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)