Tag Archives: Scarborough

 This Week’s Highlights 3/28– 4/3/2026.

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This unreasonably confiding American Woodcock kindly posed for pictures as it foraged along the side of the road during our Saturday Morning Birdwalk on the 28th. “My bird” was not nearly as cooperative during our
Woodcocks Gone Wild program the following night.

Despite the often less than spring-like weather, spring migration made slow but steady progress this week. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days:

  • 400+ Scaup off of the Maquoit Bay Conservation Land in Brunswick were mostly too far to sort through, but a single drake Lesser was among about 30 close Greaters on 3/28 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 450 Greater (mostly) with some Lesser Scaup, Ferry/Western Beaches, Scarborough, 3/29.
  • 2 American Oystercatchers (FOY) with about 25 Purple Sandpipers, Ferry Beach, Scarborough, 3/29. I don’t think I have ever seen these two species standing next to each other! (with Maine Conservation Voters birdwalk group).

These phone-scoped photos don’t really do the scene justice!

  • 4-6 American Woodcocks, private property in Durham, 3/29 during our annual “Woodcocks Gone Wild!” tour. 4 were displaying all evening, but our close bird seemed to be occupied elsewhere. Only some folks saw it in flight once, or it or another bird zipping by, as he never came into his platform this evening, much to the dismay of everyone present – especially me!

My other personal “first of years” (aka “FOYs”) this week included:

  • 5 Piping Plovers, Scarborough Beach State Park, 3/29 (with Maine Conservation Voters birdwalk group).
  • 1 Northern Flicker (FOS), Brown’s Point Road, Bowdoinham, 3/30 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Tree Swallow, Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 3/30.
  • 1 Fox Sparrow, our property in Durham, 3/31.
  • 1 Eastern Phoebe, our property in Durham, 3/31.
  • 1 RUSTY BLACKBIRD, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/1.
  • 4 Double-crested Cormorants, Yarmouth Town Landing, 4/1.
  • 3 Ospreys, Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch, 4/2.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch is Underway!

The 20th year of the project began on March 15th. The quickest and clearest way to view daily reports is by clicking on the Hawkcount link contained here. Meanwhile, we will continue to post weekly summaries on the News Page of our website. Here’s the Week 2 report.

Upcoming Tours.

Portland Explorer (formerly Maine Brew Bus) and Freeport Wild Bird Supply are excited to continue our collaboration for 3 very special outings in 2026. 

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!

This brand-new itinerary takes us to the Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch at Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal in the peak of northbound raptor migration. Now in its 20th year, this research project by Freeport Wild Bird Supply tallies an average of 4,180 migrating birds of prey each spring from the summit!

After a gentle 1-mile climb through the woods, looking and listening for migrant and resident songbirds, we’ll arrive at the summit and join the project’s Official Counter. Derek will discuss the history and methodology of the project, as the counter points out migrating raptors. Derek will lead us through the basics of hawk identification to give us a hawkwatch primer, and then if the migration action allows, we’ll sit back and enjoy the show until it is time to depart (the walk down is a steep ¼ of a mile on a wide, well-worn trail with rocks and roots and some steps; hiking sticks are suggested if you use them). This is the only Hawkwatch Workshop program that FWBS will be offering this year, so this is a tour you won’t want to miss!

After about 3 hours of birding, we will be transported to two of our great local producers to sample their offerings and learn their styles. Our brewery destinations are subject to change, but the current plan is to visit Maine Beer Company and Goodfire Brewing.

This Week’s Highlights 10/30 – 11/5/2025.

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This Orange-crowned Warbler was an “expected surprise” as we birded the Rarity Season nooks and crannies of Bailey Island in Harpswell on a Harpswell Heritage Land Trust tour this past Sunday.

What an incredible week of birding in Maine! Rarity Season is off to a roaring start, and notable birds are being reported around the state. As usual, I spent as much time as I could bird-finding. OK, I chased a little, too, because ‘tis the season! While I didn’t add to the list of Megas this week, I encountered a number of notable seasonal observations, especially “late/lingering/pioneering” migrants. Here are my observations of note over the past seven days:

  • 4 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 18 Pectoral Sandpipers, 18+ White-rumped Sandpipers, 12 Semipalmated Plovers, 2 Snow Buntings (first of fall), 1 American Tree Sparrow (FOF), 4 Great Egrets, etc, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 10/30.
  • 18-21 continuing RED KNOTS, 10 White-rumped Sandpipers, etc, Ferry Beach, Scarborough, 10/30.
  • 1 1st cycle Iceland Gull (first of fall), Trundy Point, Cape Elizabeth, 11/1 (with Bill Thompson).
  • 1 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs with 14 Greater Yellowlegs, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 11/1 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Fox Sparrow (FOF), our property in Durham, 11/1-3.
  • 1 NORTHERN PARULA, 1 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, 1 Blue-headed Vireo, etc, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 11/2 (with Harpswell Heritage Land Trust tour group).
  • 1 continuing MACGILLIVRAY’S WARBLER, Grist Mill Park, Yarmouth, 11/3 (with Jeannette and m.obs). Found on 11/2 by Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth, this western vagrant was typical for members of its genus during migration. In other words, it was wicked hard to photograph, even when it popped out into the open. Over the course of an hour, Jeannette and I enjoyed some fantastic views, but they were all fleeting, and too quick for her camera! It continues through at least today, 11/5.
  • 1 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, 11/3, Grist Mill Park, Yarmouth, 11/3. First spotted by Jeannette and I, a few people glimpsed it and then several others independently relocated it later. Interestingly, we saw it fly across the river, almost exactly where we watched the MacGillivray’s cross several hours later. Both happily, came back, suggesting birds are foraging in a wide area here, which suggests the need for patience when seeking the MACW! Two fly-over Evening Grosbeaks there as well were my FOF.
  • 18 Evening Grosbeaks and 2+ Red Crossbills, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 11/5.

Our Last Tour of 2025 still has some space remaining, speaking of rarity season!

  • Birds on Tap℠ – Roadtrip! Rarity Roundup

​November 9, 2025; 8:00am – 3:00pm

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 10/15 – 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 (Plus) Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 8/29 – 9/7/2025

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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.
  • 6 SANDHILL CRANES, 1+ Red Crossbill, 3 Prairie Warblers, etc, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 8/31.
  • 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.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 138, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 9/5.
  • Piping Plover: 8, Hill’s Beach, 9/7.
  • Whimbrel: 4, The Pool, Biddeford, 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.
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 21, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 9/6 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • “WESTERN” WILLET: 2 juveniles, The Pool, 9/7.
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 28, Walsh Preserve, Freeport, 9/6 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

This Week’s (Plus) Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 8/19 – 8/28/2025

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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.
  • Semipalmated Plover: 150+, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 8/26.
  • Piping Plover: 15, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/26 (With Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth).
  • Whimbrel: 2, The Pool, 8/26.
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 12*, Mt Desert Rock via Cashes Ledge boat trip, 8/23.
  • Red Knot: 8, The Pool, 8/26 and 3, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/25.
  • Sanderling: 5, Hill’s Beach, 8/26.
  • Dunlin: 1 adult, Wharton Point, 8/25 (early).
  • Least Sandpiper: 98, Eastern Road Trail, 8/26.
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 10+, The Pool, 8/26.
  • Pectoral Sandpiper: 2, Eastern Road Trail, 8/26.
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 512, Wharton Point, 8/25.
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 18, Hill’s Beach, 8/26.
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 2, Ocean Ave, Biddeford Pool, 8/26.
  • Solitary Sandpiper: 1, Rte 136, Durham, 8/26.
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 19, Eastern Road Trail, 8/26.
  • “Eastern” Willet: 8, The Pool, 8/26.
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 41, Wharton Point, 8/25.
  • RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: 218*, Cashes Ledge boat trip, 8/23.
  • RED PHALAROPE: 1* but I had at least 3 more, Cash’s Ledge boat trip, 8/23.

*Official trip tallies kept by others, although my personal numbers would likely have been similar.

This Week’s Highlights and Shorebird High Counts, 8/9 – 8/18/2025

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Suspected of breeding in 2022 and confirmed in 2023, a pair of American Oystercatchers has now nested annual on the tiny Upper Green Islands way up in Casco Bay off Yarmouth. On the 17th, our annual shorebird-focuses Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours collaboration documented a pair of adults with a juvenile once again. Since we discovered them on this tour in 2022, it’s been exciting to visit them each summer. Who would have thought this tiny island and ledge could support one of only a dozen or so pairs in the entire state?
Full trip report here.

Two birdwalks, two shorebird-centric tours, and two whale-watches made for a very nice, diverse array of observations of note for me over the last 10 days (see note in shorebird high counts):

  • 3 Long-tailed Ducks (2 continuing from previous week), Simpson’s Point, Brunswick, 8/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Bonaparte’s Gull and 6 Great Egrets, Sabattus Pond, 8/11 (with Jeannette).
We checked the underwing patterns of every Cory’s Shearwater we could.
  • 8/12 afternoon Puffin/Whale Combo cruise with Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor: 5 American Oystercatchers at Eastern Egg Rock. Offshore of EER = 104 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels,  6 Cory’s Shearwaters, 3 Great Shearwaters, 2 Northern Gannets, 1 MANX SHEARWATER.
  • 1-2+ Red Crossbills, Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg, 8/14.
  • 1 molting adult Bay-breasted Warbler (more evidence of a limited molt-migration in Boreal birds to the southern coastal plain), Old Town House Park, North Yarmouth, 8/16 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).

For my “shorebird high counts,” I prefer to visit at least one of each: high tide hotspot, low tide spot, “grasspiper spot,” and a freshwater location, and it must include a visit to local hotspots Wharton Point and the Walsh Preserve as I attempt to make these comparisons comparable week-to-week and year-to-year, which, for my own notes if nothing else, is why I put these together (but hope you find them of value, too). Just due to life and scheduling, it now often takes me more than a week to hit all of these “requirements,” so I am going to try and do every 10 days instead of weekly. Therefore, here are my high counts over these past 10 days:

  • American Oystercatcher: 5, Eastern Egg Rock, 8/12 (via Cap’n Fish’s Cruises Puffin/Whale combo trip). Plus 3 (2 ad with 1 juv), Upper Green Island, 8/17 (with Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours tour group). Photo above
  • Black-bellied Plover: 163, The Pool, Biddeford Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Killdeer: 13, Crystal Spring Farm, Brunswick, 8/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • Semipalmated Plover: 300+, The Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Piping Plover: 13, Popham Beach State Park, 8/14.
  • Ruddy Turnstone: 3, multiple locations this week.
  • Sanderling: 20, Popham Beach State Park, 8/14.
  • 1, Popham Beach State Park, 8/14 and 1 at Great Pond, Biddeford Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Least Sandpiper: 42, Sabattus Pond, 8/11 (with Jeannette).
  • White-rumped Sandpiper: 15, Hill’s Beach, Biddeford, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper: 1600, The Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Short-billed Dowitcher: 40, The Pool, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Spotted Sandpiper: 4, Sabattus Pond, 8/11 (with Jeannette).
  • Lesser Yellowlegs: 66, Royal River, Yarmouth, 8/17 (with Birds of Casco Bay with Seacoast Tours tour group).
  • “Eastern” Willet: 24, Pine Point, Scarborough, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • “WESTERN” WILLET: 1 (FOY), Pine Point, 8/18 (with Down East Adventures Shorebird Workshop group).
  • Greater Yellowlegs: 22, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 8/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
Just including this Wilson’s Storm-Petrel photo here because it is incredible. Nice job, Bill!

This Week’s Highlights, 5/17-5/22/2025.

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This immature male Orchard Oriole was singing up a storm – when we wasn’t being chased by a territorial male Baltimore – at tiny, but often-productive – Lake Grove Park in Auburn on the 18th.

A sneaky good flight overnight Saturday into Sunday made for a tremendous day of birding: it took me over three hours to leave my yard! The rest of the week, however, was very slow by mid-May standards, with the exception of a very surprising morning At Fort Foster on Friday. My observations of note over the past six days before I head off to Monhegan with my tour group included the following:

  • 17 species of warblers, led by 38+ American Redstarts and 16 Black-throated Green Warblers, our property in Durham, 5/18.
  • 1 Louisiana Waterthrush, Papermill Trail, Lisbon, 5/18.
  • 1 immature male ORCHARD ORIOLE, Lake Grove Park, Auburn, 5/18.
  • 1 Lesser Scaup, Pine Point, Scarborough, 5/20.
  • 19 species of warblers, led by 27+ American Redstarts and 19 Yellow Warblers, but also including 8+ Bay-breasted Warblers, Fort Foster, Kittery, 5/22.
  • 120 Brant (impressive flock for Maine!) and 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Fort Foster, 5/22.

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

  • 1 Indigo Bunting, our property in Durham, 5/18.
  • 1 Bay-breasted Warbler, our property in Durham, 5/18.
  • 1 Swainson’s Thrush, Papermill Trail, Lisbon, 5/18.
  • 8+ Common Nighthawks, our property in Durham, 5/18.
  • 3 YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS, Morgan Meadow WMA, Gray/Raymond, 5/19 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Tennessee Warbler, our property in Durham. 5/20.
  • # Least Tern, Pine Point, Scarborough, 5/20.
  • 3-4 Saltmarsh Sparrows, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 5/20.
  • 1 Black-billed Cuckoo, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/21.

Upcoming Tours (with space available):

Rangeley Birding Festival, June 5-8

This Week’s Highlights, 5/3-5/9/2025.

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

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

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

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

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

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch

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

Upcoming Tours (with space available):

Rangeley Birding Festival, June 5-8

This Week’s Highlights, 4/5-4/11/2025.

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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).
  • 51 Glossy Ibis, total in Scarborough Marsh, 4/9.
  • 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 4/9.
  • 1 Pine Warbler, Powell Point Preserve, Freeport, 4/10.
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, our property in Durham, 4/11.
  • 2 Chipping Sparrows, our property in Durham, 4/11.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch

The Week 3 report can be found here.

Upcoming Tours (with Space Available):

Evergreen Cemetery, Capisic Pond Park, Orange Bike Brewing and TBA with our partners Portland Explorer (formerly Maine Brews Cruise).

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!

Recent Highlights, 3/15-3/21/2025.

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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).
  • 1 Northern Saw-Whet Owl (FOY), our property in Durham, 3/19. Yard Bird #155!
  • 2 Savannah Sparrows (FOS), 34 Lesser Scaup, 3 Northern Pintails, etc, Eastern Road Trail, Scarborough Marsh, 3/20.
  • 14 Gadwall, Pelreco marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 3/20.

Bradbury Mountain Spring Hawkwatch

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.

Daily counts will be posted here and weekly summaries will be posted here.

Upcoming Tours:

Woodcocks Gone Wild: Saturday, March 29th. Call for waitlist.