Tag Archives: Indigo Bunting

This Week’s Highlights 11/13 – 11/20/2025.

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Six, somewhat-late American Pipits at Carrying Place Cove in Lubec were among the highlights of three days of dedicated rarity-searching in Washington County for our “weekend” this week. I was hoping for a wagtail though…or a Meadow Pipit.

I had a very busy week of birding, led by three days of searching for rarities in Washington County. Locally, my observations of note over the past eight days were as follows:

  • Scattered Red Crossbills continue in southern Maine, and Pine Siskins are increasing now.
  • 1 Orange-crowned Warbler and 1 “Western” Palm Warbler, Eastern Promenade, Portland, 11/13.
  • 1 Indigo Bunting, West Commercial Street, Portland, 11/13.
  • 1 Orange-crowned Warbler (my 10th of the season!), South Portland Greenbelt Pathway, 11/13.
  • 1 Rusty Blackbird, our property in Durham, 11/15.
  • 1 NASHVILLE WARBLER and a variety of marginally late migrants such as 2 Hermit Thrushes and a Chipping Sparrow, etc, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 11/20.

Jeannette and I visited Washington County 11/16-18, with our priority being all of those little places we see in the summer that “looks good for rarities” in the late fall Rarity Season. So finally, we made it happen. Unfortunately, one day of rain, one day of snow, and two days of very strong winds made bird-finding rather challenging. We would have much preferred these clear and calm days of the second half of the week!

Our notable observations included:

  • 3 continuing Gadwall, 18 American Wigeon, 8 Northern Pintail, 182 Green-winged Teal, etc, Sebasticook Lake, 11/16.
  • 1 BARN SWALLOW, Roque Bluffs State Park, 11/16.
  • 6 American Pipits, Carrying Place Cove, Lubec, 11/17 (photo above).
  • 1 4th-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull and 1 1st-cycle Iceland Gull, Mowry Beach, Lubec, 11/17.
  • 1 1st-cycle Iceland Gull, Lubec village waterfront, 11/17.
  • 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, Old Farm Point Park, Lubec, 11/17.
  • 4 Snow Buntings, Petit Manan NWR, 11/18.
  • 1 1st-cycle Icleand Gull, Bangor Waterfront Park, 11/18.
  • Locally unexpected/rare: 1 Tufted Titmouse in a mixed species foraging flock at Hamilton Cove Preserve on 11/17 and two Red-bellied Woodpeckers in Lubec on 11/17 (“downtown” and Old Farm Point Park). Meanwhile, Red-breasted Nuthatches were exceptionally abundant, while both Black-capped Chickadee and Golden-crowned Kinglets seemed above average. Every mixed species foraging flock had plenty of each of the big three.
  • Finches: American Goldfinches were fairly widespread, and scattered small numbers of Purple Finches were around, but since finches are often detected via flight calls, the weather – especially the strong winds – did not make it easy to detect them. We also spent less time in Boreal habitats on this trip than most. So, other than those two, our finch observations were sadly limited to only 1 Evening Grosbeak and 5 Common Redpolls (FOF), Hamilton Cove Preserve, 11/17; 2 Red Crossbills and 2+ Pine Siskins, Machias River Preserve, Machias, 11/18.
  • Frugivores: American Robins were the only widespread frugivore so far, including an ample vismig on 11/17 with snow falling. 8 Cedar Waxwings and a distant flock of about 30 likely Bohemian Waxwings at Old Farm Point Park on 11/17. We were disappointed to not run into any Pine Grosbeaks.

This Week’s Highlights, April 9-15, 2022.

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This stunning male Indigo Bunting really brightened up a wet and dreary morning on Bailey Island on Tuesday. Rather than just a very early migrant, this bird is more likely part of an “overshooting” vagrancy event that brought several southern birds to Maine in the past week.

I had relatively few things scheduled this week, so I took full advantage to spend a little extra time in the field – it might be July by the time I get a week this open again!  While I definitely “swung for the fences” a few times in my pursuit of finding rare birds, I enjoyed a really great week of birding overall.

My observations of note over the past seven days included:

  • 1 Northern Goshawk, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/10.
  • 1 Red Crossbill, Waterboro Barrens Preserve, Waterboro, 4/11 (with Jeannette).

But my highlight was experiencing a fallout along the southern York County coast on 4/14, led by Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Golden-crowned Kinglets, but also including goodly tallies of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, White-throated Sparrows, Northern Flickers, and especially Hermit Thrushes. I also totaled 10 sparrow species on the day, several first-of-years, but alas, none of the hoped-for rarities. I summarized the event briefly in this post.

And my list of personal “first of years” and other new arrivals this week really showed the progression of the season.

  • 2 Hermit Thrushes, Winslow Park, Freeport, 4/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 7 Pam Warblers, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/10.
  • 2 Swamp Sparrows (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/10.
  • 16 Wilson’s Snipe, Highland Road, Brunswick, 4/10.
  • 5 RUDDY DUCKS, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 4/10.
  • 1 Barn Swallow, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/10.
  • 1 INDIGO BUNTING, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 4/12 (with Jeannette. See photo and note above).
  • 1 Savannah Sparrow, Bailey Island, 4/12 (with Jeannette).
  • 7 Broad-winged Hawks, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/12 (with Jeannette)
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Florida Lake Park, 4/13.
  • 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/13.
  • 1 drake Blue-winged Teal, Spring Brook Farm, Cumberland, 4/13.
  • 1 Chipping Sparrow, feeders here at the store, 4/13.
  • 1 Field Sparrow, Fort Foster, Kittery, 4/14.
  • 1 Eastern Towhee, Fort Foster, 4/14.
  • 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Fort Foster, 4/14.
  • 1 pair GADWALL (FOS), Seapoint Beach, Kittery, 4/14.
  • 1 Dunlin (FOS), Seapoint Beach, 4/14.

And finally, the first event of this year’s extended Feathers Over Freeport celebration is Wednesday, 4/20 at Maine Beer Co. A portion of the proceeds of every food purchase will directly support the weekend’s events! I’ll be joining park staff to answer questions about our local state parks, local birding, and the Feathers Over Freeport Weekend.  For more information, visit: www.maine.gov/feathersoverfreeeport