I must admit, I am feeling a bit shell-shocked after last night’s game. It wasn’t that we lost to Cincinnati, but it was how we lost. Forget the clichés like “trap game,” “let-down,” and “thinking about the next game.” No, none of these apply – this was nothing more than a good ol’ fashion ass-whoopin’. So much for National Championship dreams, but hey, Rutgers is 9-1 and that is nothing to feel down about.

Or so I told myself.

Nothing would provide a pick-me-up better than a great bird, so I headed out this morning. Since this was Jeannette’s day off, I only had a couple of hours. Since the Portland peninsula has been so productive for me so far this season, I began there, on the Eastern Promenade.

Winter is certainly settling in – it not only felt like it this morning (upper 30’s with a cold wind off the water), the brush was quieter, but the water was much busier with seaducks. A Surf Scoter and a White-winged Scoter west of the railroad bridge might just have been the first of these open water ducks that I have seen west of the bridge here. Building numbers of Bufflehead, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Long-tailed Ducks dove and frolicked throughout the bay.

Although the hillside was much quieter than the past few visits, there was a fair number of sparrows around, including 23 Song Sparrows, 9 White-throated Sparrows, 6 Dark-eyed Juncos, and a total of three Fox Sparrows – which I always enjoy seeing.

While enjoying the third of these Fox Sparrows, a Yellow-breasted Chat popped into view, and provided unusually – for this species – prolonged looks as it gobbled up hawthorn berries. In fact, I do believe that this was the same hawthorn that Dan first found the chat (very likely this same chat) a couple of weeks ago on the Rarity Roundup.

So, the brilliant lemon-yellow of this wayward mega-warbler certainly lifted my spirits . . . for the time being.

As I have mentioned, it is Rarity Season, and this weekend’s weather seemed very conducive to producing some great birds. After Friday’s strong cold front may have pushed birds to the coast, the pleasant weekend weather would encourage birders to head out and see what dropped in. A report of two Cave Swallows on Plum Island, MA yesterday certainly fueled the rarity fever fire!

Therefore, when the cell phone rang, I knew why. It was Steve, in New Hampshire, calling to let me know that a Fork-tailed Flycatcher that was found yesterday at Odiorne State Park was rediscovered this morning. Not only would this be a Life Bird, but it was a spectacular full adult, with its long streamer tail; it would certainly have been the needed pick-me-up. But, it was already nearing the time to head to the store, and with a meeting tomorrow morning that I can’t miss, I just have to hope that this birds sticks for a few days (which is exceptionally rare for this species). So much for the uplifted spirits! I must say, I’ve had happier days!