Admittedly, I haven’t spent quite as much time birding in the last few weeks as usual – relatively speaking of course. Between the trip to NJ and a very exciting Tour de France, I have not spent ALL morning out in the field EVERY day. However, a mid-summer case of rarity fever, has certainly put quality over quantity for this month. And, if your rarity fever has yet to be satiated, there’s always the Black-tailed Godwit in Plum Island, Mass,or the Red-necked Stint in Connecticut, not to mention the Western Reef-Heron in Nova Scotia. (All three, by the way are Eurasian species, so one has to wonder if their occurrence is related – and if so, what other Euros could be out there?)

Meanwhile, for the last few mornings, I have taken short visits to various local parks: Hedgehog Mountain on Friday, Dragon Field with my store’s Birdwalk group on Saturday, and a 4-mile stroll around Pownal this morning. One thing is for sure, is that birdsong is again on the increase. While some species, such as American Goldfinches and < ahref="http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=cedar+waxwing" target="new">Cedar Waxwings are just now nesting, others are also singing again. Some birds will reclaim territories for a second nesting attempt, and others – with most parental duties behind them - will once again break into song.

One species, however, that really never quiets down are good ol’ Red-eyed Vireos. No matter how hot, no matter how late in the summer, no matter what time of day, Red-eyed Vireos seem to always be singing. While it may not be considered the most beautiful song out there, it can always be counted on to break up the mid-summer drown of the Deer Flies circling around your head!

Although I hate to leave off with a depressing story, it’s been another miserable breeding season on seabirds in the Pacific. Warm waters have again disrupted the food chain that supplies many of our pelagic species with nourishment for themselves and their young. One has to wonder if a similar event in the Atlantic has been the reason, or at least part of the reason, for the relative plethora of southern terns in Maine this summer.