The state’s 4th or 5th Virginia’s Warbler – and the first away from Monhegan – was one of the rarest birds of the year in Maine, and it was even more special for me since I found it on Peak’s Island in November!
It’s once again time for my annual Predictions Blog, where I view into my crystal binoculars and attempt to forecast some of the “new” birds to grace the State of Maine – and then my own personal state list – in the coming year.
But first, let’s look back at last year’s predictions.
It was a great year for birding in Maine, with rarities at every season, especially during a truly epic November Rarity season. As a snapshot of just how many notable species were in the state in 2025, consider Noah Gibb and Stacey Huth’s Maine Big Year total of 332 species broke the old record by an astounding 10! Surprisingly, with such an eventful year for rarities in the state, no new species were added to the state’s list in 2025. With that, I’m going to keep Next 25 Species to be found in Maine list the same, but based on current trends and regional sightings, I am doing a little shuffling at the top to bump up Limpkin as the northward mini-irruptions of this tropical/sub-tropical bird continue.
Limpkin
Scopoli’s Shearwater
Neotropical Cormorant
European Herring Gull
Black-chinned Hummingbird
California Gull
Gray Heron
Bermuda Petrel
Graylag Goose
Little Stint
Audubon’s Shearwater
Common Shelduck
Anna’s Hummingbird
Heerman’s Gull
Common Ground-Dove
Allen’s Hummingbird
Spotted Redshank
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Ross’s Gull
Black-capped Petrel
Lesser Nighthawk
Dusky Flycatcher
Painted Redstart
Hooded Oriole
White Wagtail
It’s only a matter of time for Maine to be visited by its first ever Neotropic Cormorant, but it’s another Neotropical species that took the stop slot this year!
As for me, there were so many great birds seen in Maine in 2025, and the birds I chased just scratched the surface of the litany of vagrants this past calendar year as once again, my birding involves fewer and fewer chases each year. The MacGillivray’s Warbler in Yarmouth in November was one of the highlights – including becoming the 255th All-time Saturday Morning Birdwalk bird!- and a Fork-tailed Flycatcher in the Kennebunk Plains in July.
My first self-found rarity of the year was a Ruff at Walsh Preserve on 5/9…
..and Jeannette I chases the Northern Wheatear in Scarborough Marsh in September for a new ABA Area bird for her.
Black-throated Gray Warbler on Monhegan. A state bird for almost everyone, but “just” an exceptional “Island Bird” for me.
I even added two species to my State List in 2025, starting with an overdue Cerulean Warbler (#11) found by Doug Hitchcox in Evergreen Cemetery on 5/6. But nothing beats a “self-found” rarity, so finding a Virginia’s Warbler (#20) on Peak’s Island on 11/24 was even more special!
Of course, a few potential State Birds got away from me last year. However, all appeared to be one-day wonders, so it’s hard to complain: Crested Caracara in Scarborough Marsh on 4/30, a Franklin’s Gull (some day!) in The County on 5/21, an Anhinga over South Portland on 5/27, and an un-chaseable Ancient Murrelet at Matincus Rock on 6/19.
So, with those hits and misses, my updated list of the Top 25 Next State Birds for Me is now:
Franklin’s Gull (this is getting amusing/frustrating)
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
California Gull
Brown Booby
Crested Caracara
Slaty-backed Gull
Boreal Owl
Calliope Hummingbird
Graylag Goose
Gull-billed Tern
Pacific Golden-Plover
Limpkin
Wood Stork
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Anhinga
Yellow Rail
Scopoli’s Shearwater
Western Wood-Pewee
Red-necked Stint
European Herring Gull
Gray Heron
Heerman’s Gull
Little Stint
Well there ya have it, let’s see what 2026 brings, at least when it comes to the birds in Maine.
I think it’s about time for another Wood Stork to visit the state as well.
Confirmed by in-hand measurements and very detailed photographs, this adult female Rufous Hummingbird graced a Bath yard from October 31st to December 26th, 2025.
On Halloween, Sue and Bill Barker had quite a treat in their Bath yard: a hummingbird!
Each year, we put out a call on our email and print newsletter to keep your hummingbird feeders up as long as freezing temperatures permit, and to call us if you see a hummingbird after October 1st (and especially after October 7th). Among other outstanding records, this resulted in New England’s first Broad-tailed Hummingbird in 2022.
This year, we have received five hummingbird reports since October 7th, with the previous four including photos and/or video that were good enough to identify as Ruby-throated. Or, at least, rule out everything but that and the state’s first Black-chinned Hummingbird (we’re waiting!). Given the date of the 10/31 report, the statistics suggest that it’s more likely to be something else, so I asked for some photos.
Sue took some photos through her window and screen, and they suggested a warmth in overall color to the bird that would be on the extreme end of Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Sue invited me over for a look, and after waiting for about 45 minutes in the early afternoon on November 2nd, the bird appeared and soon flashed the reddish-brown in the tail indicative of a hummingbird in the genus Selasphorous.
My photos are not very good (mediocre camera in shadow and low afternoon winter light), but they clearly show a Selasphorous hummingbird.
After discussing the situation with the homeowners, it was clear that, unfortunately, this was not a location that could be made public. It sucks, but there was no way to share this widely. Small, dead-end road, partially shared driveway, proximity to the house and the neighbor’s house, and all of the other circumstances that can lead to well, things going wrong when masses appear. We’ve had this happen often enough to guard against it, and privacy and homeowners’ rights always come first in our book (it’s partly why we are trusted with these special birds!). I did wander around and see if there was enough parking nearby to place a hummingbird feeder in a much less intrusive location (like we did with the aforementioned Broad-tailed) but that wasn’t practical or feasible in this case. I am sorry.
But needing to know more, and learn the bird’s identification, the decision was made to allow a very small number of visitors to contact the homeowner and arrange a time to view the bird and obtain additional photographs. I reached out to Scott Weidensaul, and arrangements began to be made to have it captured, banded, measured (and released).
Of course, I dispatched Bill Thompson immediately! And as usual, he “crushed” it!
Highly suggestive – and perhaps all but conclusive, short of in-hand measurements – of an adult female Rufous Hummingbird based on the observations and photographs by several of us, and especially with a close analysis of the tail feathers in particular (critical for these non-adult male Selasphorous), Scott attempted to band it. Unfortunately, the first effort was not successful.
The bird continued to visit, more frequently and reliably as the days got shorter and colder. On 11/11, Jeannette and I visited the yard and were treated to three visits in a mere 30 minutes. While Jeannette worked on getting additional photos, I observed the bird’s behavior and feeding pattern in case we needed to get creative with the next banding attempt. I saw where she came from, fed in the backyard, then perched in a sunny bush with a good view of the front feeder, before feeding longer at that front yard feeder. And then repeat the pattern, as hummingbirds are wont to do.
Then, on 11/14, Scott Weidensaul successfully trapped and studied the hummingbird in the hand, taking measurements and confirming our identification of adult female Rufous Hummingbird. This would be the 15th or 16th accepted record of Rufous Hummingbird in Maine according to the Maine Bird Records Committee. However, “unreviewed” reports likely include identifiable individuals, and I stand by my identification of this bird in our Pownal yard in 2021 as a Rufous Hummingbird, despite the lack of measurements in the hand (she departed before banding could be arranged).
And here’s the official banding report from Scott:
Band number: J73404 (the J code stands for 5100-, which won’t fit on the band). Species: Rufous hummingbird Age: After hatching year (adult, at least two years old) Sex: F Wing: 44.15mm Tail: 26mm Culmen (bill): 19.92mm
Bill grooving: 0 (typical for an adult) Gorget feathers: 20+ Weight: 3.5 grams Fat (0-5 scale): 3 Width of R5: 3.69mm R2: moderate nippling
Scott then said, “All of her measurements are in line for a female rufous vs. and Allen’s. Her wing, tail and culmen measurements are all good for RUHU but beyond the upper limit for ALHU, which would lack the slight notch or nipple on R2. All in all she seemed to be in great shape and was quiet and cooperative in the hand.”
__________________________
Rufous vs Allen’s Hummingbirds, in non-adult male plumages are one of the most challenging identifications in all of North American birds, and so all the stops were pulled out here to confirm it’s identification. This blog will be submitted to the Maine Bird Records Committee for its review as well to add to “the record.”
When Jeannette and I first opened the store way back in 2004 (!), we were surprised to find out how persistent the myth of “take down your hummingbird feeders by Labor Day or they won’t migrate” was. It’s simply untrue. Instead, we encouraged people to keep them up much, much later, as it’s the latest migrants that need the help of supplemental food the most, especially after the first hard frost that knocks out most if not all of local flowers, such as the late blooming native, Orange-spotted Jewelweed. We also knew that there had to be more records of rare hummingbirds occurring in Maine, so we encouraged people to keep their feeders out, their eyes open, and to give us a call.
Meanwhile, a frequent question we receive is “what happens to these really late hummingbirds?”
It’s a great question! And with banding, we are beginning to find out! For example, a lot of these birds are departing the northeast on favorable winds after strong cold snaps but in good condition (fat score in particular). That suggests birds are doing the right thing and leaving when they need to.
With an increasing number of banded Rufous Hummingbirds – and other species – overwintering in the southeastern US, and returning in subsequent years, we know that not all of these vagrants are evolutionary dead ends. In fact, perhaps just the opposite – the survivors who are adapting to a changing world and a changing climate.
Thanks to our loyal customers and observers, this is the 3rd Rufous Hummingbird that has come to light through us, along with one other Rufous/Allen’s, and of course, the famous Broad-tailed. And countless truant Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been aided (and we have confirmed at dozens of late Ruby-throats, averaging about 5 direct reports of late hummingbirds after October 7th each year since 2014) along the way.
Sue and Bill’s Rufous hummingbird turned out to be just as tough as so many vagrant hummingbirds in the Northeast prove to be. Sue reports, “Our little friend made it through all that snow and the low temps, but I think by last Friday she had had it and took off. She was real active in the morning, (we saw her frequently), and was doing a lot of feeding. Then she was gone.”
Thanks to Sue’s diligent care, and the deployment of a heated hummingbird feeder – the same one that sustained the Broad-tailed as it was donated to the cause by its host! – the Rufous was afforded every opportunity to fuel up, continue to molt and build strength, and depart when she was ready.
This perfectly fits the pattern and behavior of “lingering” vagrant hummingbirds. Scott added “That sounds like absolutely classic departure behavior…My hope is that one of my many colleagues down on the Gulf Coast will recapture her this winter, read that band number and let us connect the dots. No guarantees, obviously, but it happens more often than you’d think… And Derek and I will be waiting to perhaps hear from you again next fall that she’s back, because *that* happens even more often than later, distant encounters.”
While I personally had planned to get back over there for some updated photos to see if her molt has progressed at all, I didn’t make the time before she finally departed. I am OK with that! I join Sue, Bill, and Scott in wishing her on her way!
It’s been an extraordinary rarity season in Maine this fall. Perhaps it’s been the weather patterns, widespread drought, increasing use of neonicotinoid pesticides, or perhaps – according to a recent paper – geomagnetic storms!
But whatever it is, it’s made for an active month for vagrants here in Maine. Monhegan was epic at the end of September, October was pretty good on the mainland, and November has been exceptional. And, we still haven’t fully entered the rare-birds-at-feeders season, although there have already been quite a few noteworthy feeder visitors.
Personally, I’ve had a great fall, especially on Monhegan, and as you have read in my This Week’s Highlights blog (if you’re the one or two people who actually read it!), I’ve had quite a few notable finds, some fun chases, and overall great birding recently. But I hadn’t turned up a “mega” to add to the tally. On Monday, 11/24, I continued my search by taking a day to bird Peak’s Island, one of my favorite late fall birding destinations.
Arriving on the 7:45 ferry from Portland, I began my usual circuit, working around town to Picnic Point. The wrack line here always looks prime for a vagrant!
A short while later, at about 8:30am, I paused at one of my usual thickets on Seashore Ave, diagonally opposite the 5th Regiment Museum. There are always birds here, augmented by a dense tangle, some tall trees, and a few small feeders behind it.
On Monday, it was very active as usual, with numerous Northern Cardinals, a lot of House Finches, and other typical residents. Movement caught my eye in a stand of still mostly-still-leafed willow trees towards the back right of the thicket, approximately 25 yards from the roadside.
Three warbler-like birds were chasing each other. One appeared to be an aggressor, and I was hearing repeated short, high-pitched call notes that were either, or very similar to, Nashville Warbler. It’s been an extraordinary fall for “late” Nashville Warblers (although they are likely drift vagrants, mirror vagrants, or even reverse migrants rather than just behind schedule), so this was not too surprising. But three non-Yellow-rumped Warblers in one tree? That’s notable on November 24th!
The first bird I saw well was a bright, adult male-type Nashville Warbler (NAWA). The birds, still chasing each other and not sitting still, were not easy to see, but the second bird I got my binoculars on was rather confusing. I observed it for as long as I could, but the distance was just a bit too far.
A very drab Orange-crowned Warbler (OCWA) first came to mind, especially with the yellow undertail coverts, but the bird was really, really gray. A flat, cool, not at all yellowish or greenish gray. It was flicking its tail like a NAWA, but even more emphatically. It turned around, and I saw its breast, and there was a small amount of yellow there. Wait, what!? The patch was smaller and more isolated than a drab female Northern Parula, but there were no wingbars are at all, and it was too long-tailed.
I noted an eye-ring, but the distance made it hard to tell how bold it was, whether or not it was complete, or even if it was really white like a NAWA. I went for my camera, hoping to zoom in to see detail, but the birds were far too active and in too dense of a twiggy tree, so coupled with the distance, this was a complete fail.
Two birds departed to the right, but the bird of interest remained for another minute or three, calling very similarly to a Nashville Warbler, but quite emphatic. I then lost it, too.
By now, I was putting the pieces together and was under the suspicion that this was a Virginia’s Warbler, but I was not convinced. With all three birds departing as of 8:48, I opened up my Sibley app to refresh my memory (it’s been quite some time since I have seen a VIWA!) and listen to the call. The call recording on the app included two pitches of calls, the second of which was spot-on for what I was hearing from this very drab, gray, not-quite-Nashville warbler.
Hmm…but why didn’t I notice the yellow rump? Or was I just focusing on the rest of the bird? All of the views were so painfully brief, and I never saw the complete bird at one time.
About 10-15 minutes later, the trio returned: the adult male-type NAWA, a second, drab immature-female-type NAWA, and the likely VIWA. In a brief view, I noticed the all gray head, reminiscent of a female American Redstart, and confirmed the presence of yellow in the center of the breast.
The birds departed again, to the right, across Ryefield Street, but I only glimpsed one bird and it was likely the VIWA. I walked around the block, noticed a few feeders on New Island Avenue, but I did not find any warblers. Since they had returned to the original stand of willows three times now, I stood in place now, about a full hour after my original observation and I started sending out texts and scribbling notes.
I noticed that the recycling container at the house adjacent to the thicket had been taken in. Damn; I missed the homeowner! I needed to get closer to the thicket if the bird returns, but I am absolutely unwilling to trespass or enter yards without being invited/given permission. Many of you have understood this from my tours to Monhegan, but I stand by this elsewhere. But did it cost me today?
Happily, a short while later, the homeowner was in his yard and after a brief chat, allowed me to hang out in his backyard. It was now 10:28. He even brought me a comfy chair! I was so appreciative, now that I was camped out next to the willows, no warblers reappeared. I took another loop around the block, then returned to my chair. A single Evening Grosbeak dropped into the thicket, and I glimpsed what was almost certainly a Lark Sparrow within a House Sparrow flock, but I did not pursue it to confirm.
By 11:15, I was cold and needed to get a real walk in, so I departed, birding my usual circuit out to and through Battery Steele (found a Common Yellowthroat there) and otherwise enjoyed a rather birdy day on the island. A Hermit Thrush, a couple of Swamp Sparrows, a growing cadre of Red-necked Grebes offshore, and tons of Red-breasted Nuthatches in the woods. Song Sparrows were also unusually abundant.
I walked into town for lunch to go (the wraps at Unruly Girls’ Peaks Cafe are fantastic as always, but the hot chai was even more clutch!). I was back to the thicket at 1:36. The sun that broke through while I was far away had mostly been enveloped by clouds once, and the wind was picking up. Neither was particularly helpful. I departed at 2:25 to catch the 2:45 departure (I had planned on leaving before lunch!)
I was frustrated. I knew what I saw, but was bothered by what I did not see, and how unsatisfying and conclusive my views were. I felt confident that it was indeed a VIWA, but I don’t like birding by default or identification by the sum of all parts!
I thought about going back the next day but couldn’t. I must say, the oral surgery may have been less painful than having this bird get away!
I looked at guides, viewed photos online, and concluded there was little doubt that I had seen a VIWA. But the mind can play tricks on you, and memory can be affected by the post-observation studies, so it was bothering me. Jeannette asked if I was going to “count it?”
I didn’t know. So, on Wednesday morning, I decided to be a little late for work and go back to Peak’s Island. I couldn’t help it; I had to! Jeannette agreed.
Walking to the ferry terminal, I stumbled upon a Nashville Warbler on Commercial Street, near the cruise ship terminal, which I took as a good sign. 7:45 ferry, 8:05 arrival on the island, and I was to the thicket by 8:30, after a thorough check on Picnic Point on the way (the foggy conditions had me hoping to refind the bird on the wrack line like so many late-season insectivores find sustenance).
I stared at the thicket, but overall bird activity was much slower than two days prior. At 8:55, I began walking down Seashore, towards Maple Street. I soon heard warblers! I first heard a Yellow-rumped Warbler from quite some distance, but then heard NAWA, or NAWA-like, calls.
In the side yard of 66 Seashore, I found not three, but 5 warblers: 2 NAWA, a YRWA, and a drab Orange-crowned. Very drab. Hmm…could I have blown this mystery warbler? Was this all I had seen? No, no way! And then warbler #5 popped out: Virginia’s Warbler!!!!!
Between this yard, and the first yard on Maple Street a minute later, I had several perfect views at varying distances, and all field marks were observed. With a good look, there sure wasn’t any mistaking this bird!
Thin, slim warbler with a thin bill; bold but thin white eyering; cool gray upperparts with no wingbars, and here, you can just make out part of the yellow rump.Most of my views – and all of them on Monday – were like this: small parts of a small bird between twigs! Here, however, you can see the plain gray overall color, complete, thin eye-ring, and a hint of the yellowish undertail.
I followed the flock back towards the original thicket and willow trees, but I lost their tail. I decided to be responsible and head back for the 10:00 ferry and get to work. I also had left my Tylenol in the car. Besides, my job here was done! This is the 4th or 5th record for Maine, and the first away from Monhegan.
Addendum: Several friends arrived on the next ferry, and after a short while found the bird in the same area, often returning to the original thicket from Monday. I was so focused on identification of the VIWA that I probably didn’t take a full inventory of all of the warblers that were around. They had at least 4 OCWA now, 2-3 NAWA, 2 YRWA, and crushing views of the VIWA. The bird was seen by many through the afternoon. And thanks again to the homeowners who accepted my presence in their yard and invited others in later that day!
I also can’t help but wonder if there will be a “Patagonia Picnic Table Effect” as birders descend upon and follow this possibly-growing flock of unseasonable warblers. Could I be heading back to Peak’s soon? I’ll at least be able to grab another Mediterranean wrap this time.
12/1 UPDATE: The VIWA has not been seen since the afternoon of 12/29. Birders searched for it on 12/30 and had 1+ NAWA and 4 OCWA in the area. Today, Jeannette and I spent the morning looking for it to no avail. In the Seashore Avenue area, we had 2 NAWA and 2-3 OCWA. As we widened our search, Jeannette and I had a continuing COMMON YELLOWTHROAT in the same spot as last Monday and another OCWA, both near Battery Steele.
An American Bittern sitting in the open in a tree, just a handful of yards away could have easily been the highlight of any birding weekend. But, this stellar start was just the tip of the iceberg of the weekend’s birding excitement.
It has been quite a few years since we had a weekend like this. Lots of birds, “mega” rarities, warm weather, and tons of excitement. It was truly a special weekend. We were honored to have been there for it.
The tour began on Friday, with only one participant joining me on the Hardy Boat. The island greeted us with a Lesser Black-backed Gull, which we scoped from the wharf, and several warblers at the usual spot uphill. But after getting the inside scoop from birders already on the island, we made a bee-line for the Ice Pond where an American Bittern was sitting all morning. Remarkably, however, it was sitting in a bush (see above)!
How’s that for starting a tour off right? We also immediately encountered Dickcissel and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and there were plenty of Yellow-rumped Warblers and Palm Warblers here and there.
After lunch, with our group now complete, the surprisingly good birding continued. Despite such a warm afternoon and few birds on the radar overnight on mostly a southwest wind aloft, we enjoyed an excellent introduction to Monhegan birding in the fall: 2 Clay-colored Sparrows with 2 immature White-crowned Sparrows, a Dickcissel, and several White-throated Sparrows in one field of view; a dozing Common Nighthawk trying to stay camouflaged on a wood pile, and another visit to the still-confiding American Bittern at the Ice Pond for those who arrived later. It was a solid afternoon overall, with bird activity continuing right up until dinnertime.
Cape May Warblers in a wide variety of plumages is always one of the highlights of any fall weekend on Monhegan
.Unfortunately, our best bird of the day was almost the one that got away. Almost! While viewing an Indigo Bunting in the Community Garden, a second bunting snuck into view, skulking. It briefly popped out, and I yelled “get photos” and then it popped back into the weeds and was not to be seen again.
“Did I see green?” I exclaimed, but it was so fleeting, and the light was so harsh, and the bird was so, so pale, I couldn’t be sure. I looked at photos on the back of cameras in the sun, and we had a good discussion on why this could have been a Painted Bunting. Unfortunately, I have little experience with first fall female (presumably) Painted Buntings and had no idea they could be this unbelievably drab. So I talked myself out of it.
Overnight, I received photos from Bill Thompson, who, an hour or two after we saw the bunting, also briefly saw and photographed it. “Is this a Painted Bunting?” he asked.
Yup, that really does have green on it, and on more than one side – in other words, not a reflection. Darn it. It counts for us – we all saw it – but in hindsight, we should have gotten the word out about a “possible/probable” Painted Bunting and had more eyes looking. Luckily, Bill was in the right place at the right time once again! But I felt like I had blown this one. I was too quick to dismiss it and so I decided I would have to make up for it over the rest of the weekend. Maybe the dry cold front that passed through on Friday evening and shifted the winds would help.
A very strong flight Friday night into Saturday morning on a diminishing northwesterly wind was idea for bringing birds to Monhegan Island come sunrise. And at first light, it was clear it was on!
The Morning Flight featured tons of Yellow-rumped Warblers with the occasional Palm and Blackpoll Warbler. Between the morning flight and our pre-breakfast stroll, we had a lot of birds: a couple of waves of Dark-eyed Juncos, bunches of Red-breasted Nuthatches, more Golden-crowned Kinglets and Purple Finches, insane views of Peregrine Falcons, 2 Dickcissels, 4 Baltimore Orioles, and lots of great views of lots of common species.
After breakfast, it remained fantastic. Just birds everywhere, and not surprisingly, some notable species began to be turned up. Our first “chase” was a Yellow-throated Warbler, our group arriving just in time before it took off.
Luckily, Dan Gardoqui and I stumbled upon it again while foraging for lunch, and I was able to round up several of the group members for improved views and photographs.
The American Bittern was now in the marsh, there were now three Dickcissels, 8 Baltimore Orioles, and a second, but definitively identified Indigo Bunting. No green one, unfortunately.
Not surprisingly on such a nice day, the afternoon was slower, as birds had departed the island early, or had now sought refuge in the shadows, especially with the continuing activity of Peregrines, Merlins, and Sharp-shinned Hawks. So, we checked some nooks and crannies, turning up a Nelson’s Sparrow at Lobster Cove and enjoying gliding Peregrine Falcons passing right in front of us from Burnt Head. We also took the time to enjoy butterflies, plants, and all other walks of life.
It was a delightful afternoon, but we returned to town to find we had missed out on a Western Kingbird. Luckily, a few of us caught up with it at dusk when it was refound near the Mooring Chain.
(phone-binned photo under low light)
So, it was a great day, and given the winds and weather, we expected it to be such. Then, with little to no movement overnight (at least visible on the radar), on a light south to southwest wind, we hoped for some birds to stick around from Saturday and perhaps be augmented by a rarity or two. At the very least, I wanted to show the Yellow-throated Warbler and Western Kingbird to the rest of the group, especially with a big turnover in participants for the second half of the weekend.
What we didn’t expect was to run out of superlatives before breakfast. We certainly did not expect it after viewing the Morning Flight, which consisted of exactly one American Pipit (and the big wandering flock of Cedar Waxwings, of course).
Once again, a bird was identified from photo review (what did we do before Instant Replay?!) and Bill Thompson and Jess Bishop had apparently discovered a Mega rare Bell’s Vireo on Saturday with only 4 accepted previous records for Maine. With such a slow morning flight, I decided to mix things up from my usual routine, head clockwise through my usual dawn loop, and give it a try to find the Bell’s. We stopped near where it was seen on Saturday, and chatted about the rarity, the identification, etc. “Holy shit, there it is!” I tried not to exclaim too loudly as the bird popped out right in front of us.
We observed it for about 10-15 minutes as it popped in and out of a brushy edge, focusing on feeding in young cherry trees with fall webworm clusters. Birders began to arrive from all directions, as the vireo kept coming in and out of view before flying right over our heads and disappearing deep into a dense thicket.
I’ll steal Bill Thompson‘s (with permission of course) Bell’s Vireo from this morning since he was standing next to us.
It was getting too crowded for our tastes, so we moved on and let others have the edge to monitor. We enjoyed Cedar Waxwings, Northern Flickers, and then took a moment to pause at our usual starting spot, at the spruces behind the Yew.
It was slow, and quiet, and so I was making sure we looked at everything, like the one solo warbler flying towards us from across the sky over the Trailing Yew. It then landed a short distance away, and I brought my binoculars up to it, assuming we had a close Yellow-rumped Warbler to talk about.
<expletives deleted>
A Black-throated Gray Warbler, with only 5 previous records from Maine, was there. Right there. We had some great looks and photo ops, called over a friend, and then watched it the herd of birders arrive and head out to follow it. What a lucky find! We were ecstatic. And we still hadn’t had breakfast! (See photos from tomorrow),
Wondering if the day could get any better – and pretty content if it did not – we reconvened after breakfast and headed in the opposite direction from the searching masses, as I am wont to do.
It worked again: we found one Lark Sparrow, and then another. How many Clay-colored Sparrows – 4? 8? More? An Orange-crowned Warbler at the Ice Pond, a fly-over Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Pine Warbler, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on every tree. So much for it being a slow day.
Another warm afternoon sent us into the woods for shade, immersing ourselves in a cacophony of Red-breasted Nuthatches, sprinkled with Golden-crowned Kinglets, and the occasional Red-eyed Vireo or other migrant. We took in the Fringed Gentian, the scenery, and finished strong with the 2 Lark Sparrows and 4 Clay-colored Sparrows together.
Today was a good day.
Monday, the fourth and final day of the tour began with excited anticipation with another strong flight overnight on a diminishing NW to W wind. But today, it was just too nice, and a lot of last night’s birds passed overhead resulting in just a light Morning Flight come sunrise. But there was a turnover of birds, and our morning walk added several things to our list including the Eastern Kingbird we finally caught up with, and another Orange-crowned Warbler. The highlight, however, of our pre-breakfast jaunt was a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk that flew to a spruce, plucked a cone off of an outer branch, and then proceeded to play with it! It would move it from its bill to its talons, and then it dropped it, chasing it down the tree. It then flew back up and grabbed another! What a remarkable insight into how a kid Sharpie gets better at hunting on its own.
After breakfast, the good Merlin show of the day continued, and we took time for a short gull identification workshop. Our first Ring-billed Gull out here was good to practice on, and we conveniently had three Lesser Black-backed Gulls: an adult and 2 first-cycle birds. But mostly, we worked through the difference between each age class of the common Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls.
We finally picked up a Northern Waterthrush- our 20th species of warbler on the weekend! But otherwise, it was pretty slow.
It was slow in the afternoon, too, but the Black-throated Gray Warbler had been refound just before we reconvened after lunch, and eventually we were all treated to much, much better views and photo ops than the morning before.
We then twitched a rare Common Buckeye butterfly and Lady’s Tresses orchids.
Our last new species of the trip was one of the last birds we observed together: a Yellow-billed Cuckoo eating American Dagger Moth and/or Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillars. Watching it whack the caterpillar on a twig to beat off its irritating hairs, we had another moment of insight into a bird’s world.
With the tour now complete, Jeannete and I enjoyed a delicious sunset and delightful food with friends and spotted an American Woodcock on our walk back.
And finished with another meal of Monhegan indulgence.
As usual, Jeannette and I then spent our Tuesday off together on the island. After a light morning flight, but another turnover of birds, we decided to spend most of the morning in the woods, ostensibly looking for a previously reported Black-backed Woodpecker. But mostly, we wanted to take a hike along the island’s less-visited north end. We added Winter Wren and an Ovenbird to our weekend list, enjoyed the silly amount of Red-breasted Nuthatches, and encountered several pockets of White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. Later, after lunch, we ran into a Black-billed Cuckoo, and a Spotted Sandpiper at the dock turned out to be our 100th and final bird of a truly exceptional weekend on Monhegan. We already cannot wait to return in May!
Species seen without the tour group during the tour:
*Denotes ferry only
9/26
9/27
9/28
9/29
Canada Goose
0
0
14
0
Blue-winged Teal
1
0
0
0
Mallard
15
20
20
20
American Black Duck
1
1
1
0
Common Eider
x
x
x
x
White-winged Scoter
1*
0
0
0
Ring-necked Pheasant
x
x
x
x
Mourning Dove
12
15
12
6
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO
0
0
0
1
Common Nighthawk
1
0
0
0
Semipalmated Plover
0
1
1
0
Solitary Sandpiper
1
0
0
0
Greater Yellowlegs
0
1
0
1
Black Guillemot
x
2
3
0
Laughing Gull
4*
0
0
0
Ring-billed Gull
0
0
0
1
Herring Gull
x
x
x
x
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
0
0
1
3
Great Black-backed Gull
x
x
x
x
Great Cormorant
1
1
2
1
Double-crested Cormorant
x
x
x
x
AMERICAN BITTERN
1
1
0
0
Osprey
1
3
1
0
Northern Harrier
0
1
0
2
Sharp-shinned Hawk
3
1
2
6
Belted Kingfisher
1
0
1
1
Red-bellied Woodpecker
0
0
1
0
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
8
20
15
20
Downy Woodpecker
0
1
1
1
Northern Flicker
6
10
6
8
American Kestrel
0
0
1
0
Merlin
4
8
6
5
Peregrine Falcon
6
20
3
7
WESTERN KINGBIRD
0
1
0
0
Eastern Kingbird
0
0
0
1
Eastern Wood-Pewee
6
8
1
1
Least Flycatcher
3
2
0
0
Eastern Phoebe
1
3
2
1
BELL’S VIREO
0
0
1
0
Blue-headed Vireo
2
4
3
0
Red-eyed Vireo
12
12
12
12
Blue Jay
8
8
3
3
American Crow
4
2
6
6
Common Raven
0
2
2
1
Black-capped Chickadee
x
x
x
x
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1
3
2
2
Golden-crowned Kinglet
0
20
10
6
Cedar Waxwing
80
80
80
80
Red-breasted Nuthatch
10
60
50
40
Brown Creeper
0
2
0
1
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
1
0
0
1
Carolina Wren
8
6
8
6
Gray Catbird
x
x
x
10
European Starling
14
14
14
13
Swainson’s Thrush
0
2
0
0
American Robin
0
4
1
0
American Pipit
1
6
2
2
Purple Finch
0
10
8
6
Pine Siskin
1
2
1
2
American Goldfinch
8
10
6
6
LARK SPARROW
0
0
2
1
Chipping Sparrow
2
2
10
2
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
3
3
6
1
Dark-eyed Junco
0
30
2
12
White-crowned Sparrow
2
1
2
0
White-throated Sparrow
12
60
10
20
Nelson’s Sparrow
0
1
0
0
Savannah Sparrow
1
4
4
1
Song Sparrow
x
x
x
x
Lincoln’s Sparrow
1
6
5
1
Swamp Sparrow
2
3
2
1
Bobolink
5
5
5
2
Baltimore Oriole
2
8
7
6
Rusty Blackbird
0
2
0
0
Common Grackle
3
3
3
3
Northern Waterthrush
0
0
0
1
Black-and-white Warbler
1
3
0
0
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
0
1
2
1
Nashville Warbler
1
1
0
0
Common Yellowthroat
4
8
8
6
American Redstart
3
4
1
1
Cape May Warbler
2
8
2
8
Northern Parula
3
6
1
0
Magnolia Warbler
0
1
0
0
Yellow Warbler
2
4
2
1
Chestnut-sided Warbler
0
1
0
0
Blackpoll Warbler
8
40
4
4
Black-throated Blue Warbler
0
3
0
0
Palm Warbler
20
60
4
4
Pine Warbler
0
0
1
0
Yellow-rumped Warbler
40
600
40
20
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER
0
1
0
0
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER
0
0
1
1
Black-throated Green Warbler
0
6
1
1
Wilson’s Warbler
1
2
0
0
Northern Cardinal
x
8
8
8
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
0
1
1
1
Indigo Bunting
1
1
3
2
PAINTED BUNTING
1
0
0
0
DICKCISSEL
2
3
1
1
Day total
67
80
69
68
Species added on Monday evening and Tuesday, with Jeannette:
Common Loon, Spotted Sandpiper, American Woodcock, Black-billed Cuckoo, Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Ovenbird (warbler #21!),
Tour total = 100 Total Weekend Total = 107
This winter wren was one of the last birds Jeannette and I added to the cumulative weekend list as we spent some time on our day off hiking the island’s north end.
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).
1 ROSS’S GOOSE, Thornhurst Farm/Prince Well Road, North Yarmouth, 5/5. Found by the Boardman family, there was discussion as to its ID. When I was sent photos on the morning of the 5/5, after being present for at least 3 days, I thought it was a “pure” Ross’s Goose. When Jeannette and I then visited the bird to observe it, we left with zero doubt. I posted a series of photos, a short video, and an explanation of the identification on this Facebook post.
1 female CERULEAN WARBLER, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, 5/6 (with Bill Thompson). Found earlier in the morning by Doug Hitchcox. Bill and I ran into each other on Eastern Road and then raced north together for the twitch. His photo is above. My (and most peoples’) first in Maine, this was #11 on my personal next birds in Maine list, and one that feels long overdue.
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.
Although there was a previous state record, few if any of us were expecting to have the chance to see a Willow Ptarmigan ever again in Maine. Fewer of us expected to see one taking refuge on a lawn chair, as this one did in the Small Point area of Phippsburg in late August.
It’s once again time for my annual Predictions Blog, where I view into my crystal binoculars and attempt to forecast some of the “new” birds to grace the State of Maine – and then my own personal state list – in the coming year.
I was busy this year. Lots of birding tours here in New England, vacations to the Dominican Republic and the Gaspe of Quebec, a scouting trip through the Gulf of Maine, an even further diminished interest in “chasing” when I am actually home, and a lot more time spent casually birdwatching on our property – more and more my time is spent observing whatever is in front of me, instead of searching for rarities. I didn’t even spend much time at Sandy Point this fall, although weather had a lot to do with that.
There are several reasons for this change of motivation, but that’s a blog for another day. I did put in some concerted effort during a wild fall “rarity season,” but for the most part, my yard list in Durham was the only real priority. A Yellow-throated Vireo on the intriguing date of 7/21 was our 153rd species here since we purchased the property a little more than 4 years ago. Not a bad start! A Gray Catbird that showed up today, January 2nd, as I wrote this, is our first winter record (of course), and a good sign for productive yard birding in the new year!
Two species were added to Maine’s list this year, a Ferruginous Hawk at the Auburn Airport on July 14th and an Anhinga in Somerville for 6 days in July. I saw neither. Both times we were in Quebec. I think it’s a sign.
While Ferruginous Hawk was only marginally on my radar, Anhinga had been relegated to the Honorable Mentions list as northern reports have really dried up for a spell. I was wrong.
So, neither of the first state records were on my list, but I will do a little reshuffling to add two recent splits to the list: Scopoli’s Shearwater and European Herring Gull.
Scopoli’s Shearwater – recently split by most authorities from Cory’s Shearwater – likely has already occurred here. I saw at least one set of photos from this past summer that looked good to me, but the identification is a challenge, and we’re only learning how to identify them semi-reliably in the field (study up!). But I have little doubt that if we looked at every past photo of Cory’s Shearwater that has been taken in Maine, coupled with renewed scrutiny of the pattern on the underwing of the outer primaries of recent and future birds, that this will soon be confirmed in Maine.
Likewise, “American Herring Gull” (that’s our bird) and “European Herring Gull” are now separate species. European Herring Gull is another cryptic species that has also likely already occurred here, but it is another challenging, cutting-edge identification made more challenging by the extensive variation exhibited by our bird. Add to this Vega Gull from Asia, hybrids, and well…my Gull ID Workshop is open for registration (although I will not yet dive down the rabbit hole of American vs European Herring Gull…we’ll spend more time with Herring Gull vs “damn seagull.”
So here’s my list of the Next 25 Species to be found in Maine:
Scopoli’s Shearwater
Neotropical Cormorant
European Herring Gull
Black-chinned Hummingbird
California Gull
Limpkin
Gray Heron
Bermuda Petrel
Graylag Goose
Little Stint
Audubon’s Shearwater
Common Shelduck
Anna’s Hummingbird
Heerman’s Gull
Common Ground-Dove
Allen’s Hummingbird
Spotted Redshank
Lewis’s Woodpecker
Ross’s Gull
Black-capped Petrel
Lesser Nighthawk
Dusky Flycatcher
Painted Redstart
Hooded Oriole
White Wagtail
As for me in 2024, I did add four species to my personal State List: Willow Ptarmigan (not on list), Tropical Kingbird (Honorable Mention), American White Pelican (#2), and Common Gull (#24).
The most surprising was the second state record of Willow Ptarmigan that Jeannette and I were lucky enough to catch up with in a private backyard in Phippsburg on August 28th. After being seen on Cliff Island in early May, it miraculously appeared in Phippsburg in a yard of a home that the friend of a birder was house sitting for! Then it showed up in a nearby yard where limited access was granted. Jeannette and I were in the right place at the right time when news broke, and were among the first to try out the arrangements and see then bird. Unfortunately, a couple of days later, the ptarmigan likely fell victim to an owl.
A Tropical Kingbird at the Skelton Dam Boat Launch in Dayton was found by a dog-walker and birdwatcher at the end of June, but news finally made it to the birding community in the middle of July, and I raced down to see it on the 18th. It has been on and off the Top 25 list for many years, but I’ve left it off for the last few. No complaints though, as the second modern, and third overall, state record was chaseable this time.
Later in the year, the birding community lost a great one with the passing of Davis Finch. Years ago, I would see Davis and Denny Abbott at a rarity, and they would be among the first people I would call when I found one (yup, we used to only call people to alert them to rarities!). Davis and I had a tradition where my final words as we were departing was always “See you at the ____” and pick a rarity. In fact, that might have even been the inspiration for this annual blog. This tradition became even more meaningful when I once left with “See you at the Ash-throated Flycatcher!” And a short time later, I found an Ash-throated Flycatcher (at the Saco Riverwalk, the second state record in November of 2006). Davis and Denny were the first to know, and I’ll never forget Davis saying “why the heck were you birding this dump?” as he offered congratulations on the find – a state bird for all (it has been cleaned up a lot since then and it has become a significant birding hotpsot). While there were plenty of other birds mentioned in between, for the last few years, it was always “see you at the Tropical Kingbird!” I heard someone say he was driven to Dayton to see the kingbird. I hope this is true…he really wanted that bird!
Moving on, I finally caught up with an American White Pelican on 8/26, conveniently close to home/work. Following a Saturday Morning Birdwalk, Kevin Harding and Brandon Baldwin stopped by Wharton Point in Brunswick on their respective ways home and found the pelican. They called the store (yup, phone calls still work), and I dropped what I was doing to head over. The bird was really far by the time I arrived, so Brandon and I walked down the Maquoit Bay Conservation Land trail for a closer look. A little while later, as other arrived, the pelican flew right over our heads for an incredible view!
And finally, after Common Gulls were found in Eastport in February and on Matinicus Rock in September, Evan Obercian found one much more conveniently located at the Samoset Resort in Rockland on Halloween. I was finally able to sneak away four long days later, getting to enjoy the bird on November 3rd.
Of course, I missed more than I saw, both with travel and a lessening interest in chasing. I missed a total of four Franklin’s Gulls (#1): Seapoint Beach in Kittery on 6/30, Hill’s Beach in Biddeford on 7/22, Sewall Beach on MDI on 9/14, and one in Wells on 9/15. I’ll catch up with these notorious one-day/hour wonders some day in Maine!
The aforementioned Anhinga and Ferruginous Hawks were not on my Top 25 list, nor was the Mountain Bluebird that was on Monhegan in early May – before twice-daily ferry service had begun. I did take a day trip with a friend for the heckuva it six days after it was last seen. There was also a Brown Booby (#6) that wasn’t chaseable on Seal Island in August, but had we not been in Quebec twice, it would have been a truly incredible birding year for me in Maine. Oh well, a weekend with friends and 100,000 Northern Gannets more than made up for it.
So with those hits and misses, my updated list of the Top 25 Next State Birds for Me is now:
Franklin’s Gull (will this finally be the year?)
Neotropic Cormorant
Brown Pelican
California Gull
Brown Booby
Crested Caracara
Slaty-backed Gull
Boreal Owl
Calliope Hummingbird
Graylag Goose
Cerulean Warbler
Gull-billed Tern
Pacific Golden-Plover
Limpkin
Wood Stork
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Brewer’s Blackbird
Yellow Rail
Scopoli’s Shearwater (undoubtably after further review of photos!)
Virginia’s Warbler
Western Wood-Pewee
Red-necked Stint
European Herring Gull
Gray Heron
Heerman’s Gull
Well there ya have it, let’s see what 2025 brings, at least when it comes to rare birds in Maine.
I think it’s about time for another Pacific Golden-Plover to show up here in Maine. This juvenile was photographed in Hawai’i.
I usually miss at least one “Mega” rarity whenever I go away, so I was pretty pleased that this Common Gull – found on 10/31 by Evan Obercian at the Samoset in Rockland – stuck around until we returned. I was able to see it on 11/3. It took a while, but when it eventually spread its wing, the species/subspecific ID became certain. Separated by the abundant Ring-billed Gulls by the smaller size, slightly darker back, and thin bill, we can rule out the West Coast Short-billed Gull by the length of the bill and the wing pattern. Separation from Kamchatka Gull is more challenging, but it wasn’t particularly dark, the head was lightly flecked with brown, and there’s a relatively distinct bill band. According to Ayyash (2024), the shorter gray tongues on the outer primaries, the large P9 window that connects with the large P10 window, and little to no white at the end of the tongue on P8 all suggest Larus canus canus (and not Kamchatka Gull).
It’s November, and that means “Rarity Season” and unlike recent Novembers, Rarity Season is off to a roaring start. Here are my observations of note over the past 6 days. Below, see the trip report for our 7-day birding cruise that included time in Maine waters.
Although I chase even less frequently these days, I did make time to go see one of the two COMMON GULLS at the Samoset in Rockland on 11/3. Photos and discussion above. Additionally, I caught up with the YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT that was found there that day, although I blew the photos. A “Western” Palm Warbler, several American Pipits, and 4 Horned Larks were also present.
1 Pine Warbler, Bailey Island, Harpswell, 11/5 (with Jeannette).
1 RED-EYED VIREO and 6 American Tree Sparrows (FOF), Trout Brook Preserve, South Portland, 11/7.
Biddeford Pool environs, 11/8:
1 BALTIMORE ORIOLE
1 PRAIRIE WARBLER
1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow
1 Rusty Blackbird
2 Lapland Longspurs
2 Greater Yellowlegs, 22 Black-bellied Plovers, and 26 Dunlin.
2 Northern Pintails
4 Hermit Thrushes and 1 Swamp Sparrow, etc.
Our Durham property is much quieter overall these days, but a few Red-winged Blackbirds have been around, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was present 11/5-6, our first Pine Siskin of the season at home visited on 11/5 and increasing daily since, and Dark-eyed Junco numbers have continued to grow. At least one each of Swamp and Savannah Sparrow continue.
TRIP REPORT
Last week, Jeannette and I boarded a Princess Cruises ship in New York City to unofficially survey for rarities and things like Great Skua. The entire trip report is here, but our highlights from Maine specifically included:
1 RED-EYED VIREO, 2 Orange-crowned Warblers, 2 Field Sparrows, etc, Eastern Promenade, Portland, 10/29. Yes, we took a cruise only to go home!
Passerine FALLOUT, 10/30. Awoke to birds on deck before dawn. 16.5 nautical miles southeast of Mt. Desert Rock. 12 species of passerines, led by 8++ Yellow-rumped Warblers but also including 1 Rusty Blackbird, 1 “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow, 1 Snow Bunting, and perhaps most surprisingly, 7 European Starlings. Another birder on board photographed a Pine Warbler.
Very little time was spent in daylight in Maine waters, unfortunately, but we did have a couple of Northern Fulmars in Maine waters very early on the 30th.
It might not “count,” but the Ring-necked Pheasants on Monhegan are iconic!
Approaching the island on Friday, 9/27, the fog was rapidly lifting on the mainland, and the skies were clearing. High seas from the previous days were steadily diminishing. An offshore fogbank reduced our chances to see many birds during the boatride, but by the time we reach the island, the sun was shining through.
Things seemed fairly slow, but there were birds here and there. One single bush hosted all three Melospizas: Lincoln’s, Swamp, and Song Sparrows, and one of the tarrying Baltimore Orioles soon joined them. It was a relaxed start to the weekend, affording us time to check in and enjoy lunch before returning to the birding.
We don’t just look at rare birds, we study the common ones…at least on a slow day! Like this cooperative Song Sparrow
The afternoon was quite slow, as expected from the preceding nights with little or no migration on unfavorable winds, but we had birds to look at: Yellow-rumped Warblers sallying for midges at the top of spruces, scattered assorted sparrows, lots of great Merlin performances, and no shortage of Ring-necked Pheasants.
As usual for the end of September, Yellow-rumped Warblers were the most abundant migrant. This one was nicely demonstarting what makes it a “Myrtle Warbler.”
As the sun set, a huge flight was taking off and continued throughout the night. Very light northwesterly winds overnight were a little lighter than I would have preferred, but there was just a massive amount of birds on the move, and a great Morning Flight on Saturday morning to start our day was indicative of that.
The radar return was huge overnight, with lots of birds on the move. We did wonder, however, if that blob over the Mid-Coast was an isolated shower…or perhaps it was “Independence Day!“
Yellow-rumped Warblers filled the air, with handfuls of Blackpoll Warblers and a small number of Northern Parulas. After the morning flight settled down, the rest of our am was also very good. While the very light winds allowed much of the birds partaking in the Morning Flight to leave the island, there were plenty of birds remaining on the island to be seen. In addition to Yellow-rumps, there was a good arrival of White-throated and other sparrows, and pockets of activity were sifted through, producing a wide array of fun birds.
A Dickcissel in the community farm and a total of 6-7 Baltimore Orioles nearby were soon trumped when a first fall female Mourning Warbler actually walked into the open for all to see (for a change) …on a plywood garden table nonetheless! We found a Clay-colored Sparrow feeding amongst Chipping Sparrows, discovered a rather rare on the island Pine Warbler, and enjoyed a nice variety of the expected seasonal migrants.
Clay-colored SparrowClay-colored Sparrow with a molting juvenile Chipping Sparrow in the foreground.
Lovely weather all day encouraged us to enjoy an afternoon on Burnt Head, were we picked up a tardy Chestnut-sided Warbler and a rather rare in the fall on the island juvenile Ring-billed Gull. We also noticed a lot more Red-eyed Vireos during the course of the day, with many at and below eye level.
While a rare Yellow-crowned Night-Heron called over the harbor at nightfall, I was wandering on my own so it doesn’t count for the group, unfortunately. I was still pleasantly surprised by it, and it punctuated the calls of songbirds departing the island.
Luckily, a moderate flight occurred throughout the night (the overall intensity was a little obscured by fog on the radar images) on light west winds that had become calm by morning. Those calm and cooling conditions allowed fog to roll back in, and the Morning Flight was just a trickle to start on Sunday morning, our last morning together.
However, once the sun burned through, birds were in the air and appearing out of nowhere, and the birding really picked up. In flight, it was mostly Yellow-rumped Warblers, but there were more Palm Warblers involved today. We began finding “new” species for the trip list, like a Cape May Warbler, some recently-arrived American Robins, and we enjoyed watching a swirling flock of 16 migrant Black-capped Chickadees.
Late Blackburnian Warbler
After breakfast, the birding was overall quite a bit slower than Saturday, but the quantity was replaced by quality! An Orange-crowned Warbler at the Ice Pond, a continuing female Dickcissel in the cul-de-sac, two different Clay-colored Sparrows. Pockets of activity offered up nice views of a male Cape May Warbler, a few Blackpoll Warblers, and then we found not one, but 3 Nelson’s Sparrows in the Lobster Cove meadow – one even perched conspicuously enough to be viewed by all!
Nelson;s Sparrow sitting in what passes for “the open” with this species!Dickcissel
As the group trickled home, the last participants standing joined me in a little longer hike from Lobster Cove to Burnt Head, which yielded two Lesser Black-backed Gulls, more Great Cormorants, and yet another Orange-crowned Warbler to bring the official tour to a productive conclusion.
I remained on the island overnight, and with light southerly winds and a return of the fog, there was very little in Morning Flight and to start the day. But the day had a “rarity” feel to it (southwest winds overnight will do that!), and my Rarity Fever was soon stoked by a wayward Yellow-billed Cuckoo that sat still for me, gaining the first rays of sunshine of the morning, in a small tree in the Monhegan House lawn. Two Rusty Blackbirds were foraging on the lawn, and once the sun came up, a few more Yellow-rumped Warblers began to appear.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
But as Jessica Bishop and I began a post-breakfast search, the What’s App began to ping. Ken and Sue Feustel had just found an Ash-throated Flycatcher on Wharton Ave, and we did a quick 180 and began the march back across town. The ample Trailing Yew breakfast was weighing on me, however, so my speed could have been improved. Nonetheless, the bird had disappeared before we arrived, so we fanned out to search.
After a short spell, I relocated the bird behind the Trailing Yew, and Jess rushed over and we began photographing it as the rest of the island’s remaining birders convened, including Donna the last member of my to depart. And she was quite happy with the decision to linger to say the least! (The tour was officially over, so this gem doesn’t count for the official triplist…darn!)
We studied the flycatcher, and I made sure to get a shot of the tail that would be adequate for identification confirmation (to rule out an even rarer Myiarchus flycatcher). Here, you can see the outer tail feather on one side, showing the dark brown of the outer web intruding into the end of the inner web – diagnostic for Ash-throated.
This was my 227th Monhegan Bird, and the island’s 3rd-ever, of this southwestern vagrant. What a bird!
While the rest of the day was a little anticlimactic from a birding perspective, Jeannette arrived and we set out to search for the now-missing Ash-throat and whatever else we might stumble upon. Two Clay-colored Sparrows were now together, one of the Orange-crowned Warblers was still at the Ice Pond, and at least one Nelson’s Sparrow was still at Lobster Cove. At dusk, two Wilson’s Snipe launched out of the town marsh, and at sunset, a migrant Great Blue Heron flew over. No sign of the Ash-throat for the rest of the day, unfortunately.
Orange-crowned WarblerPeregrine Falcon
On Tuesday, Jeannette and I awoke to a strong flight on the overnight radar image, but as expected on a north to north-east wind by dawn, only fairly a light Morning Flight occurred. Made up of at least 95% Yellow-rumped Warblers, it was a little busier than I expected, but it ended by about 7:00am. Granted, at least two hunting Peregrine Falcons may have had something to do with that.
We watched a Wilson’s Snipe evading a Merlin in flight, and some more new species for the weekend were overhead, including a Horned Lark, an Osprey, and a Semipalmated Plover. There were at least a half-dozen American Pipits in morning flight, and a new-to-us Brown Thrasher put in an appearance.
Red-eyed Vireo
After breakfast, it was exceeding slow, but we did have a Dickcissel in the garden, and a Scarlet Tanager joined the remaining Baltimore Orioles in the grapes. But most of our morning was spent chasing a reported Yellow-headed Blackbird (seen by two and never again) and Will Russell briefly relocated the Ash-throated Flycatcher – which looked much healthier today and was much more active. In other words, it was soon once again melting away into the scrub. It kept us occupied until it was time to depart, however.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
A very pleasant boat ride back to the mainland for Jeannette and I was far too nice to produce any seabirds of note, but it was a lovely way to finish up a delightful and fruitful fall weekend.
Here’s the official tour checklist:
27-Sept
28-Sept
29-Sept
American Black Duck
0
0
1
Mallard
8
12
16
Green-winged Teal
0
0
1
Common Eider
x
x
x
Black Scoter
0
0
8
Ring-necked Pheasant
15
15
25
Mourning Dove
10
15
12
Black Guillemot
x
x
x
Laughing Gull
8*
0
2
Ring-billed Gull
0
1
0
Herring Gull
x
x
x
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
0
0
2
Great Black-backed Gull
x
x
x
Common Loon
1*
0
0
Northern Gannet
2*
0
1
Double-crested Cormorant
x
x
x
Great Cormorant
0
1
5
Bald Eagle
2*
0
1
Sharp-shinned Hawk
2
4
4
Belted Kingfisher
1
0
1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
0
20
20
Downy Woodpecker
2
4
3
Northern Flicker
3
15
15
Merlin
6
8
6
Peregrine Falcon
2
3
4
Eastern Phoebe
0
3
3
Blue-headed Vireo
0
3
4
Red-eyed Vireo
1
30
25
Blue Jay
9
13
9
American Crow
4
4
4
Common Raven
0
1
1
Black-capped Chickadee
x
x
30
Golden-crowned Kinglet
4
15
40
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
2
10
20
Cedar Waxwing
30
40
40
Red-breasted Nuthatch
2
8
6
Brown Creeper
0
4
4
House Wren
0
1
0
Carolina Wren
5
10
10
Gray Catbird
10
x
x
Northern Mockingbird
2
2
3
European Starling
x
26
26
Hermit Thrush
0
1
0
American Robin
0
0
2
American Pipit
0
3
3
Purple Finch
0
4
5
American Goldfinch
10
10
8
Chipping Sparrow
0
10
12
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
0
1
2
Dark-eyed Junco
0
4
2
White-throated Sparrow
15
50
60
NELSON’S SPARROW
0
0
3
Savannah Sparrow
1
6
10
Song Sparrow
x
x
x
Lincoln’s Sparrow
1
5
4
Swamp Sparrow
2
15
20
Rusty Blackbird
0
4
2
Common Grackle
2
20
20
Baltimore Oriole
2
7
6
Northern Waterthrush
0
1
0
Black-and-white Warbler
0
0
3
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
0
0
2
Nashville Warbler
0
3
0
American Redstart
0
1
0
MOURNING WARBLER
0
1
0
Common Yellowthroat
0
8
10
Cape May Warbler
0
1
3
Northern Parula
1
15
15
Blackburnian Warbler
0
0
2
Yellow Warbler
0
2
1
Chestnut-sided Warbler
0
1
1
Blackpoll Warbler
6
25
15
Black-throated Blue Warbler
0
0
1
Palm Warbler
1
30
20
PINE WARBLER
0
2
1
Yellow-rumped Warbler
20
150
100
Black-throated Green Warbler
0
10
3
Wilson’s Warbler
0
1
0
Northern Cardinal
8
10
6
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1
0
1
Indigo Bunting
0
1
1
DICKCISSEL
1
1-2
1
Day Total
44
68
73
Warbler day total
4
15
14
3-Day Tour total=
81
Plus with Jeannette after the group and on my own =
13
Total warblers =
19+1
Molting juvenile Cedar Waxwing learning how to eat Winterberry.
And the additional species seen by me without the group, on Monday, and on Tuesday:
Monhegan’s third Ash-throated Flycatcher was found by Ken and Sue Feustel on Monday, September 30th. I was lucky enough to relocate it a short time later and snag these photos. Despite much searching, only one observer saw it on 10/1, but it is likely still on the island but having recovered, moving around widely. It was not in great shape, with a real tattered plumage, but as the morning went on it continued to feed and look healthier. Although one half of the tail is tattered, the photo below shows the diagnostic pattern in the outer tail feathers, where the dark brown from the outer web wraps around to the end of the inner web. This feature eliminates an even rarer Myiarchus flycatcher, which was important given the rather early date of this individual.
My birding this week included five wonderful days on Monhegan, and two very productive mornings on our Durham property.
My observations of note from Monhegan included (full trip report with photos soon):
1 YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (calling after dark; not with group)
9/29 (with Monhegan Fall Migration Tour group):
2 Orange-crowned Warblers
2 Clay-colored Sparrows
3 Nelson’s Sparrows (ssp subvirgatus)
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
9/30 (on my own and then with Jeannette):
1 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1 ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (see photos and notes above)
2 Clay-colored Sparrows
1 Orange-crowned Warbler
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
2 Wilson’s Snipe
10/1 (with Jeannette):
2 Dickcissels
1 Scarlet Tanager
1 Wilson’s Snipe and 1 Semipalmated Plover
Highlights from the yard included 8+ Lincoln’s Sparrows and a late Nashville Warbler on 9/26, while on the morning of 10/2, 70+ Swamp Sparrows, a continuing Indigo Bunting, and a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks were among the birds present.
Lincoln’s Sparrows have been quite common in our yard all week, offering ample photo ops.
UPCOMING TOURS:
Our annual half-day pelagic with our partners Cap’n Fish’s Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor is only 1 ½ weeks away! Join us on this annual favorite on October 14th – a nice, late date that should put us more in the season of things like Great Skua. More info and link to registration is here.
A few spaces remain on our Birds on Tap! – The Boat Trip! To House Island in Casco Bay on Sunday, October 20th. More info here.
This Tropical Kingbird, a long-overdue third state record, was discovered at the Skelton Dam Boat Launch in Dayton. Many of us saw it on the morning of 7/18, but it may have been present for nearly three weeks before being identified!
It’s been a busy 12 days, with a weekend in Quebec City and summertime human visitors. Of course, the last day in Quebec City was when the Ferruginous Hawk was 20 minutes from our home. Oh well…brunch was absolutely fantastic. Sadly, life and work minimized my birding during this period, despite a suite of rarities now appearing around the Northeast. Luckily, I did have a couple of good mornings in the field before we head out on our summer vacation, including hours of quality time with a Tropical Kingbird in Dayton that was happily identified while I was around and somehow free of responsibilities for the morning! I wonder what will show up while we are gone this time!?
Both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos have been calling on our Durham property all week.
2-3 Grasshopper Sparrows, Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport, Auburn, 7/15 (with Doug Hitchcox et all).
1 continuing TROPICAL KINGBIRD, Skelton Dam Boat Launch, Dayton, 7/18 (with m’obs). Third state record, first chase-able. Long overdue state bird for me! After years of expecting, predicting, and looking for one, in my frustration, I pulled it off my “Next 25 Predictions List” and so I don’t get any credit for this one. I still enjoyed it though. Photo above, and video here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/4qyGf1VSmw1wpSon/
The salt pannes along the Eastern Road Trail in Scarborough Marsh are exceptional right now due to low water levels. On the morning of the 19th, a few of the tallies included 125+ Snowy and 50+ Great Egrets; 50+ Glossy Ibis; and 20+ Great Blue Herons. Shorebird numbers included a nice number of Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers; 50+ Greater and 30+ Lesser Yellowlegs; 16 Short-billed Dowitchers; and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers (FOF). Of course the highlight for me, however, was “Patches Jr, Jr” – the proposed HYBRID TRICOLORED HERON x SMALL WHITE EGRET(S) SPP back for another year. In fact, it’s already year 12 of this complex here. Unfortunately, it was too far for photos today. For more information, see: North American Birds, Volume 72: No 2, pp 28-40.
Maine Birding Field Notes 