This Northern Wheatear graced Scarborough Marsh from 9/15 through 9/17. For some reason, there are only about 4 records in the last ten years, as this spiffy and charismatic bird has become even more rare in the state, or perhaps, just more rarely detected. Jeannette and I caught up with it here on the 16th although it didn’t want to come to close to the trail for us that afternoon.
My observations of note over the last seven days included two light Morning Flights at Sandy Point and a rarity chase.
Birding our property in Durham this week was once again very productive. Several Lincoln’s Sparrows were in the yard on the 16th and 17th, and the first White-throated Sparrows appeared at the feeders on the 17th. Other highlights include a continuing juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk; a vole- and frog-stalking Great Blue Heron all week; a tarrying immature male Ruby-throated Hummingbird from 9/17 through the 19th; several Lincoln’s Sparrows daily; a Brown Thrasher and Scarlet Tanager on 9/18; and a really nice variety of warblers.
A light flight over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/15 (with apologies for all of this superfluous spacing…I’m trying to figure this out!)
6:19-8:50am
55F, mostly clear, NNW 5.3-6.6 to N 6.5-7.2mph
103 Northern Parulas
29 Unidentified
8 Red-eyed Vireos
8 Blue Jays
7 American Redstarts
6 Black-throated Green Warblers
4 Yellow Warblers
4 White-throated Sparrows
3 Purple Finches
3 Red-breasted Nuthatches
3 Blackpoll Warblers
2 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
2 Palm Warblers
2 American Goldfinches
2 Blue-headed Vireos
2 American Robins
1 Magnolia Warbler
1 Indigo Bunting
1 Common Loon
1 Merlin
1 Osprey
1 Savannah Sparrow
1 Baltimore Oriole
1 Cape May Warbler
1 Prairie Warbler
1 Eastern Phoebe
1 Northern Waterthrush
1 American Pipit
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Bay-breasted Warbler
1 Northern Flicker
X Common Yellowthroats
Total = 205
This Savannah Sparrow appeared to be contemplating walking across the bridge instead of taking to the air yet again.
1 continuing NORTHERN WHEATEAR, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/16 (with Jeannette). Present since the morning of the 15th, we successfully visited the bird on the afternoon of the second day of its stay. Photo above.
A light but rewarding flight passed over and through Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island, Yarmouth on 9/19.
6:24-9:24am (with Bill Thompson)
55F, mostly clear. NW 4.3-5.2 increasing to 5.1-11.0mph.
99 Northern Parulas
44 unidentified
32 Blackpoll Warblers
18 Black-throated Green Warblers
14 White-throated Sparrows
8 Red-breasted Nuthatch
6 Magnolia Warblers
6 Blue Jays
6 Red-eyed Vireos
4 American Redstarts
4 Purple Finches
4 American Goldfinches
2 Chipping Sparrows
2 Baltimore Orioles
2 Cedar Waxwings
1 American Pipit
1 Palm Warbler
1 Blue-headed Vireo
1 American Kestrel
1 Merlin
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker (four “false starts”)
1 CONNECTICUT WARBLER (photo below)
1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Nashville Warbler
1 Tufted Titmouse (5 “false starts”)
1 Bay-breasted Warbler
Total = 266
Connecticut Warblers are essentially annual at Sandy Point, but I never get a photo off and am often reticent to pull the trigger on the call without a really good look. Luckily, Bill Thompson joined me in “my office” this morning and was at the ready for the large yellowish warbler with long wings barreling towards us. This stellar photo shows the diagnostic complete eyering, pale throat, and long yellow undertail coverts of this robust warbler.
1 dead DICKCISSEL, killed by unprotected windows at the Smith Center at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment. More info here.
Join me on Monhegan during the height of migration for 1-4 days searching the island for regular visitors, rarities, and vagrants. If you haven’t experienced Maine’s Migration Mecca, now is the time! And if you’re like many of our regular travelers, you know you can’t wait to get back.
This is a casual outing, with boat and hotel reservations, as well as meals, on your own. Also, you can come and go as you please, based on whatever boat and departure times and locations suit you best. Sign up for 1,2, 3, or 4 days, we will give you the time and place to meet us on the island based on when you arrive. In the eleven years we have run this trip on this weekend, we have averaged 95 species, including 17 species of warblers!
Join us on a special cruise dedicated to off-shore birding: a collaboration with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises offering half-day “mini-pelagics!” We’ll seek out the rare and common seabirds that occur in our nearshore waters, but we will always have the hope for something unexpected. Derek will team up with the boat’s expert naturalists to spot, identify, and point out pelagic seabirds. Chumming efforts will provide opportunities to attract the birds in for better photo ops and viewing. While we’ll stop to look at any whales and whatever other interesting sea life we encounter along the way, it is the feathered wildlife we’re searching for, and will be focused on.
This annual fall excursion gives a chance at some very sought after pelagic species, such as Great and South Polar Skua. More likely species include Northern Fulmar; Black-legged Kittiwake; Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger; shearwaters – Great, Sooty, Cory’s, and possibly even Manx; Leach’s Storm-Petrel; Razorbill and Atlantic Puffin; Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, and much more. With the later departure date this year, we hope for more jaegers and a better chance at Great Skua, along with the chance at more early-arriving alcids.
Each of our four October trips have been very different, with each year providing some unexpected highlights. Once again, we will be chumming at at least one hotspot, and we’ll have an additional spotter who will keep dedicated eBird lists for those who so desire and want it shared with them.
These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with visits to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite local breweries. These tours are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to travel with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). But this time we’re leaving the van in the garage, and hitting the water! That’s right, we’re taking a cruise, and we’re returning to the private House Island in Porland Harbor twice in 2025.
During last year’s wildly successful outing in which we became the first birding group ever on the island, we found oodles of Yellow-rumped Wabrlers, an uncommon Field Sparrow, and other migrants. But we were truly captivated by Captain Pete, who guided us through the historic fort, sharing a wealth of historical knowledge and fascinating stories. The beer was pretty darn good too, as we sampled the history of Maine’s craft beer scene.
Building on that success, we’re visiting the private House Island in Portland Harbor twice in 2025. We’ve been granted special permission to come ashore and scour the island here in the peak of fall migration. We’ll follow well-maintained trails through the island’s mosaic of open habitats, scrub, and young woods. These are great habitats to search for a variety of migrants, and perhaps even a rarity!
Returning in late October, once again rarities will be on our mind. While rare birds are rare, we are still going to expect the unexpected. But more likely are regular migrants of the season such as Yellow-rumped Warblers, a variety of sparrows, and a growing diversity of waterbirds. At the very least, we’ll have resident waterbirds and several species of gulls to sort through. We are having daydreams of a rare flycatcher!
As we motor back across the harbor, we’ll continue to familiarize ourselves with some of the common waterbirds, such as Common Eiders, Common Loons, and the vanguard of our winter diving ducks while enjoying a local craft beverage produced in the city of Portland. While the exact plan is subject to change, we’ll be sure to come up with a plan to adequately celebrate our discoveries – or the one that got away!
One of three Little Gulls encountered in Head Harbor Passage, New Brunswick via Eastport on the 2nd, this one posed nicely for us as Captain Butch adeptly drifted the stern inshore for a close approach and photo ops.
A delightful ten days of birding, from Lubec to Biddeford, including the following observations of note:
Migrant highlights from our property in Durham included 2 Prairie Warblers on 8/31 and 13 species of warblers including 2-3 Bay-breasted on 9/1.
2 continuing COMMON GALLINULES, Essex Marsh, Bangor, 9/1 (with Jeannette).
Red Crossbills: scattered 1’s and 2’s throughout coastal Washington County, 9/1-4 (with Jeannette, et al).
1 Snowy Egret with 1 Great Egret, Downeast Sunrise Trail Marsh, Machias, 9/1.
1 continuing juvenile FORSTER’S TERN and 3 LITTLE GULLS, 1 Common Murre, high number of Artic Terns, etc, Head Harbor Passage via Eastport Windjammers, Eastport, 9/2 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Renee Patterson, Cynthia Phinney, Jeannette, et al).
I was pretty excited to pull out this long-staying juvenile Forster’s Tern as it was a new bird for New Brunswick (and Canada!) for me!
1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, 5 White-winged Scoters, etc, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/3 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Cynthia Phinney, and Jeannette).
1 Spruce Grouse and 25 nearshore Razorbills, Great Wass Island, Jonesport, 9/4 (with Jeannette).
An great count of 6 FORSTER’S TERNS foraging together in The Pool from the Hill’s Beach side, 9/7.
3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 9/7.
1 adult and 1 2nd cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7.
Recent forays yielded a decent 21 species of shorebirds this period, with my high counts over these past 10 days being the following. With the progressing season and other priorities and destinations, this will be my last shorebird high count report for the year.
American Oystercatcher: 5, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 9/7.
Black-bellied Plover: 179, The Pool, Biddeford, 9/7.
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER: 2, Winding Brook Turf Farm, Lyman, 9/7, plus singles at: Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/5 and Hill’s Beach, 9/7.
Killdeer: 13, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 9/7.
Ruddy Turnstone: 15, Biddeford Pool Beach, Biddeford, 9/7.
Red Knot: 2 juveniles, The Pool, 9/7.
Sanderling: 112, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7.
Least Sandpiper: 125, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/3 (with Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Cynthia Phinney, and Jeannette).
White-rumped Sandpiper: 26, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7.
Pectoral Sandpiper: 3, Eastern Road Trail, 9/5.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1800-2000, Biddeford Pool Beach, 9/7 with an honorable mention of 1500, Lubec Bar and Flats, 9/3 (with Brandon Baldwin, Shenna Bellows, Beth Edmonds, Dan Nickerson, Cynthia Phinney, and Jeannette).
WESTERN SANDPIPER: 1 juv, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/5.
Short-billed Dowitcher: 14, The Pool, 9/7.
Spotted Sandpiper: 8, Sabattus Pond, 8/31.
Solitary Sandpiper: 1, multiple locations this week.
For the last 13 summers now, hybrid herons have occurred in Scarborough Marsh, with one individual continuing this summer. Likely also present last summer, this bird is significantly darker on the neck and back than the only bird present from about 2021 to 2023, possibly suggesting yet another backcross (Gen 4?) with Tricolored Heron (especially when observed with its breeding plumes earlier in the summer). It does appear quite similar to my proposed 2nd or 3erd generation Tricolored Heron x Snowy Egret x Little Egret that was present from 2016 to at least 2020, so it could possibly by the same bird (Labeled 3A in my article Hybrid Herons of Maine from my North American Birds article in 2021, Volume 72, Number 3. At this point, I believe the hybrids are best described as “Tricolored Heron x small white Egretta species,” or, “Patches” as I dubbed it and most birders refer to it now. Whatever it is, this year’s individual cooperated for me along the Eastern Road Trail on the 26th.
It was another busy period for me, with most of my mornings spent only birding our property before work. Luckily, the yard has been fantastic as it turns out to be this time of year, with a nice variety of migrants, and lots of local breeders fattening up on our plentiful Black Cherry trees. Some of the migrants detected this week included a Prairie Warbler on 8/19, a Swainson’s Thrush on 8/20, Canada Warbler on 8/21, Cape May Warbler 8/24-25, a single Common Nighthawk at dusk on 8/26, and a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER on 8/27.
Otherwise, it was a weekend trip to Bar Harbor and a shorebird little-big day on the 26th that kept me going, with the following observations of note over the past 10 days.
1 continuing COMMON GALLINULE, Essex Marsh, Bangor, 8/22 (with Bill Thompson).
The big adventure this week was the 12-hour pelagic/whale watch out of Bar Harbor with Flukes and Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co to Cashes Ledge in the Gulf of Maine. I’ll leave the complete checklist to others, but my highlights from the trip were the total of 33* Leach’s Storm-Petrels, repeated great view of a total of 15* Pomarine Jaegers, the feeding frenzy of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels (day total of 1,573*) at Ammen Ledge, and the scattered flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes.
Pomarine Jaeger (above) and Great Shearwater (below)
2 Horned Grebes (oversummering or really early?) and 2 Red Crossbills, Hollingsworth Trail, Petit Manan NWR, Steuben, 8/24 (with Bill Thompson).
2 FORSTER’S TERNS, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
2-3 continuing adult RED-NECKED GREBES, Ocean Avenue, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
1 continuing postulated TRICOLORED HERON X SMALL WHITE EGRETTA SPP, aka “Patches,” Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/26. Photo and notes above.
Fueled by a 19 shorebird species day on the 26th, I tallied 22 species of shorebirds this week, with my high counts over these past 10 days (see last week’s post for explanation) being the following:
American Oystercatcher: 7 (4 ad, 3 juv), Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/26 (with Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth).
Black-bellied Plover: 156, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
Killdeer: 46, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 8/25.
One of two Baird’s Sandpipers that were in the salt pannes of the Eastern Road Trail through Scarborough Marsh on the 7th, it was one of an estimated 3500+ shorebirds present that day. Low water conditions are currently ideal, but they are drying out fast, and without some rain in the next week, this hotspot might just become too dry to hold many birds.
With a busy few days of catching up, my birding was limited immediately upon our return from our summer vacation. However, I made up for it this week with a couple of tours and two birding outings with friends. There is a surprising number and quality of summertime rarities around the state right now, but I stayed fairly local and tried to find my own rare shorebird or two! Here are my observations of note over the past 12 days here in Maine.
A vocal Yellow-billed Cuckoo continues daily in our yard all week.
1 Great Egret, flying over downtown Waterville at dusk, 7/28 (with Jeannette).
2 Long-tailed Ducks, Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 8/1.
1 TRICOLORED HERON (FOY), Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 8/3 (with Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! Tour Group). Photo in trip report here.
3 adult RED-NECKED GREBES, 1 White-winged Scoter, and 1 Black Scoter, Ocean Avenue-Biddeford Pool Beach, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson)
1 female PURPLE MARTIN, Timber Point, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson). Confirmed breeding as it entered a powerline visual marker ball with food and exited with a fecal sac!
PATCHES! Perhaps Patches the IVth? Presumed TRICOLORED HERON X SNOWY EGRET X LITTLE EGRET HYBRID that now may be a fourth-generation bird that’s a backcross again with a TRICOLORED HERON as this year’s bird has significantly more bluish color than previous years, and in all the right places for a Tricolored. In other words, “Tricolored Heron x Small White Egretta SPP”, or, “Patches.” But the hybrid heron was in the salt pannes of the Eastern Road Trail on 8/7 (with Ian Doherty). My phone-scoped photos in the heat shimmer don’t do it justice!
7 Bonaparte’s Gulls, Sabattus Pond, 8/8.
And as expected for the season, shorebird migration is now in full swing and that was the focus of my birding attention, resulting in a solid 21 species. Here were my high counts over these past 12 days:
American Oystercatcher: 7 (4 ad, 3 juv), Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
Black-bellied Plover: 60+, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
Killdeer: 11, Sabattus Pond, 8/8.
Semipalmated Plover: 375, Hill’s Beach, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
Least Sandpiper: 350+, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
White-rumped Sandpiper: 75+ (wow! Great count!), Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
Pectoral Sandpiper: 1, Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
Semipalmated Sandpiper: Incredible concentration of 2750-3000+ at Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty), but an honorable mention of 2500+ at Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/3 (with Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! Tour Group).
WESTERN SANDPIPER (FOY): 1 ad, Eastern Road Trail, 8/7 (with Ian Doherty).
Short-billed Dowitcher: 58, Hill’s Beach, 8/5 (with Bill Thompson).
American Woodcock: 2, our property in Durham, 8/1.
Spotted Sandpiper: 2, several locations this week.
Any single martin away from a known colony is worth studying, especially “funny looking” ones, as vagrant martins have occurred in the Northeast. I spotted one such martin over Scarborough Marsh from the Eastern Road Trail while guiding on Thursday. Luckily, I shouted down the road to Bill Thompson and he was able to photograph the bird as it flew by. Together, we identified it as a 1st summer, likely female, Purple Martin. It sure looked strange as it was flying towards me.
A week of fairly-local birding at the height of nestling season – and the ramping up of southbound shorebird season – produced the following observations of note:
2 Red Crossbills, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson, 7/6.
4 Orchard Orioles (pair with 2 fledglings), Old Town House Park, North Yarmouth, 7/7 (with clients from Maine).
3 Lesser Yellowlegs (first of “fall”) and 3-4 Least Sandpipers (first of fall), Walsh Preserve, Yarmouth, 7/8 (with clients from Maine).
Totals of 95+ Short-billed Dowitchers, 70+ Least Sandpipers, 4 Greater Yellowlegs, and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, Scarborough Marsh, Scarborough, 7/10 (with clients from Maine and New Hampshire).
1 PURPLE MARTIN, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 7/10 (with clients from Maine and New Hampshire). Photos from Bill Thompson above.
1 continuing drake American Wigeon, Eastern Road Trail, 7/10 (with clients from Maine and New Hampshire).
Some Greater Yellowlegs (usually males) can look very dainty, and at this time of year have a virtually all-dark bill, suggesting Lesser Yellowlegs. Luckily, this one called to confirm, which is always helpful at this season when breeding plumage is often not fully developed.
There were not a lot of days this week that felt like spring, but spring birding was in full swing this week, at least when I was actually out in the field. Rare and once-rare waterfowl led the way once again, with an increased appearance of new arrivals of a wider range of species as well. Here are my observations of note and new arrivals over the past seven days:
Three Fox Sparrows continued at our home feeders in Durham through week’s end, while at least 1 continues here at the store as well.
1 continuing Brown Thrasher, 450+ Greater with a few Lesser Scaup, 350+ White-winged Scoter, 3 Swamp Sparrows, etc, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 4/5 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
1 Eastern Phoebe at the store on 4/6 – feeding on dried mealworms from within the starling-proof bluebird feeder. This was a first for me. They rarely eat mealworms, let alone dried mealworms, and I have never seen them enter a restricted-space feeder.
1drake “EURASIAN” GREEN-WINGED TEAL, Mouth of the Abby, Bowdoinham, 4/7 (with Jeannette. Perhaps the same individual I found here on 3/27 with Bill Thompson.
An incredible 44 Gadwall in the salt pannes at the Eastern Road Trail, Scaborough Marsh, on 4/9. This is likely a new state record high count.
My personal “first of years” this week also included:
1 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (first of spring), here at the store, 4/5.
3 Piping Plovers, Pine Point Beach, Scarborough, 4/9.
14 Great Egrets, total in Scarborough Marsh, 4/9.
18 Greater Yellowlegs, total in Scarborough Marsh, 4/9 (see photo above).
A week-long immersive skill-building seminar for beginning and intermediate birders based in Steuben.
Caption: While there have been a few nights with decent songbird migration so far this year, the night of the 10th-11th was the first one with a sizeable enough flight to be clearly detectable on the overnight NEXRAD radar. It’s on!
It wasn’t a very photogenic week, but I did snap this phone-scoped shot of a Bald Eagle feasting on a Red-breasted Merganser through the fog off Eastern Road on the 20th.
Spring made only slow progress this week, but some early migrants and other new arrivals, along with a few seasonal highlights were among my observations of note over the past seven days:
Our overwintering Fox Sparrow at home in Durham was joined by a second on the 15th. 1-2 continued through the week’s end. Meanwhile, the overwintering Fox Sparrow here at the store continued through 3/16. With more migrants moving around now, I’ll forgo further Fox Sparrow reports. But it was quite nice to have birds overwinter at both of our feeding stations this year – a first for us at either location.
3 BARROW’S GOLDENEYES (1 pair and 1 female), Winslow Park, Freeport, 3/15 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
5 Wood Ducks (FOS), Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 3/16.
2 American Woodcocks (FOY), our property in Durham, 3/16.
1 pair Gadwall, 14 Northern Pintail (FOS), 10 American Wigeon, 75 Green-winged Teal, etc, Mouth of the Abby, Bowdoinham, 3/18 (with Jeannette).
The 19th season of the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch started last weekend. Free and open to the public, we welcomed Zane Baker back for his 7th season as Official Counter. 9-5 every day, weather permitting. The first week was highlighted by a great first day and two Black Vulture sightings.
Freeport Wild Bird Supply is very excited to partner with Down East Magazine’s Down East Adventures for the fifth year of offering exclusive birding workshops focused on gaining greater knowledge and field skills in a focused group of seasonally accessible birds. Focused on skill-builder rather than list-building, there will be plenty of “life birds,” but also more knowledge and education about birds, habitats, birding, and much more about the natural world. We are honored to be their provider for a series of unique and exclusive birdwatching endeavors. In 2025, we will have four outings once again.
February 9, 2025; 9:00am – 4:00pm Cancelled due to multiple snowstorms!
Winter is a wonderful time for birding in Maine – at least when you are dressed appropriately! Colorful seaducks that breed in the high Arctic grace our shorelines – including all three scoter species and dapper Long-tailed Ducks, along with everyone’s favorite: striking Harlequin Ducks. Purple Sandpipers and Great Cormorants replace our summertime shoreline denizens. And if the winds are right, very sought-after alcids – including Dovekies and Thick-billed Murres – join our regular Black Guillemots and Razorbills. Black-legged Kittiwakes, Northern Gannets, and “white-winged” gulls add to the mix. In this workshop, we’ll hit a few of the prime viewing locations along Maine’s southern coast. But we won’t just be working on the checklist today. Instead, we’ll be focused on learning how to search for these birds – the how, when, and why – and how to identify them. We’ll learn about microhabitats, weather considerations, and seasonal timing to aid our search today and in the future. By visiting several seasonally-productive sites, we’ll compare similar species while taking time to savor the splashes of color offered by winter seaducks in an otherwise gray and white landscape.
To get an idea of what you may see when the tour returns in the winter of 2026, see the 2024 and 2023 trip reports.
This Northern Parula was one of many ultra-cooperative warblers today. This was one of 10 parulas in a single cluster of willows on the shoreline of Capsic Pond Park during our 20205 workshop.
Spirits seemed low when we met in such dense fog, but I was even more excited to explore the environs of Portland migrant traps, beginning with Evergreen Cemetery. After a slow start, with few warblers overhead in the Morning Flight, we encountered several very productive pockets of activity, including a great diversity of warblers. Many were down low, too, with just fantastic looks at species such as Yellow, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Nashville, and Black-and-white Warblers, along with great looks at Veeries and Least Flycatchers. A “herd” of about 75-100 White-throated Sparrows marched through the forest understory, and we stalked a Black-crowned Night-Heron and spotted a Merlin among many other species today.
Evergreen was good, but nearby Capisic Pond Park was just great! While there were fewer warblers in both quantity and diversity, the cool, drippy morning conditions kept everyone even lower here. We began with 10 Northern Parulas at eye level all around us in a blooming willow (photo above), had great looks at a Prairie Warbler, listened to Northern Waterthrushes, and marveled at Baltimore Orioles.
We then discussed the overnight migration and how the radar images suggested what we would see and not see today, and how the “poor” weather produced such great birding. In the end, we tallied a very respectable-for-the-date 15 species of warblers! Although the list was not the priority as usual in these workshops, it’s hard not to get excited about the diversity of warblers now arriving. While Northern Parula was our most abundant warbler today, the total warbler list – in very rough order of abundance- also included Black-and-white,Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Blue, Ovenbird, Magnolia, Chesnut-sided, Yellow, Nashville, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Green, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Pine, and the aforementioned Prairie. More importantly, perhaps, we worked on building our skills of recognizing each species and family so that our birding will be better and more successful on our own next time.
3. Shorebird Workshop
August 18, 2025; 8:00am – 4:00pm
This juvenile Piping Plover was one of 12 species of shorebirds we had the chance to really study on our Shorebird Workshop tour.
Could we have had more of a perfect day? Temperatures topping out in the mid-70’s, a light breeze in the afternoon, and clear skies – considering the rain of early summer and the recent extreme heat, we could not have asked for better. And then we saw thousands of shorebirds!
With more than 35 species of shorebirds regularly appearing in Maine, this workshop was designed to appreciate the diversity and beauty of this fascinating family. We hit some of the marshes, beaches, and rocky roosts that shorebirds prefer at the peak of their migration. We focused on comparative experience, learning how to recognize each species both near and far. Starting with the basics, such as plover vs. sandpiper, we’ll work our way up to the identification quandaries such as the “peeps” and lone yellowlegs. We worked through species by species as we developed a “toolkit” to approach shorebird identification on your own, using a combination of habitat, shape, size, structure, behavior, and plumage to identify this wonderfully diverse and attractive group of birds.
By day’s end we tallied a decent 12 (and a half!) species of shorebirds, a little short of our unofficial goal of 15. We did see a couple of rarities but were also dogged by Peregrine Falcons and Para-gliders causing birds to disperse and/or take cover. But we had plenty of chances to study a nice array of species, often side-by side.
Beginning at Biddeford Pool Beach, we started with the basics and enjoyed watching Ruddy Turnstones bulldoze their way into the wrack line and picking out White-rumped Sandpipers from a mass of Semipalmated Sandpipers. A Baird’s Sandpiper at Great Pond was one of our most notable birds of the day, and not where we expected it.
At Hill’s Beach, there was a lot of disturbance today, but we had some good opportunities to study Piping vs Semipalmated Plovers, Sanderlings, spiffy Short-billed Dowitchers, and more. We then shifted to the Pool, where we studied silhouettes and practiced distant shorebird using mostly general impression of size and shape. It was here that we had our largest numbers of the day, with an estimate of 1600 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 300 Semipalmated Plovers, and 163 Black-bellied Plovers leading the way.
Near or far, good light or bad, the general impression of size and shape, behavior, and more can be applied to identify shorebirds more readily than little nuances in some color or pattern.
After our lunch break, we returned north to Scarborough Marsh, where I would usually start the workshop, but with very low water in the upper salt pannes due to the drought, we shifted the itinerary. But the incoming tide at Pine Point did not disappoint! We had some close studies of more Short-billed Dowitchers and better views of Black-bellied Plovers, and about 1200 Semipalmated Sandpipers were present. However, as they moved close and concentrated, a Peregrine Falcon came tearing in, flushing most of the birds. Then, it made a sudden burst of speed and a hard turn and before we knew it, there was one less Semipalmated Plover on the mudflat. While it was poor timing for our shorebirds workshop (let alone for that one particular plover!), it was an awesome show (well, for us anyway) and one that will not soon be forgotten.
Some birds finally returned to the mudflat, when a large (for the date) flock of Willets flew in, making their usual grand entrance. We were able to put our advanced shorebirds ID skills to work with the bigger, lankier, grayer one that we soon identified as a rare in Maine “Western” subspecies of Willet. It might have been beyond today’s goals, but it was a great lesson in using comparative tools.
A couple of upper marsh stops finally gave us a good, close comparison between Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers, and a Lesser Yellowlegs that was close enough to study and enjoy, bringing a productive and successful day to a close.
4. Monhegan Birding Workshop
September 12-14, 2025
Our final Downeast Adventures birding workshop tour of 2025 spent 3 delightful days on Monhegan Island. Weather, geography, habitat, and migration ecology all combine to produce some remarkable birding opportunities at this special place. And even when it’s “slow” by lofty Monhegan standards, lots of learning experiences and workshopping opportunities would be at hand, often right out the front door of our hotel. Oh yeah, the food is sooo good, too!
As per the plan, we hit the ground running shortly after our arrival on the island. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to walk the ½ mile or so to our hotel as we encountered quite a few migrants, especially at my favorite starting spot along Wharf Road. We jumped head-first into aging and sexing fall warblers thanks to 3 different plumages exemplified by a trio of Cape May Warblers. American Redstarts, Northern Parulas, Yellow Warbler, and more introduced us to what birding Monhegan in the fall is all about.
By the time we reconvened after a lunch break, the insanely gorgeous weather with bright sun and very little breeze encouraged birds to take to the shadows. A sky constantly abuzz with Merlins didn’t help either, although we enjoyed it. While passerine activity had slowed dramatically, we enjoyed a light hawk migration with a couple of Northern Harriers and a few American Kestrels, while the Merlins and 1-2 Sharp-shinned Hawks further diminished the activity in the trees and shrubs. We took the time to visit the east side of the island, sample the different habitat types of the island, and discuss food plants for birds and native insects. The butterfly, dragonfly, and insect-watching was excellent on this unseasonably warm afternoon, and we worked on learning the connection between birding and bird habitat.
On Saturday morning, we learned why there were so many birds around Friday morning, but few in the air at sunrise. But there were definitely “new” birds around, suggesting at least a light arrival of birds overnight had occurred, including two vociferous Dickcissels. I made the decision to try and track down a Blue Grosbeak that had just been reported, but unfortunately, it did not wait for us. We did have an immature male Orchard Oriole, however, which was a treat, and we spent more time studying Cape May Warbler plumages.
On such gorgeous days, a lot of newly-arrived migrants simply depart the island as part of their morning redetermined migration flights (yes, we discussed this more thoroughly among many topics of avian and general ecology discussed throughout the weekend). In fact, the second half of our morning was very slow, but we did enjoy a couple of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and we kicked up a very uncommon Marsh Wren. But warblers were few, and Merlins remained a’plenty. Red-breasted Nuthatches were very abundant however – demonstrating what an irruption looks like, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were unusually widespread for the date.
We filled the time between birds looking at all other walks of life. American Dagger Moths caterpillars were particularly plentiful.
The afternoon was spent with a couple of impromptu workshops, such as an introduction to gull identification as I attempted to enlighten the group about how manageable it is to understand the basics of this group of fascinating species. The avian highlight, however, was the thrilling chase of a Solitary Sandpiper by two Merlins right over our heads! The Merlins would gain some height, dive, and close the distance, only for the sandpiper to take another evasive maneuver. The sandpiper tried to gain elevation to stay above the diving Merlins, but they were getting closer! Then, the sandpiper made one quick turn, ascended, and took off to the north, leaving the hungry Merlins to mosey back down to the treeline to see if the marsh had something much slower to offer. We bid the sandpiper farewell and good luck as we thanked the Merlins for a most entertaining performance!
It was another very light migration overnight Saturday into Sunday, but unlike the previous day, we hit a wonderful early-morning wave. One sunny edge captivated us until it was time to hustle back for breakfast: Several American Redstarts, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, Common Yellowthroats, and Norther Parulas had joined together, punctuated by repeated views of a most cooperative Least Flycatcher. Every time we tried to move long, a new species appeared. A fly-over Greater Yellowlegs. A flycatching Eastern Wood-Pewee. And finally, a Brown Thrasher that popped out right in front of us.
I was thrilled to have this sample of “what Monhegan can be like” at this season for those who fought the urge to stay in bed. Post-breakfast was once again much slower, but we hit a few pockets of birds, as well a finding a Mourning Warbler which is always fun – and challenging – in fall migration. We watched and listened to territorial Carolina Wrens in a double-duet song battle, encountered a flock of 4-6 Red-eyed Vireos working on Fall Webworms, and spent more quality time with the island’s once-again-ubiquitous Ring-necked Pheasants. And of course, we made time to sample the stunning Acadian Forest habitat of the island’s interior and to take in the view from the lighthouse.
Another delicious lunch and then a slow meander to the ferry brought our visit to a close. On the ferry ride back, a few more Northern Gannets were seen, and plans to return to this extraordinary island were already in the works!
(2026 Birding Tours with Down East Adventures will be posted soon!)
Our collaboration with The Maine Brews Cruise enters its 11th season, with six exciting itineraries. These unique, relaxed birding and beer-ing adventures that you have come to love combine great local birding at seasonal hotspots with approachable opportunities to sample the delicious creations of some of our favorite Maine breweries. These events are a perfect introduction to birding and/or craft beer, and a great opportunity to enjoy our favorite pastimes with significant others, friends, and family that have interest in one topic, while your interest is primarily in the other (for now!). Educational, enjoyable, and eye-opening you won’t want to miss out our unique Birds on Tap series. In 2025, we’re excited to bring back more of these special birding and beer tours, perfectly blending nature exploration and craft beer tasting.
The six tours are as follows. After completion, tour reports will be posted here so this blog is your one-stop shopping for tour reports and upcoming itineraries.
1. Birds On Trip℠ – Roadtrip! Harlequins and Hops
Sunday, February 23rd, 2025:
After postponing our original date due to extreme cold, it was a full 30 degrees warmer today at start time! And while there was a chilly wind at a couple of stops, we also had some lovely calm and sunny conditions. As much as we hate to reschedule, this one worked, and therefore the day was already a success before we even departed for our birding destination!
We began at Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth, where we found our highest concentration of seaducks on the day, including at least 20 Harlequin Ducks – the tour’s eponymous bird.
And what a stunner they were, with males in perfect light and some small groups pleasantly close to shore. Large numbers of Common Eider and Black Scoters were present, along with several other species, introducing us to winter waterfowl identification. And as a special treat, 4 uncommon and local Brant were foraging in a tidepool before us.
Most of the ducks were here today, and not at nearby Two Lights State Park, but there we saw another 8 Harlequin Ducks, discussed American Robin winter foraging ecology, and practiced our basic duck and gull identification before we headed to nearby Kettle Cove. There were not a lot of ducks here today, but we did get a surprise Merlin whipping through, perhaps the reason a Horned Lark was calling high overhead.
As a final stop, we checked Mill Creek Cove in South Portland for a very quick gull ID introduction to augment earlier conversation, compared Mallards and American Black Ducks (taking time to marvel at the beautiful drake Mallard!), soaked in a sunning drake Red-breasted Merganser, and enjoyed the sight of all of the gulls and ducks in the cove taking flight as our second Bald Eagle of the day soared overhead.
Part two of the tour began at Belleflower Brewing in Portland, one of my favorite Maine breweries. Keeping with the bird theme, we started by sampling their Magpie Pale Ale and then compared it to their Double-dry Hopped Finch & Thistle. Beginning with the recommended way of smelling and sipping a new beer, we discussed the basics of beer style, what the hell “double-dry hopping” means, the origins of the “New England” style, and then shifted gears with their brand new Just Like Home, a maple coffee brown ale. I thought the subtle maple sweetness was just right with a roasty coffee hint but the lighter body of a brown compared to a stout.
Crossing the Bayside neighborhood brought us to Argenta Brewing, one of Portland’s newest breweries. Exclusively brewing lagers, it was a nice contrast to our focus on ales at Belleflower. Starting with a generous half-pour of their Generic American Lager, we enjoyed the light, refreshing, “crushability” of a craft version of the popular lawnmower beer style. Craft beer truly is for everyone, and simple beers like Argenta’s Generic American Lager shows its not all about “hop-heads” and alcohol bombs.
We were given a choice for our next pour, and several folks tried the Mexican Lager to compare corn verses barley as the primary malt, while other tried everything from their hard seltzer to their Munich Dunkel- new to me, I found the mild roastiness and hint of sweetness on point for the style.
With a pleasant day (compared to the rest of the month), lots of beautiful and accessible wintering waterfowl – of course and especially including Harlequin Ducks – a few avian surprises, and newly-broadened palettes (I love it when folks say they really liked a beer in a style they didn’t think they liked), we kicked off the 11th year of the Birds on Tap – Roadtrip! the right way!
2. Birds On Tap℠ – Roadtrip! Warblers and Wort
Thursday, May 8, 2025.
While the rarest bird of the day came early, the rest of the trip was far from anticlimactic. Even better, it was the only warm and dry day of the week!
As planned, we began at Evergreen Cemetery, but our goal was set forth for us in the continuing presence of a very rare Cerulean Warbler. In fact, when I saw her a few days prior, it was the first Cerulean Warbler I have ever seen in Maine and at least a “state bird” for the several hundred folks who have seen it since. Even if you have never heard of a Cerulean Warbler, the excitement of the dozens of other birds present today was contagious. Luckily, we saw her not just once, but twice, without any concerted effort, and the second view was long and fantastic. Unfortunately, my sad attempt at a photo did not do it any justice.
There were other birds, too! We heard Ovenbirds and Wood Thrushes, saw some close-up Black-and-white Warblers, found our first Wilson’s Warbler of the year, and enjoyed basking Painted and Snapping Turtles.
Other than the Cerulean excitement (do we have to rename this tour Cerulean and Cervezas!?), it was actually rather slow today for mid-May, so we relocated to Capisic Pond Park as the last of the fog burned off and the sun (remember that?) came out. Here, birds were easier to see, including stunners like Baltimore Orioles fighting over territories, and some really close and insanely cooperative Northern Parulas that fed right in front of our faces. A sharp eye yielded a Black-crowned Night-Heron as well.
After some productive and instructive birding, we headed back into town to visit Belleflower Brewing, one of my favorite Maine breweries. Keeping with the bird theme for a little longer, we began with their pale ale, Magpie, with its great citrus and resinous balance, followed by the more grapefruity Finch and Thistle. Belleflower treated us to a third sample, of our choice, and we covered a nice range of their offerings from a Vienna lager to a double-dry-hopped double IPA to savor as we discussed some beer history and mythology.
Next up was Definitive Brewing on the other side of town. With so many options, everyone was able to choose their two samples, and there are no shortages of choices here. I went with Robin (because bird names!) their Imperial Pastry Stout and Blueberry Waffles, a pastry sour. I saw lagers, an IPA, and several sours among the group, and this photo captured the rainbow of colors here, with my choices and those of two of the members of the group. Our birding had something for everyone: a rarity for the “life list” and cool behavior from some of our common and beautiful birds as we learned about the mind-blowing feat of migration. And between Belleflower and Definitive, there was most certainly something for every beer drinker!
3. Birds on Tap℠ – Road Trip! Shorebirds and Steins
Sunday, August 3rd: 9:00am – 3:00pm
The original BoT Roadtrip! Way back in 2015, our most popular tour returned to Scarborough Marsh at prime time for a good variety of migrant shorebirds. And we had absolutely gorgeous, perfect weather to do it!
Beginning at the “Pelreco Marsh” high water levels limited our shorebird numbers a bit, but we were introduced to some of the basics of shorebird identification thanks to a flock of Short-billed Dowitchers and scattered Least Sandpipers. We spied a Saltmarsh Sparrow and talked about its fascinating ecology and peril, and were surprised by the arrival of a rare Tricolored Heron!
Relocating to Pine Point, we hit the tide perfectly, and soon, thousands of shorebirds were before us! The rapidly exposing mudflats steadily sucked in birds, with long-legged sandpipers appearing first, including 3 Whimbrel, with their massive curved bills, 8 Willets, and 3 Black-bellied Plovers. But as usual, it was the masses of the smallest shorebirds that stole the show, with an estimate of 2500+ Semipalmated Sandpipers and 225+ Semipalmated Plovers spread out before us. What looked like the first exposed sandbar was actually solid shorebirds! Learning the basics of sandpiper vs plover and moving on to sorting through the “peeps” for a White-rumped Sandpiper or two, we were introduced to the joys and challenges of shorebird identification, while mostly just enjoying the sight of so many birds! A few of us picked out a couple of Roseate Terns among Common Terns, and later, a mostly-adult-plumaged Bonaparte’s Gull was especially cooperative for photo-ops.
In the photo above, a Black-bellied Plover, Whimbrel, and Willet are in one field of view for comparative study, while I always insist on taking a moment to gawk at the eye of a Double-crested Cormorant.
Eric then led us to our first brewery, Modestman in South Portland. Originally founded in Keene, NH, owner/operator Ash Sheehan opened this second location closer to home here in SoPo. Tucked in a neighborhood down a side street off of Rte 1, someone on the tour who lived a mile and a half away didn’t even know it was there…there were all sorts of discoveries on this tour today, from rare herons to hidden gem breweries.
Coming in from the sun, we began with a refreshing and quenching light berliner Weiss sour, Black Reign with blackberry and boysenberry. Next up was It’s a Beautiful Thing, their flagship single-hope pale ale. Loaded with Citra hops, it blurs the line between a pale and an IPA, but it nicely progressed the palette and the ABV. When Life Gives You Lemons, loaded up with Citra and Simcoe was next up, providing a nice fruity/dank balance that Modestman is known for. I think this beer really nicely captured the essence of what people I know like most about their brews. Everyone got to choose their own last 4oz sample, and I went with Hard Rass Imperial Sour for a big and bold raspberry juice bomb.
Our next destination was the latest tasting room for Westbrook-based Mast Landing, a short distance away on Cottage Street in South Portland. We continued to cover the basics of beer varieties here, starting with the clean and crushable Champ Lager. No visit to Mast Landing – especially a first visit for most of our crew today – is complete without trying their famous flagship Gunner’s Daughter peanut butter milk stout, and enjoying it on Nitro is always a special treat. Like a creamy liquid peanut butter cup (sans the allergens), Gunner’s Daughter deserves its accolades. Once again, our last sample was a personal choice, and since Mast Landing has something for everyone and I believe there were over 10 beers chosen among the 13 people (unfortunately, everyone but Eric, our trusty brewery guide and driver). Since it’s a Birds on Tap – Roadtrip, I for one had no choice but to go with a bird named beer. There are several here, but today I tried the 2025 incarnation of Song of the Swallow, which was laden with 5 varieties of hops for a really smooth and juicy final toast.
5. Birds on Tap – The Boat Trip! Rare Birds and Island Exploration.
Sunday, October 19th , 9:00am to 2:00pm
Here are some photo highlights from this annual favorite!
Big Brown BatDeKay’s Brown SnakeFort Gorges
6. Birds on Tap℠ – Road Trip! Rarity Roundup!
Sunday, November 9: 8:00am – 3:00pm
Our final Birds on Tap! tour of 2025 was our Roadtrip: “Rarity Roundup” on 11/9. Unlike most tours, where we know our destination – chosen to provide the best birding opportunities and highest rates of success possible – this trip didn’t have a destination until we were pulling out of the parking lot in Portland!
Designed to take advantage of the latest rare bird reports, our itinerary was to work our way south, either looking for rarities that had previously been reported, or finding our own by checking the seasonal vagrant hotspots. The southern coast of Maine is usually the best area for really rare birds this time of year, but I threw the plan out the window immediately and we turned northward.
I just couldn’t resist taking people to see a long-staying (since November 2nd!) MacGillivray’s Warbler (only the 7th ever in the state of Maine) in Yarmouth. I felt confident I could find it quickly, thanks to its constant vocalizations, we’d get a look and then we would move on to the next bird. I did not expect, however, to find it that quickly!
In fact, I heard it the very second we entered the trail. It was calling nearby and we slowly and quietly moved in position. We found it foraging low on the ground, in some perennials, only a handful of feet away. Now this skulky bird didn’t exactly sit out in the open, but over the next 15 minutes or so, we all had satisfying (or better) looks, until anxious birders (who had apparently been waiting too far down the trail for up to two hours!) overwhelmed us. We slowly moved away, following the bird’s call notes, eventually finding it again, and then watching as it flew about 2 feet from one of us where it disappeared into a dense thicket.
Wow! What a thrill!
I refreshed the rare bird alerts (and all the different places rare birds get reported these days) as we began our journey south, spending the time in the van working on a little game to practice our “status and distribution” knowledge during this exciting time of year for rare birds.
I didn’t want to ask folks to stand still in Scarborough Marsh for the rest of the morning to maybe hear a Clapper Rail call once, and there were no further reports of the Seaside Sparrow in Wells. So with each passing exit of the Turnpike, I decided to go all in in Kittery, beginning at Seapoint Beach. Yeah, there wasn’t much there, and nothing of note.
So the rest of our time was spent at the delightful Fort Foster, the host of so many vagrants over the years. We hoped the Cave Swallow from two days prior would reappear, or we would find something even better. Um, we did not.
In fact, it was pretty darn slow, at least in the brush and the woods. Offshore, waterbirds were building, and we had some good looks at Surf Scoters, for example. And overhead, there was an absolute massive Double-crested Cormorant migration going on. Numerous large flocks of several hundred were winging it south, in their usual “drunken v’s.”
We swung for the fences and combed Fort Foster, but alas, we were not heroes today: we found nothing rare. But it was fun to try!
And besides, not only did we get a “mega rarity” with the MacGillivray’s Warbler, we got another “mega” rarity when we arrived at Tributary Brewing. There, we found Mott The Lesser, their 10.5% ABV Imperial Stout, released twice a year, and only available at the brewery. And yesterday it was released, so this was quite the “twitch.” You think people drive far to see a MacGillivray’s Warbler!? Well, rare beers are no different. This year’s version was aged in red, white, and tawny port wine barrels and then a rare apple wood rye barrel for additional complexity.
Of course, we didn’t want to destroy our palates, and we were here to learn about a wide range of Tributary’s beers, so we began with their flagship Pale Ale and compared this West Coast American standard to Affluente, an Italian-style Pilsner, with Adriatic barley and a light dry hopping of lemon-forward hops. Moving on to their new Zwicklebier, an “immature” lager, which was more malt-forward thanks to 100% Maine grown and malted barley. Then we tried the Mott the Lesser. And it was good. And bottles were purchased.
Our driver and beer guide Joe started us off with the basics of beer tasting and an overview of styles, but during our tasting, we were treated to a visit from head brewer and owner, Woody, who gave us the history of the brewery, started by his beer-legendary father, and guided us through the tasting. He discussed their commitments to Old World styles of beer and answered questions from the crowd.
Not to be outdone, apparently, Woodland Farms just up the road also laid out the red carpet for us, with owner Pat not only guiding us through our tasting, but providing a tour of the brewery itself, from first boil to final packaging. Woodland Farms is becoming known for their wide variety of offerings, and it was amazing to see how they can pull so much off in this small space!
Their Flagship is Blinky, an IPA with a very complex dry hop bill. We then tried Rossa Matrimonial, their version of an Italian Pilsner, a dry beer made with red malts. We once again remained in the Old World with Tmavy Piro, which means “dark beer” in Czech. A dark lager, it offered the “crushability” of a lager, but with more malt flavors before the crisp lager finish. And finally, everyone got to choose a final sample, with most people choosing the Big Effin Porter, a robust 8.2% porter. I went with the masses and tried this, too, and enjoyed how rich it was without the thickness and weight of an imperial stout.
Woodland Farms is also becoming known for their non-alcoholic beers, a rapidly growing segment of the beer economy. Out back, we learned about the differences in making non-alcoholic beer that tastes good verses beer with alcohol, and especially, mass-produced NA beer that usually tastes like, well, not much. To demonstrate what NA beer means in 2025, we were treated to two bonus samples: the NA Dogwalker with an abundance of sticky, piney-resinous hops, and their NA Festbier, an easy-drinking seasonal malt-forward Oktober-fest style.
So from a mega rare bird and a mega rare beer, learning how to search for rare birds and how to make beer, and trying everything from non-alcoholic to a 10.5% imperial flavor-bomb, we most surely enjoyed an educational, enjoyable, and often enlightening day!
Despite being focuses on shorebirds this week, my most productive photo session were with Roseate Terns on Hill’s Beach on 7/30. This was my favorite shot, of a juvenile still hungry while its banded parent went out in search of more fish.
Shorebird season is in full swing, and since our return from our summer vacation, shorebirds have been my birding focus. As I often do at this time of year, I like to organize my weekly (or thereabouts) observations into a “high counts for the week” summary. This is really for my own organization of notes and allows me to quickly evaluate ebbs and flows across the summer, and across various years. To get a good sample, I need to hit at least one high tide and one low tide hotspot each week, along with one “grasspiper spot,” freshwater location, and “local hotspot.” I never accomplished that in any period in July before our trip, so I will start that pursuit this week. I hope you too find values from these brief syntheses.
This week’s non-shorebird highlights:
1 White-throated Sparrow, our property in Durham, 7/29. They don’t breed withing several miles of the property, and this was our first summer record. It was a molting adult. I think short-distance “molt migration” in songbirds of the Eastern Forest is under-appreciated (see, for example, recent spate of boreal warblers on offshore seabird islands).
1 1st-summer Lesser Black-backed Gull, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 7/30.
1 Black and at least 23 Surf Scoters, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/4.
Shorebird high counts this week:
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: 3, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 7/30. Plus 1 at Pine Point on 8/1.
Black-bellied Plover: 44, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/4.
Killdeer: 32, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 8/4.
Semipalmated Plover: 343, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/1.
Piping Plover: 6, Biddeford Pool Beach, Biddeford, 7/30.
Whimbrel: 3, Pine Point, 8/1.
Ruddy Turnstone: 11, Hill’s Beach, 7/30.
Sanderling: 8, Hill’s Beach, 7/30.
Least Sandpiper: 40+, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/1.
Pectoral Sandpiper: 1, several locations this week.
Semipalmated Sandpiper: 800+, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 7/30.
Short-billed Dowitcher: 88, Hill’s Beach, 7/30.
Spotted Sandpiper: 3, Eastern Road Trail, 8/1.
Solitary Sandpiper: 1, our property in Durham, 7/29.
The 20th Anniversary Celebration Month has begun here at the store. All the details can be found here, including free raffles for dinner, a silent auction for conservation, and several chances to win a new pair of binoculars!
Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours, originally scheduled for this morning, has been postponed until Sunday, 8/25. Call Seacoast Tours to see if any cancellations have opened up any spaces.
Maine Birding Field Notes 