. . . Or at least that what you tell yourself when you MISS the bird you were looking for.

Jeannette and I decided to make a run down to Plum Island in Massachusetts for the vagrant Black-tailed Godwit that has been hanging out there. It’s a third (I think) record for the Bay State, and there are only a couple of other records (at most) for the rest of New England. In other words, it’s a darn good bird.

I have seen one during my time working as a tour guide on St. Paul Island, Alaska, so it was not a life bird. But, it was a potential lifer for Jeannette, and it is of a subspecies that I have not seen. Plus, we are always looking for an excuse to hit Plum Island during shorebird migration.

We arrived at about 8:00am, and the bird has not yet been seen. We waited for a while – it has been frequenting a section of salt pannes along the road, not far south of the entrance – but no godwit. We made a run down to see what shorebirds were feeding at the Bill Forward Pool, but the light was already bad there (we were looking into the sun at the majority of the birds). Plus, the pools are better at a higher tide.

So, it was back to the godwit spot. No dice – but luckily, we didn’t “just miss it,” the worst thing a birder can hear. After a spell – including a brief look at a Stilt Sandpiper (a bird we don’t see that often in Maine) and a family of fuzzy Gadwall ducklings – we checked the Stage Island Pool. More shorebirds, but again, the light wasn’t great (shorebirding, from a lighting perspective, is best at Plum in the very early morning, or late afternoon).

Back to the Godwit spot. No bird. Somehow, it was already noon, so we decided it was time to head back north. Neither of us were complaining – much – although Jeannette did let out her usual, “This is why I don’t chase birds” quip, and we did have a brief discussion on how stupid birding can be. On the other hand, we did enjoy the morning – the light breeze even kept the greenheads at bay, at least for those of us wearing long pants. We studied numerous shorebirds at close range, and we thoroughly enjoyed watching Purple Martins feeding young in the colony at the visitor’s center. A large, tasty, meat-filled sub on good bread on the way back only further added to the enjoyment of the morning’s outing.