Tag Archives: spring migration

This Week’s Highlights, 4/29-5/5, 2023

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We enjoyed a great turnout of hawkwatchers and hawks for my hawkwatch workshop at Bradbury Mountain on the 29th as part of the 13th Annual Feathers over Freeport weekend of events.

 In case you were wondering, the meteorological term for this week is “yuck.” However, despite the weather, some birds were pushing through. The storm also pushed a wreck of Red and Red-necked Phalaropes to the coast, and with reports of some very early arrivals and vagrant southern birds, there seems to be a rather widespread displacement/overshoot event caused by this massive and stubborn upper-level low rotating over the great lakes. I didn’t get out very much to help prove or disprove this, but I did have some decent birding this week. While migrants overall made very slow gains, I did have my best morning of spring so far this year…right in our yard!

My observations of note over the past seven days included:

  • 1 Evening Grosbeak, Bowie Hill Road, Durham, 5/1 (with Jeannette).
  • 3 Lesser Scaup, Sabattus Pond, 5/1.
  • 6 species of warblers led by 50+ Yellow-rumped and 5-10 Palm, but also including 3 Pine, 2 Black-and-white (FOY), 1 Black-throated Green (FOY), and 1 Northern Parula (FOY), our property in Durham, 5/2. After corresponding with other local birders, I believe this was a localized, light fall-out caused by an isolated, dense fog bank that was centered around Lewiston-Auburn. Florida Lake Park, only about 9 miles away to the southeast, was nearly devoid of migrants for example (fide N. Gibb).
  • 1 Red Crossbill, Littlefield Woods Preserve, Chebeague Island, 5/4 (with Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust tour group).
  • 7 Evening Grosbeaks, our feeders in Durham, 5/5.

My other personal FOY’s this week also included:

  • 1 Greater Yellowlegs, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 4/30.
  • 1 Black-bellied Plover, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 4/30.
  • 1 RUSTY BLACKBIRD, our property in Durham, 5/2 through present.
  • 6 Lesser Yellowlegs, Rte 136, Durham, 5/2
  • 1 Least Sandpiper, Rte 136, Durham, 5/2
  • 1 Baltimore Oriole, our feeders in Durham, 5/2 through present.
  • 2 Gray Catbirds, feeders here at the store, 5/3 through present.
  • 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Chebeague Island, 5/4 (with Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust tour group).
  • 5 Laughing Gulls, Indian Point Preserve, 5/4 (with Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust tour group).
  • 3 Eastern Towhees, Indian Point Preserve, 5/4 (with Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust tour group).
  • 1 BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, Indian Point Preserve, 5/4 (with Chebeague & Cumberland Land Trust tour group).
  • 1 Great Egret, Cousin’s River Marsh, Yarmouth/Freeport, 5/4 (yeah, it’s been a while since I have been to Scarborough Marsh!)

TOURS AND EVENTS:

Our next tour with space available (next weekend’s Songbird Workshop with Down East Adventures is sold out) is pair of ½ day tours with the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust.

This Week’s Highlights, 4/15-21/2023

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For the third week of April, this is not a very impressive report – especially in terms of new arrivals! However, we were in Boston for three days cheering on Jeannette in the Boston Marathon (she did great…Go Jeannette!) and well, now I have frozen shoulder. So, field time remains woefully limited.  Nonetheless, I had some observations of note (in Maine) over the past seven days:

  • ~40 Yellow-rumped Warblers (FOY), 40+ Palm Warblers, 8 Pine Warblers, etc, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/15 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 3 EVENING GROSBEAKS, our feeders in Durham, 4/19-20.

My other personal FOY’s this week also included:

  • 2 Swamp Sparrows (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/15 (with Saturday Morning birdwalk group).
  • 1 Pied-billed Grebe, Morgan Meadow WMA, 4/21
  • 1 LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, Morgan Meadow WMA, 4/21.
  • 1 Broad-winged Hawk, over I-295, Yarmouth, 4/21 (with Jeannette. Finally! I have really been missing spending time at the Brad!)

TOURS AND EVENTS:

Next weekend (April 29-30) is the 13th Annual Feathers Over Freeport that we sponsor with public and private partners at Bradbury Mountain and Wolfes Neck Woods State Parks. We have a full slate of events all day, each day once again, plus a Thursday night (4/27) kick-off presentation at Patagonia in Freeport!

The entire schedule and more information can be found here. All events are free with park admission.

This Week’s Highlights, 3/25-31,2023

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Despite a few wintery days this week, spring is most definitely in the air. As I have finally seemed to have turned the corner with my dreadfully slow recovery, I am also getting out a lot more. Therefore, with more to report, and more changes week-to-week, I’ll try to get back into my old habit of weekly posts here.

Observations of note over the past seven days:

  • increasing number of blackbirds
  • first trickle of migrant sparrows
  • 1 SNOW GOOSE, our property in Durham, 3/27.
  • increasing number and diversity of waterfowl inland.
  • 1 Eastern Phoebe (FOY), Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 3/31.
  • 1 Tree Swallow (FOY), Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 3/31.

Despite only getting out into the field twice this week, I enjoyed some good birding. For now, my birding remains primarily feeder- and yard-watching, but this week, it was more evenly split between our feeders at home in Durham and here at the store in Freeport. Blackbird flocks are officially “in” and several species of sparrows are on the move.

 At home, Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds are now present daily, in varying numbers (between 4 and 56 and between 3 and 26, respectively), with one or two Brown-headed Cowbirds on most days.  Similarly, at the store, small flocks of Common Grackles come and go, but 7 Red-winged Blackbirds are more consistent. One Brown-headed Cowbird made only one appearance here.

A Fox Sparrow that arrived last Friday departed on Tuesday night, and a second Song Sparrow arrived this week. Dark-eyed Juncos continue, with fewer by week’s end. However, a third White-throated Sparrow arrived on the 30th. Here at the store, four Song Sparrows continue, and 2 American Tree Sparrows arrived on the 26th– surprisingly our first two of the entire winter.

At both locations, breeding activity is heating up, too, with more territorial and courtship behaviors observed each day.

The yard highlight, however, was the Snow Goose – Yard Bird #125! -I spotted passing low over our yard on the 27th.  While I didn’t technically see it from bed, I did get out of bed – where I was doing some of my physical therapy exercises to look at a large group of geese passing overhead. You may not be surprised to know that we have a pair of binoculars in every room, which is a good thing, as I was able to pull out the lone Snow from a flock of about 75 Canadas.

Speaking of binoculars, I need to take a moment to plug my Zeiss SFL 8×40’s. I fell in love with them when they came out last year, and I was very thankful for them when my shoulder was in pain. They’re just so incredibly lightweight, but I have found minimal tradeoff in brightness, color, etc. Since I am still a one-armed birder, they have been absolutely critical for my ability to look at birds when out and about now. Great balance combined with the light weight just makes them perfect for holding steady with one hand. I do need to rebuild my stamina, however, as there has been a lot of atrophy of field birding muscles over the last 2+ months!

Anyway, back to waterfowl….another highlight this week was the arrival of Wood Ducks in our backyard. A pair have been frequenting a vernal pool we can see from the house for the last few days, and Jeannette spotted them sitting in the trees just off of our porch on the 29th.  Three more drakes are frequenting a pond across the street, where a pair of American Wigeon (my first of the spring) plopped in on the 30th).

Finally this week, I was able to get back up to the Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch for a couple of hours on Friday. A few raptors were on the move (much less than we expected given the conditions), but I did pick up my first Eastern Phoebe and Tree Swallow of the year. Later that afternoon, another phoebe was staking out a territory around our house.

Trips and Tours Notes:

  • Due to Saturday’s weather forecast, we have postponed the evening’s Woodcocks Gone Wild program at Pineland Farm until Saturday, April 8th.

This Week’s Highlights, May 13-20,2022 (Spoiler Alert: It was Exceptional!)

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Confidently identifying Gray-cheeked vs Bicknell’s Thrushes on migration is always a challenge, but this bird I found at Biddeford Pool was vocalizing incessantly. It even posed – as far as these reclusive migrants go – for some snapshots. I believe that this is my first confirmed Bicknell’s Thrush
on the coastal plain of Maine during spring migration,

For much of this spring, I’ve been lamenting about a “slow” week of migration, or a “trickle” of migrants, etc.  That was NOT the case this week, as the floodgates finally opened. In fact, it was an incredible week of birding. The northern limits of a huge fallout greeted me on Monday morning. And then there was Friday at Biddeford Pool.  It was epic. Unforgettable.

My observations of note over the past eight days included:

  • 1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/15 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 20 species of warblers, including 1 continuing Louisiana Waterthrush and 6 Bay-breasted Warblers (FOY), and led by 25+ Northern Parulas and 20+ Black-and-white Warblers, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/16 (with Jeannette).  Incredible morning; definitely the best morning of spring to date. Interestingly, this appeared to be about the northern limits of what was a significant coastal fallout from at least Eastern Massachusetts into southern Maine.
  • 17 species of warblers, led by 18 Common Yellowthroats and 17 American Redstarts, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/17 (with client from Maine).
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet (getting late), Florida Lake Park, 5/17 (with client from Maine).
  • 1 pair Gadwalls, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 5/17 (with client from Maine).
  • 16 species of warblers, led by 24 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 15 American Redstarts, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/18 (with Jeannette).  This was the first morning this season where there were more female than male passage migrants.
  • 16 species of warblers, led by 24 Common Yellowthroats and 22 Yellow-rumped Warblers, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/19.
  • Biddeford Pool, FALLOUT, 5/20!  This was insane. I was optimistic about conditions based on the overnight wind forecast and morning fog, but there was virtually nothing on the radar overnight. I almost didn’t go. I never expected to find this.  Birds were everywhere. Every tree had warblers. Swainson’s Thrushes and Lincoln’s Sparrows were hopping around manicured lawns. I can’t even begin to explain how amazing it was, but here are some of the highlights as I covered East Point, the neighborhood, and the Elphis Pond trails. All of my numbers are extremely conservative, as I attempted to judge the movement of birds between parallel streets, etc.
    • 20 species of warblers led by 53 Common Yellowthroats, 44+ American Redstarts, 44 Yellow Warblers, and 43 Magnolia Warblers. I know these numbers are particularly low.
    • Thrushes!  43 Swainson’s Thrushes (FOY) and 8+ Veeries, but also…
    • 1 BICKNELL’S THRUSH – shocking migrant vocalizing incessantly on path to East Point.  Was still calling 3 hours later. Voice recordings and poor photo above. Rarely detected in migration away other than Nocturnal Flight Calls, this might have been my first ever confirmation in spring along Maine’s coast. Seems a little early, too. Photo above.
    • 1 GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH (FOY). My settings were off on the camera and the overall tone of this bird is not accurate! When I looked down at the camera to adjust, it dropped out of site. Called once.
  • 1 SUMMER TANAGER, near Elphis Pond. Quick fly-by, and no red seen. Confident there was little or red on the upperparts. Not seen well enough to know if this was the bird that had been continuing in the area for a while or a different, possible female.
    • 1 male ORCHARD ORIOLE, Elphis Pond.  Often singing.
    • Amazing quantities of usually-uncommon migrants, such as: 15 Lincoln’s Sparrows, 15 Bay-breasted Warblers, and 11 Canada Warblers.
    • Other good tallies included 17 Black-throated Blue Warblers, 13 Least Flycatchers, and 4-6 Scarlet Tanagers.
    • Personal First-of-years also included 2 Cape May Warblers, 9 Tennessee Warblers, 3 Philadelphia Vireos, along with 2 Roseate Terns off Ocean Ave.
    • The bird that got away: an intriguing Empid that suggested Acadian in a brief view along Orcutt Ave. Could not relocate.

Meanwhile, my list of personal “first of years” this week before the Biddeford Pool fallout included the following:

  • 4 American Redstarts, Essex Woods and Marsh, Bangor, 5/13.
  • 2 Bobolinks, Essex Woods and Marsh, 5/13.
  • 1 Virginia Rail, Essex Woods and Marsh, 5/13.
  • 5 Wood Thrushes, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/15 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 1 Scarlet Tanager, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/15 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 3 Red-eyed Vireos, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/15 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron, Evergreen Cemetery, 5/15 (with Down East Adventures Spring Songbird Workshop group).
  • 1 Canada Warbler, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/16 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (a little on the early side), Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/16 (with Jeannette).
  • 4 Eastern Wood-Pewees, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/16 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 Blackpoll Warblers, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/16 (with Jeannette).
  • 6 Bay-breasted Warblers, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/16 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Alder Flycatcher, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/17 (with client from Maine).
  • 1 BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, Hidden Pond Preserve, Freeport, 5/17 (with client from Maine).
  • 40+ Least Terns, Scarborough Marsh, 5/17 (with client from Maine).
  • 4 WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS, Pelreco Marsh, Scarborough Marsh, 5/17 (with client from Maine).
  • 20+ Semipalmated Sandpipers, Pelreco Marsh, 5/17 (with client from Maine)
This Black-and-white Warbler was among the multitudes of cooperative birds at Biddeford Pool on the 20th. But apparently, I didn’t take photos of any of the colorful ones! I was also having so much fun that
for the most part, I forgot I even had a camera.

This Week’s Highlights, May 7 – May 12, 2022.

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This stunning Prothonotary Warbler headlined my best warbler day of the spring so far when I found it at Florida Lake Park early in the morning on the 12th. Details below. This photo does not do the Swamp Canary justice!

It was another slow week of migration. This week, high pressure dominated, and a northerly to easterly flow continued essentially unabated from Saturday through Thursday.  Winds were at least light enough at night that some birds fought the unfavorable conditions and “new” birds arrived almost every day, just never in large numbers. But it remains slim pickings, especially at migrant traps this week. Even on Thursday morning (more calm winds overnight allowed a few more birds to proceed) – my best day of the spring so far – numbers at Florida Lake were still very low for the date. The quality more than made up for it, however!

My observations of note over the past six days included:

  • 10 species of warblers in one place for the first time this spring – finally – but led by only 14 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 8 Black-and-white Warblers, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1-2 continuing Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, private property in Durham, 5/9 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 continuing Louisiana Waterthrush, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/11.
  • 1 PROTHONOTARY WARBLER among 15 species of warblers, Florida Lake Park, 5/12, led by ~25 Yellow-rumped Warblers and 9+ Black-and-white Warblers. The PROW was my 169th all-time species at the park!  I first found it along the base of the long dike at the north edge of the pond, as it belted out a song within about 8-10 feet from me. Foraging in low shrubs along the pond edge, in perfect light, I was of course without my camera. I did get some identifiable video and a recording of the song with my phone, before taking off in a sprint to the parking lot. I returned with my camera and eventually refound the bird when it sang again from the small wooded island in the lake (photo above), just as Noah Gibb arrived. It then flew right past me as it disappeared into the woods. It reappeared a short while later on the island and was seen by several more people. I am still kicking myself, however, for leaving the camera in the car when it was so close.  Such a stunning bird deserves a better photo.
If the owlet is asleep and doesn’t know you are even there, you are a safe distance away!
Great Horned Owl chick at an undisclosed location.

And my list of personal “first of years” this week also included the following:

  • 1 Veery, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Nashville Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Black-throated Blue Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Lincoln’s Sparrow, Florida Lake Park, 5/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Northern Waterthrush, Florida Lake Park, 5/7 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 1 Baltimore Oriole, our yard in Pownal, 5/7.
  • 1 Yellow Warbler, Wharton Point, Brunswick, 5/8.
  • 4 Common Terns, Wharton Point, 5/8.
  • 1 Great-crested Flycatcher, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 5/8.
  • 4 Warbling Vireos, Green Point WMA, Dresden, 5/9 (with Jeannette).
  • 3 Least Flycatchers, Green Point WMA, 5/9 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Eastern Kingbird, Green Point WMA, 5/9 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Spotted Sandpiper, Green Point WMA, 5/9 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, private property in Durham, 5/9 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 Blackburnian Warblers, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 5/10.
  • 1 Chestnut-sided Warbler, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/11.
  • 1 Magnolia Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/12.
  • 1 Wilson’s Warbler, Florida Lake Park, 5/12 (with Noah Gibb).
For much of Tuesday afternoon, it was just me and Hawkwatch Junco at the summit of The Brad.

This Week’s Highlights, April 30 – May 6, 2022.

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Maine’s 4th ever observation of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks have graced downtown Camden
for over a week now.

It was a slow start to the week with just a trickle of migrants arriving from the weekend through the storm system on Wednesday. However, a successful twitch, and a couple of light flights overnight made for a great week of spring birding.  Of course, there was also another successful Feathers Over Freeport: A Birdwatching Weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Even though they didn’t produce any birds of note, it was a wonderful weekend full of birdwatching highlights.  Photos will be posted soon, while the summary of our morning birdwalks is posted here.

My observations of note over the past seven days included:

  • 1 SANDHILL CRANE (Finally, my FOY after missing a bunch of them at the watch this year), Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 5/1.
  • 1 SANDHILL CRANE, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 5/3.
  • 1+ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, private property in Durham, 5/5 (with Jeannette).
  • 1 continuing Louisiana Waterthrush, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6.

And my list of personal “first of years” this week also included the following:

  • 2 Chimney Swifts, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 5/1.
  • 1 PURPLE MARTIN, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 5/1.
  • 2 Black-and-white Warblers, Lily Pond, Rockport, 5/2.
  • 1 Northern Parula, Lily Pond, Rockport, 5/2.
  • 1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird, our yard in Pownal, 5/3.
  • 1 Bank Swallow, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 5/3.
  • 2 Black-throated Green Warblers, Florida Lake, 5/3.
  • 1 Gray Catbird, feeders here at the store, 5/4.
  • 1 Ovenbird, private property in Durham, 5/5 (with Jeannette).
  • 2 Common Yellowthroats, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6.
  • 1 Prairie Warbler, Morgan Meadow WMA, 5/6.

This Week’s Highlights, April 9-15, 2022.

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This stunning male Indigo Bunting really brightened up a wet and dreary morning on Bailey Island on Tuesday. Rather than just a very early migrant, this bird is more likely part of an “overshooting” vagrancy event that brought several southern birds to Maine in the past week.

I had relatively few things scheduled this week, so I took full advantage to spend a little extra time in the field – it might be July by the time I get a week this open again!  While I definitely “swung for the fences” a few times in my pursuit of finding rare birds, I enjoyed a really great week of birding overall.

My observations of note over the past seven days included:

  • 1 Northern Goshawk, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/10.
  • 1 Red Crossbill, Waterboro Barrens Preserve, Waterboro, 4/11 (with Jeannette).

But my highlight was experiencing a fallout along the southern York County coast on 4/14, led by Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Golden-crowned Kinglets, but also including goodly tallies of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creepers, White-throated Sparrows, Northern Flickers, and especially Hermit Thrushes. I also totaled 10 sparrow species on the day, several first-of-years, but alas, none of the hoped-for rarities. I summarized the event briefly in this post.

And my list of personal “first of years” and other new arrivals this week really showed the progression of the season.

  • 2 Hermit Thrushes, Winslow Park, Freeport, 4/9 (with Saturday Morning Birdwalk group).
  • 7 Pam Warblers, Florida Lake Park, Freeport, 4/10.
  • 2 Swamp Sparrows (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/10.
  • 16 Wilson’s Snipe, Highland Road, Brunswick, 4/10.
  • 5 RUDDY DUCKS, Sabattus Pond, Sabattus, 4/10.
  • 1 Barn Swallow, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/10.
  • 1 INDIGO BUNTING, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 4/12 (with Jeannette. See photo and note above).
  • 1 Savannah Sparrow, Bailey Island, 4/12 (with Jeannette).
  • 7 Broad-winged Hawks, Bradbury Mountain Hawkwatch, 4/12 (with Jeannette)
  • 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Florida Lake Park, 4/13.
  • 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers (FOS), Florida Lake Park, 4/13.
  • 1 drake Blue-winged Teal, Spring Brook Farm, Cumberland, 4/13.
  • 1 Chipping Sparrow, feeders here at the store, 4/13.
  • 1 Field Sparrow, Fort Foster, Kittery, 4/14.
  • 1 Eastern Towhee, Fort Foster, 4/14.
  • 1 Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Fort Foster, 4/14.
  • 1 pair GADWALL (FOS), Seapoint Beach, Kittery, 4/14.
  • 1 Dunlin (FOS), Seapoint Beach, 4/14.

And finally, the first event of this year’s extended Feathers Over Freeport celebration is Wednesday, 4/20 at Maine Beer Co. A portion of the proceeds of every food purchase will directly support the weekend’s events! I’ll be joining park staff to answer questions about our local state parks, local birding, and the Feathers Over Freeport Weekend.  For more information, visit: www.maine.gov/feathersoverfreeeport