Tag Archives: rarities

Virginia’s Warbler on Peak’s Island, 11/2025.

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It’s been an extraordinary rarity season in Maine this fall. Perhaps it’s been the weather patterns, widespread drought, increasing use of neonicotinoid pesticides, or perhaps – according to a recent paper – geomagnetic storms!

But whatever it is, it’s made for an active month for vagrants here in Maine. Monhegan was epic at the end of September, October was pretty good on the mainland, and November has been exceptional. And, we still haven’t fully entered the rare-birds-at-feeders season, although there have already been quite a few noteworthy feeder visitors.

2025 Monhegan Fall Migration Weekend Tour Report

Personally, I’ve had a great fall, especially on Monhegan, and as you have read in my This Week’s Highlights blog (if you’re the one or two people who actually read it!), I’ve had quite a few notable finds, some fun chases, and overall great birding recently. But I hadn’t turned up a “mega” to add to the tally. On Monday, 11/24, I continued my search by taking a day to bird Peak’s Island, one of my favorite late fall birding destinations.

Arriving on the 7:45 ferry from Portland, I began my usual circuit, working around town to Picnic Point. The wrack line here always looks prime for a vagrant!

A short while later, at about 8:30am, I paused at one of my usual thickets on Seashore Ave, diagonally opposite the 5th Regiment Museum. There are always birds here, augmented by a dense tangle, some tall trees, and a few small feeders behind it.

On Monday, it was very active as usual, with numerous Northern Cardinals, a lot of House Finches, and other typical residents. Movement caught my eye in a stand of still mostly-still-leafed willow trees towards the back right of the thicket, approximately 25 yards from the roadside.

Three warbler-like birds were chasing each other. One appeared to be an aggressor, and I was hearing repeated short, high-pitched call notes that were either, or very similar to, Nashville Warbler. It’s been an extraordinary fall for “late” Nashville Warblers (although they are likely drift vagrants, mirror vagrants, or even reverse migrants rather than just behind schedule), so this was not too surprising. But three non-Yellow-rumped Warblers in one tree? That’s notable on November 24th!

The first bird I saw well was a bright, adult male-type Nashville Warbler (NAWA). The birds, still chasing each other and not sitting still, were not easy to see, but the second bird I got my binoculars on was rather confusing. I observed it for as long as I could, but the distance was just a bit too far.

A very drab Orange-crowned Warbler (OCWA) first came to mind, especially with the yellow undertail coverts, but the bird was really, really gray. A flat, cool, not at all yellowish or greenish gray. It was flicking its tail like a NAWA, but even more emphatically. It turned around, and I saw its breast, and there was a small amount of yellow there. Wait, what!? The patch was smaller and more isolated than a drab female Northern Parula, but there were no wingbars are at all, and it was too long-tailed.

I noted an eye-ring, but the distance made it hard to tell how bold it was, whether or not it was complete, or even if it was really white like a NAWA. I went for my camera, hoping to zoom in to see detail, but the birds were far too active and in too dense of a twiggy tree, so coupled with the distance, this was a complete fail.

Two birds departed to the right, but the bird of interest remained for another minute or three, calling very similarly to a Nashville Warbler, but quite emphatic. I then lost it, too.

By now, I was putting the pieces together and was under the suspicion that this was a Virginia’s Warbler, but I was not convinced. With all three birds departing as of 8:48, I opened up my Sibley app to refresh my memory (it’s been quite some time since I have seen a VIWA!) and listen to the call. The call recording on the app included two pitches of calls, the second of which was spot-on for what I was hearing from this very drab, gray, not-quite-Nashville warbler.

Hmm…but why didn’t I notice the yellow rump? Or was I just focusing on the rest of the bird? All of the views were so painfully brief, and I never saw the complete bird at one time.

About 10-15 minutes later, the trio returned: the adult male-type NAWA, a second, drab immature-female-type NAWA, and the likely VIWA. In a brief view, I noticed the all gray head, reminiscent of a female American Redstart, and confirmed the presence of yellow in the center of the breast.

The birds departed again, to the right, across Ryefield Street, but I only glimpsed one bird and it was likely the VIWA. I walked around the block, noticed a few feeders on New Island Avenue, but I did not find any warblers. Since they had returned to the original stand of willows three times now, I stood in place now, about a full hour after my original observation and I started sending out texts and scribbling notes.

I noticed that the recycling container at the house adjacent to the thicket had been taken in. Damn; I missed the homeowner! I needed to get closer to the thicket if the bird returns, but I am absolutely unwilling to trespass or enter yards without being invited/given permission. Many of you have understood this from my tours to Monhegan, but I stand by this elsewhere. But did it cost me today?

Happily, a short while later, the homeowner was in his yard and after a brief chat, allowed me to hang out in his backyard. It was now 10:28. He even brought me a comfy chair! I was so appreciative, now that I was camped out next to the willows, no warblers reappeared. I took another loop around the block, then returned to my chair. A single Evening Grosbeak dropped into the thicket, and I glimpsed what was almost certainly a Lark Sparrow within a House Sparrow flock, but I did not pursue it to confirm.

By 11:15, I was cold and needed to get a real walk in, so I departed, birding my usual circuit out to and through Battery Steele (found a Common Yellowthroat there) and otherwise enjoyed a rather birdy day on the island. A Hermit Thrush, a couple of Swamp Sparrows, a growing cadre of Red-necked Grebes offshore, and tons of Red-breasted Nuthatches in the woods. Song Sparrows were also unusually abundant.

I walked into town for lunch to go (the wraps at Unruly Girls’ Peaks Cafe are fantastic as always, but the hot chai was even more clutch!). I was back to the thicket at 1:36. The sun that broke through while I was far away had mostly been enveloped by clouds once, and the wind was picking up. Neither was particularly helpful. I departed at 2:25 to catch the 2:45 departure (I had planned on leaving before lunch!)

I was frustrated. I knew what I saw, but was bothered by what I did not see, and how unsatisfying and conclusive my views were. I felt confident that it was indeed a VIWA, but I don’t like birding by default or identification by the sum of all parts!

I thought about going back the next day but couldn’t. I must say, the oral surgery may have been less painful than having this bird get away!

I looked at guides, viewed photos online, and concluded there was little doubt that I had seen a VIWA. But the mind can play tricks on you, and memory can be affected by the post-observation studies, so it was bothering me. Jeannette asked if I was going to “count it?”

I didn’t know. So, on Wednesday morning, I decided to be a little late for work and go back to Peak’s Island. I couldn’t help it; I had to! Jeannette agreed.

Walking to the ferry terminal, I stumbled upon a Nashville Warbler on Commercial Street, near the cruise ship terminal, which I took as a good sign. 7:45 ferry, 8:05 arrival on the island, and I was to the thicket by 8:30, after a thorough check on Picnic Point on the way (the foggy conditions had me hoping to refind the bird on the wrack line like so many late-season insectivores find sustenance).

I stared at the thicket, but overall bird activity was much slower than two days prior. At 8:55, I began walking down Seashore, towards Maple Street. I soon heard warblers! I first heard a Yellow-rumped Warbler from quite some distance, but then heard NAWA, or NAWA-like, calls.

In the side yard of 66 Seashore, I found not three, but 5 warblers: 2 NAWA, a YRWA, and a drab Orange-crowned. Very drab. Hmm…could I have blown this mystery warbler? Was this all I had seen? No, no way! And then warbler #5 popped out: Virginia’s Warbler!!!!!

Between this yard, and the first yard on Maple Street a minute later, I had several perfect views at varying distances, and all field marks were observed. With a good look, there sure wasn’t any mistaking this bird!

Thin, slim warbler with a thin bill; bold but thin white eyering; cool gray upperparts with no wingbars, and here, you can just make out part of the yellow rump.
Most of my views – and all of them on Monday – were like this: small parts of a small bird between twigs! Here, however, you can see the plain gray overall color, complete, thin eye-ring, and a hint of the yellowish undertail.

I followed the flock back towards the original thicket and willow trees, but I lost their tail. I decided to be responsible and head back for the 10:00 ferry and get to work. I also had left my Tylenol in the car. Besides, my job here was done! This is the 4th or 5th record for Maine, and the first away from Monhegan.

Addendum: Several friends arrived on the next ferry, and after a short while found the bird in the same area, often returning to the original thicket from Monday. I was so focused on identification of the VIWA that I probably didn’t take a full inventory of all of the warblers that were around. They had at least 4 OCWA now, 2-3 NAWA, 2 YRWA, and crushing views of the VIWA. The bird was seen by many through the afternoon. And thanks again to the homeowners who accepted my presence in their yard and invited others in later that day!

I also can’t help but wonder if there will be a “Patagonia Picnic Table Effect” as birders descend upon and follow this possibly-growing flock of unseasonable warblers. Could I be heading back to Peak’s soon? I’ll at least be able to grab another Mediterranean wrap this time.

12/1 UPDATE: The VIWA has not been seen since the afternoon of 12/29. Birders searched for it on 12/30 and had 1+ NAWA and 4 OCWA in the area. Today, Jeannette and I spent the morning looking for it to no avail. In the Seashore Avenue area, we had 2 NAWA and 2-3 OCWA. As we widened our search, Jeannette and I had a continuing COMMON YELLOWTHROAT in the same spot as last Monday and another OCWA, both near Battery Steele.

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.

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 Highlights, 5/3-5/9/2025.

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This female Cerulean Warbler at Evergreen Cemetery on 5/6 was the first in Maine for just about every birder who raced to see it! Thanks to Bill for the photo!

Wow! What a week! Although I was out of town for the huge flight Friday night into Saturday morning, my birding with a tour group on an almost-as-productive Sunday morning made up for it. Then, with an upper level low locked into place, migration ground to a halt throughout most of the rest of the week. However, a trickle of new arrivals appeared, and an impressive array of rarities were found around the state. I did a lot more chasing than usual this week (including a personal “state bird”, but a self-found rarity on Friday was a perfect way to put the icing on the cake of a tremendous week of spring birding! My observations of note over the past seven days included the following:

  • 15 species of warblers (FOY) between Evergreen Cemetery and Capsic Pond Park, with Northern Parula the most numerous at both, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 2-3 Louisiana Waterthrushes, Suckfish Brook Conservation Area, Falmouth, 5/5 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 continuing BLACK-NECKED STILT, Spurwink Marsh, Cape Elizabeth, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson). Well, since we were out chasing together, we figured we might as well visit this elegant rarity found by John Lorence on 5/3.
  • The continuing CERULEAN WARBLER at Evergreen Cemetery on 5/8 with my Birds on Tap – Roadtrip: Warblers and Wort! Tour group. I don’t generally take photos while guiding groups, but I took a few of this bird…and completely wiffed on them!
  • After all this “twitching,” I was due to find my own rarity, and did so on 5/9 with an adult breeding plumage female RUFF (REEVE) at Walsh Preserve in Freeport. There are only about 10 previous records for Maine.

My personal “first of years” this week also included:

  • 2 Yellow Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 8 Black-throated Blue Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 2 Wood Thrushes, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 3 Magnolia Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 4 Chestnut-sided Warblers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 2 Great-crested Flycatchers, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 2 American Redstarts, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 2 Northern Waterthrushes, Capisic Pond Park, Portland, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 7 Chimney Swifts, Capisic Pond Park, 5/4 (with Down East Adventures Spring Migrant Songbird Workshop group).
  • 1 White-crowned Sparrow, feeders here at the store, 5/4.
  • 2 Lincoln’s Sparrows, Suckfish Brook Conservation Area, Falmouth, 5/5 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Warbling Vireo, our yard in Durham, 5/5.
  • 16 Willets, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 5/6.
  • 18 Least Sandpipers, Eastern Road Trail, 5/6.
  • 1 Eastern Kingbird, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson).
  • 1 LITTLE BLUE HERON, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson).
  • 1 Blackburnian Warbler, Rte 136 powerline cut, Durham, 5/7.
  • 1 Wilson’s Warbler, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/8 (with Birds on Tap Roadtrip! tour group)
  • 2 House Wrens, Capisic Pond Park, 5/8 (with Birds on Tap Roadtrip! tour group).
  • 2 Blue-winged Teal, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 5/9.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch

The Week 7 report – in which we broke the all-time season record – can be found here.

Upcoming Tours (with space available):

Rangeley Birding Festival, June 5-8

The 2025 Birds on Tap – Roadtrip and Boat Trip Series!

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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 Bat
DeKay’s Brown Snake
Fort 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!

2025 Next Maine Birds Predictions Blog

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Although there was a previous state record, few if any of us were expecting to have the chance to see a Willow Ptarmigan ever again in Maine. Fewer of us expected to see one taking refuge on a lawn chair, as this one did in the Small Point area of Phippsburg in late August.

It’s once again time for my annual Predictions Blog, where I view into my crystal binoculars and attempt to forecast some of the “new” birds to grace the State of Maine – and then my own personal state list – in the coming year.

I was busy this year. Lots of birding tours here in New England, vacations to the Dominican Republic and the Gaspe of Quebec, a scouting trip through the Gulf of Maine, an even further diminished interest in “chasing” when I am actually home, and a lot more time spent casually birdwatching on our property – more and more my time is spent observing whatever is in front of me, instead of searching for rarities. I didn’t even spend much time at Sandy Point this fall, although weather had a lot to do with that.

Sandy Point Morning Flights: September – October, 2024.

There are several reasons for this change of motivation, but that’s a blog for another day. I did put in some concerted effort during a wild fall “rarity season,” but for the most part, my yard list in Durham was the only real priority. A Yellow-throated Vireo on the intriguing date of 7/21 was our 153rd species here since we purchased the property a little more than 4 years ago. Not a bad start! A Gray Catbird that showed up today, January 2nd, as I wrote this, is our first winter record (of course), and a good sign for productive yard birding in the new year!

But back to the rarities. Let us start as usual with a look at last year’s prognostications and see how I did. I also did a little more reflecting on my own evolving birding, as well as.

Two species were added to Maine’s list this year, a Ferruginous Hawk at the Auburn Airport on July 14th and an Anhinga in Somerville for 6 days in July. I saw neither. Both times we were in Quebec. I think it’s a sign.

While Ferruginous Hawk was only marginally on my radar, Anhinga had been relegated to the Honorable Mentions list as northern reports have really dried up for a spell. I was wrong.

So, neither of the first state records were on my list, but I will do a little reshuffling to add two recent splits to the list: Scopoli’s Shearwater and European Herring Gull. 

Scopoli’s Shearwater – recently split by most authorities from Cory’s Shearwater – likely has already occurred here. I saw at least one set of photos from this past summer that looked good to me, but the identification is a challenge, and we’re only learning how to identify them semi-reliably in the field (study up!). But I have little doubt that if we looked at every past photo of Cory’s Shearwater that has been taken in Maine, coupled with renewed scrutiny of the pattern on the underwing of the outer primaries of recent and future birds, that this will soon be confirmed in Maine.

Likewise, “American Herring Gull” (that’s our bird) and “European Herring Gull” are now separate species. European Herring Gull is another cryptic species that has also likely already occurred here, but it is another challenging, cutting-edge identification made more challenging by the extensive variation exhibited by our bird. Add to this Vega Gull from Asia, hybrids, and well…my Gull ID Workshop is open for registration (although I will not yet dive down the rabbit hole of American vs European Herring Gull…we’ll spend more time with Herring Gull vs “damn seagull.”

So here’s my list of the Next 25 Species to be found in Maine:

  1. Scopoli’s Shearwater
  2. Neotropical Cormorant
  3. European Herring Gull
  4. Black-chinned Hummingbird
  5. California Gull
  6. Limpkin
  7. Gray Heron
  8. Bermuda Petrel
  9. Graylag Goose
  10. Little Stint
  11. Audubon’s Shearwater
  12. Common Shelduck
  13. Anna’s Hummingbird
  14. Heerman’s Gull
  15. Common Ground-Dove
  16. Allen’s Hummingbird
  17. Spotted Redshank
  18. Lewis’s Woodpecker
  19. Ross’s Gull
  20. Black-capped Petrel
  21. Lesser Nighthawk
  22. Dusky Flycatcher
  23. Painted Redstart
  24. Hooded Oriole
  25. White Wagtail

As for me in 2024, I did add four species to my personal State List: Willow Ptarmigan (not on list), Tropical Kingbird (Honorable Mention), American White Pelican (#2), and Common Gull (#24).

The most surprising was the second state record of Willow Ptarmigan that Jeannette and I were lucky enough to catch up with in a private backyard in Phippsburg on August 28th. After being seen on Cliff Island in early May, it miraculously appeared in Phippsburg in a yard of a home that the friend of a birder was house sitting for! Then it showed up in a nearby yard where limited access was granted. Jeannette and I were in the right place at the right time when news broke, and were among the first to try out the arrangements and see then bird. Unfortunately, a couple of days later, the ptarmigan likely fell victim to an owl.

A Tropical Kingbird at the Skelton Dam Boat Launch in Dayton was found by a dog-walker and birdwatcher at the end of June, but news finally made it to the birding community in the middle of July, and I raced down to see it on the 18th. It has been on and off the Top 25 list for many years, but I’ve left it off for the last few. No complaints though, as the second modern, and third overall, state record was chaseable this time.

Later in the year, the birding community lost a great one with the passing of Davis Finch. Years ago, I would see Davis and Denny Abbott at a rarity, and they would be among the first people I would call when I found one (yup, we used to only call people to alert them to rarities!). Davis and I had a tradition where my final words as we were departing was always “See you at the ____” and pick a rarity. In fact, that might have even been the inspiration for this annual blog. This tradition became even more meaningful when I once left with “See you at the Ash-throated Flycatcher!”  And a short time later, I found an Ash-throated Flycatcher (at the Saco Riverwalk, the second state record in November of 2006). Davis and Denny were the first to know, and I’ll never forget Davis saying “why the heck were you birding this dump?” as he offered congratulations on the find – a state bird for all (it has been cleaned up a lot since then and it has become a significant birding hotpsot). While there were plenty of other birds mentioned in between, for the last few years, it was always “see you at the Tropical Kingbird!”  I heard someone say he was driven to Dayton to see the kingbird. I hope this is true…he really wanted that bird!

Moving on, I finally caught up with an American White Pelican on 8/26, conveniently close to home/work. Following a Saturday Morning Birdwalk, Kevin Harding and Brandon Baldwin stopped by Wharton Point in Brunswick on their respective ways home and found the pelican. They called the store (yup, phone calls still work), and I dropped what I was doing to head over. The bird was really far by the time I arrived, so Brandon and I walked down the Maquoit Bay Conservation Land trail for a closer look. A little while later, as other arrived, the pelican flew right over our heads for an incredible view!

And finally, after Common Gulls were found in Eastport in February and on Matinicus Rock in September, Evan Obercian found one much more conveniently located at the Samoset Resort in Rockland on Halloween. I was finally able to sneak away four long days later, getting to enjoy the bird on November 3rd.

Of course, I missed more than I saw, both with travel and a lessening interest in chasing. I missed a total of four Franklin’s Gulls (#1): Seapoint Beach in Kittery on 6/30, Hill’s Beach in Biddeford on 7/22, Sewall Beach on MDI on 9/14, and one in Wells on 9/15. I’ll catch up with these notorious one-day/hour wonders some day in Maine!

The aforementioned Anhinga and Ferruginous Hawks were not on my Top 25 list, nor was the Mountain Bluebird that was on Monhegan in early May – before twice-daily ferry service had begun. I did take a day trip with a friend for the heckuva it six days after it was last seen. There was also a Brown Booby (#6) that wasn’t chaseable on Seal Island in August, but had we not been in Quebec twice, it would have been a truly incredible birding year for me in Maine. Oh well, a weekend with friends and 100,000 Northern Gannets more than made up for it.

So with those hits and misses, my updated list of the Top 25 Next State Birds for Me is now:

  1. Franklin’s Gull (will this finally be the year?)
  2. Neotropic Cormorant
  3. Brown Pelican
  4. California Gull
  5. Brown Booby
  6. Crested Caracara
  7. Slaty-backed Gull
  8. Boreal Owl
  9. Calliope Hummingbird
  10. Graylag Goose
  11. Cerulean Warbler
  12. Gull-billed Tern
  13. Pacific Golden-Plover
  14. Limpkin
  15. Wood Stork
  16. Black-chinned Hummingbird
  17. Brewer’s Blackbird
  18. Yellow Rail
  19. Scopoli’s Shearwater (undoubtably after further review of photos!)
  20. Virginia’s Warbler
  21. Western Wood-Pewee
  22. Red-necked Stint
  23. European Herring Gull
  24. Gray Heron
  25. Heerman’s Gull

Well there ya have it, let’s see what 2025 brings, at least when it comes to rare birds in Maine.

I think it’s about time for another Pacific Golden-Plover to show up here in Maine.
This juvenile was photographed in Hawai’i.

This Week’s Highlights, 11/23– 11/29/2024

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My photos of my highlights this week are not exactly worthy of a “cover shot,” so instead, here’s a Northern Mockingbird that posed nicely for me in Biddeford Pool on the 29th.

Winter seems to be settling in! The colder (seasonable, finally!) temperatures should produce another wave of rarities and “lingering/late” birds to find though, and that was the case for my observations of note over the past seven days.

  • 45 American Pipits and ~10 Horned Larks, Mayall Road, Gray/New Gloucester, 11/23 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 female BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, Village Crossings – Cape Elizabeth Greenbelt Trail, 11/24.
  • 1 Northern Shrike (FOS), feeders here at the store, 11/24.
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 Winter Wren, 2 Hermit Thrushes, etc, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 11/25 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 WILSON’S WARBLER and 1 “YELLOW” PALM WARBLER, Saco Riverwalk, 11/29.

If you stitch together all of my photos, you might be able to make one poor photo of a whole Wilson’s Warbler. Nonetheless, it was a nice surprise that added a splash of color to the week’s birding endeavors. Trust me, the snapshot of the Palm Warbler is much worse!

  • An above-average number of species such as Northern Flickers, Hermit Thrushes, and Swamp Sparrows still continue around the area.

This Week’s Highlights, 11/16– 11/22/2024

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After seeing the Spotted Towhee briefly a few times late in the morning on the 19th, Jeannette and I returned at the end of the day to see if we could see it better. That worked out perfectly, but the light was getting low for photos, as you can see here. See notes and musings below.

I enjoyed another great week of birding, searching for rarities, and catching up with perhaps an old friend! It’s been a great rarity season to date, and with a return to a more dynamic weather pattern, perhaps it’s only the start. 

  • 1 continuing Red-throated Loon, 287 Ruddy Ducks, 363 total Lesser+Greater+too distant Scaup, ~75 Snow Buntings, 2 Northern Pintails, 1 American Wigeon, etc, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 11/17 (with Dan Nickerson).
  • ~100 Snow Buntings and 1+ Horned Lark, Plains Road, Turner, 11/17 (with Dan Nickerson).
  • 1 American Pipit, Pearl Road, Turner, 11/17 (with Dan Nickerson).
  • 1 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, Beach Plum Farm, Ogunquit. 11/19 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 continuing SPOTTED TOWHEE, 1 continuing “Western” Palm Warbler, and 1 Pine Warbler, Seapoint Beach, Kittery, 11/19 (with Jeannette). Is this the same Spotted Towhee as I found last year at nearby Fort Foster? If so, did it return from a summer on breeding grounds? If yes, did it fly back to the actual breeding range of Spotted Towhees (likely near where it was born) or did it continue its navigational mistake and spend the summer distant from any potential mates? Or, has this bird been present locally since last winter? Considering its secretive nature and the amount of dense thickets with no birders between Fort Foster and Seapoint Beach, this is plausible as well. In fact, it being a different bird seems like the least likely scenario! Like all vagrants, it tends to produce more questions than answers, which is what makes vagrancy so fascinating! Photo above.
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet and 1 Winter Wren, Fort Foster, Kittery, 11/19 (with Jeannette).
  • 30 Snow Buntings, Goranson’s Farm, Dresden, 11/21.
  • 1 Winter Wren, Green Point WMA, Dresden, 11/21.
  • 1 BALTIMORE ORIOLE, private property in Richmond, 11/21. A nice surprise bonus during a yard consultation appointment. Homeowner reports it has been present for three days.
  • An above-average number of species such as Northern Flickers, Hermit Thrushes, Swamp Sparrows, and Red-winged Blackbirds continue around the area.

Recent Highlights, 11/3 – 11/8/2024 – plus notes from 10/29-30

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I usually miss at least one “Mega” rarity whenever I go away, so I was pretty pleased that this Common Gull – found on 10/31 by Evan Obercian at the Samoset in Rockland – stuck around until we returned. I was able to see it on 11/3.  It took a while, but when it eventually spread its wing, the species/subspecific ID became certain. Separated by the abundant Ring-billed Gulls by the smaller size, slightly darker back, and thin bill, we can rule out the West Coast Short-billed Gull by the length of the bill and the wing pattern. Separation from Kamchatka Gull is more challenging, but it wasn’t particularly dark, the head was lightly flecked with brown, and there’s a relatively distinct bill band. According to Ayyash (2024), the shorter gray tongues on the outer primaries, the large P9 window that connects with the large P10 window, and little to no white at the end of the tongue on P8 all suggest Larus canus canus (and not Kamchatka Gull). 

It’s November, and that means “Rarity Season” and unlike recent Novembers, Rarity Season is off to a roaring start. Here are my observations of note over the past 6 days. Below, see the trip report for our 7-day birding cruise that included time in Maine waters.

  • Although I chase even less frequently these days, I did make time to go see one of the two COMMON GULLS at the Samoset in Rockland on 11/3. Photos and discussion above. Additionally, I caught up with the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT that was found there that day, although I blew the photos.  A “Western” Palm Warbler, several American Pipits, and 4 Horned Larks were also present.
  • 1 Pine Warbler, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 11/5 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 RED-EYED VIREO and 6 American Tree Sparrows (FOF), Trout Brook Preserve, South Portland, 11/7.
  • Biddeford Pool environs, 11/8:
  •             1 BALTIMORE ORIOLE
  •             1 PRAIRIE WARBLER
  •             1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow
  •             1 Rusty Blackbird
  •             2 Lapland Longspurs
  •             2 Greater Yellowlegs, 22 Black-bellied Plovers, and 26 Dunlin.
  •             2 Northern Pintails
  •             4 Hermit Thrushes and 1 Swamp Sparrow, etc.
  • Our Durham property is much quieter overall these days, but a few Red-winged Blackbirds have been around, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was present 11/5-6, our first Pine Siskin of the season at home visited on 11/5 and increasing daily since, and Dark-eyed Junco numbers have continued to grow. At least one each of Swamp and Savannah Sparrow continue.

TRIP REPORT

Last week, Jeannette and I boarded a Princess Cruises ship in New York City to unofficially survey for rarities and things like Great Skua. The entire trip report is here, but our highlights from Maine specifically included:

Gulf of Maine Pelagic Birding by Cruiseship, Oct-Nov 2024.
  • 1 RED-EYED VIREO, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, 2 Field Sparrows, etc, Eastern Promenade, Portland, 10/29. Yes, we took a cruise only to go home!
  • Passerine FALLOUT, 10/30. Awoke to birds on deck before dawn. 16.5 nautical miles southeast of Mt. Desert Rock. 12 species of passerines, led by 8++ Yellow-rumped Warblers but also including 1 Rusty Blackbird, 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow, 1 Snow Bunting, and perhaps most surprisingly, 7 European Starlings. Another birder on board photographed a Pine Warbler.
  • Very little time was spent in daylight in Maine waters, unfortunately, but we did have a couple of Northern Fulmars in Maine waters very early on the 30th.

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.