I was a bit torn as to where to bird this morning. The calm winds overnight certainly allowed migrant passerines to move. Do I hit the woods? If the wind remains calm, do I head up to Bradbury Mountain? But . . . the winds are due to be onshore, that means better seawatching. Therefore, I decided to head to Biddeford Pool to begin the day seawatching, and to finish the morning looking for landbirds in the neighborhood.

I didn’t sit down at East Point Sanctuary until 7:35. I wish I had got there sooner! A moderate northeast wind was helping push seabirds close to shore, and scoters were really on the move. I found a comfortable spot to sit, and buried my face in my scope.

Small to moderate-sized flocks of Black and Surf Scoters were on the move. A group of Double-crested Cormorants or Red-breasted Mergansers would pass now and again. A steady trickle of Northern Gannets – all adult – steadily worked their way north, as did a handful of Common and Red-throated Loons. I tallied 829 individuals of 16 species of waterbirds moving north between 7:35 and 9:05 this morning, a decent late-April tally on less-than-prime winds. (Complete totals below).

The stronger-than-expected northeast wind did not result in as many songbirds in the area as I had hoped, but I was very pleased to see two Blue-gray Gnatcatchers along the edge of Great Pond. Reaching the northern limits of their range in Maine, and only very localized breeders, it is always a treat to see these little sprites. An “Ipswich” Savannah Sparrow was on Biddeford Pool Beach, and two more were behind Hattie’s Deli. This larger, paler subspecies breeds only on Cape Sable Island off of Nova Scotia and is an uncommon migrant along the coast of Maine.

I would expect a good flight of songbirds tonight, as winds should be calm, and birds will likely be moving ahead of the approaching low. Next week doesn’t look so nice though, except for more seawatching!

Here’s the tally from the seawatch this morning:
American Black Duck: 8
Green-winged Teal: 9
Common Eider: 32 (with many more on the water)
Surf Scoter: 128
White-winged Scoter: 13
Black Scoter: 458
Unidentified “dark-winged” scoter: 81
Long-tailed Duck: 36
Red-breasted Merganser: 49
Unidentified Duck: 36
Red-throated Loon: 7
Common Loon: 14
Northern Gannet: 37
Double-crested Cormorant: 114
Great Cormorant: 1
Great Blue Heron: 1
Laughing Gull: 1
Black Guillemot: 5