On Thursday, Glenn and Maryanne and I visited Monhegan Island. It was a short, one-night trip, but the weather, and the birding cooperated with us, providing two very good days of birding. It certainly wasn’t the things that the Monhegan birding legend is made of, but we had some quality birds, and good volume.

Nearing the island from Port Clyde on Thursday, a pair of Bald Eagles passed in front of the both, the noticeably larger female carrying what looked to be a Common Eider. When we arrived on the island, we hit the ground running, and immediately began to tally migrants – and state birds for Glenn – along “Main Street,” Ice Pond, etc. Apparently, a great warbler flight occurred overnight, and the birds that arrived on the island’s southern end at daybreak, were working their way through the island. Although the quantity of migrants that had arrived had by now dispersed throughout the island, we did not miss any of the species that had been recorded that day as part of this recent wave of birds (by the end of the second day). A female Orchard Oriole, a great look at a Philadelphia Vireo, and a very late “Yellow” Palm Warbler were “good bird” highlights, but it was simply great to see 18 species of warblers in one day – all after 12:00pm! (If you count the Ovenbird and Pine Warbler we had in my backyard in the morning, I reached my goal of seeing 20 species of warblers in a day at least once each spring)

We were excited for Friday morning, as southwest winds continued overnight. However, beginning at Lobster Cove at dawn, we did not see a single passerine arrive. Two Black-bellied Plovers on the “beach” at Lobster Cove were good birds in spring here (according to the new “Birds of Monhegan Island” checklist by Peter Vickery that we have published!). However, as we worked the woods, “beating the bush,” it was clear that there was a bit of turnover. There was a much larger percentage of female warblers than the day before, and a few species had increased in numbers overnight (such as Bobolinks and Eastern Kingbirds). But, for the most part, there were many fewer birds around, and our higher tallies (below) for many species reflect a longer day of birding.

In all, we recorded 90 species between 12:00pm on Thursday and 4:30pm on Friday, including 20 species of warblers. Our totals for each day (Thurs/Fri.) are listed below, mostly estimates for the common species. The # means there were either too many to count (i.e. Herring Gull) or I didn’t bother even estimating (i.e. European Starling).

Wood Duck: 0/3
Mallard: 10/10
American Black Duck: 0/2
Mallard x Am. Black Duck hybrid: 1/2.
Common Eider: #/#
Red-breasted Merganser: 0/6.
Ring-necked Pheasant: 5/5
Red-throated Loon: 0/1
Common Loon: 1/1
Northern Gannet: 1/40
Double-crested Cormorant: #/#
Green Heron: 0/1-2
Bald Eagle: 2/2
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1/0
Merlin: 1/0
Peregrine Falcon: 1/0
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER: 2/0
Spotted Sandpiper: 2/2
Laughing Gull: 6/20+
Herring Gull: #/#
Great Black-backed Gull: #/#
Black Guillemot: 15/30+
Mourning Dove: 5/6
Rock Pigeon: 0/1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 1/1
Eastern Wood-Pewee: 1/3
Willow Flycatcher: 0/1
Least Flycatcher: 6/1
Eastern Phoebe: 1/2
Eastern Kingbird: 1/5
Blue-headed Vireo: 2/1
PHILADELPHIA VIREO: 1/0
Red-eyed Vireo: 30+/20+
Blue Jay: 20+ /50+
American Crow: #/#
Common Raven: 4/2-4
PURPLE MARTIN: 0/2 females.
Tree Swallow: 2/0
Barn Swallow: 10/4
Black-capped Chickadee: 6/#
Red-breasted Nuthatch: 15+/15+
Winter Wren: 2/3
Golden-crowned Kinglet: 1/8
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 2/2
Hermit Thrush: 0/2
American Robin: 10+/10+
Gray Catbird: #/#
Northern Mockingbird: 1/1
Brown Thrasher: 2/1
European Starling: #/#
Cedar Waxwing: 25/60
Tennessee Warbler: 1/1
Nashville Warbler: 1/1
Northern Parula: 30+/15+
Yellow Warbler: 25+/25+
Chestnut-sided Warbler: 8/10+
Magnolia Warbler: 15+/10+
Black-throated Blue Warbler: 3/2
Yellow-rumped Warbler: 10/4
Black-throated Green Warbler: 20+/10+
Blackburnian Warbler: 0/7
YELLOW PALM WARBLER: 1 (late)/0
Bay-breasted Warbler: 1/5+
Blackpoll Warbler: 5/6+
Black-and-white Warbler: 2/2
American Redstart: 40+/10+
Ovenbird: 0/2.
Northern Waterthrush: 1/3
Common Yellowthroat: 15+/15+
Wilson’s Warbler: 10+/8
Canada Warbler: 4/2
Scarlet Tanager: 3/3
Eastern Towhee: 1/2
Chipping Sparrow: 10/#
Field Sparrow: 0/1
Savannah Sparrow: 5/2
Song Sparrow: 10+/10
Swamp Sparrow: 0/1
White-throated Sparrow: 2/3
White-crowned Sparrow: 2/0
Northern Cardinal: 3/3
Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 3/2
Indigo Bunting: 1/0
Bobolink: 1/6+
Red-winged Blackbird: 10+/#
Common Grackle: 15+/#
Brown-headed Cowbird: 1/1
ORCHARD ORIOLE: 1 female
Baltimore Oriole: 12+/8
American Goldfinch: 5/4

“Misses:” One immature ICELAND GULL, one very sporadic male BLUE GROSBEAK.