I expected only the usual early migrants, maybe even a newly-arrived Yellow-rumped or Palm Warbler, in an early morning visit with Ian to Yarmouth’s Bayview Preserve today. But, it just goes to show you, when birding, you need to expect the unexpected.

Walking the trail through the woods, I heard a very odd song emanating from the marsh. I knew that I had heard it before, but I couldn’t place it, and I immediately knew that it wasn’t something to be expected here. We headed into the marsh, towards an island of cattails that the song seemed to be coming from.

A bird briefly flitted into view. A sparrow. A slightly longer look provided the views necessary for identification. Short, spiky tail, flat head, and large bill placed the bird in the Genus Ammodramus. But, the fairly large size; dark grayish-brown coloration over most of the bird; very dark, thick streaks on the underside; a white throat highlighted by a blackish submoustacial stripe; and a splash of yellow in front of the eye. A SEASIDE SPARROW?!

Wait, it’s April, I’m in Maine, I’m at Bayview Preserve. Am I sure? A few more looks sealed the deal, and I dialed my cell phone to get the word out. This was a very good bird indeed!

Seaside Sparrows are normally found in salt marsh habitat from Plum Island, Massachusetts, south to Florida, and also on the Gulf Coast. A few breed in marshes of New Hampshire, but they are very rare farther north. Every now and then a pair or two will be found breeding in Scarborough Marsh and possibly other Southcoastal marshes. But, they are not seen every year. And, normally, they are found in May or June as vagrants (likely overshooting migrants). So, a month early, and rather out of place in this relatively small patch of brackish marsh – in fact, the bird was singing, and usually taking cover in a patch of cattails.

This was the first one in a few years in the state, I believe, and it was the first one that I have seen in Maine. It’s been a while since I have seen one anywhere, although I did hear some on last year’s World Series of Birding in New Jersey (they’re locally common in the Jersey Shore saltmarshes).

“Good bird!”