We’ve had another two good nights in the row for bird migration. However, they’ve really been TOO good! Birds just kept going! But, an increasing diversity of migrants can be found daily in the area.

Yesterday, Jeannette began our day dark and early at Sandy Point. However, the weak cold front had still not cleared the region by dawn, so the northwest winds had failed to develop. Therefore, there was not a whole lot going over and through Sandy Point. Between 6:05 and 6:35, we only tallied 39 unidentified warblers overhead, along with 4 American Redstarts, 1 Northern Parula, and 1 Purple Finch. We soon moved on.

We spent the rest of the morning birding various locations in Portland. Although there were not a ton of birds around – as I thought, many birds were just passing us by overhead – what was lacking in quantity was made up for in quality. The 9 species of warblers at Evergreen Cemetery were highlighted by a Cape May Warbler – always nice to see. A couple of Veeries and a few Blackpoll Warblers were among the migrants there as well.

At Capisic Pond Park, we were treated to another Cape May – and a very cooperative individual (unlike the earlier bird at the cemetery) that providing repeated crippling views at it foraged in a row of short Tamarack trees. We also spotted an Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Prairie Warbler, along with a peppering of more common migrants.

After a brief stop at Back Cove – the tide was already too far out by the time we arrived, so it wasn’t possible to carefully scrutinize the shorebirds there, which included 150+ Semipalmated Sandpipers – we added a visit to Dragon Field to the morning’s itinerary. Considering Cape May Warbler is one of the few regular migrants that are lacking from my Dragon Field List, I had to give it a shot. No Cape May though, or a whole lot else for that matter. But, a Black-and-white Warbler there was our 10th warbler species of the day.

I was torn last night when setting my alarm. I really needed to get to the store early to do a few things – as I usually do following our one day off - and I had to walk Sasha. Usually, Wednesday mornings means Hedgehog Mountain Park for me – an hour or two in the local patch with the dog, followed by an early arrival at work. However, as of sunset, winds were still out of the northwest. Would it be another good morning at Sandy Point? The forecast was for winds to diminish to light and variable, and after only hearing 4 calls in 10 minutes of listening last night, I decided to be responsible and stick to my routine (as opposed to going to Sandy Point, followed by walking the dog, followed by eventually getting to the store!).

My decision was rewarded by my 122nd species for Hedgehog Mountain Park - a flycatching Olive-sided Flycatcher. A handful of migrants in the woods, and only a smattering moving inland overhead confirmed my suspicions that Sandy Point would not be hopping this morning. Later on, however, after checking the overnight radar loop, I was a little more concerned about what I may have missed there! There were definitely birds in the sky last night, but I don’t think too many were pushed offshore, and therefore there shouldn’t have been multitudes working there way back to shore. But, I am anxiously awaiting any posts on the listserves, just to confirm my hypothesis.