Well, today wasn’t a very nice day was it? In fact, I did something this morning that I rarely do, especially in October – I SLEPT IN! What a concept! Now, if the winds were this strong out of the east, I would have been a happy camper under the porch at the Lobster Shack, but south winds don’t produce a great seabird flight in fall at Dyer Point.

But, rest assured - I absolutely did SOME birding. I visited the sod farms on Mayall Rd in Gray/New Gloucester hoping for a late American Golden-Plover. No plover, but a handful of various sparrows were feeding at the field’s edge. Today was also a good day to bird from inside! The feeders at the store were very active between bouts of heavier rain, and I did not tire of enjoying the Dickcissel that continues here.

Today is also a good day to catch up on some news and notes.

Last fall, I urged you to keep your hummingbird feeders up through early November. While our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are long gone, October is the time for western vagrants. Keep the feeders hanging, and well-cleaned. I even nurse some flowers to continue to bloom, by either covering them or taking them inside. I still have Scarlet Salvia and Pink Turtlehead blooming in front of the store, waiting for a rarity to wander by. At home, I have been taking in our large pot of Pineapple Sage, and it is now in full bloom. This is a great flower for late-season hummers.

Meanwhile, a vagrant hummingbird of the genus Selasphorus (Rufous or Allen’s – they’re very difficult to tell apart in most plumages) has been visiting a feeder in Phillips. See, I told you! I have so far resisted temptation to chase it, but we’ll see if it’s still there on Tuesday (when we can combine it with a hike). Meanwhile, I’ll continue to be on a lookout for one closer (PLEASE, call our store if you’re seeing a hummingbird!)

In other news, we have two new features on our website, www.yarmouthbirds.com that may be of interest. One, is the report that we produced based on the data collected from our survey on the economic impact of the Western Reef-Heron in Kittery. Would you believe that that one bird resulted in nearly $10,000 being spent in Kittery alone in only 1 week!?

Secondly, if you can tolerate more of my babbling, my product review articles that I write for the American Birding Association’s magazine, Birding, are now available on our website.

Elsewhere, there’s a new website that has put all of the works of Charles Darwin online, including The Zoology of the Voyage of the H.M.S Beagle, and his revolutionary study of finches of the Galapagos – among other great works. It’s certainly worth a perusal on a rainy day like today!

And finally, join me on Tuesday the 24th, for a Merrymeeting Audubon program by Michael Smith from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Mike will be presenting his program on the “Recently Extinct Birds of Maine.” Great Auks, Labrador Ducks, Eskimo Curlews, and Passenger Pigeons once graced the skies of Maine. Come learn what is known about these fascinating birds from historical information. This program is free and open to the public.