Tag Archives: Monhegan

2025 Monhegan Fall Migration Weekend Tour Report

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An American Bittern sitting in the open in a tree, just a handful of yards away could have easily been the highlight of any birding weekend. But, this stellar start was just the tip of the iceberg of the weekend’s birding excitement.

It has been quite a few years since we had a weekend like this. Lots of birds, “mega” rarities, warm weather, and tons of excitement. It was truly a special weekend. We were honored to have been there for it.

The tour began on Friday, with only one participant joining me on the Hardy Boat. The island greeted us with a Lesser Black-backed Gull, which we scoped from the wharf, and several warblers at the usual spot uphill. But after getting the inside scoop from birders already on the island, we made a bee-line for the Ice Pond where an American Bittern was sitting all morning. Remarkably, however, it was sitting in a bush (see above)!

How’s that for starting a tour off right? We also immediately encountered Dickcissel and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and there were plenty of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Palm Warblers here and there.

After lunch, with our group now complete, the surprisingly good birding continued. Despite such a warm afternoon and few birds on the radar overnight on mostly a southwest wind aloft, we enjoyed an excellent introduction to Monhegan birding in the fall:  2 Clay-colored Sparrows with 2 immature White-crowned Sparrows, a Dickcissel, and several White-throated Sparrows in one field of view; a dozing Common Nighthawk trying to stay camouflaged on a wood pile, and another visit to the still-confiding American Bittern at the Ice Pond for those who arrived later. It was a solid afternoon overall, with bird activity continuing right up until dinnertime.

Cape May Warblers in a wide variety of plumages is always one of the highlights
of any fall weekend on Monhegan

.Unfortunately, our best bird of the day was almost the one that got away. Almost! While viewing an Indigo Bunting in the Community Garden, a second bunting snuck into view, skulking. It briefly popped out, and I yelled “get photos” and then it popped back into the weeds and was not to be seen again.

“Did I see green?” I exclaimed, but it was so fleeting, and the light was so harsh, and the bird was so, so pale, I couldn’t be sure. I looked at photos on the back of cameras in the sun, and we had a good discussion on why this could have been a Painted Bunting. Unfortunately, I have little experience with first fall female (presumably) Painted Buntings and had no idea they could be this unbelievably drab. So I talked myself out of it.

Overnight, I received photos from Bill Thompson, who, an hour or two after we saw the bunting, also briefly saw and photographed it. “Is this a Painted Bunting?” he asked.

Yup, that really does have green on it, and on more than one side – in other words, not a reflection. Darn it. It counts for us – we all saw it – but in hindsight, we should have gotten the word out about a “possible/probable” Painted Bunting and had more eyes looking. Luckily, Bill was in the right place at the right time once again! But I felt like I had blown this one. I was too quick to dismiss it and so I decided I would have to make up for it over the rest of the weekend. Maybe the dry cold front that passed through on Friday evening and shifted the winds would help.

A very strong flight Friday night into Saturday morning on a diminishing northwesterly wind was idea for bringing birds to Monhegan Island come sunrise. And at first light, it was clear it was on!

The Morning Flight featured tons of Yellow-rumped Warblers with the occasional Palm and Blackpoll Warbler. Between the morning flight and our pre-breakfast stroll, we had a lot of birds: a couple of waves of Dark-eyed Juncos, bunches of Red-breasted Nuthatches, more Golden-crowned Kinglets and Purple Finches, insane views of Peregrine Falcons, 2 Dickcissels, 4 Baltimore Orioles, and lots of great views of lots of common species.

After breakfast, it remained fantastic. Just birds everywhere, and not surprisingly, some notable species began to be turned up.  Our first “chase” was a Yellow-throated Warbler, our group arriving just in time before it took off.

Luckily, Dan Gardoqui and I stumbled upon it again while foraging for lunch, and I was able to round up several of the group members for improved views and photographs.

The American Bittern was now in the marsh, there were now three Dickcissels, 8 Baltimore Orioles, and a second, but definitively identified Indigo Bunting. No green one, unfortunately.

Not surprisingly on such a nice day, the afternoon was slower, as birds had departed the island early, or had now sought refuge in the shadows, especially with the continuing activity of Peregrines, Merlins, and Sharp-shinned Hawks. So, we checked some nooks and crannies, turning up a Nelson’s Sparrow at Lobster Cove and enjoying gliding Peregrine Falcons passing right in front of us from Burnt Head. We also took the time to enjoy butterflies, plants, and all other walks of life.

It was a delightful afternoon, but we returned to town to find we had missed out on a Western Kingbird. Luckily, a few of us caught up with it at dusk when it was refound near the Mooring Chain.

(phone-binned photo under low light)

So, it was a great day, and given the winds and weather, we expected it to be such. Then, with little to no movement overnight (at least visible on the radar), on a light south to southwest wind, we hoped for some birds to stick around from Saturday and perhaps be augmented by a rarity or two. At the very least, I wanted to show the Yellow-throated Warbler and Western Kingbird to the rest of the group, especially with a big turnover in participants for the second half of the weekend.

What we didn’t expect was to run out of superlatives before breakfast. We certainly did not expect it after viewing the Morning Flight, which consisted of exactly one American Pipit (and the big wandering flock of Cedar Waxwings, of course).

Once again, a bird was identified from photo review (what did we do before Instant Replay?!) and Bill Thompson and Jess Bishop had apparently discovered a Mega rare Bell’s Vireo on Saturday with only 4 accepted previous records for Maine. With such a slow morning flight, I decided to mix things up from my usual routine, head clockwise through my usual dawn loop, and give it a try to find the Bell’s. We stopped near where it was seen on Saturday, and chatted about the rarity, the identification, etc. “Holy shit, there it is!” I tried not to exclaim too loudly as the bird popped out right in front of us.

We observed it for about 10-15 minutes as it popped in and out of a brushy edge, focusing on feeding in young cherry trees with fall webworm clusters. Birders began to arrive from all directions, as the vireo kept coming in and out of view before flying right over our heads and disappearing deep into a dense thicket.

I’ll steal Bill Thompson‘s (with permission of course) Bell’s Vireo
from this morning since he was standing next to us.

It was getting too crowded for our tastes, so we moved on and let others have the edge to monitor. We enjoyed Cedar Waxwings, Northern Flickers, and then took a moment to pause at our usual starting spot, at the spruces behind the Yew.

It was slow, and quiet, and so I was making sure we looked at everything, like the one solo warbler flying towards us from across the sky over the Trailing Yew. It then landed a short distance away, and I brought my binoculars up to it, assuming we had a close Yellow-rumped Warbler to talk about.

<expletives deleted>

A Black-throated Gray Warbler, with only 5 previous records from Maine, was there. Right there. We had some great looks and photo ops, called over a friend, and then watched it the herd of birders arrive and head out to follow it. What a lucky find! We were ecstatic. And we still hadn’t had breakfast! (See photos from tomorrow),

Wondering if the day could get any better – and pretty content if it did not – we reconvened after breakfast and headed in the opposite direction from the searching masses, as I am wont to do.

It worked again: we found one Lark Sparrow, and then another. How many Clay-colored Sparrows – 4? 8? More? An Orange-crowned Warbler at the Ice Pond, a fly-over Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Pine Warbler, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on every tree. So much for it being a slow day.

Another warm afternoon sent us into the woods for shade, immersing ourselves in a cacophony of Red-breasted Nuthatches, sprinkled with Golden-crowned Kinglets, and the occasional Red-eyed Vireo or other migrant. We took in the Fringed Gentian, the scenery, and finished strong with the 2 Lark Sparrows and 4 Clay-colored Sparrows together.

Today was a good day.

Monday, the fourth and final day of the tour began with excited anticipation with another strong flight overnight on a diminishing NW to W wind. But today, it was just too nice, and a lot of last night’s birds passed overhead resulting in just a light Morning Flight come sunrise. But there was a turnover of birds, and our morning walk added several things to our list including the Eastern Kingbird we finally caught up with, and another Orange-crowned Warbler. The highlight, however, of our pre-breakfast jaunt was a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew to a spruce, plucked a cone off of an outer branch, and then proceeded to play with it! It would move it from its bill to its talons, and then it dropped it, chasing it down the tree. It then flew back up and grabbed another! What a remarkable insight into how a kid Sharpie gets better at hunting on its own.

After breakfast, the good Merlin show of the day continued, and we took time for a short gull identification workshop. Our first Ring-billed Gull out here was good to practice on, and we conveniently had three Lesser Black-backed Gulls: an adult and 2 first-cycle birds. But mostly, we worked through the difference between each age class of the common Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.

We finally picked up a Northern Waterthrush- our 20th species of warbler on the weekend! But otherwise, it was pretty slow.

It was slow in the afternoon, too, but the Black-throated Gray Warbler had been refound just before we reconvened after lunch, and eventually we were all treated to much, much better views and photo ops than the morning before.

We then twitched a rare Common Buckeye butterfly and Lady’s Tresses orchids.

 Our last new species of the trip was one of the last birds we observed together: a Yellow-billed Cuckoo eating American Dagger Moth and/or Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillars. Watching it whack the caterpillar on a twig to beat off its irritating hairs, we had another moment of insight into a bird’s world.

With the tour now complete, Jeannete and I enjoyed a delicious sunset and delightful food with friends and spotted an American Woodcock on our walk back.

And finished with another meal of Monhegan indulgence.

As usual, Jeannette and I then spent our Tuesday off together on the island. After a light morning flight, but another turnover of birds, we decided to spend most of the morning in the woods, ostensibly looking for a previously reported Black-backed Woodpecker. But mostly, we wanted to take a hike along the island’s less-visited north end. We added Winter Wren and an Ovenbird to our weekend list, enjoyed the silly amount of Red-breasted Nuthatches, and encountered several pockets of White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. Later, after lunch, we ran into a Black-billed Cuckoo, and a Spotted Sandpiper at the dock turned out to be our 100th and final bird of a truly exceptional weekend on Monhegan. We already cannot wait to return in May!

Species seen without the tour group during the tour:

*Denotes ferry only

9/269/279/289/29
Canada Goose00140
Blue-winged Teal1000
Mallard15202020
American Black Duck1110
Common Eiderxxxx
White-winged Scoter1*000
Ring-necked Pheasantxxxx
Mourning Dove1215126
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO0001
Common Nighthawk1000
Semipalmated Plover0110
Solitary Sandpiper1000
Greater Yellowlegs0101
Black Guillemotx230
Laughing Gull 4*000
Ring-billed Gull0001
Herring Gullxxxx
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL0013
Great Black-backed Gullxxxx
Great Cormorant1121
Double-crested Cormorantxxxx
AMERICAN BITTERN1100
Osprey1310
Northern Harrier0102
Sharp-shinned Hawk3126
Belted Kingfisher1011
Red-bellied Woodpecker0010
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker8201520
Downy Woodpecker0111
Northern Flicker61068
American Kestrel0010
Merlin4865
Peregrine Falcon62037
WESTERN KINGBIRD0100
Eastern Kingbird0001
Eastern Wood-Pewee6811
Least Flycatcher3200
Eastern Phoebe1321
BELL’S VIREO0010
Blue-headed Vireo2430
Red-eyed Vireo12121212
Blue Jay8833
American Crow4266
Common Raven0221
Black-capped Chickadeexxxx
Ruby-crowned Kinglet1322
Golden-crowned Kinglet020106
Cedar Waxwing80808080
Red-breasted Nuthatch10605040
Brown Creeper0201
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER1001
Carolina Wren8686
Gray Catbirdxxx10
European Starling14141413
Swainson’s Thrush0200
American Robin0410
American Pipit1622
Purple Finch01086
Pine Siskin1212
American Goldfinch81066
LARK SPARROW0021
Chipping Sparrow22102
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW3361
Dark-eyed Junco030212
White-crowned Sparrow2120
White-throated Sparrow12601020
Nelson’s Sparrow0100
Savannah Sparrow 1441
Song Sparrowxxxx
Lincoln’s Sparrow1651
Swamp Sparrow2321
Bobolink5552
Baltimore Oriole2876
Rusty Blackbird0200
Common Grackle3333
Northern Waterthrush0001
Black-and-white Warbler1300
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER0121
Nashville Warbler1100
Common Yellowthroat4886
American Redstart3411
Cape May Warbler2828
Northern Parula3610
Magnolia Warbler0100
Yellow Warbler2421
Chestnut-sided Warbler0100
Blackpoll Warbler84044
Black-throated Blue Warbler0300
Palm Warbler206044
Pine Warbler0010
Yellow-rumped Warbler406004020
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER0100
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER0011
Black-throated Green Warbler0611
Wilson’s Warbler1200
Northern Cardinalx888
Rose-breasted Grosbeak0111
Indigo Bunting1132
PAINTED BUNTING1000
DICKCISSEL2311
Day total67806968

Species added on Monday evening and Tuesday, with Jeannette:

Common Loon, Spotted Sandpiper, American Woodcock, Black-billed Cuckoo, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Ovenbird (warbler #21!),

Tour total = 100 Total Weekend Total = 107

This winter wren was one of the last birds Jeannette and I added to the cumulative weekend list as we spent some time on our day off hiking the island’s north end.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, 9/27

1 WESTERN KINGBIRD, 9/27.

21 total species of warblers.

Up to 2 Lark Sparrows daily beginning 9/28.

Up to 6+ Clay-colored Sparrows daily.

Up to 3 Dickcissels daily

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

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

Up to 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls daily.

1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 9/26.

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker, 9/28.

1 Nelson’s Sparrow, 9/27.

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

Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

October 5, 2025   – 9:00am

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

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

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

October 6, 2025; 9:00 – 12:00

THREE SPACES JUST OPENED WITH A CANCELLATION.

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

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

October 19, 2025; 9:00am – 2:00pm

​These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with visits to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite local breweries. These tours are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to travel with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage, and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6:12 to 8:00am.

50F, mostly clear, calm.

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

Total = 147 

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

6:13-10:20

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

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

Total = 1,069

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

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

Upcoming Tours:

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

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

These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with visits to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite local breweries. These tours are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to travel with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025. 

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

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

2025 Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Trip Report

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It was a great weekend for warblers, with a tour total of 19 species and a 5-day total of 22 species, including quite a lot of Wilson’s Warblers for the end of May. With 10-20 estimated per day,
we were regularly treated to exceptional views, such as this adult male.

The 2025 Monhegan Migration Spring Weekend was a shocking success. We went from having a weather forecast that made me worry if there would be any migrants to see at all, to an exceptional weekend that was by far the best Memorial Day weekend of birding out here in quite a few years.

Technically, our tour was to begin on Friday with a little morning birding in Port Clyde before boarding our ferry. But it was raining. A lot. Wisely, most folks held out until the ferry meeting time. Unfortunately, that meeting time was delayed by 5 hours when the first two boats of the day were cancelled due to the storm. It was a bona fide late season Nor’Easter and it was raging out there.

We were lucky enough to get spaces on the 3:00 boat, but even luckier that the seas were dropping dramatically. OK, it was far from calm, and while I might not have thought it was “too bad,” others disagreed. But we made it! And the rain had stopped. And we went from 10-14 foot seas to a few waves that may have approached 8 feet. Not pleasant, but more than manageable. Of course, I have to admit that the “worst ferry ride” bar is pretty high for me.

By the time our luggage was organized, we didn’t have a lot of time, but we decided to try and catch up with the continuing truant Harlequin Ducks that had been seen in and around the harbor. Up to 8 had been reported, but when we arrived at the recommended spot, we found 12!  While common in winter, “Harlies” are usually long gone by now, so this was a treat (it was also an island bird for me!). We also picked up a 2nd/3rd cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull for our troubles. There was even a short break of sunshine!

Noteworthy for the date, 12 lingering Harlequin Ducks diminished to just one by the end of the weekend.

By dusk, winds were light northwest and it was still cloudy. Overnight there were some scattered showers, with winds shifting to the west and then going calm. The fog and showers made the radar hard to decipher, but the wind map for offshore offered some hope.

Screenshot

Note how birds who were offshore of southern New England would be pushed out to sea, but then find a tailwind that could theoretically take them right to the Mid-coast of Maine? The Boston radar was very busy, and suggested birds were indeed well offshore to our south come dawn. We had hope.

But our pre-breakfast walk was not very productive. Uh-oh. Scattered showers had returned, and there were very, very few migrants around. We did see the 12 Harlequin Ducks again, but passage migrants were limited to a handful of Blackpoll Warblers and a Wilson’s Warbler. Was this going to be a very slow weekend?

We returned for breakfast at our respective lodges, and the showers stopped. We met at 9:00 and began our next outing. I was concerned. But then, it happened. All of it.

First, a Lark Sparrow was found – very rare in spring – and while I was going to meet the group, I relocated it in the lawn of the Trailing Yew. It wasn’t there when we returned as a group, but we elected to repeat the southern loop in the hopes of encountering it. And encounter it we did, several times, actually, as it worked its way around the lawns feeding on fresh dandelion seeds.

Meanwhile, something else was happening. Suddenly, birds were everywhere! Pocket after pocket of warbler activity was encountered, and every apple tree had birds in it! Small batches of birds giving flight calls overhead were suggestive of birds only now, at mid-morning, arriving on the island. As these birds were a very different mix of species from the last “birdy” day four days ago, according to a fellow guide, these were in fact “new birds” only now, and rather unexpectedly, arriving en masse.

As the afternoon went on, it only got better! There were warblers in every cluster of trees, with lots of Magnolia Warblers and American Redstarts, but overall good diversity. Birds must have been arriving throughout the day and therefore remained active into the evening. Birds were often low, easy to observe, and the repetition allowed for reinforcing study and comparisons.

Magnolia Warbler
Red-eyed Vireo

Not only was today not the forecast wash-out (just a few brief periods of drizzle and a couple of very light showers), but it was simply amazing! While warblers stole the show as expected, and the Lark Sparrow was a harbinger of things to come, our afternoon at Lobster Cove was rather exceptional, too, with two continuing “Eastern” Willets, a close pair of Harlequin Ducks, and 3 feeding Atlantic Puffins. What a way to end a spectacular day! It was like the good ol’ days out here.

By Sunday, the Low was dissipating over New Brunswick, and while the radar showed what may have been a light migration overnight, there wasn’t much happening in the “morning flight” once again. But as we began our birding day, it was actually quite good! While a lot of birds were left over from yesterday’s flight, they were augmented by some new arrivals, or at the very least, new detections. Once again, the birding was better than expected, and by late morning we already had some partial sunshine.

Unlike Saturday, activity slowly died down as the morning went on as usual, but it was just a downright delightful morning in the field. Lots of pockets of activity were still dominated by American Redstarts and Magnolia Warblers, but there were a lot more Blackpoll Warblers and fewer Wilson’s Warblers today. 8-10 Harlequin Ducks continued, and spiffy Bay-breasted Warblers were particularly cooperative. And we had three irregularly fantastic views of Lincoln’s Sparrows throughout the day.

Bay-breasted Warblers were really conspicuous this trip, and we enjoyed great looks at both males and females daily.

Lincoln’s Sparrows were unusually cooperative.

A longer walk out to Burnt Head and a check of the island’s interior in the afternoon found some of the birds that had melted away from the edges, while an uncharacteristically skulky Great-crested Flycatcher gave us a jolt of excitement until finally revealing itself.

With the storm pulling away, light northwesterly winds and mostly cloudy skies dominated the overnight Sunday into Monday, and therefore there was little or no migration overnight, and therefore almost nothing in the Morning Flight. However, it also meant that most birds didn’t leave. And while slower than the last two days, it was still decent, good views of fun species were to be had, and the sun came out for good.

Magnolia Warblers,  American Redstarts, and Blackpoll Warblers continued to dominate, along with the ubiquitous Yellow Warblers. Flycatchers were up, offering ample opportunity for instruction – and for eyes to glaze over. Morning highlights ranged from a particularly good tutelage from a Willow Flycatcher, a raft of 50 Surf Scoters offshore, and a really amazing Common Nighthawk repeatedly flying low over our heads and foraging over the island as noon approached.

It was warm and sunny, and with a sea breeze pushing birds out of the edges and deeper into cover, we decided to enjoy more of the island with a visit to the lighthouse grounds and a stroll deep into the spruce woods. In addition to building our list with island residents like Golden-crowned Kinglet and breeding species such as more Black-throated Green Warblers on territory, we enjoyed the plantlife of the Acadian habitat and a healthy dose of phytoncides. And in between, the occasional pocket of migrant warbler activity to bring us back to birding.

Catching up on note-taking.

Our tour concluded with an impressive 91 total species, but I admit to being a little frustrated by having to give up with 19 species of warblers…20 sounds so much better! But given the unexpected big arrival on Saturday, and the minimal rain and wind after Friday, the tour was truly an incredibly success, far exceeded expectations, and did live up to what Monhegan birding legends are made of.

Last birders standing on the last afternoon of the tour.
Staring at Eastern Egg Rock, attempting to will THE Tufted Puffin over to us.

Then, as per usual, Jeannette – who joined us late on Sunday – and I enjoyed a day off together on the island on Tuesday. Unlike the magically-appearing flight on Saturday, this was a more predictable great morning. A moderate to strong flight overnight lit up the radar on light southwesterly to west winds. That put a lot of birds in the Gulf of Maine come dawn, and the morning flight was hoppin!

Consisting mostly of Blackpoll Warblers, American Redstarts, and Magnolia Warblers, it was quite diverse overall. A few “new” species included a Pine Siskin and a Wood Duck, and 3 Red-breasted Mergansers were a fun Morning Flight fly-by.

Before and after breakfast, the birding was excellent. It was the best day by far in volume, but a lot of the birds were “on the move” and departing the island throughout the morning. But there was more of pretty much every migrant species, save for Wilson’s Warblers in particular. Birds weren’t held low by clouds and drizzle, or exhaustion, so it wasn’t as mind-blowing as Saturday, even with more birds around overall.

Baltimore Oriole
There were a lot more flycatchers around today, including quite a few Eastern Wood-Pewees.

It was also getting warm on a perfectly sunny sky, and birds took to the shadows earlier than in days past; the hotspots got much quieter by late morning with the increasing seabreeze. Nonetheless, pockets of activity continued right up through lunchtime.

The veggie burger bahn mi from The Bait Bag.

We rapidly added to our collective weekend list (which do not count for our tour total, of course), including finally reaching 20 species of warblers with an uncommon-out-here Pine Warbler. We then eclipsed it with a stunning male Mourning Warbler, and finally in the afternoon, picked up an Ovenbird for our 22nd and final species of warbler. Locally-rare Hairy Woodpecker, a truant Long-tailed Duck, at least one continuing Harlequin Duck, and we found my first Nelson’s Sparrow of the year at Lobster Cove. We even got a little hike in to try and burn a few of the extra calories we consumed from all of the islands’ scrumptious meals. And, anytime we stopped at a favorable looking patch of vegetation, migrants would appear, everywhere we went. It’s always tough to leave, but we at least went out with a bang!

Male Chestnut-sided Warbler

So back here in the Real World now, we can reflect on this past weekend as one that we will most surely always remember!

Here is the trip list four the five-day tour. I didn’t bother including the first day though, but it did net us a Lesser Black-backed Gull that we didn’t see any other day.

* = seen from ferry only.

Species5/245/255/265/27 (with Jeannette)
*ferry ride only
Canada Goose02 42
Wood Duck0001
Mallard1515xx
Common Eiderxxxx
HARLEQUIN DUCK121001
White-winged Scoter0002
Surf Scoter00501
Black Scoter00030*
Long-tailed Duck2001
Red-breasted Merganser0003
Ring-necked Pheasantxxxx
Mourning Dove68108
Common Nighthawk0010
Ruby-throated Hummingbird3454
Virginia Rail0111
WILLET2000
Spotted Sandpiper0002
Black Guillemotxxxx
ATLANTIC PUFFIN3000
Laughing Gull56106
Herring Gullxxxx
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL1 (5/23)000
Great Black-backed Gullxxxx
Common Tern0005*
Common Loon2331
Red-throated Loon0001
Northern Gannet6212*
Double-crested Cormorantxxxx
Great Cormorant0001*
SNOWY EGRET0101
Great Blue Heron0010
Osprey0120
Sharp-shinned Hawk1000
Bald Eagle2233
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker0010
Downy Woodpecker1000
HAIRY WOODPECKER0001
Northern Flicker1221
American Kestrel0001
Merlin1100
GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER0100
Eastern Kingbird3122
Eastern Wood-Pewee42420
Alder Flycatcher0222
“Traill’s” Flycatcher0013
Willow Flycatcher0022
Least Flycatcher221012
Philadelphia Vireo1000
Red-eyed Vireo65430
Blue Jay4211
American Crow2244
Common Raven2222
Black-capped Chickadeexxxx
Tree Swallow1122
Barn Swallow1136
Golden-crowned Kinglet0221
Cedar Waxwing806060150
Red-breasted Nuthatch1246
Carolina Wren2433
House Wren2212
Gray Catbirdxxxx
Brown Thrasher0111
European Starlingxxxx
Eastern Bluebird0201
Swainson’s Thrush1338
American Robin1010x8
Purple Finch1101
Pine Siskin0001
American Goldfinch10101210
LARK SPARROW1000
Chipping Sparrow2000
White-crowned Sparrow0111
White-throated Sparrow1211
NELSON’S SPARROW0001
Savannah Sparrow 4432
Song SparrowxXxx
Lincoln’s Sparrow03310
Bobolink3413
Baltimore Oriole2232
Red-winged Blackbirdxxxx
Common Gracklexxxx
Ovenbird0001
Northern Waterthrush11110
Black-and-white Warbler1210815
Tennessee Warbler22610
Nashville Warbler0114
MOURNING WARBLER0001
Common Yellowthroat2020xx
American Redstart55454080
Cape May Warbler3426
Northern Parula15154540
Magnolia Warbler50454070
Bay-breasted Warbler810315
Blackburnian Warbler4434
Yellow Warbler353025x
Chestnut-sided Warbler661020
Blackpoll Warbler153555100
Black-throated Blue Warbler1126
Pine Warbler0001
Yellow-rumped Warbler3201
Black-throated Green Warbler10152015
Canada Warbler1000
Wilson’s Warbler20151010
Scarlet Tanager1111
Northern Cardinal61086
Rose-breasted Grosbeak3332
Day Total72757392
Warbler Day Total18181721
Trip Total91Weekend Total inc. Tuesday106
Warbler Trip Total19Warbler total inc, Tuesday22

The above birds follow the “guide plus one” rule, meaning both me and at least one client need to see the bird for it to go onto the list. This year, the only two birds I saw without the group that we didn’t later encounter was a fly-by Belted Kingfisher and an American Woodcock at dusk, both on the the 24th, for a total of 91 with the group and a 5-day tally of a respectable 106 species.

In other words, it was a great weekend!

This Week’s Highlights, 5/23-5/30/2025

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This Lark Sparrow – always a treat in spiffy spring plumage – was among the notable birds form a
stellar weekend on Monhegan.

Five days on Monhegan Friday the 23rd through Tuesday 5/27 yielded a total of 106 species, including 22 species of warblers. It was the best Memorial Day Weekend on the island in several years, and at times, it really felt like “the good ol’ days” with a flock of warblers in every tree. Back in the real world, I was mostly guiding for local breeding specialties, but did have a few observations of note. But mostly, of course, my highlights were from my time on the island.

  • 3 Blue-winged Teal, Weskeag Marsh, 5/23 (with Evan Obercian).

Monhegan Daily Highlights (full report coming soon).

5/23, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 12 HARLEQUIN DUCKS
  • 1 2nd/3rd Cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull

5/24, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 12 HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued
  • 1 LARK SPARROW (photo above)
  • 2 continuing “Eastern” Willets
  • 3 Atlantic Puffins
  • 1 Philadelphia Vireo (FOY)
  • 3 Cape May Warblers (FOY)
  • 18 species of warblers led by 55 American Redstarts, 50 Magnolia Warblers, and 25 Yellow Warblers

5/25, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 1 continuing SNOWY EGRET
  • 8-10 continuing HARLEQUIN DUCKS
  • 2 Alder Flycatchers (FOY)
  • 18 species of warblers led by 45 American Redstarts, 45 Magnolia Warblers, and 35 Blackpoll Warblers, but also including at least 10 Bay-breasted and 4 Cape May Warblers

5/26, with Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend Tour group:

  • 2 Willow Flycatchers (FOY)
  • 1 Common Nighthawk
  • 17 species of warblers led by 55 Blackpoll Warblers, 45 Northern Parulas, and 40 each of Magnolia and American Redstart.

5/27, with Jeannette:

  • 1 continuing HARLEQUIN DUCK
  • 1 Mourning Warbler (FOY)
  • 1 Nelson’s Sparrow (FOY)
  • 1 Pine Warbler
  • 1 Long-tailed Duck
  • 1 Ovenbird (my 22nd species of warbler on the weekend)
  • 21 species of warblers led by 100 Blackpoll Warblers, 80 American Redstarts, and 70 Magnolia Warblers, but also including at least 15 Bay-breasted, 10 Tennessee, and 6 Cape May Warblers.
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (FOY), our property in Durham, 5/28.
  • 1 continuing male Lesser Scaup, Pine Point, Scarborough, 5/29 (with clients from Arkansas).

Upcoming Tours (with space available):

Rangeley Birding Festival, June 5-8.

2025 Down East Adventures Tours and Trip Reports

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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. 

For more information on each tour, as well as registration information, visit: https://www.freeportwildbirdsupply.com/downeast-adventures-tours  Trip reports from each will be posted here upon their completion.

1. Winter Waterbirds Workshop

​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.

2024 Down East Adventures Birding Tour Reports

2. Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop

May 4, 2025; 7:00 – 11:00am​

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!)

Recent Highlights, 10/3– 10/9/24

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

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

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

UPCOMING TOURS:

  • Our annual half-day pelagic with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor is on Sunday, October 14th – a nice, late date that should put us more in the season of things like Great Skua, and you can be sure we’ll be studying Cory’s Shearwaters hard to find a Scopoli’s! More info and link to registration is here. See notes above from my 10/4 outing.
  • A few spaces remain on our Birds on Tap! – The Boat Trip! To House Island in Casco Bay on Sunday, October 20th. More info here.
Join us on Monday’s pelagic and maybe a Brown Creeper will land on you!

2024 Monhegan Fall Migration Weekend Trip Report

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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 Sparrow
Clay-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.

Baltimore Oriole
Northern Mockingbird
Indigo Bunting

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 Warbler
Peregrine 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-Sept28-Sept29-Sept
American Black Duck001
Mallard81216
Green-winged Teal001
Common Eiderxxx
Black Scoter008
Ring-necked Pheasant151525
Mourning Dove101512
Black Guillemotxxx
Laughing Gull8*02
Ring-billed Gull010
Herring Gullxxx
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL002
Great Black-backed Gullxxx
Common Loon1*00
Northern Gannet2*01
Double-crested Cormorantxxx
Great Cormorant015
Bald Eagle2*01
Sharp-shinned Hawk244
Belted Kingfisher101
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker02020
Downy Woodpecker243
Northern Flicker31515
Merlin686
Peregrine Falcon234
Eastern Phoebe033
Blue-headed Vireo034
Red-eyed Vireo13025
Blue Jay9139
American Crow444
Common Raven011
Black-capped Chickadeexx30
Golden-crowned Kinglet41540
Ruby-crowned Kinglet21020
Cedar Waxwing304040
Red-breasted Nuthatch286
Brown Creeper044
House Wren010
Carolina Wren51010
Gray Catbird10xx
Northern Mockingbird223
European Starlingx2626
Hermit Thrush010
American Robin002
American Pipit033
Purple Finch045
American Goldfinch10108
Chipping Sparrow01012
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW012
Dark-eyed Junco042
White-throated Sparrow155060
NELSON’S SPARROW003
Savannah Sparrow1610
Song Sparrowxxx
Lincoln’s Sparrow154
Swamp Sparrow21520
Rusty Blackbird042
Common Grackle22020
Baltimore Oriole276
Northern Waterthrush010
Black-and-white Warbler003
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER002
Nashville Warbler030
American Redstart010
MOURNING WARBLER010
Common Yellowthroat0810
Cape May Warbler013
Northern Parula11515
Blackburnian Warbler002
Yellow Warbler021
Chestnut-sided Warbler011
Blackpoll Warbler62515
Black-throated Blue Warbler001
Palm Warbler13020
PINE WARBLER021
Yellow-rumped Warbler20150100
Black-throated Green Warbler0103
Wilson’s Warbler010
Northern Cardinal8106
Rose-breasted Grosbeak101
Indigo Bunting011
DICKCISSEL11-21
Day Total446873
Warbler day total41514
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:

  • 1 YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 9/28.
  • 1 American Kestrel, 9/30
  • 1 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, 9/30
  • 1 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, 9/30
  • 1 Magnolia Warbler, 9/30
  • 1 Semipalmated Plover, 9/30 and 10/1.
  • 2 Wilson’s Snipe, 9/30 and 1, 10/1
  • 1 Great Blue Heron, 9/30 and 10/1
  • 1 Northern Harrier, 10/1
  • 1 Horned Lark, 10/1
  • 1 Brown Thrasher, 10/1
  • 1 Osprey, 10/1
  • 1 Scarlet Tanager, 10/1
Blackpoll Warbler

Recent Highlights, 9/26– 10/2/24

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Monhegan’s third Ash-throated Flycatcher was found by Ken and Sue Feustel on Monday, September 30th. I was lucky enough to relocate it a short time later and snag these photos. Despite much searching, only one observer saw it on 10/1, but it is likely still on the island but having recovered, moving around widely. It was not in great shape, with a real tattered plumage, but as the morning went on it continued to feed and look healthier. Although one half of the tail is tattered, the photo below shows the diagnostic pattern in the outer tail feathers, where the dark brown from the outer web wraps around to the end of the inner web. This feature eliminates an even rarer Myiarchus flycatcher, which was important given the rather early date of this individual.

My birding this week included five wonderful days on Monhegan, and two very productive mornings on our Durham property.

My observations of note from Monhegan included (full trip report with photos soon):

1 continuing female Dickcissel

7 Baltimore Orioles

  • 9/28 (with Monhegan Fall Migration Tour group):

1 continuing Dickcissel

1 female Mourning Warbler

1 Clay-colored Sparrow

2 Pine Warblers

1 YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (calling after dark; not with group)

  • 9/29 (with Monhegan Fall Migration Tour group):

2 Orange-crowned Warblers

2 Clay-colored Sparrows

3 Nelson’s Sparrows (ssp subvirgatus)

2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

  • 9/30 (on my own and then with Jeannette):

1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo

1 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (see photos and notes above)

2 Clay-colored Sparrows

1 Orange-crowned Warbler

1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

2 Wilson’s Snipe

  • 10/1 (with Jeannette):

2 Dickcissels

1 Scarlet Tanager

1 Wilson’s Snipe and 1 Semipalmated Plover

  • Highlights from the yard included 8+ Lincoln’s Sparrows and a late Nashville Warbler on 9/26, while on the morning of 10/2, 70+ Swamp Sparrows, a continuing Indigo Bunting, and a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks were among the birds present.
Lincoln’s Sparrows have been quite common in our yard all week, offering ample photo ops.

UPCOMING TOURS:

Our annual half-day pelagic with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor is only 1 ½ weeks away! Join us on this annual favorite on October 14th – a nice, late date that should put us more in the season of things like Great Skua. More info and link to registration is here.

A few spaces remain on our Birds on Tap! – The Boat Trip! To House Island in Casco Bay on Sunday, October 20th. More info here.

Recent Highlights, 9/11– 9/18/24

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They might be abundant, but I do love Cedar Waxwings, especially a tree full of them on Monhegan!

Eight great days of birding, including three days on Monhegan, yielded the following highlights:

  • 9/13-9/15: Monhegan Island with Down East Adventures “Migration Workshop” tour group. Brief trip report here. Some of the most noteworthy observations included:
  • 17 species warblers total.
  • Cape May Warblers dominated the morning on 9/14, including 3 of every 5 birds in Morning Flight and dozens in trees afterwards. Plenty on 9/13 and 9/15, but most of the arriving birds on the 14th seemed to depart for the mainland.
  • The usual “uncommon” migrants like Rusty Blackbird (2 on 9/14), Philadelphia Vireo (high count of 2-3 on 9/14).
  • 1 first cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull, 9/13.
  • 1 LARK SPARROW, 9/14.
  • 1 fly-by Whimbrel, one probable Clay-colored Sparrow (seen too briefly), and 1 immature COOPER’S HAWK (very rare on offshore islands), 9/15.
  • 1-2 American Pipits (first of fall locally) and 1 hen Northern Pintail, etc, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 9/18.
  • Meanwhile, I’ve once again spent most of my mornings when home birding our Durham property, which was productive. An impressive 60-80 American Goldfinches continue, while an impressive array of migrants continue. On several mornings this week, I had plans to go elsewhere but then never left the yard. A few of the highlights included continuing single Indigo Bunting and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, 1 Ovenbird, 1 Blackburnian Warbler on 9/16, 6 Common Nighthawks (getting late) at dusk on 9/16, and a nice mix of migrants on the 18th that included 1-2 Philadelphia Vireos and the arrival of more sparrows.

The highlight though was the female-type LAWRENCE’S WARBLER (2nd generation Golden-winged x Blue-winged Warbler hybrid) that popped up on the 18th. After a short but perfect view, I ran for a camera and could not relocate it despite much searching.