence this winter. Our Gray Catbird, present since January 2nd, made it long enough to just make it on the list. Meanwhile, a Fox Sparrow that arrived in mid-December continues through today. I won’t expect either of these species to be at our feeders every year.
When our catbird first arrived, it was growing in most of its tail feathers. When it departed, the tail was mostly restored, it survived the coldest night of the season to date, and it coincided with the depletion of the last of the Winterberry in our yard – all a good sign that it simply moved on and did not perish. Here’s it’s taking a serving of semi-frozen grape jelly, but it mostly ate suet while it was here.
American Goldfinches were down from last year in our yard, but they were extremely abundant from the fall through early winter. The difference now is most of our birch catkin crops have now been consumed. Dark-eyed Juncos were way down for us this year, and we don’t have any White-throated Sparrows around. This is likely a direct function of increasing snow depths and the lack of dense coniferous cover in the part of our property that our home and feeders are in.
I’m not going to out a lot of weight into three-year averages, but a few early trends coincide with region-wide trends, such as the steady increase in Eastern Bluebirds and Northern Cardinals. I’m not liking this trend of rapidly increasing European Starlings in our yard, however. At least for now, this is only a winter occurrence for us, however.
Eastern Bluebirds are no longer rare at feeders throughout at least the southern half of Maine in winter.
The average morning low at our home during this period was a measly 6.5F. That was 13.1 degrees colder than the ten days I looked at last year. That’s a lot more calories that need to be burned each night! While total number of individuals is down this year from last, we are going through more seed than we were at this time last year, and the cold and snow is a part of this equation.
However, I think the biggest reason for the difference between the two years can be explained in three words: Eastern White Pine. Last year, our state tree had a “generational” mast; crowns of trees were absolutely covered in cones. This year, it’s hard to find any cones anywhere in the state. Therefore, last winter our local birds had such an overabundance of their most preferred food that they spent much less time at feeders. This year, they’re eating more because there is less natural food available. And with the weather – especially with recent snowfall and ice accumulations making some food resources harder to find – birds are taking advantage of supplemental food more often. The woods, away from yards with well-stocked feeders, are exceptionally quiet this winter.
While some Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches vacated the northern woods this year, it was not a major irruption. They, and Tufted Titmice and White-breasted Nuthatches did seem to have a good breeding season, perhaps having been supplemented by caches of all of that pine seed. Meanwhile, Blue Jays are around in good numbers thanks to a very good Red Oak acorn crop that has kept them here this winter.
Like last year (and as opposed to 2023), we didn’t have a lot of accipiter presence: I only glimpsed one unidentified accipiter back on the 4th, but there were times without any birds at the feeders suggestive of an avian predator hanging around. It’s possible this might just have been due to a pair of regular Red-tailed Hawks in our yard. Despite having little interest in small birds, few birds are willing to take the chance.
Now, to really take this “study” to the next level, I would be keeping track of the amount of seed and other foodstuffs that we are putting out each year. But that’s getting to sound like work, and real research! We’re filling almost all of our feeders at least daily (often twice daily when we are home in another snowstorm), and that concurs with comments we receive at the store. But every yard is different, and not everyone has the same results. If your feeders have seemed comparatively slow, consider what you are feeding, and how fresh the seed and suet is. These are important and we can help you with that here at the store. It’s worth exploring some of my previous blog posts on the topic that discuss reasons why feeder activity ebbs and flows.
American Goldfinches and Morning Doves were once again the most common birds at our feeding station.
We’ve only lived at this location for three years, so it’s too soon to tell what an “average” winter is like in terms of volume and diversity. Furthermore, we are rapidly accelerating plantings and habitat improvement that should increase the number of birds our property sustains. Given that feeders are only a supplement to natural food supplies, I believe our habitat work will pay dividends for our feeder-watching in years to come.
I enjoy this little project, and time permitting, I’ll plan on doing it again next year. It’s only one yard, but it’s a case study that can answer some questions or at least offer a little detailed context as to what others are reporting. How does our feeder activity compare to yours? Are you seeing anything different? Or do some of our observations and hypotheses fit with your observations?
Present for several years at Timber Point in Biddeford, this stunning RED-SHOULDERED X RED-TAILED HAWK HYBRID is often seen soaring or in the distance, at least during my infrequent visits here. Bill Thompson and I went to look for it on the 11th, and were treated to a great show from it!
Another cold and wintery week with a continuing active weather pattern limited time in the field for me, but the feeder-watching was great. I’ll have a blog about it in the coming days. But for now, here are my observations of note over the past seven days:
The single Fox Sparrows continue here at the store (since 12/21) and at our feeders at home in Durham since early December. Both were frequent at the feeders this week as snow piled up.
At least 2 Turkey Vultures continue in the Cumberland-Freeport corridor of I-295.
1 female American Wigeon, Winslow Park, Freeport, 2/8 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 Hermit Thrush and 8 Sanderlings, etc, Reid State Park, Georgetown, 2/10 (with Jeannette).
1 Hermit Thrush, 4 Horned Larks, 1 Northern Harrier, 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 4 locally-surprisingly-rare Harlequin Ducks, Biddeford Pool, 2/11 (with Bill Thompson).
1 continuing (for several years) RED-SHOULDERED X RED-TAILED HAWK HYBRID, Timber Point, Biddeford, 2/11 (with Bill Thompson). Photos above. This was my best photo session and quality time with the bird over the years, allowing for detailed study and extensive photographs, especially by Bill. See phone-scoped photos above. This really rare bird is quite gorgeous. The RSHA-like banded tail has an orange-red wash in the white stripes on the uppersides while the underside has as diffuse, partial RSHA pattern. The underparts have a dull orange blush and/or fine barring (strongest on the underwing) like RSHA, with a diffuse RTHA’s belly band. The head and bill size and shape seemed more RSHA-like, and the powered flight was very much like a RSHA. Such a cool bird!
1 THICK-BILLED MURRE, Fortunes Rocks Beach, Biddeford, 2/11 (with Bill Thompson). His photo:
Upcoming Tours:
1. Due to the weekend’s forecast, the Gull ID Workshop has been cancelled.
This Greater White-fronted Goose has been making the rounds in Greater Portland this winter, most recently hanging out along Shoreline Drive in Falmouth, where I stopped by to visit it on the 2nd.
It sure feels and looks like winter out there now, but there are still quite a few “lingering” species to add to our usual winter mix. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days:
The GRAY CATBIRD that has been at our feeders since January 2nd was last seen on February 2nd. Hopefully it has just moved on as Winterberry and other fruits in and around our property have been exhausted.
1 Fox Sparrow (continuing since early December) continue at our feeders in Durham.
1 Fox Sparrow (since 12/21) continues here at the store through week’s end as well.
1-2 Turkey Vultures continue in the Cumberland-Freeport corridor of I-295.
2. Gull Identification Workshop: Freeport, Saturday, February 15, 2025 (1:00-4:00pm) and Part II in Portland: Sunday, February 16, 2025 (8:00am-12:00pm).
Freeport Wild Bird Supply is very excited to partner with Down East Magazine’s Down East Adventures for the fifth year of offering exclusive birding workshops focused on gaining greater knowledge and field skills in a focused group of seasonally accessible birds. Focused on skill-builder rather than list-building, there will be plenty of “life birds,” but also more knowledge and education about birds, habitats, birding, and much more about the natural world. We are honored to be their provider for a series of unique and exclusive birdwatching endeavors. In 2025, we will have four outings once again.
February 9, 2025; 9:00am – 4:00pm Cancelled due to multiple snowstorms!
Winter is a wonderful time for birding in Maine – at least when you are dressed appropriately! Colorful seaducks that breed in the high Arctic grace our shorelines – including all three scoter species and dapper Long-tailed Ducks, along with everyone’s favorite: striking Harlequin Ducks. Purple Sandpipers and Great Cormorants replace our summertime shoreline denizens. And if the winds are right, very sought-after alcids – including Dovekies and Thick-billed Murres – join our regular Black Guillemots and Razorbills. Black-legged Kittiwakes, Northern Gannets, and “white-winged” gulls add to the mix. In this workshop, we’ll hit a few of the prime viewing locations along Maine’s southern coast. But we won’t just be working on the checklist today. Instead, we’ll be focused on learning how to search for these birds – the how, when, and why – and how to identify them. We’ll learn about microhabitats, weather considerations, and seasonal timing to aid our search today and in the future. By visiting several seasonally-productive sites, we’ll compare similar species while taking time to savor the splashes of color offered by winter seaducks in an otherwise gray and white landscape.
To get an idea of what you may see when the tour returns in the winter of 2026, see the 2024 and 2023 trip reports.
This Northern Parula was one of many ultra-cooperative warblers today. This was one of 10 parulas in a single cluster of willows on the shoreline of Capsic Pond Park during our 20205 workshop.
Spirits seemed low when we met in such dense fog, but I was even more excited to explore the environs of Portland migrant traps, beginning with Evergreen Cemetery. After a slow start, with few warblers overhead in the Morning Flight, we encountered several very productive pockets of activity, including a great diversity of warblers. Many were down low, too, with just fantastic looks at species such as Yellow, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Nashville, and Black-and-white Warblers, along with great looks at Veeries and Least Flycatchers. A “herd” of about 75-100 White-throated Sparrows marched through the forest understory, and we stalked a Black-crowned Night-Heron and spotted a Merlin among many other species today.
Evergreen was good, but nearby Capisic Pond Park was just great! While there were fewer warblers in both quantity and diversity, the cool, drippy morning conditions kept everyone even lower here. We began with 10 Northern Parulas at eye level all around us in a blooming willow (photo above), had great looks at a Prairie Warbler, listened to Northern Waterthrushes, and marveled at Baltimore Orioles.
We then discussed the overnight migration and how the radar images suggested what we would see and not see today, and how the “poor” weather produced such great birding. In the end, we tallied a very respectable-for-the-date 15 species of warblers! Although the list was not the priority as usual in these workshops, it’s hard not to get excited about the diversity of warblers now arriving. While Northern Parula was our most abundant warbler today, the total warbler list – in very rough order of abundance- also included Black-and-white,Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Blue, Ovenbird, Magnolia, Chesnut-sided, Yellow, Nashville, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Green, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Pine, and the aforementioned Prairie. More importantly, perhaps, we worked on building our skills of recognizing each species and family so that our birding will be better and more successful on our own next time.
3. Shorebird Workshop
August 18, 2025; 8:00am – 4:00pm
This juvenile Piping Plover was one of 12 species of shorebirds we had the chance to really study on our Shorebird Workshop tour.
Could we have had more of a perfect day? Temperatures topping out in the mid-70’s, a light breeze in the afternoon, and clear skies – considering the rain of early summer and the recent extreme heat, we could not have asked for better. And then we saw thousands of shorebirds!
With more than 35 species of shorebirds regularly appearing in Maine, this workshop was designed to appreciate the diversity and beauty of this fascinating family. We hit some of the marshes, beaches, and rocky roosts that shorebirds prefer at the peak of their migration. We focused on comparative experience, learning how to recognize each species both near and far. Starting with the basics, such as plover vs. sandpiper, we’ll work our way up to the identification quandaries such as the “peeps” and lone yellowlegs. We worked through species by species as we developed a “toolkit” to approach shorebird identification on your own, using a combination of habitat, shape, size, structure, behavior, and plumage to identify this wonderfully diverse and attractive group of birds.
By day’s end we tallied a decent 12 (and a half!) species of shorebirds, a little short of our unofficial goal of 15. We did see a couple of rarities but were also dogged by Peregrine Falcons and Para-gliders causing birds to disperse and/or take cover. But we had plenty of chances to study a nice array of species, often side-by side.
Beginning at Biddeford Pool Beach, we started with the basics and enjoyed watching Ruddy Turnstones bulldoze their way into the wrack line and picking out White-rumped Sandpipers from a mass of Semipalmated Sandpipers. A Baird’s Sandpiper at Great Pond was one of our most notable birds of the day, and not where we expected it.
At Hill’s Beach, there was a lot of disturbance today, but we had some good opportunities to study Piping vs Semipalmated Plovers, Sanderlings, spiffy Short-billed Dowitchers, and more. We then shifted to the Pool, where we studied silhouettes and practiced distant shorebird using mostly general impression of size and shape. It was here that we had our largest numbers of the day, with an estimate of 1600 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 300 Semipalmated Plovers, and 163 Black-bellied Plovers leading the way.
Near or far, good light or bad, the general impression of size and shape, behavior, and more can be applied to identify shorebirds more readily than little nuances in some color or pattern.
After our lunch break, we returned north to Scarborough Marsh, where I would usually start the workshop, but with very low water in the upper salt pannes due to the drought, we shifted the itinerary. But the incoming tide at Pine Point did not disappoint! We had some close studies of more Short-billed Dowitchers and better views of Black-bellied Plovers, and about 1200 Semipalmated Sandpipers were present. However, as they moved close and concentrated, a Peregrine Falcon came tearing in, flushing most of the birds. Then, it made a sudden burst of speed and a hard turn and before we knew it, there was one less Semipalmated Plover on the mudflat. While it was poor timing for our shorebirds workshop (let alone for that one particular plover!), it was an awesome show (well, for us anyway) and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Some birds finally returned to the mudflat, when a large (for the date) flock of Willets flew in, making their usual grand entrance. We were able to put our advanced shorebirds ID skills to work with the bigger, lankier, grayer one that we soon identified as a rare in Maine “Western” subspecies of Willet. It might have been beyond today’s goals, but it was a great lesson in using comparative tools.
A couple of upper marsh stops finally gave us a good, close comparison between Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and a Lesser Yellowlegs that was close enough to study and enjoy, bringing a productive and successful day to a close.
4. Monhegan Birding Workshop
September 12-14, 2025
Our final Downeast Adventures birding workshop tour of 2025 spent 3 delightful days on Monhegan Island. Weather, geography, habitat, and migration ecology all combine to produce some remarkable birding opportunities at this special place. And even when it’s “slow” by lofty Monhegan standards, lots of learning experiences and workshopping opportunities would be at hand, often right out the front door of our hotel. Oh yeah, the food is sooo good, too!
As per the plan, we hit the ground running shortly after our arrival on the island. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to walk the ½ mile or so to our hotel as we encountered quite a few migrants, especially at my favorite starting spot along Wharf Road. We jumped head-first into aging and sexing fall warblers thanks to 3 different plumages exemplified by a trio of Cape May Warblers. American Redstarts, Northern Parulas, Yellow Warbler, and more introduced us to what birding Monhegan in the fall is all about.
By the time we reconvened after a lunch break, the insanely gorgeous weather with bright sun and very little breeze encouraged birds to take to the shadows. A sky constantly abuzz with Merlins didn’t help either, although we enjoyed it. While passerine activity had slowed dramatically, we enjoyed a light hawk migration with a couple of Northern Harriers and a few American Kestrels, while the Merlins and 1-2 Sharp-shinned Hawks further diminished the activity in the trees and shrubs. We took the time to visit the east side of the island, sample the different habitat types of the island, and discuss food plants for birds and native insects. The butterfly, dragonfly, and insect-watching was excellent on this unseasonably warm afternoon, and we worked on learning the connection between birding and bird habitat.
On Saturday morning, we learned why there were so many birds around Friday morning, but few in the air at sunrise. But there were definitely “new” birds around, suggesting at least a light arrival of birds overnight had occurred, including two vociferous Dickcissels. I made the decision to try and track down a Blue Grosbeak that had just been reported, but unfortunately, it did not wait for us. We did have an immature male Orchard Oriole, however, which was a treat, and we spent more time studying Cape May Warbler plumages.
On such gorgeous days, a lot of newly-arrived migrants simply depart the island as part of their morning redetermined migration flights (yes, we discussed this more thoroughly among many topics of avian and general ecology discussed throughout the weekend). In fact, the second half of our morning was very slow, but we did enjoy a couple of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and we kicked up a very uncommon Marsh Wren. But warblers were few, and Merlins remained a’plenty. Red-breasted Nuthatches were very abundant however – demonstrating what an irruption looks like, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were unusually widespread for the date.
We filled the time between birds looking at all other walks of life. American Dagger Moths caterpillars were particularly plentiful.
The afternoon was spent with a couple of impromptu workshops, such as an introduction to gull identification as I attempted to enlighten the group about how manageable it is to understand the basics of this group of fascinating species. The avian highlight, however, was the thrilling chase of a Solitary Sandpiper by two Merlins right over our heads! The Merlins would gain some height, dive, and close the distance, only for the sandpiper to take another evasive maneuver. The sandpiper tried to gain elevation to stay above the diving Merlins, but they were getting closer! Then, the sandpiper made one quick turn, ascended, and took off to the north, leaving the hungry Merlins to mosey back down to the treeline to see if the marsh had something much slower to offer. We bid the sandpiper farewell and good luck as we thanked the Merlins for a most entertaining performance!
It was another very light migration overnight Saturday into Sunday, but unlike the previous day, we hit a wonderful early-morning wave. One sunny edge captivated us until it was time to hustle back for breakfast: Several American Redstarts, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, Common Yellowthroats, and Norther Parulas had joined together, punctuated by repeated views of a most cooperative Least Flycatcher. Every time we tried to move long, a new species appeared. A fly-over Greater Yellowlegs. A flycatching Eastern Wood-Pewee. And finally, a Brown Thrasher that popped out right in front of us.
I was thrilled to have this sample of “what Monhegan can be like” at this season for those who fought the urge to stay in bed. Post-breakfast was once again much slower, but we hit a few pockets of birds, as well a finding a Mourning Warbler which is always fun – and challenging – in fall migration. We watched and listened to territorial Carolina Wrens in a double-duet song battle, encountered a flock of 4-6 Red-eyed Vireos working on Fall Webworms, and spent more quality time with the island’s once-again-ubiquitous Ring-necked Pheasants. And of course, we made time to sample the stunning Acadian Forest habitat of the island’s interior and to take in the view from the lighthouse.
Another delicious lunch and then a slow meander to the ferry brought our visit to a close. On the ferry ride back, a few more Northern Gannets were seen, and plans to return to this extraordinary island were already in the works!
(2026 Birding Tours with Down East Adventures will be posted soon!)
Maine Birding Field Notes 