I believe that the first week or two of June is one of the most under appreciated times of the birding year. At least up here in Maine, passerine migration is still underway. Meanwhile, the passage of the high-arctic breeding shorebirds is only now peaking. And finally, our excellent diversity of breeding birds are now on territory and busy doing the things that they need to be doing. Oh yeah, it’s a good time for rarities too!

Meanwhile, as the month goes on, and passerine migration does in fact come to a virtual end, shorebird migration continues. By the time the last stragglers are still moseying north, the first southbound birds will be on the move. Yup, by the last week of June, we can see our first migrant of “fall!” However, since we usually have a few oversummering individuals of varying species lingering in places like Sprawlborough Marsh, we’re not always sure which way – if any way – some birds are (or are not) going! ‘Tis the season for breeding bird surveys – both formal and non, or just checking local patches and new locations to see what is residing there.

But, in the first few days of June, it is passerine migration that is still on my mind. The radar images from Saturday night into Sunday morning showed us that plenty of birds are still migrating. Here are the 10:00pm, 1:00am, and 4:00am radar images:

On Sunday, I began my day at Evergreen Cemetery. It was truly a fantastic morning:
1) 13 species of warblers:
1 Mourning (first of year)
4 Blackpoll
1 Canada
American Redstart, Ovenbird, Pine, Yellow, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Chestnut-sided, Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-white, and Northern Parula.

2) 6 species of flycatchers:
1 Olive-sided (first of year)
1-2 Yellow-bellied
Eastern Wood-Pewee, Great-crested, Alder, and Least

3) Other highlights included a Common Nighthawk, a Fish Crow, and my first Swainson’s Thrush (finally!!) of the season.

4) Other birders: 2 (compare that to the 40+ often seen 1 ½ to 2 weeks ago). Ya’all don’t know what you’re missing by not being out in the field in early June!

Then, I headed down to Scarborough Marsh at high tide, beginning in the salt pannes, and slowly birding my way to Pine Point for the mid-tide shorebird action there. I tallied 11 species of shorebirds during my visit, including 2+ Least and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers and 3 Greater Yellowlegs in the salt pannes. Also, Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows were putting on a particularly vociferous show this morning, with about as much activity and song as I have had from these sprites. While I did have some Semi-Sands and Semi-Plovers here as well, they likely joined the aggregation at Pine Point, highlighted by 5 continuing Red Knots:
350+ Semipalmated Sandpipers
~150 Black-bellied Plovers
60+ Ruddy Turnstones
40+ Short-billed Dowitchers
~25 Semipalmated Plovers
~25 Dunlin
5 Red Knots
1 White-rumped Sandpiper
Willets

Also present were about 75 immature Bonaparte’s Gulls, one subadult Laughing Gull, and two lingering Brant. So, to make the long story short – it was a heckuva day. Driving back with the windows down and Sublime rockin’ the speakers (well, as much as I can rock the speakers on a) my Honda Civic and b) while still being able to hear Blackpoll Warblers tomorrow.) on a rapidly warming early afternoon, I would have been hard-pressed to find a better way to finish up an incredibly enjoyable morning (well, maybe if a Mississippi Kite had flown over the road!).

Despite a light westerly wind overnight, birds were once again on the move (there’s no time to waste now!), with a fairly significant exodus underway Sunday evening. Here are the 10:00pm, 1:00am, and 5:00am radar images once again. A lot picked up and moved out, and only a little arrived.

On Monday morning, I stayed close to home, visiting Hedgehog Mountain and Florida Lake. Other than a couple of Alder Flycatchers and a Swainson's Thrush at the Hog, all of today’s birds were local breeders. At the Hog, I watched a Blackburnian Warbler gathering nesting material, Cliff Swallows working on their nests, and I enjoyed listening to two Veeries involved in a vigorous bout of counter-singing – while a Wood Thrush was singing between them, making for an amazing orchestral performance. Spotted Sandpipers were displaying at Florida Lake, and one of the pairs of Canada Geese already have fuzzy goslings. Yup, it’s “summer,” and breeding season is upon us.

So, despite my love of Maine birding in the first week of June, I guess I’ll just have to pull myself away to get on a plane tomorrow for a trip to Guatemala. Yeah, I know, you feel so sorry for me, don’t you!? It’ll be a quick trip, only 3 full days there, which will do little more than whet my appetite for more Neotropical birding. But, this is a, uh, “business trip,” thanks to Nikon. As part of their roll-out of a new line of high-end optics, and part of the effort by the government of Guatemala to promote eco-tourism, Nikon is sending a group of birders, writers, and optics experts in an attempt to impress us. Now, granted, there is a practical value to testing optics in the rigors of the humid tropics, but let’s face it, it’s going to be hard to not be impressed by trogons, quetzals, manakins, honeycreepers, sabrewings, toucanets, etc., etc. I’ve attempted to call this a “workshop,” a “trade show,” a “business trip,” but let’s face it, it’s a junket! And, I am all too happy to join in on the festivities! See ya in a few days!