I just couldn’t resist the urge to make another visit to Fort Foster in Kittery. Yeah, I know I said my rarity fever was cured, but well, I lied. Rarity Fever is incurable!

With my friend Sean visiting for a night and morning of birding on his way home, we decided to spend the day in the Kittery area. Although Sean will be seeing Cave Swallows in his back yard in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley in a week or so, he certainly was excited about seeing one astray here in Maine. Plus, there’s been some other great birds there (Black-headed Gulls in particular, a species rapidly becoming a nemesis for me in the state!) and Fort Foster is such a great place to bird, that it seemed like an ideal outing for the morning (plus it’s one hour less of driving for Sean in the afternoon!)

We arrived at Fort Foster at about 7:45. It was butt-cold (scientific term). We spent over an hour waiting for a Cave Swallow to appear, but alas, none were to be seen. Were the Cave Swallows still in their roost? Did they migrate south? Did they survive the night?

Fort Foster always holds a surprise or two, and today was no different - a late Marsh Wren, 4 migrant Eastern Bluebirds, 2 high-flying Common Ravens (unusual along the immediate coast this far south), and two late Red-winged Blackbirds. But, we left Fort Foster swallow and Black-headed Gull-less and headed to Seapoint Beach. We stopped at a neighborhood feeder that some incredible birds have been reported from, but we only saw the usual cast of characters – although it was a very birdy place. Over at Seapoint: no swallows or Black-headed Gulls there either, but a high flying migrant Osprey was a surprise – about a month later than the last one that I have seen. That, and a trickle of Sharp-shinned Hawks over the distant treeline was a sign that raptor migration was not yet completely over.

Back at Fort Foster as the tide came in (hoping to see a Black-headed Gull or two within the flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls that build there to feed at high tide), I notice Don’s car in the parking lot. Sean and I got to the beach, and were enjoying the Bonaparte’s Gulls (and looking for the Black-headed) when I spotted Don up ahead, rounding the corner. Sean, and the scope, stayed behind, while I ran to catch up to say hello of course – but really to find out what they had seen! No Swallows for Bob and Don either, but as we were yapping, a bird flies by. CAVE SWALLOW!!! The bird zips by, only about 25 feet away, just over the rocks, hurdling at about 20-30 miles per hour and in a split second it rounds the corner, heading towards Sean.

In that split second, I got my binoculars on the bird, seeing one twist into the wind to see its undersides to verify the identification. Don got on it long enough to see its pale rump, and Bob was left saying, ‘Well, I did SEE the BIRD . . .”

I run to the corner, and look to the beach, where we assumed it was heading to feed (on the kelp flies finally emerging from the thawing wrack). But, it wasn’t there. We called to Sean, “Did you see it?” “See what?” was the reply. The Cave Swallow never did round the corner. Where did it go? It must of flew across the river and headed to New Hampshire. It makes sense – it was getting cold, and if it didn’t leave for warmer climes it wasn’t going to make it. When we saw it (however briefly that was) it was certainly on the move, and not dilly-dallying looking for brunch. As much as we wanted to see it again, we all admitted we felt happy that it was heading in the “right” direction again. Swallows are diurnal migrants, and this bird was on its way home (?). Winds shifted to the northwest and began to usher in cool air in the afternoon yesterday. There were no reports (positive or negative) of Cave Swallows in the afternoon in Kittery yesterday (although they were seen in the morning at Fort Foster), so it is more than conceivable that the group of 5 that had been hanging out there left in the afternoon, and this was another (“new”) bird also heading south.

Although the flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls on the beach now enumbered about 100 birds, no Black-headed Gulls arrived, and so Sean (who had to hit the road) and I (who had to show up for work!) headed out and grabbed some lunch. We dined at Cap’n Simeon’s Galley for lunch (Because: 1. Sean wanted a salad and I couldn’t think of anywhere else nearby. 2. We could sit by the window and watch for Cave Swallows and Black-headed Gulls to fly by), and 3. We have a mutual friend from Alaska – a Captain named Simeon - so it seemed more than appropriate!)

No Swallows or Black-headed Gulls during lunch (but the potato skins were quite good), and then the phone rang. It was Don. I answered it with dread. No swallow, but a Forster’s Tern – a good bird, especially in November - and a potential state bird for me landed briefly with the Bonaparte’s Gulls before it took off across the river. Darn. Sean and I said our goodbyes, and we headed in our separate directions.

As soon as I arrived back at the store, Don called again. And once again, I picked it up with dread. Not only had a Black-headed Gull shown up at Fort Foster, but now they were at Short Sands Beach in York Beach, where another Cave Swallow had just passed by! This was a “long” look of about 15 seconds – but a high quality look - as it briefly foraged over the wrackline before also continuing south.

Is this the last of the Great Northeast Cave Swallow Irruption of 2005? (With the falling mercury, I hope they are all on there way back south!). If it is the last of the birds (for me anyway), I can’t complain – I had two sightings myself –neither great, but both exciting – and besides, I’ll be looking at Cave Swallows in Sean’s backyard in a couple of months!