Tag Archives: Sandy Point

This Week’s Highlights 10/15 – 10/22/2025.

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Swamp Sparrows have been common and conspicuous on our Durham property, and elsewhere this week. I feel this, like most sparrows, is an underappreciated beauty!

My observations of note over a very productive and exciting eight days of birding included the following:

  • Highlights from our Durham property this week included near-daily American Woodcocks and Rusty Blackbirds, and a nice little arrival of more Swamp Sparrows and Purple Finches in particular on 10/21.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/15.

A very light flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning.

6:55-8:30 (with Bill Thompson).

48F, mostly cloudy to partly cloudy, NW 1.7-2.5mph diminishing to calm.

51 American Robins

33 Yellow-rumped Warblers

28 Dark-eyed Juncos

17 American Goldfinches

16 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

8 Eastern Bluebirds

7 White-throated Sparrows

6 Chipping Sparrows

5 Palm Warblers

4 Hermit Thrushes

4 Golden-crowned Kinglets

3 Blue-headed Vireos

3 Purple Finches

3 Swamp Sparrows

2 Pine Siskins

2 Rusty Blackbirds

2 Tufted Titmice (4 false-starts and counting)

1 Red-breasted Nuthatch

1 Blackpoll Warbler

1 White-breasted Nuthatch

1 Downy Woodpecker (2+ false-starts)

1 House Finch

1 American Pipit

1 Northern Flicker

1 Magnolia Warbler

1 unidentified

Total  = 203

  • 1 continuing CACKLING GOOSE, Thornhurst Farm, North Yarmouth, 10/15 (with Bill Thompson).
  • 1 Least Sandpiper, 1 White-rumped Sandpipers, and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/15 (with Bill Thompson).
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/16.

An excellent flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning.

6:55 to 10:40am.

44F, Mostly cloudy, NW 4.3 – 9.0 increasing to 15.1 – 19.7mph with higher gusts.

2186 American Robins (*NEW RECORD! – just barely).

1776 Yellow-rumped Warblers

167 unidentified

127 Dark-eyed Juncos (One was quite likely not a Slate-colored, but my photos of it are not useful)

61 Common Grackles

48 Cedar Waxwings

43 Canada Geese

31 Chipping Sparrows

21 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

19 Rusty Blackbirds

18 White-throated Sparrows

13 Northern Flickers

11 Golden-crowned Kinglets

11 Purple Finches

9 Pine Siskins

7 Palm Warblers

4 Blue-headed Vireos

4 unidentified finches

4 Hermit Thrushes

4 Song Sparrows (crossed together at 8:29. This is only my second or third observation of SOSP engaging in Morning Flight after sunrise here; plenty more in and around the parking lot as usual)

3 Merlins

3 Common Loons

3 Turkey Vultures

2 Red-winged Blackbirds

2 White-crowned Sparrows

2 Eastern Phoebes

1 Northern Parula

1 Blackpoll Warbler

1 Brown Creeper

1 Peregrine Falcon

1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

1 Cooper’s Hawk

1 American Goldfinch

1 Red-shouldered Hawk

1 Cape May Warbler

1 Red-breasted Nuthatch

1 Sharp-shinned Hawk

1 Tennessee Warbler (from Bill Thompson’s photo review)

1 Black-throated Blue Warbler (from Bill Thompson’s photo review).

Total = 4,592

  • Notables from a delightfully birdy morning on Bailey Island, Harpswell on 10/17 included a decent, and relaxingly unquantified, morning flight mostly of Yellow-rumped Warblers; 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and 1 Cape May Warbler among the migrants found here and there around the island.
  • 12 SANDHILL CRANES, Mayall Road, Gray/New Gloucester, 10/18 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 WILSON’S WARBLER and 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, Eastern Promenade, Portland, 10/18.
  • 1 DICKCISSEL, feeders here at the store, 10/19, continuing through at least 10/21. Was this the same bird seen on 10/4 and then again on 10/13-14?
  • 4 continuing FORSTER’S TERNS, Pine Point, Scarborough, 10/20 (with clients from California and Massachusetts).
  • 2 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrows, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 10/20 (with clients from California and Massachusetts).

Our Last Tour of 2025 still has some space remaining!

Birds on Tap℠ – Roadtrip! Rarity Roundup

​November 9, 2025; 8:00am – 3:00pm

Cost – $125

​Portland Explorer (formerly Maine Brews Cruise) and Freeport Wild Bird Supply are excited to continue our collaboration for six very special outings in 2025. 

These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with visits to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite local breweries. These tours are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to travel with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). Seasonal birding hotspots and great local beer – a perfect combination, and we’ll even do all of the driving!

Early November is a fantastic time of year in Maine for vagrants – birds normally seen in far-off places.  Due to a combination of weather patterns, changing seasonal food resources, falling temperatures, and other factors – some of which are not completely understood – birds that may have ended up in Maine by “accident” begin to concentrate at the coast in “migrant traps” and “hotspots.”  In other words, this is the time of year to expect the unexpected.  

​A traditional “Rarity Roundup” involves teams of birders heading out on a given day during rarity prime time, looking for species that are not supposed to be around. And in honor of that tradition, that’s exactly what we are going to do on this unique tour. We may “chase” a rarity (go to see something that has already been found, aka “twitch”) or we might choose a destination known for rare birds in an attempt to find one of our own. Or perhaps, we’ll do both!

Anything between Portland and Kittery is fair game, and we might not even know where we will head until we are on the bus and the latest rare bird alert is received. For those who love adding a bird to your Life or State List, and/or basking in the thrill of discovery, well then this is the tour for you! In between seeing great birds, we’ll discuss the complex factors that are involved in delivering rarities to an area, and how we go about finding them.

​After about 3-4 hours of birding, depending on drive time, we will be transported to two of our great local producers to sample their offerings and learn their styles.

This Week’s Highlights 10/8 – 10/14/2025.

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No photos represented my birding week more than Yellow-rumped Warblers in flight! Thanks, as always, to Bill for allowing me to use his photos here.

  • My tour report from our 10/5 Half-Day Pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor is posted here, including a complete species list and lots of photos.
2025 Fall Half-Day Pelagic with Freeport Wild Bird Supply and Cap’n Fish’s Cruises.

Next, my observations of note over the last seven days included the following:

  • Highlights from our Durham property this week included 1 Rusty Blackbird 10/8-9 and 3 American Woodcocks on 10/14.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/9: A record-shattering day!

An exceptional Morning Flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning. In fact, it was record-breaking!

6:48-10:48am

41, clear, lt-mod NW (did not take early wind reading) decreasing then increasing back to 7.7-10.5mph before becoming increasingly gusty)

3244 Yellow-rumped Warblers (NEW RECORD!)

1423 American Robins

585 Unidentified (mostly high bunches or too far to north or south)

576 Dark-eyed Juncos (NEW RECORD!)

100+ White-throated Sparrows (Conservative estimate in parking lot area after flight; a handful appeared to cross at dawn).

59 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

50 Palm Warblers

74 Northern Flickers

72 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

44 Rusty Blackbirds (NEW RECORD)

43 Golden-crowned Kinglets

18 Chipping Sparrows

16 Black-throated Green Warblers

15 Northern Parulas

14 Cedar Waxwings

11 Purple Finches

10 unidentified kinglets

9 American Pipits

8 Blue-headed Vireos

6 Blackpoll Warblers

6 Hermit Thrushes (minimum, with two or several repeatedly visiting pasture rose hips at bridge base)

4 Eastern Bluebirds

4 Eastern Phoebes

4 American Goldfinches

3 Red-bellied Woodpeckers (NEW RECORD!)

2 Black-throated Blue Warblers

2 White-crowned Sparrows

2 Brown Creepers

2 Swamp Sparrows

2 Tufted Titmice (several false starts)

2 Merlins

2 Magnolia Warblers

2 Common Loons

1 Swainson’s Thrush (confirmed by Bill Thompson)

1 Yellow Warbler

1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER

1 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (from photo review by Bill Thompson)

1 Red-tailed Hawk

1 Red-winged Blackbird

1 Common Yellowthroat

1 American Redstart

1 Blue Jay

1 Turkey Vulture

1 unidentified sparrow (probably a Field)

1 Eastern Towhee

1 Cooper’s Hawk

1 Pine Siskin

X Song Sparrows (significant increase in parking lot area but did not count)

***Total = 6,428 *** 2ND HIGHEST ALL-TIME COUNT and HIGHEST OCTOBER COUNT!***

  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/10:

A good morning flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth this morning. Given the calm winds of much of the night, and the completely calm dawn, it was much more active than I expected. Kinglets were swirling all over, so my counts may be too high or very low. The Ruby-crowned count seems a touch high, while the Golden-crowned count feels low. Meanwhile, the slower and lower flight, with more birds pausing before crossing despite the lack of wind made for excellent viewing and much more relaxing and enjoyable morning!

6:49-9:52am

33F, clear, calm with a developing puff of WNW.

449 Yellow-rumped Warblers

138 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

106 American Robins

52 Golden-crowned Kinglets

37 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

35 Dark-eyed Juncos

25 Cedar Waxwings

16 Northern Flickers

10 Eastern Bluebirds

9 Blue-headed Vireos

8 Palm Warblers

8 Chipping Sparrows

8 White-throated Sparrows

5 Red-breasted Mergansers

5 Nashville Warblers

5 Northern Parulas

4 Brown Creepers

3 Tennessee Warblers

3 Black-throated Blue Warblers

3 Hermit Thrushes

2 Blue Jays

2 Red-bellied Woodpeckers (2nd highest tally after yesterday’s record 3!)

2 American Goldfinches

2 Common Loons

2 Eastern Phoebes

2 Tufted Titmice (numerous “false starts.” Same two as yesterday?)

2 Black-capped Chickadees

2 Red-breasted Nuthatches

1 Osprey

1 Purple Finch

1 Black-throated Green Warbler

1 House Finch

1 Downy Woodpecker

1 unidentified Catharus

1 Common Yellowthroat

1 American Redstart

1 Hairy Woodpecker

1 American Pipit

1 Northern Harrier

1 Savannah Sparrow

1 Lincoln’s Sparrow

1 Red-eyed Vireo

1 Swamp Sparrow

Total = 960

  • 3 continuing juvenile LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 1 continuing juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/10.
  • 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow (FOF), 1 Saltmarsh Sparrow, 4 Nelson’s Sparrows, 2 Red Crossbills, 2 Northern Pintails, etc, Reid State Park, Georgetown, 10/12.
  • 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow and 2 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 10/13.

Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

  • Birds on Tap℠ – The Boat Trip! Rare Birds and Island Exploration with Portland Explorer.

This Sunday! 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 Wabrlers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene. 

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

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

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

This Week’s Highlights 10/1 – 10/7/2025.

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We were surprised to find a tarrying American Oystercatcher still hanging out on Upper Green Island (where we documented them breeding once again this summer) during our Birds of Casco Bay Boat Tour on the 6th.
  • My tour report from Monhegan, 9/26-9/30, including lots of rarity photos can now be viewed here. Sorry for the delay here, especially for those waiting for the trip list.
2025 Monhegan Fall Migration Weekend Tour Report

Then, my observations of note over the last seven days included the following:

  • Highlights from our Durham property this period included a Tennessee Warbler on 10/2, 1 Rusty Blackbird on 10/3, and 4 American Woodcocks on 10/7.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/1.

North to north-east winds are usually not very productive for the Morning Flight at Sandy Point, but the radar images showed a huge flight overnight, so I decided to give it a try. Good thing I did! A northwesterly component inland must have “stacked” birds up against the coast, where they were then influenced by the increasing northeasterly component offshore, producing a better than expected push across the channel. The more I observe the flight here, the more I have to learn! In the end, an unexpectedly good flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, this morning.

6:38-10:00am

46F, Clear, N 8.2-10.4 increasing to NNE 13.3-16.9mph.

238 Cedar Waxwings

222 Yellow-rumped Warblers

73 Blue Jays

64 unidentified

39 Black-throated Green Warblers

35 Dark-eyed Juncos

34 Canada Geese

33 Northern Parulas

28 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

27 Palm Warblers

26 Savannah Sparrows

23 Blackpoll Warblers

16 White-throated Sparrow (3 may have crossed at first light)

14 Northern Flickers

12 American Robins

10 Golden-crowned Kinglets

9 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

9 Chipping Sparrows

6 Nashville Warblers

6 Rusty Blackbirds

6 American Goldfinches

5 Magnolia Warblers

3 Scarlet Tanagers

2 Common Loons

2 Ospreys

2 Cape May Warblers

2 Tufted Titmice (5+ false starts)

2 Hermit Thrushes

1 Pine Warbler

1 Downy Woodpecker

1 American Pipit

1 Baltimore Oriole

1 Red-breasted Nuthatch

1 Sharp-shinned Hawk

1 Brown Creeper

1 Merlin

1 Blue-headed Vireo

1 Swamp Sparrow

1 Cooper’s Hawk

T= 959

2 Monarchs

  • Whale Watch with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/3: 15 NORTHERN FULMAR, 13 Great Shearwaters, 1 Cory’s Shearwater, 3 Red Phalaropes, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, etc.
  • 6 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS with 1 Short-billed Dowitcher, 1 Pectoral Sandpiper, 2 White-rumped and 3 Semipalmated Sandpipers, etc, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/4 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 DICKCISSEL, garden here at the store, 10/4 (with m.obs).
  • Freeport Wild Bird Supply/Cap’n Fish’s Cruises ½ Day Pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/5 was incredible. Highlights included 18 Northern Fulmar, 29 Atlantic Puffins, 1 Pomarine Jaeger, 55 Great Shearwaters, 2 Razorbills, 54+ Red-necked Phalaropes, 3 Red Phalaropes, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, a Peregrine Falcon driving an Ovenbird into the ocean, and a playful pod of Common Dolphins. Full trip report with photos soon.
  • 1 AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER (Upper Green Island; photo above), 125+ Laughing Gulls, 126 Black-bellied Plovers, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, etc, Casco Bay, 10/6, via Birds of Casco Bay boat tour with Seacoast Tours (Photo above).

Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

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 Wabrlers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene. 

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

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

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

This Week’s Highlights 9/15 – 9/21/2025.

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This Northern Wheatear graced Scarborough Marsh from 9/15 through 9/17. For some reason, there are only about 4 records in the last ten years, as this spiffy and charismatic bird has become even more rare in the state, or perhaps, just more rarely detected. Jeannette and I caught up with it here on the 16th although it didn’t want to come to close to the trail for us that afternoon.

My observations of note over the last seven days included two light Morning Flights at Sandy Point and a rarity chase.

  • Birding our property in Durham this week was once again very productive. Several Lincoln’s Sparrows were in the yard on the 16th and 17th, and the first White-throated Sparrows appeared at the feeders on the 17th. Other highlights include a continuing juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk; a vole- and frog-stalking Great Blue Heron all week; a tarrying immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird from 9/17 through the 19th; several Lincoln’s Sparrows daily; a Brown Thrasher and Scarlet Tanager on 9/18; and a really nice variety of warblers.
  • A light flight over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/15 (with apologies for all of this superfluous spacing…I’m trying to figure this out!)

6:19-8:50am

55F, mostly clear, NNW 5.3-6.6 to N 6.5-7.2mph

103 Northern Parulas

29 Unidentified

8 Red-eyed Vireos

8 Blue Jays

7 American Redstarts

6 Black-throated Green Warblers

4 Yellow Warblers

4 White-throated Sparrows

3 Purple Finches

3 Red-breasted Nuthatches

3 Blackpoll Warblers

2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets

2 Palm Warblers

2 American Goldfinches

2 Blue-headed Vireos

2 American Robins

1 Magnolia Warbler

1 Indigo Bunting

1 Common Loon

1 Merlin

1 Osprey

1 Savannah Sparrow

1 Baltimore Oriole

1 Cape May Warbler

1 Prairie Warbler

1 Eastern Phoebe

1 Northern Waterthrush

1 American Pipit

1 Nashville Warbler

1 Peregrine Falcon

1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Bay-breasted Warbler

1 Northern Flicker

X Common Yellowthroats

Total = 205

This Savannah Sparrow appeared to be contemplating walking across the bridge instead of
taking to the air yet again.
  • 1 continuing NORTHERN WHEATEAR, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/16 (with Jeannette). Present since the morning of the 15th, we successfully visited the bird on the afternoon of the second day of its stay. Photo above.
  • A light but rewarding flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/19.

6:24-9:24am (with Bill Thompson)

55F, mostly clear. NW 4.3-5.2 increasing to 5.1-11.0mph.

99 Northern Parulas

44 unidentified

32 Blackpoll Warblers

18 Black-throated Green Warblers

14 White-throated Sparrows

8 Red-breasted Nuthatch

6 Magnolia Warblers

6 Blue Jays

6 Red-eyed Vireos

4 American Redstarts

4 Purple Finches

4 American Goldfinches

2 Chipping Sparrows

2 Baltimore Orioles

2 Cedar Waxwings

1 American Pipit

1 Palm Warbler

1 Blue-headed Vireo

1 American Kestrel

1 Merlin

1 Red-bellied Woodpecker (four “false starts”)

1 CONNECTICUT WARBLER (photo below)

1 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

1 Scarlet Tanager

1 Nashville Warbler

1 Tufted Titmouse (5 “false starts”)

1 Bay-breasted Warbler

Total = 266

Connecticut Warblers are essentially annual at Sandy Point, but I never get a photo off and am often reticent to pull the trigger on the call without a really good look. Luckily, Bill Thompson joined me in “my office” this morning and was at the ready for the large yellowish warbler with long wings barreling towards us. This stellar photo shows the diagnostic complete eyering, pale throat, and long yellow undertail coverts of this robust warbler.

  • 1 dead DICKCISSEL, killed by unprotected windows at the Smith Center at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment. More info here.


Upcoming Tours with Limited Space Available:

A few spaces are now open!

September 26-29, 2025

Join me on Monhegan during the height of migration for 1-4 days searching the island for regular visitors, rarities, and vagrants. If you haven’t experienced Maine’s Migration Mecca, now is the time! And if you’re like many of our regular travelers, you know you can’t wait to get back.

This is a casual outing, with boat and hotel reservations, as well as meals, on your own. Also, you can come and go as you please, based on whatever boat and departure times and locations suit you best. Sign up for 1,2, 3, or 4 days, we will give you the time and place to meet us on the island based on when you arrive.
In the eleven years we have run this trip on this weekend, we have averaged 95 species, including 17 species of warblers!

​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 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 Wabrlers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene. 

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

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

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

This 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

Recent Highlights, 10/17- 10/24/24

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A big thank you to the homeowners for alerting us to the presence of this very late hummingbird that arrived in a Durham yard on the 20th. We always put an alert in our store’s newsletters about late hummingbirds, and we try to get photographs to confirm their identity as many late season hummingbirds turn out not to be Ruby-throats. This one, however, was indeed a very late Ruby-throated, confirmed with the shape of the outer primaries on the folded wing.

Despite weather often feeling more like summer, it was a great week of autumn birding. Perhaps my last morning flight visit of the season to Sandy Point, a trip to a private island in Casco Bay, a late hummingbird to chase, a day off to do some birdfinding, and time on our property all combined for a very productive eight days of birding. Here are my observations of note.

  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/17: 351 individuals of 25 species, led by 114 Yellow-rumped Warblers but including a goodly October 17th total of 7 species of warblers. Full list here:
Sandy Point Morning Flights: September – October, 2024.
  • 1 Pine Siskin (first of fall), here at the store, 10/18.
  • 1 Field Sparrow and 1 Horned Lark, House Island (private; restricted access), Portland, 10/20 (With Birds on Tap – The Boat Trip! tour group). Trip report here.
Birds on Tap Roadtrips are Back in 2024! (And Tour Reports Thereof)
  • 3 Common Yellowthroats, 2 imm White-crowned Sparrows (FOF, finally), 1 Field Sparrow, etc, Private property in Cape Elizabeth, 10/22.
  • 1 “INTERIOR” NELSON’S SPARROW (FOY), Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth, 10/22.
  • 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth, 10/22.
  • 1 subvirgatus Nelson’s Sparrow, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 10/22.
  • 1 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, private home in Durham, 10/21 (with Jeannette). After receiving an email about a hummingbird coming to a feeder on 10/20, we made arrangements to visit to get confirmation photographs. Surprisingly, given the date, it was indeed a Ruby-throat. See photos above.
  • Highlights on our Durham property included at one or more Lincoln’s Sparrows continuing through at least 10/18, two EVENING GROSBEAKS (FOF) and a Field Sparrow on 10/21, and a late PRAIRIE WARBLER on the 24th.

Recent Highlights, 10/10- 10/16/24

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Diving ducks and fall foliage at Sabattus Pond – it’s really October now!

Pelagics, waterfowl, morning flights, and more. It was a great week of October birding! Here are my observations of note over the past seven days.

  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/10: 285 individuals of 26 species, led by 116 Yellow-rumped Warblers.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 10/11: 385 individuals of 21 species, led by 204 American Robins.
  • Full list for both here:
Sandy Point Morning Flights: September – October, 2024.
  • 1 Vesper Sparrow and 1 Orange-crowned Warbler, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport, 10/11.
  • 1 Lesser Yellowlegs and 1 Pectoral Sandpiper with 28 Greater Yellowlegs, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 10/12 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 6 Long-tailed Ducks (first of fall), 1 Red-breasted Merganser (first of fall locally), 2 Dunlin, 2 Osprey, 12 Black-bellied Plovers, 200+ Surf Scoters, 73 Laughing and 18 Bonaparte’s Gulls, etc, Casco Bay, 10/13 (with Birds of Casco Bay boat tour group).
  • Highlights from a, uh, “challenging” half-day pelagic out of Boothbay Harbor on 10/14 included 1 Northern Fulmar and 2 Common Murres. Full trip report and some photos here:
Boothbay ½-day Pelagic Trip Report, 10/14/2024
  • 1 late Solitary Sandpiper, 226 Ruddy Ducks, 140 Lesser Scaup, 79 Greater Scaup, and 4 Buffleheads (FOF), etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 10/16.
  • Highlights from the yard this week include a dawn American Woodcock on 10/11 and 3 Rusty Blackbirds and 120+ White-throated Sparrows on 10/15.

UPCOMING TOURS:

There’s still one space open on our Birds on Tap! – The Boat Trip! To House Island in Casco Bay on Sunday, October 20th. More info here, included an updated itinerary. This is going to be a really special trip!

Recent Highlights, 9/3 – 9/10/24

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Although not in Maine, this spiffy adult Sabine’s Gull was the icing on the cake of an incredible day in Head Harbor Passage, New Brunswick on 9/4 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Jeannette, and friends). An impressive concentration of gulls was led by 5,000-8,000 Bonaparte’s Gulls, 5,000 Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, and also including 20+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 20-30 Laughing Gulls (also Ring-billeds and Black-legged Kittiwakes). It was the best concentrations of birds we have experienced here in several years.

With our annual early fall weekend with friends to Washington County, a productive eight days of birding included the following observations of note: 

  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 9/3: 355 total migrants led by 105 Northern Parulas and 88 Cedar Waxwings, and also including a single BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Only my 4th morning flight record). Complete tally here.
  • 4 Red-breasted Mergansers, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/5 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Jeannette, and friends).
  • 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, Roque Bluffs State Park, 9/6 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 juvenile YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, Jones Creek, Pine Point, Scarborough, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Our Durham property continues to impress during migration. Another week with at least 15 species of warblers detected in the yard, and highlights including Philadelphia Vireo on several days and a Brown Thrasher at our feeders 9/8-9.

Based on the progressing season, and my upcoming schedule, this was the last week I focused on shorebirds. As always, my peak shorebird season culminates with our visit down east. There are plenty of shorebirds left to enjoy (and count), but my final shorebird “high counts” report of the season – including a goodly 20 species this week – is as follows:

  • AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 4 (2 ad with 2 juv), Pine Point, Scarborough, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Black-bellied Plover:  8, Pine Point, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Killdeer: 14, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 9/8.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 71, Pine Point, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Whimbrel: 3, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/5 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Jeannette, and friends).
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 1, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/5 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Jeannette, and friends).
  • RED KNOT: 1 juv, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/5 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Jeannette, and friends).
  • STILT SANDPIPER: 1 juvenile, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 9/9.
  • Sanderling: 11, Carrying Place Cove, Lubec, 9/5 (with Jeannette).
  • DUNLIN: 1 juv, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/5 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Jeannette, and friends).
  • Least Sandpiper: 150+, Sanborn Cove, Machiasport, 9/3 (with Jeannette).
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 10+, Sanborn Cove, 9/3 (with Jeannette).
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 2, Walsh Preserve, 9/9.
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 3,000-4,000 (!), Machiasport, 9/3 (with Jeannette). Only 2,000 or so on 9/6 (with Jeannette).
  • WESTERN SANDPIPER: 1 juvenile, Pine Point, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 15, Walsh Preserve, 9/9.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 2, Pike Lands Preserve, Lubec, 9/5 (with Jeannette).
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 41, Walsh Preserve, 9/9.
  • “Eastern” Willet: 2, Pine Point, 9/10 (with Jeannette).
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 6, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 9/8.

Sandy Point Morning Flights: September – October, 2024.

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For 2024, I decided to post my Sandy Point Morning Flight tallies here in one blog entry (instead of only to Facebook and the Maine Birds Google-group), or perhaps one entry per month. If nothing else, it helps me organize them, and my thoughts! Hopefully, you’ll enjoy reading them, too. A busy tour schedule this fall, a little personal travel, and the continued decline in the number of strong, sweeping cold fronts due to climate change are all conspiring to reduce the number of days I begin at “my office.”

The following lists are birds counted passing over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth as part of the “Morning Flight” or Morning Redetermined Migration. For more information about this site, and my counts here, see Site C14 in Birdwatching in Maine: The Complete Site Guide (2024).

  1. September 3rd.

A light flight passed over and through this morning. It was my first visit of the season, as cold fronts have been few and weak so far this fall, so it was great to be back at my office. I was expecting a stronger flight, however. Perhaps the winds were just too westerly overnight, as the northwesterly component is so critical for pushing birds out over the bay and beyond, forcing them to reorient into the wind and concentrating here at the northwest tip of the island.

  • 6:02-8:20am
  • 48F, clear, light W increasing then decreasing.
  • 105 Northern Parulas
  • 88 Cedar Waxwings
  • 56 American Redstarts
  • 41 unidentified
  • 12 Yellow Warblers
  • 10 American Goldfinches
  • 7 Red-eyed Vireos
  • 5 Cape May Warblers
  • 4 Magnolia Warblers
  • 3 Eastern Wood-Pewees
  • 3 Chestnut-sided Warblers
  • 2 Nashville Warblers
  • 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • 2 unidentified flycatchers
  • 2 Black-capped Chickadees
  • 2 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
  • 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • 1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
  • 1 Black-throated Green Warbler
  • 1 Baltimore Oriole
  • 1 Black-and-white Warbler
  • 1 Wilson’s Warbler
  • 1 House Finch
  • 1 Least Flycatcher
  • 1 Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler
  • 1 unidentified Catharus
  • 1 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (4th Sandy Point Morning Flight Record).
  • Total = 351

2. September 10th Update.

Well, so much for this plan! A week has gone by and there hasn’t been a decent morning to try at Sandy Point. And, with a massive area of high pressure dominating our weather (and most of the Eastern US) for another week, the next possible day looks a long way off! While several nights have featured at least some northerly component, it has been dead calm by dawn. Most other nights have been calm, and while that’s great for migrants to make progress, it’s not so great for a concentration of birds along the coast. For example, a very weak – and mostly dry – cold front that passed on Monday night briefly changed winds, but they were mostly westerly, and were calm by dusk.

Good for the migrants, not great for the migration-watchers! Let’s hope for a change in the forecast; we need the rain, too!

3. September 11.

I probably should have gone this morning, just based on the huge flight that occurred overnight. But, as with most good nights of migration this season, winds were virtually calm. Maybe there was just enough of a puff from the west to make a count worthwhile, but alas, my schedule didn’t allow for a last-minute change. However, there were A LOT of birds in the air last night.

A huge flight overnight on 9/13-14 resulted in a lot of birds offshore, and while I couldn’t be at Sandy Point, I had an exceptional morning flight on Monhegan – dominated by Cape May Warblers – with my tour group that weekend.

4. September 18th Update.

Yup, another clear and calm night, with migrants passing high overhead. Fog at dawn, too. Another week with no morning flight. Goodness, this blog sucks!

5. September 25th Update.

OK, this is getting ridiculous! Another week with lots of nights of great migration, but with either calm conditions or a light north to northeasterly aloft, not one more was conducive to being on the bridge. Friday and especially Saturday look great though…but alas, I’ll be back on Monhegan. No complaints there. But I’ll go ahead and change this blog title to “September-October” and hope for better conditions next month!

6. October 2nd Update.

Two great flights over the weekend conducive to a good if not great flight at Sandy Point occurred, but my tour group on Monhegan once again reaped the benefits. Next favorable winds might not be until Sunday the 6th. Fingers crossed! Maybe I’ll have some real content for this blog then…and I really need my Sandy Point fix!

6. October 5 – Finally!

I was finally at “my office” on the bridge this morning. Unfortunately, with clouds in the eastern sky and a light northerly wind, only a light flight passed over and through the point this morning. Furthermore, the Caribou radar showed rain into the early night, and likely unsettled weather thereafter, reducing or even eliminating the arrival of birds from the north and northeast (the radar after midnight showed virtually nothing over northern Maine). Nonetheless, it was just good to be back!

  • 6:45-8:45am
  • 45F, partly to mostly cloudy, NNW 5.3-7.0 to N 6.7-8.2mph.
  • 60 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 15 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 9 American Robins
  • 7 Palm Warblers
  • 6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  • 5 unidentified
  • 4 Golden-crowned Kinglets
  • 4 Red-breasted Nuthatches
  • 4 Chipping Sparrows
  • 3 Northern Flickers
  • 3 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 3 Common Loons
  • 3 Hermit Thrushes
  • 3 White-throated Sparrows
  • 3 unidentified blackbirds
  • 2 Rusty Blackbirds
  • 2 Blue Jays
  • 1 Blue-headed Vireo
  • 1 unidentified kinglet
  • 1 Tufted Titmouse (did not cross after 4+ false starts)
  • 1 Hairy Woodpecker (finally crossed after 7 false starts)
  • Total = 140

7. October 10.

A moderately-strong flight overnight on variable W to NW winds suggested many more birds departed last night than arrived. With a light W wind by dawn, only a light flight passed through the point.

  • 6:49-9:15
  • 41F, mostly clear, W 3.5 to 5.0 to W 4.4 to 7.7mph.
  • 116 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 39 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 24 White-throated Sparrows
  • 21 American Robins
  • 14 Palm Warbles
  • 13 unidentified
  • 8 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 8 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  • 8 Golden-crowned Kinglets
  • 5 Black-capped Chickadees
  • 3 Rusty Blackbirds
  • 3 Hermit Thrushes
  • 2 American Pipits
  • 2 Common Loons
  • 2 Nashville Warblers
  • 2 Chipping Sparrows
  • 2 Blue-headed Vireo
  • 2 Eastern Phoebes
  • 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
  • 2 Blue Jays
  • 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler
  • 1 Northern Flicker
  • 1 Northern Parula
  • 1 Baltimore Oriole
  • Total = 285

8. October 11th.

With only a light to moderate flight overnight in southern Maine and little being picked up on the Caribou radar with continued unsettled weather, it was not surprising that such a light flight passed through Sandy Point. Or so I thought. But then I found this article…yes, the absolutely amazing and awesome Aurora Borealis this night before may have indeed minimized the number of migrants taking flight. An increasing number of diurnal migrants helped make up for it, however.

  • 204 American Robins
  • 54 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 28 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 18 Blue Jays
  • 15 Eastern Bluebirds
  • 9 White-throated Sparrows
  • 8 Chipping Sparrows
  • 8 Cedar Waxwings
  • 8 unidentified
  • 5 Palm Warblers
  • 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets
  • 4 Nashville Warblers
  • 3 Northern Parulas
  • 3 Black-capped Chickadees
  • 3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  • 2 Tufted Titmice
  • 2 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 2 Hermit Thrushes
  • 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • 1 HOUSE FINCH (rare migrant high overhead)
  • 1 Black-throated Green Warbler
  • T=  385

9. October 17.

This Hermit Thrush kept me company at the point, alternating between snacking on Pasture Rose hips and contemplating crossing the channel (with Catharus thrushes rarely do after sunrise)

After a very slow start on a chilly morning, the flight picked up a bit in the second hour, but was still far lighter than I would have expected given the massive flight detected by the radar overnight. Even by 4:00am, the radar image was boomin’

  • 6:59-9:15
  • 31F, clear, NW 2.7-4.9 to W 1.2 TO 2.6mph.
  • 114 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 56 American Robins
  • 44 Golden-crowned Kinglets
  • 44 Blue Jays
  • 17 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  • 14 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 9 Hermit Thrushes
  • 8 Palm Warblers
  • 7 Black-capped Chickadees (still did not cross after 14 “false starts”)
  • 7 White-throated Sparrows
  • 5 Unidentified
  • 4 Nashville Warblers
  • 4 Blackpoll Warblers
  • 3 Swamp Sparrows
  • 2 Purple Finches
  • 2 Blue-headed Vireos
  • 2 Tufted Titmice (did not cross after 4 false starts)
  • 1 TENNESSEE WARBLER
  • 1 Northern Parula
  • 1 Eastern Bluebird
  • 1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • 1 Northern Flicker
  • 1 Savannah Sparrow
  • 1 Common Loon
  • 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (in parking lot)
  • T=351

10. October 23rd.

With only a moderate flight overnight and very light winds, I didn’t have high hopes today for much of a flight. However, with the forecast for the next few days followed by a trip, this very well may be my last chance of the season, so off I went. Well, I was correct…there wasn’t much.

  • 7:10-8:30
  • 43F, mostly clear, NNW 2.7-3.2 to calm.
  • 10 Dark-eyed Juncos
  • 10 Yellow-rumped Warblers
  • 4 Golden-crowned Kinglets
  • 4 Hermit Thrushes
  • 3 Savannah Sparrows
  • 2 Palm Warblers
  • 1 American Rpbin
  • 1 Purple Finch
  • 1 Black-capped Chickadee
  • 1 Blue-headed Vireo
  • 1 Chipping Sparrow
  • 1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
  • 1 Blackpoll Warbler
  • Total = 42

11. November 6th.

I had every intention of trying one more morning at the bridge after we returned from vacation. Sunday the 3rd may have been the day. But, avoiding the painful early wake-up call of the end of Daylight Savings Time, I decided to twitch the Common Gull in Rockland instead. I feel a little guilty, but ya know, every now and then I like a little chase, and besides, it was kind enough to stick around until we returned, so I felt I owed it.

It wasn’t a great season for me at “my office,” as this was certainly a record low number of visits. And to not catch any big flights is of course disappointing. But it was a good fall for birding – and an especially good fall for birds with little to impede their migration – and I enjoy every chance I can get to be at Sandy Point. And with a lot less pain this year than last year when I was still recovering from complications following shoulder surgery.

So with that, the 2024 Sandy Point Morning Flight season is officially closed. Still plenty of migration left, but it’s mostly diurnal migrants now. There will be a Dark-eyed Junco flight or two, some great flights of American Robins, and likely one last little push of Yellow-rumped Warblers. However, Rarity Season is now in full swing, so it’s time to focus on other birding locations. See you in August! (If there are any real cold fronts).

(And now it’s time to see what Yarmouth’s plans are for the walkway repair and improvement. I’ll need to make sure birding opportunities are improved and vegetation is protecting. Stay tuned…I might need your help)

This Week’s Highlights, 9/19-22, 2023

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This delightful Black-and-white Warbler hung out with me for a spell in “my office” at Sandy Point during the huge flight on the morning of the 21st.

While Hurricane Lee was a birding dud here in Maine, I did miss two great flights at Sandy Point and three overall fantastic days of migration while we were out of town.  But some good migration over the past four days since our return helped make up for it. Meanwhile, I also posted a blog recounting a little about what I (did not) miss during the passage of Lee.

Hurricane Lee Birding in Maine FOMO – or not!
  • While there has not been a hoped-for morning flight of consequence over or through our Durham property, it continues to be much better for fall migration than we even imagined.  Limited effort produced 12 species of warblers on both 9/19 and 9/22 – which included tardy Northern Waterthrush and Canada Warbler.
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 9/20.

With winds mostly westerly overnight, and very light westerly winds in the morning, the flight was lighter than I expected. It was also high and distant to the south, so I likely missed a lot of birds, and certainly identified less than I would have liked – both typical on such conditions.

6:23-9:15am55F, mostly clear, W 2.8mph-4.1Decreasing to WSW 0.6 to 1.9
Unidentified164Eastern Phoebe2
Northern Parula84Eastern Bluebird2
Blackpoll Warbler56DICKCISSEL2
Cedar Waxwing22Bay-breasted/Blackpoll2
Yellow Warbler19Osprey1
American Redstart12Black-throated Blue Warbler1
American Goldfinch9Red-breasted Nuthatch1
Common Loon5Wilson’s Warbler1
Red-eyed Vireo 5Baltimore Oriole1
Cape May Warbler4American Robin1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet3Common Yellowthroatx
Black-and-white Warbler3
Nashville Warbler3TOTAL405
Black-throated Green Warbler3
Horned Lark2
  • Sandy Point Morning Flight, 9/21.

Wow!  Although there was an absolutely huge flight overnight on the radar, the calm winds by dawn lulled me into a false sense of security. But as soon as the sun broke the horizon, birds started flowing. At first they were very high and in very large, dense aggregations, rendering identification impossible for me. Later, as the northwesterly wind picked up, many birds were considerably lower and landing in trees. Based on the date, there’s no way American Redstarts were the second most numerous warbler (they’re just easy to identify), and I would be a large proportion of those early, high migrants were strong-flying Blackpolls. But parulas definitely dominated, and at times, a dozen would be in the trees around me. Even as of 10:00am, a trickle of birds continued overhead.

6:26am to 10:26am.51F, mostly clear, calm.Increasing to NW 5.5-7.8mph
Unidentifed1878Bay-breasted Warbler2
Northern Parula947Palm Warbler2
Red-eyed Vireo97* new recordAmerican Goldfinch2
American Redstart88Blue Jay2
Blackpoll Warbler74Prairie Warbler2
Yellow-rumped Warbler59Savannah Sparrow1
Black-throated Green Warbler53DICKCISSEL 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet47CONNECTICUT WARBLER!1 (plus one probable)
Yellow Warbler43Bobolink1
Black-and-white Warbler41Brown Creeper1
Cape May Warbler16Chestnut-sided Warbler1
American Robin12American Pipit1
Northern Flicker11Ruby-throated Hummingbird1
Scarlet Tanager10Unidentified Empid1
Magnolia Warbler9Mourning Dove1
Black-throated Blue Warbler8Probable Blue-winged Warbler1
Blue-headed Vireo7Rose-breasted Grosbeak1
Swainson’s Thrush6* including two high overhead almost an hour after sunrise!RED-SHOULDERED HAWK1 Juv. My 196th all-time Patch Bird!
Horned Lark6Sharp-shinned Hawk1
Red-breasted Nuthatch5Baltimore Oriole1
Nashville Warbler5House Wren1
Common Loon4Common Yellowthroatx
Eastern Phoebe4
Philadelphia Vireo3
American Kestrel3TOTAL3,467
Rusty Blackbird2
Golden-crowned Kinglet2

This cooperative Prairie Warbler was one of 18 species of warblers that passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth, on the morning of the 21st.

  • Hawkwatching over the store, 9/21!  The big migration day continued, with Jeannette tallying 752 Broad-winged Hawks, 4 Bald Eagles, 3 Turkey Vultures, 2 American Kestrels, 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and 1 Cooper’s Hawk in just over 2 hours of observation right out our front door!

TRIPS AND TOURS.

In case you are looking for a last-minute weekend activity, it appears that we still have one space remaining on this weekend’s Monhegan Weekend with Down East Adventures.  For those who need a little more time to plan, I have a very limited number of spaces on my per diem Monhegan Fall Migration tour NEXT weekend 9/29-10/2.