Swamp Sparrows have been common and conspicuous on our Durham property, and elsewhere this week. I feel this, like most sparrows, is an underappreciated beauty!
My observations of note over a very productive and exciting eight days of birding included the following:
Highlights from our Durham property this week included near-daily American Woodcocks and Rusty Blackbirds, and a nice little arrival of more Swamp Sparrows and Purple Finches in particular on 10/21.
Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/15.
A very light flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning.
6:55-8:30 (with Bill Thompson).
48F, mostly cloudy to partly cloudy, NW 1.7-2.5mph diminishing to calm.
51 American Robins
33 Yellow-rumped Warblers
28 Dark-eyed Juncos
17 American Goldfinches
16 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
8 Eastern Bluebirds
7 White-throated Sparrows
6 Chipping Sparrows
5 Palm Warblers
4 Hermit Thrushes
4 Golden-crowned Kinglets
3 Blue-headed Vireos
3 Purple Finches
3 Swamp Sparrows
2 Pine Siskins
2 Rusty Blackbirds
2 Tufted Titmice (4 false-starts and counting)
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
1 Blackpoll Warbler
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
1 Downy Woodpecker (2+ false-starts)
1 House Finch
1 American Pipit
1 Northern Flicker
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 unidentified
Total = 203
1 continuing CACKLING GOOSE, Thornhurst Farm, North Yarmouth, 10/15 (with Bill Thompson).
1 Least Sandpiper, 1 White-rumped Sandpipers, and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/15 (with Bill Thompson).
Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/16.
An excellent flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning.
6:55 to 10:40am.
44F, Mostly cloudy, NW 4.3 – 9.0 increasing to 15.1 – 19.7mph with higher gusts.
2186 American Robins (*NEW RECORD! – just barely).
1776 Yellow-rumped Warblers
167 unidentified
127 Dark-eyed Juncos (One was quite likely not a Slate-colored, but my photos of it are not useful)
61 Common Grackles
48 Cedar Waxwings
43 Canada Geese
31 Chipping Sparrows
21 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
19 Rusty Blackbirds
18 White-throated Sparrows
13 Northern Flickers
11 Golden-crowned Kinglets
11 Purple Finches
9 Pine Siskins
7 Palm Warblers
4 Blue-headed Vireos
4 unidentified finches
4 Hermit Thrushes
4 Song Sparrows (crossed together at 8:29. This is only my second or third observation of SOSP engaging in Morning Flight after sunrise here; plenty more in and around the parking lot as usual)
3 Merlins
3 Common Loons
3 Turkey Vultures
2 Red-winged Blackbirds
2 White-crowned Sparrows
2 Eastern Phoebes
1 Northern Parula
1 Blackpoll Warbler
1 Brown Creeper
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1 Cooper’s Hawk
1 American Goldfinch
1 Red-shouldered Hawk
1 Cape May Warbler
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 Tennessee Warbler (from Bill Thompson’s photo review)
1 Black-throated Blue Warbler (from Bill Thompson’s photo review).
Total = 4,592
Notables from a delightfully birdy morning on Bailey Island, Harpswell on 10/17 included a decent, and relaxingly unquantified, morning flight mostly of Yellow-rumped Warblers; 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and 1 Cape May Warbler among the migrants found here and there around the island.
1 DICKCISSEL, feeders here at the store, 10/19, continuing through at least 10/21. Was this the same bird seen on 10/4 and then again on 10/13-14?
4 continuing FORSTER’S TERNS, Pine Point, Scarborough, 10/20 (with clients from California and Massachusetts).
2 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 10/20 (with clients from California and Massachusetts).
Our Last Tour of 2025 still has some space remaining!
Birds on Tap℠ – Roadtrip! Rarity Roundup
November 9, 2025; 8:00am – 3:00pm
Cost – $125
Portland Explorer (formerly Maine Brews Cruise) and Freeport Wild Bird Supply are excited to continue our collaboration for six very special outings in 2025.
These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with visits to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite local breweries. These tours are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to travel with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). Seasonal birding hotspots and great local beer – a perfect combination, and we’ll even do all of the driving!
Early November is a fantastic time of year in Maine for vagrants – birds normally seen in far-off places. Due to a combination of weather patterns, changing seasonal food resources, falling temperatures, and other factors – some of which are not completely understood – birds that may have ended up in Maine by “accident” begin to concentrate at the coast in “migrant traps” and “hotspots.” In other words, this is the time of year to expect the unexpected.
A traditional “Rarity Roundup” involves teams of birders heading out on a given day during rarity prime time, looking for species that are not supposed to be around. And in honor of that tradition, that’s exactly what we are going to do on this unique tour. We may “chase” a rarity (go to see something that has already been found, aka “twitch”) or we might choose a destination known for rare birds in an attempt to find one of our own. Or perhaps, we’ll do both!
Anything between Portland and Kittery is fair game, and we might not even know where we will head until we are on the bus and the latest rare bird alert is received. For those who love adding a bird to your Life or State List, and/or basking in the thrill of discovery, well then this is the tour for you! In between seeing great birds, we’ll discuss the complex factors that are involved in delivering rarities to an area, and how we go about finding them.
After about 3-4 hours of birding, depending on drive time, we will be transported to two of our great local producers to sample their offerings and learn their styles.
Considering most people would have been happy with a single Northern Fulmar, our tally of at least 18 was fantastic…but the photo opportunities of this winter visitor could not be beat, including of this much less common dark morph.
Fall pelagics in the Gulf of Maine are notoriously hit or miss. Suffice to say, our Half-Day Pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/5, with our partner, Cap’n Fish’s Cruises, was most definitely a hit!
And not just because of the ridiculously pleasant weather! The birding was great, the marine mammals were fantastic, and I don’t think a single person was seasick! What a difference a year makes.
We departed the harbor at 9:00am, with clear and calm skies, less than a foot of swell offshore, and high hopes (I had a productive scouting trip on a whale watch two days prior). But even with the always-lofty expectations of pelagic trips, we would not be disappointed this day.
Black Guillemots are always a nice way to begin and end all of our local pelagic trips since they are usually only seen in inshore waters.
Perhaps the one complaint I had was that we didn’t get all that far offshore! In fact, our furthest point was only about 20 miles south-southwest of Monhegan. There was just too much to look at, and every time we were about to head further offshore, something else of note appeared.
We started picking up a few seabirds, including our first of what would be a remarkable total of mostly juvenile Atlantic Puffins, the first of our sought-after Northern Fulmars, scattered Red-necked Phalaropes (mostly), along with a few Great Shearwaters, all around Murray Hole, but we hit paydirt right around the edge of the incoming shipping channel to Portland.
Great Shearwaters and Northern Fulmars were constant companions in our deeper water time.All of the photographed phalaropes so far that we encountered were Red-necked Phalaropes, so the checklist has been adjusted accordingly, even though we believe we had some Reds over the course of the trip.
There, in about 500-600 feet of water (but otherwise “in the middle of nowhere”), our chum slick of fish oil and pork fat (generously donated by Durham’s Old Crow Ranch!) worked its magic. Will Broussard, with both the honor and burden of his first time as Chummer, was the hero, bringing Northern Fulmars and Great Shearwaters in for close looks.]
Passerines would appear on occasion, a total of somewhere between 4 and 8 White-throated Sparrows, including one that rode right back to port with us in the cabin. A male Purple Finch took a break on the boat, resting and preening on our radar, as a female did later. Passerines are always a fun addition to a pelagic birding experience.
Less fun, perhaps, but most amazing and insightful, however, was watching a Peregrine Falcon chasing a passerine, driving it into the water, and then, unable to snatch it off the surface, moved on, leaving an Ovenbird helpless on the ocean’s surface, likely becoming waterlogged and hypothermic. It was impossible for us not to, so we attempted a water rescue, with the crew putting in a valiant effort to save the hapless warbler. Unfortunately, it perished, but we had to try!
This might be one of the most incredible photos of non-pelagics ever taken on a pelagic. Awesome work, Bill!
Repeated sightings of Atlantic Puffins continued to surprise us, and we spent some time with two different Fin Whales, including getting to see one doing a little lunge-feeding. While we looked at whales, birds were all around us, thanks to the chum, so we had something for everyone.
A big and bright-billed adult Atlantic Puffin.Both of our Razorbills were hanging out with juvenile puffins.
While this was of course a birding tour, we made sure to enjoy the marine mammals we encountered, along with a Blue Shark, but the highlight for most everyone was the incredible and awesome experience we had with a small pod of 25-30 Common Dolphins. Amid all of our seabird activity, the pod approached us in the glass-calm warblers. Captain Nate added a little speed to build up a wake, and the dolphins had come to play. They rode the bow, did some surfing, and otherwise created constant “oohs and aahs.” The photos don’t quite do it justice…it was really a special experience, a life mammal for most of the crew, and one of the best dolphin encounters I have experienced in the Gulf of Maine.
Puffins and fulmars, Fin Whales and dolphins, and all on just the most ridiculous weather possible for a fall pelagic in Maine! We’ll see you on board next year!
I want to thank Captain Nate for his skilled maneuvering of the boat – even more remarkable as this was his first pelagic, too! Naturalist Trinity shared the narration duties with me, taking over for local landmarks and non-feathered marine life, and Valentin and Joe took care of everyone at the galley – and did the work of our attempted Ovenbird rescue. Thanks to my team, chummer Will Broussard, and our checklist-keeper Noah Gibb. And a special thanks to Tabor and Seamus at Cap’n Fish’s for working with me to make this memorable trip a reality.
Subadult Northern Gannet
Here’s the complete trip list, including birds seen while docked before departure marled with an *. We know counts of several species, such as Common Eider and Herring Gull are likely extremely low, but we chose to be conservative with our Northern Fulmar and Great Shearwater tallies as we covered a relatively small area during our deeper-water time, and the chumming kept birds with us, and perhaps, coming back for more.
267 Common Eider
89 Surf Scoter
3 White-winged Scoter
36 Black Scoter
25 Rock Pigeon*
54 Red-necked Phalaropes
21 unidentified phalaropes
1 Pomarine Jaeger
28 ATLANTIC PUFFINS
15 Black Guillemots
2 Razorbills
1 Black-legged Kittiwake (only spotted from photos later, unfortunately)
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.
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.
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).
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 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.
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!
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.
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!
The 2025 Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch came to a close on Thursday. It did not exactly end with a bang, but we had a great flight for the this late in the season on Monday, including a good movement of immature Broad-winged Hawks and Merlins, such as this one. It, and everything else that has passed over or by the summit for the last two weeks has only added to our record-breaking season.
After last week’s rarity insanity, this was a tamer, more “normal” week for mid-May. While several great songbird flights occurred this week, concentrations were few, but there were “new” birds arriving most every day. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.
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!)
Our collaboration with The Maine Brews Cruise enters its 11th season, with six exciting itineraries. These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with approachable opportunities to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite Maine breweries. These events are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to enjoy our favorite pastimes with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). Educational, enjoyable, and eye-opening you won’t want to miss out our unique Birds on Tap series. In 2025, we’re excited to bring back more of these special birding and beer tours, perfectly blending nature exploration and craft beer tasting.
The six tours are as follows. After completion, tour reports will be posted here so this blog is your one-stop shopping for tour reports and upcoming itineraries.
1. Birds On Trip℠ – Roadtrip! Harlequins and Hops
Sunday, February 23rd, 2025:
After postponing our original date due to extreme cold, it was a full 30 degrees warmer today at start time! And while there was a chilly wind at a couple of stops, we also had some lovely calm and sunny conditions. As much as we hate to reschedule, this one worked, and therefore the day was already a success before we even departed for our birding destination!
We began at Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth, where we found our highest concentration of seaducks on the day, including at least 20 Harlequin Ducks – the tour’s eponymous bird.
And what a stunner they were, with males in perfect light and some small groups pleasantly close to shore. Large numbers of Common Eider and Black Scoters were present, along with several other species, introducing us to winter waterfowl identification. And as a special treat, 4 uncommon and local Brant were foraging in a tidepool before us.
Most of the ducks were here today, and not at nearby Two Lights State Park, but there we saw another 8 Harlequin Ducks, discussed American Robin winter foraging ecology, and practiced our basic duck and gull identification before we headed to nearby Kettle Cove. There were not a lot of ducks here today, but we did get a surprise Merlin whipping through, perhaps the reason a Horned Lark was calling high overhead.
As a final stop, we checked Mill Creek Cove in South Portland for a very quick gull ID introduction to augment earlier conversation, compared Mallards and American Black Ducks (taking time to marvel at the beautiful drake Mallard!), soaked in a sunning drake Red-breasted Merganser, and enjoyed the sight of all of the gulls and ducks in the cove taking flight as our second Bald Eagle of the day soared overhead.
Part two of the tour began at Belleflower Brewing in Portland, one of my favorite Maine breweries. Keeping with the bird theme, we started by sampling their Magpie Pale Ale and then compared it to their Double-dry Hopped Finch & Thistle. Beginning with the recommended way of smelling and sipping a new beer, we discussed the basics of beer style, what the hell “double-dry hopping” means, the origins of the “New England” style, and then shifted gears with their brand new Just Like Home, a maple coffee brown ale. I thought the subtle maple sweetness was just right with a roasty coffee hint but the lighter body of a brown compared to a stout.
Crossing the Bayside neighborhood brought us to Argenta Brewing, one of Portland’s newest breweries. Exclusively brewing lagers, it was a nice contrast to our focus on ales at Belleflower. Starting with a generous half-pour of their Generic American Lager, we enjoyed the light, refreshing, “crushability” of a craft version of the popular lawnmower beer style. Craft beer truly is for everyone, and simple beers like Argenta’s Generic American Lager shows its not all about “hop-heads” and alcohol bombs.
We were given a choice for our next pour, and several folks tried the Mexican Lager to compare corn verses barley as the primary malt, while other tried everything from their hard seltzer to their Munich Dunkel- new to me, I found the mild roastiness and hint of sweetness on point for the style.
With a pleasant day (compared to the rest of the month), lots of beautiful and accessible wintering waterfowl – of course and especially including Harlequin Ducks – a few avian surprises, and newly-broadened palettes (I love it when folks say they really liked a beer in a style they didn’t think they liked), we kicked off the 11th year of the Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! the right way!
2. Birds On Tap℠ – Roadtrip! Warblers and Wort
Thursday, May 8, 2025.
While the rarest bird of the day came early, the rest of the trip was far from anticlimactic. Even better, it was the only warm and dry day of the week!
As planned, we began at Evergreen Cemetery, but our goal was set forth for us in the continuing presence of a very rare Cerulean Warbler. In fact, when I saw her a few days prior, it was the first Cerulean Warbler I have ever seen in Maine and at least a “state bird” for the several hundred folks who have seen it since. Even if you have never heard of a Cerulean Warbler, the excitement of the dozens of other birds present today was contagious. Luckily, we saw her not just once, but twice, without any concerted effort, and the second view was long and fantastic. Unfortunately, my sad attempt at a photo did not do it any justice.
There were other birds, too! We heard Ovenbirds and Wood Thrushes, saw some close-up Black-and-white Warblers, found our first Wilson’s Warbler of the year, and enjoyed basking Painted and Snapping Turtles.
Other than the Cerulean excitement (do we have to rename this tour Cerulean and Cervezas!?), it was actually rather slow today for mid-May, so we relocated to Capisic Pond Park as the last of the fog burned off and the sun (remember that?) came out. Here, birds were easier to see, including stunners like Baltimore Orioles fighting over territories, and some really close and insanely cooperative Northern Parulas that fed right in front of our faces. A sharp eye yielded a Black-crowned Night-Heron as well.
After some productive and instructive birding, we headed back into town to visit Belleflower Brewing, one of my favorite Maine breweries. Keeping with the bird theme for a little longer, we began with their pale ale, Magpie, with its great citrus and resinous balance, followed by the more grapefruity Finch and Thistle. Belleflower treated us to a third sample, of our choice, and we covered a nice range of their offerings from a Vienna lager to a double-dry-hopped double IPA to savor as we discussed some beer history and mythology.
Next up was Definitive Brewing on the other side of town. With so many options, everyone was able to choose their two samples, and there are no shortages of choices here. I went with Robin (because bird names!) their Imperial Pastry Stout and Blueberry Waffles, a pastry sour. I saw lagers, an IPA, and several sours among the group, and this photo captured the rainbow of colors here, with my choices and those of two of the members of the group. Our birding had something for everyone: a rarity for the “life list” and cool behavior from some of our common and beautiful birds as we learned about the mind-blowing feat of migration. And between Belleflower and Definitive, there was most certainly something for every beer drinker!
3. Birds on Tap℠ – Road Trip! Shorebirds and Steins
Sunday, August 3rd: 9:00am – 3:00pm
The original BoT Roadtrip! Way back in 2015, our most popular tour returned to Scarborough Marsh at prime time for a good variety of migrant shorebirds. And we had absolutely gorgeous, perfect weather to do it!
Beginning at the “Pelreco Marsh” high water levels limited our shorebird numbers a bit, but we were introduced to some of the basics of shorebird identification thanks to a flock of Short-billed Dowitchers and scattered Least Sandpipers. We spied a Saltmarsh Sparrow and talked about its fascinating ecology and peril, and were surprised by the arrival of a rare Tricolored Heron!
Relocating to Pine Point, we hit the tide perfectly, and soon, thousands of shorebirds were before us! The rapidly exposing mudflats steadily sucked in birds, with long-legged sandpipers appearing first, including 3 Whimbrel, with their massive curved bills, 8 Willets, and 3 Black-bellied Plovers. But as usual, it was the masses of the smallest shorebirds that stole the show, with an estimate of 2500+ Semipalmated Sandpipers and 225+ Semipalmated Plovers spread out before us. What looked like the first exposed sandbar was actually solid shorebirds! Learning the basics of sandpiper vs plover and moving on to sorting through the “peeps” for a White-rumped Sandpiper or two, we were introduced to the joys and challenges of shorebird identification, while mostly just enjoying the sight of so many birds! A few of us picked out a couple of Roseate Terns among Common Terns, and later, a mostly-adult-plumaged Bonaparte’s Gull was especially cooperative for photo-ops.
In the photo above, a Black-bellied Plover, Whimbrel, and Willet are in one field of view for comparative study, while I always insist on taking a moment to gawk at the eye of a Double-crested Cormorant.
Eric then led us to our first brewery, Modestman in South Portland. Originally founded in Keene, NH, owner/operator Ash Sheehan opened this second location closer to home here in SoPo. Tucked in a neighborhood down a side street off of Rte 1, someone on the tour who lived a mile and a half away didn’t even know it was there…there were all sorts of discoveries on this tour today, from rare herons to hidden gem breweries.
Coming in from the sun, we began with a refreshing and quenching light berliner Weiss sour, Black Reign with blackberry and boysenberry. Next up was It’s a Beautiful Thing, their flagship single-hope pale ale. Loaded with Citra hops, it blurs the line between a pale and an IPA, but it nicely progressed the palette and the ABV. When Life Gives You Lemons, loaded up with Citra and Simcoe was next up, providing a nice fruity/dank balance that Modestman is known for. I think this beer really nicely captured the essence of what people I know like most about their brews. Everyone got to choose their own last 4oz sample, and I went with Hard Rass Imperial Sour for a big and bold raspberry juice bomb.
Our next destination was the latest tasting room for Westbrook-based Mast Landing, a short distance away on Cottage Street in South Portland. We continued to cover the basics of beer varieties here, starting with the clean and crushable Champ Lager. No visit to Mast Landing – especially a first visit for most of our crew today – is complete without trying their famous flagship Gunner’s Daughter peanut butter milk stout, and enjoying it on Nitro is always a special treat. Like a creamy liquid peanut butter cup (sans the allergens), Gunner’s Daughter deserves its accolades. Once again, our last sample was a personal choice, and since Mast Landing has something for everyone and I believe there were over 10 beers chosen among the 13 people (unfortunately, everyone but Eric, our trusty brewery guide and driver). Since it’s a Birds on Tap – Roadtrip, I for one had no choice but to go with a bird named beer. There are several here, but today I tried the 2025 incarnation of Song of the Swallow, which was laden with 5 varieties of hops for a really smooth and juicy final toast.
5. Birds on Tap – The Boat Trip! Rare Birds and Island Exploration.
Sunday, October 19th , 9:00am to 2:00pm
Here are some photo highlights from this annual favorite!
Big Brown BatDeKay’s Brown SnakeFort Gorges
6. Birds on Tap℠ – Road Trip! Rarity Roundup!
Sunday, November 9: 8:00am – 3:00pm
Our final Birds on Tap! tour of 2025 was our Roadtrip: “Rarity Roundup” on 11/9. Unlike most tours, where we know our destination – chosen to provide the best birding opportunities and highest rates of success possible – this trip didn’t have a destination until we were pulling out of the parking lot in Portland!
Designed to take advantage of the latest rare bird reports, our itinerary was to work our way south, either looking for rarities that had previously been reported, or finding our own by checking the seasonal vagrant hotspots. The southern coast of Maine is usually the best area for really rare birds this time of year, but I threw the plan out the window immediately and we turned northward.
I just couldn’t resist taking people to see a long-staying (since November 2nd!) MacGillivray’s Warbler (only the 7th ever in the state of Maine) in Yarmouth. I felt confident I could find it quickly, thanks to its constant vocalizations, we’d get a look and then we would move on to the next bird. I did not expect, however, to find it that quickly!
In fact, I heard it the very second we entered the trail. It was calling nearby and we slowly and quietly moved in position. We found it foraging low on the ground, in some perennials, only a handful of feet away. Now this skulky bird didn’t exactly sit out in the open, but over the next 15 minutes or so, we all had satisfying (or better) looks, until anxious birders (who had apparently been waiting too far down the trail for up to two hours!) overwhelmed us. We slowly moved away, following the bird’s call notes, eventually finding it again, and then watching as it flew about 2 feet from one of us where it disappeared into a dense thicket.
Wow! What a thrill!
I refreshed the rare bird alerts (and all the different places rare birds get reported these days) as we began our journey south, spending the time in the van working on a little game to practice our “status and distribution” knowledge during this exciting time of year for rare birds.
I didn’t want to ask folks to stand still in Scarborough Marsh for the rest of the morning to maybe hear a Clapper Rail call once, and there were no further reports of the Seaside Sparrow in Wells. So with each passing exit of the Turnpike, I decided to go all in in Kittery, beginning at Seapoint Beach. Yeah, there wasn’t much there, and nothing of note.
So the rest of our time was spent at the delightful Fort Foster, the host of so many vagrants over the years. We hoped the Cave Swallow from two days prior would reappear, or we would find something even better. Um, we did not.
In fact, it was pretty darn slow, at least in the brush and the woods. Offshore, waterbirds were building, and we had some good looks at Surf Scoters, for example. And overhead, there was an absolute massive Double-crested Cormorant migration going on. Numerous large flocks of several hundred were winging it south, in their usual “drunken v’s.”
We swung for the fences and combed Fort Foster, but alas, we were not heroes today: we found nothing rare. But it was fun to try!
And besides, not only did we get a “mega rarity” with the MacGillivray’s Warbler, we got another “mega” rarity when we arrived at Tributary Brewing. There, we found Mott The Lesser, their 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout, released twice a year, and only available at the brewery. And yesterday it was released, so this was quite the “twitch.” You think people drive far to see a MacGillivray’s Warbler!? Well, rare beers are no different. This year’s version was aged in red, white, and tawny port wine barrels and then a rare apple wood rye barrel for additional complexity.
Of course, we didn’t want to destroy our palates, and we were here to learn about a wide range of Tributary’s beers, so we began with their flagship Pale Ale and compared this West Coast American standard to Affluente, an Italian-style Pilsner, with Adriatic barley and a light dry hopping of lemon-forward hops. Moving on to their new Zwicklebier, an “immature” lager, which was more malt-forward thanks to 100% Maine grown and malted barley. Then we tried the Mott the Lesser. And it was good. And bottles were purchased.
Our driver and beer guide Joe started us off with the basics of beer tasting and an overview of styles, but during our tasting, we were treated to a visit from head brewer and owner, Woody, who gave us the history of the brewery, started by his beer-legendary father, and guided us through the tasting. He discussed their commitments to Old World styles of beer and answered questions from the crowd.
Not to be outdone, apparently, Woodland Farms just up the road also laid out the red carpet for us, with owner Pat not only guiding us through our tasting, but providing a tour of the brewery itself, from first boil to final packaging. Woodland Farms is becoming known for their wide variety of offerings, and it was amazing to see how they can pull so much off in this small space!
Their Flagship is Blinky, an IPA with a very complex dry hop bill. We then tried Rossa Matrimonial, their version of an Italian Pilsner, a dry beer made with red malts. We once again remained in the Old World with Tmavy Piro, which means “dark beer” in Czech. A dark lager, it offered the “crushability” of a lager, but with more malt flavors before the crisp lager finish. And finally, everyone got to choose a final sample, with most people choosing the Big Effin Porter, a robust 8.2% porter. I went with the masses and tried this, too, and enjoyed how rich it was without the thickness and weight of an imperial stout.
Woodland Farms is also becoming known for their non-alcoholic beers, a rapidly growing segment of the beer economy. Out back, we learned about the differences in making non-alcoholic beer that tastes good verses beer with alcohol, and especially, mass-produced NA beer that usually tastes like, well, not much. To demonstrate what NA beer means in 2025, we were treated to two bonus samples: the NA Dogwalker with an abundance of sticky, piney-resinous hops, and their NA Festbier, an easy-drinking seasonal malt-forward Oktober-fest style.
So from a mega rare bird and a mega rare beer, learning how to search for rare birds and how to make beer, and trying everything from non-alcoholic to a 10.5% imperial flavor-bomb, we most surely enjoyed an educational, enjoyable, and often enlightening day!
One of three Fox Sparrows that appeared last week at the store and continued into this week, with one present through week’s end.
It was one of those weeks with lots to do, and therefore I didn’t get out as much as usual, as if often the case in the buys holiday shopping season. Nonetheless, when I was out (or inside watching feeders), there was plenty of good birding to be had. “Late/lingering” species continue to dominate the news.
3 Fox Sparrows continued at the feeders here at the store through 12/8, with a single bird continuing through week’s end.
1 drake and 1 hen Barrow’s Goldeneye, Winslow Park, Freeport, 12/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group). Early compared to recent years here.
1 Wilson’s Snipe and 1 American Wigeon, Moody Marsh, Ogunquit/Wells, 12/8.
1 immature Red-shouldered Hawk, 1 Northern Flicker, and 1 Swamp Sparrow, Community Park, Wells, 12/8.
1 Fox Sparrow, our feeders in Durham, 12/10-12.
1 FISH CROW (my first inland Dec/winter record), Auburn Riverwalk, 12/13.
1 drake Green-winged Teal, North River Road Boat Launch, Auburn, 12/13.
1 GRAY CATBIRD, 2 Hermit Thrushes, and 2 Fox Sparrows, North River Road, Auburn, 12/13.
Snow Buntings and Horned Larks were encountered in a bunch of locales this week, and Turkey Vultures are clearly no longer rare in early to mid December in southern Maine!
Once we traveled beyond the shelter of Damariscove Island, we had a plan – or at least the concept of a plan. We’d slowly work our way straight south to deep water, make a turn to the east as the forecast was for seas to start diminishing, and then take mostly following seas for a smooth return trip home.
Peregrine Falcon having brunch to go.
We had lots of Northern Gannets early in the trip – always a good sign – but it was pretty slow going through the area known as The Pasture, which like all offshore patches, is always hit or miss. In fact, the only other pelagic we had was a single Cory’s Shearwater seen by only a handful.
Unfortunately, once we made the turn to the east, it became essentially unbirdable. The forecast 4-6 foot seas were right, but the distance between waves (the wave period) was significantly shorter than forecast, and the waves were definitely not diminishing. Captain Steve did an exceptional job of trying to soften the ride and keep us safe, but we just weren’t going to be able to continue east towards some of our deep water hotspots. When a bird was called – such as a single Northern Fulmar (one of our primary targets on the trip), few people were able to even try to see it before it was long gone behind the waves. Perhaps only the Yellow-rumped Warbler and Savannah Sparrow that we encountered about 15 miles offshore were having a worse day. I tried to keep some bird commentary going, if only as a distraction, but I’m not sure anyone was listening at this point!
So it was decided to make a turn for home. In a last ditch effort to salvage the birding day, we angled for the mouth of Sheepscot Bay. An unidentified dark jaeger zipped by, seen by just a few, tantalizing us to what else is out here today.
Once in the mouth of the bay, sheltered by Damariscove off to the east, we found gentle seas, and decided to try our hand at attracting some birds with a chum slick. We laid a slick for about 1-2 miles of pork fat soaked in fish oil. Thanks to a generous donation of surplus fatback compliments of Old Crow Ranch of Durham, we were likely the first ever pelagic to use local, pasture-based, regeneratively-farmed, non-GMO, pork fat. The experiment turned out to be quite a success, too!
First, we kicked up two Common Murres as we traveled, one of which flew past the boat affording a great view for those who were still on deck; even the seabirds were seeking sheltered waters today!
We were soon attracting several hundred gulls to our chumslick, and we finally teased out a single Lesser Black-backed Gull from the masses. A few lingering Laughing Gulls and several Ring-billed Gulls, including spiffy fresh juveniles, joined the myriads of Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.
We then tried the same technique closer to the mouth of the outer Boothbay Harbor, closer to Damarsicove. At first the results were surprisingly lower, until a Peregrine Falcon and a Northern Harrier over the island kicked up the gulls roosting on the windward side. Once the gulls saw the feeding birds behind us, the game was on. Meanwhile, we enjoyed many dozens of Surf Scoters and Common Eiders, punctuated by both Black and White-winged Scoters, and from here to the harbor, another couple of dozen Common Loons and plenty of Black Guillemots.
I want to thank the captain and crew of Cap’n Fish’s Cruises for their hard work and dedication today, and their best efforts to keep us comfortable. I want to thank my spotters, Jeannette Lovitch and Ian Carlsen (who also did a fantastic job keeping the official eBird checklist following pelagic protocol). A big thank you to Alex Lamoreaux for still finding birds in the worst of the snotty water. And another big thanks to our chummer, Dan Nickerson, who got the action going once we found some calm waters.
And most importantly, thank you to all of those who came aboard today. Some said they had fun. Many suffered. But everyone endured. If this was your first pelagic, you’ll be thrilled to know you were likely just had your worst trip. For those who like roller coasters (unlike me!), I guess you’re welcome?
Here’s the trip list. For the hit-or-miss October pelagics in the Gulf of Maine it’s really not that bad.
It might not “count,” but the Ring-necked Pheasants on Monhegan are iconic!
Approaching the island on Friday, 9/27, the fog was rapidly lifting on the mainland, and the skies were clearing. High seas from the previous days were steadily diminishing. An offshore fogbank reduced our chances to see many birds during the boatride, but by the time we reach the island, the sun was shining through.
Things seemed fairly slow, but there were birds here and there. One single bush hosted all three Melospizas: Lincoln’s, Swamp, and Song Sparrows, and one of the tarrying Baltimore Orioles soon joined them. It was a relaxed start to the weekend, affording us time to check in and enjoy lunch before returning to the birding.
We don’t just look at rare birds, we study the common ones…at least on a slow day! Like this cooperative Song Sparrow
The afternoon was quite slow, as expected from the preceding nights with little or no migration on unfavorable winds, but we had birds to look at: Yellow-rumped Warblers sallying for midges at the top of spruces, scattered assorted sparrows, lots of great Merlin performances, and no shortage of Ring-necked Pheasants.
As usual for the end of September, Yellow-rumped Warblers were the most abundant migrant. This one was nicely demonstarting what makes it a “Myrtle Warbler.”
As the sun set, a huge flight was taking off and continued throughout the night. Very light northwesterly winds overnight were a little lighter than I would have preferred, but there was just a massive amount of birds on the move, and a great Morning Flight on Saturday morning to start our day was indicative of that.
The radar return was huge overnight, with lots of birds on the move. We did wonder, however, if that blob over the Mid-Coast was an isolated shower…or perhaps it was “Independence Day!“
Yellow-rumped Warblers filled the air, with handfuls of Blackpoll Warblers and a small number of Northern Parulas. After the morning flight settled down, the rest of our am was also very good. While the very light winds allowed much of the birds partaking in the Morning Flight to leave the island, there were plenty of birds remaining on the island to be seen. In addition to Yellow-rumps, there was a good arrival of White-throated and other sparrows, and pockets of activity were sifted through, producing a wide array of fun birds.
A Dickcissel in the community farm and a total of 6-7 Baltimore Orioles nearby were soon trumped when a first fall female Mourning Warbler actually walked into the open for all to see (for a change) …on a plywood garden table nonetheless! We found a Clay-colored Sparrow feeding amongst Chipping Sparrows, discovered a rather rare on the island Pine Warbler, and enjoyed a nice variety of the expected seasonal migrants.
Clay-colored SparrowClay-colored Sparrow with a molting juvenile Chipping Sparrow in the foreground.
Lovely weather all day encouraged us to enjoy an afternoon on Burnt Head, were we picked up a tardy Chestnut-sided Warbler and a rather rare in the fall on the island juvenile Ring-billed Gull. We also noticed a lot more Red-eyed Vireos during the course of the day, with many at and below eye level.
While a rare Yellow-crowned Night-Heron called over the harbor at nightfall, I was wandering on my own so it doesn’t count for the group, unfortunately. I was still pleasantly surprised by it, and it punctuated the calls of songbirds departing the island.
Luckily, a moderate flight occurred throughout the night (the overall intensity was a little obscured by fog on the radar images) on light west winds that had become calm by morning. Those calm and cooling conditions allowed fog to roll back in, and the Morning Flight was just a trickle to start on Sunday morning, our last morning together.
However, once the sun burned through, birds were in the air and appearing out of nowhere, and the birding really picked up. In flight, it was mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers, but there were more Palm Warblers involved today. We began finding “new” species for the trip list, like a Cape May Warbler, some recently-arrived American Robins, and we enjoyed watching a swirling flock of 16 migrant Black-capped Chickadees.
Late Blackburnian Warbler
After breakfast, the birding was overall quite a bit slower than Saturday, but the quantity was replaced by quality! An Orange-crowned Warbler at the Ice Pond, a continuing female Dickcissel in the cul-de-sac, two different Clay-colored Sparrows. Pockets of activity offered up nice views of a male Cape May Warbler, a few Blackpoll Warblers, and then we found not one, but 3 Nelson’s Sparrows in the Lobster Cove meadow – one even perched conspicuously enough to be viewed by all!
Nelson;s Sparrow sitting in what passes for “the open” with this species!Dickcissel
As the group trickled home, the last participants standing joined me in a little longer hike from Lobster Cove to Burnt Head, which yielded two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, more Great Cormorants, and yet another Orange-crowned Warbler to bring the official tour to a productive conclusion.
I remained on the island overnight, and with light southerly winds and a return of the fog, there was very little in Morning Flight and to start the day. But the day had a “rarity” feel to it (southwest winds overnight will do that!), and my Rarity Fever was soon stoked by a wayward Yellow-billed Cuckoo that sat still for me, gaining the first rays of sunshine of the morning, in a small tree in the Monhegan House lawn. Two Rusty Blackbirds were foraging on the lawn, and once the sun came up, a few more Yellow-rumped Warblers began to appear.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
But as Jessica Bishop and I began a post-breakfast search, the What’s App began to ping. Ken and Sue Feustel had just found an Ash-throated Flycatcher on Wharton Ave, and we did a quick 180 and began the march back across town. The ample Trailing Yew breakfast was weighing on me, however, so my speed could have been improved. Nonetheless, the bird had disappeared before we arrived, so we fanned out to search.
After a short spell, I relocated the bird behind the Trailing Yew, and Jess rushed over and we began photographing it as the rest of the island’s remaining birders convened, including Donna the last member of my to depart. And she was quite happy with the decision to linger to say the least! (The tour was officially over, so this gem doesn’t count for the official triplist…darn!)
We studied the flycatcher, and I made sure to get a shot of the tail that would be adequate for identification confirmation (to rule out an even rarer Myiarchus flycatcher). Here, you can see the outer tail feather on one side, showing the dark brown of the outer web intruding into the end of the inner web – diagnostic for Ash-throated.
This was my 227th Monhegan Bird, and the island’s 3rd-ever, of this southwestern vagrant. What a bird!
While the rest of the day was a little anticlimactic from a birding perspective, Jeannette arrived and we set out to search for the now-missing Ash-throat and whatever else we might stumble upon. Two Clay-colored Sparrows were now together, one of the Orange-crowned Warblers was still at the Ice Pond, and at least one Nelson’s Sparrow was still at Lobster Cove. At dusk, two Wilson’s Snipe launched out of the town marsh, and at sunset, a migrant Great Blue Heron flew over. No sign of the Ash-throat for the rest of the day, unfortunately.
Orange-crowned WarblerPeregrine Falcon
On Tuesday, Jeannette and I awoke to a strong flight on the overnight radar image, but as expected on a north to north-east wind by dawn, only fairly a light Morning Flight occurred. Made up of at least 95% Yellow-rumped Warblers, it was a little busier than I expected, but it ended by about 7:00am. Granted, at least two hunting Peregrine Falcons may have had something to do with that.
We watched a Wilson’s Snipe evading a Merlin in flight, and some more new species for the weekend were overhead, including a Horned Lark, an Osprey, and a Semipalmated Plover. There were at least a half-dozen American Pipits in morning flight, and a new-to-us Brown Thrasher put in an appearance.
Red-eyed Vireo
After breakfast, it was exceeding slow, but we did have a Dickcissel in the garden, and a Scarlet Tanager joined the remaining Baltimore Orioles in the grapes. But most of our morning was spent chasing a reported Yellow-headed Blackbird (seen by two and never again) and Will Russell briefly relocated the Ash-throated Flycatcher – which looked much healthier today and was much more active. In other words, it was soon once again melting away into the scrub. It kept us occupied until it was time to depart, however.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
A very pleasant boat ride back to the mainland for Jeannette and I was far too nice to produce any seabirds of note, but it was a lovely way to finish up a delightful and fruitful fall weekend.
Here’s the official tour checklist:
27-Sept
28-Sept
29-Sept
American Black Duck
0
0
1
Mallard
8
12
16
Green-winged Teal
0
0
1
Common Eider
x
x
x
Black Scoter
0
0
8
Ring-necked Pheasant
15
15
25
Mourning Dove
10
15
12
Black Guillemot
x
x
x
Laughing Gull
8*
0
2
Ring-billed Gull
0
1
0
Herring Gull
x
x
x
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
0
0
2
Great Black-backed Gull
x
x
x
Common Loon
1*
0
0
Northern Gannet
2*
0
1
Double-crested Cormorant
x
x
x
Great Cormorant
0
1
5
Bald Eagle
2*
0
1
Sharp-shinned Hawk
2
4
4
Belted Kingfisher
1
0
1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
0
20
20
Downy Woodpecker
2
4
3
Northern Flicker
3
15
15
Merlin
6
8
6
Peregrine Falcon
2
3
4
Eastern Phoebe
0
3
3
Blue-headed Vireo
0
3
4
Red-eyed Vireo
1
30
25
Blue Jay
9
13
9
American Crow
4
4
4
Common Raven
0
1
1
Black-capped Chickadee
x
x
30
Golden-crowned Kinglet
4
15
40
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2
10
20
Cedar Waxwing
30
40
40
Red-breasted Nuthatch
2
8
6
Brown Creeper
0
4
4
House Wren
0
1
0
Carolina Wren
5
10
10
Gray Catbird
10
x
x
Northern Mockingbird
2
2
3
European Starling
x
26
26
Hermit Thrush
0
1
0
American Robin
0
0
2
American Pipit
0
3
3
Purple Finch
0
4
5
American Goldfinch
10
10
8
Chipping Sparrow
0
10
12
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
0
1
2
Dark-eyed Junco
0
4
2
White-throated Sparrow
15
50
60
NELSON’S SPARROW
0
0
3
Savannah Sparrow
1
6
10
Song Sparrow
x
x
x
Lincoln’s Sparrow
1
5
4
Swamp Sparrow
2
15
20
Rusty Blackbird
0
4
2
Common Grackle
2
20
20
Baltimore Oriole
2
7
6
Northern Waterthrush
0
1
0
Black-and-white Warbler
0
0
3
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
0
0
2
Nashville Warbler
0
3
0
American Redstart
0
1
0
MOURNING WARBLER
0
1
0
Common Yellowthroat
0
8
10
Cape May Warbler
0
1
3
Northern Parula
1
15
15
Blackburnian Warbler
0
0
2
Yellow Warbler
0
2
1
Chestnut-sided Warbler
0
1
1
Blackpoll Warbler
6
25
15
Black-throated Blue Warbler
0
0
1
Palm Warbler
1
30
20
PINE WARBLER
0
2
1
Yellow-rumped Warbler
20
150
100
Black-throated Green Warbler
0
10
3
Wilson’s Warbler
0
1
0
Northern Cardinal
8
10
6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1
0
1
Indigo Bunting
0
1
1
DICKCISSEL
1
1-2
1
Day Total
44
68
73
Warbler day total
4
15
14
3-Day Tour total=
81
Plus with Jeannette after the group and on my own =
13
Total warblers =
19+1
Molting juvenile Cedar Waxwing learning how to eat Winterberry.
And the additional species seen by me without the group, on Monday, and on Tuesday:
Maine Birding Field Notes 