I made another run down to Kittery this morning, this time to get Jeannette (it’s our day off) a look at the Western Reef-Heron. But, this morning, it wasn’t so easy!

We arrived at the Kittery Point Town Landing at about 6:45. No bird yet. However, we were surprised to see our friends Marshall and Nyan, and their dog Chula, who had literally just moved back East from California.

So, we waited. And waited. And waited. After a run for muffins from the Bagel Caboose, we waited some more.

Then, we decided to check elsewhere – and get the dogs out for a walk, as Jeannette and I had Sasha with us. So, the 6 of us worked our way over to Fort Foster – one of our favorite birding and dog-walking locales – checking Chauncey Creek for the heron on the way.

We frolicked with the dogs at the park, took them swimming, and birded. Mostly, we scoped the rocky islets, especially looking back towards Pepperell Cove for the Heron. No Heron, but Marshall was nice enough to supply me with me 299th Maine bird, a long-overdue Black-headed Gull. Catching up with Marshall, relaxing with dogs and loved ones, etc made for a joyous morning – but, we still really wanted to see the heron!

This gull, by the way - probably my “easiest” bird left to see in Maine - now puts me in a quandary. I had hoped to see a Great Skua – a truly awesome bird – for my 300th Maine bird. (I called this request 50 Maine birds ago!) My opportunity is coming up too, with the Maine Audubon pelagic (see yesterday’s blog) about a month away. BUT, what happens now if I have the opportunity for a state bird, other than a Great Skua!? I’ll take a rarity, but what about a Forster’s Tern – now the easiest hole on my list to fill? What happens if I’m down at the pier in Kittery and one flies by tomorrow? Do I look at it? I’ll be torn!

But, as for the present, it’s back to searching for the heron. By now, it was time for lunch, and Marshall had his heart set on Flo’s Hot Dogs – can you blame him? So, we started driving towards it, birding the York Harbor marshes on the way. My friend Karl, from Cape May and others had ventured up for the day, and I decided to touch base with him. I wanted to make sure that someone was still at the dock.

When I called, he said he was checking the New Hampshire mudflats – that it has been seen at in the afternoons – when he JUST got a call that the Heron, “MAY have been seen at the pier.” So, a quick U-turn, and we were back on 103 heading towards Kittery Point. We got there to see Karl as he got back in his car - it was a Green Heron that had dropped down into the grass before being identified.

Marshall and Nyan decided to try again for Flo’s, while Jeannette and I elected to head towards New Hampshire (Karl et al, had a unidentified dark small-heron sighting as well that they were going back to check out) and grab lunch at Loco Coco’s Taco (one of our other York County favorites). Our order was just about ready when Karl calls again, “We got it!”

Jeannette and I changed the order to go, hopped in the car and – begrudgingly – crossed the border. We pulled up on the dirt pull-off at Goat Island in Newcastle, and sure enough, there it was. A lifer for Jeannette, and a New Hampshire state bird for me (not too exciting considering I’ve birded in the state all of three times). Soon, Marshall and Nyan roll up, satiated by Flo’s – they went for the hot dogs, gambling on the bird sticking for a few minutes. I also got to chat with Karl and others WITHOUT the cell phone!

Good food, good friends, good bird . . . .GOOD DAY!