Check out these amazing photos:
Birth of a Hummingbird

Birders in Maine get spoiled by our proximity to Scarborough Marsh. Among other things, there are few places in the world (all between New Hampshire and mid-coast Maine) where two secretive birds, the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow are found side-by-side. At Scarborough Marsh, we can find high densities of both species, allowing close side-by-side study at times. Both species nest in the spartina and marsh grasses throughout the area, but access can be difficult. The Eastern Road Trail provides us an easy and convienient way to get into the realm of the sharp-tailed sparrows.

Yesterday, I lead a tour for a couple from Montgomery, Texas. While vacationing in Maine, they spent time looking for target species like Atlantic Puffins at Machias Seal Island. My job was to get them good looks at the two sparrow species. Within 45 minutes after sunrise, we had successfully seen both species well from Eastern Road. We then spent the rest of the day birding the coast, looking especially at migrant shorebirds.

Not a bad way to spend the day!

Visit to find excellent photos of both the Nelson's and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows. You can sort by alphebetical order in the upper right hand corner of the page to easily find the links to the photographs.

Many of our songbirds, or "passerines," migrate at night. They likely use a combination of a built-in compass as well as the stars to go where they want to go. However, being so small and lightweight, winds can become a significant problem if they are blowing counter to where the bird wants to go. On the westerly and northwesterly winds of fall, a migrant warbler, trying to head south through Maine could easily be pushed offshore. Come dawn, a warbler could find itself over the ocean.

When that happens, they immediately head for land. Predators can be numerous offshore during the day (gulls and falcons in particular), and obviously there aren't many places to hide out there. So, offshore islands and peninsulas, sticking out into the water become beacons of hope: food and shelter!

The birds descend on those outposts of land, and after a quick break, they often begin to work their way to the mainland - where there is more food, and a lower concentration of predators. This flight occurs at dawn, often immediately following the sunrise. We call this the "morning flight."

One excellent place to observe this phenomena is Sandy Point Beach at the northwestern tip of Cousin's Island in Yarmouth. When conditions are right (overnight westerly winds), birds that have found themselves out over Casco Bay work their way towards the mainland. The birds funnel to Cousin's Island, where they are able to make the short flight over the water. From the parking lot at Sandy Point Beach, the land narrows, the birds concentrate, and they often take one last break in the trees before flying back over the water.

With the westerly winds overnight last night, I spent my sunrise at Sandy Point Beach. I tallied over 250 warblers, although most went down as unidentified in my notebook as many were pre-sunrise silhouettes. But, as the sun crept up, and more birds were alighting in trees, I was able to identify 10 species of warblers, included at least 66 American Redstarts.

What a way to start the day!

I love Cedar Waxwings! There one of, if not my most, favorite bird. I'm not sure why though. They're absolutely beautiful for one thing, dressed in subtle shades of buff, yellow, and blue-gray accented by a tail that looks like it was dipped in yellow paint. Little bright red "wax" on the wings, a black bandit's mask, and a little tuft complete the package. But, a lot of birds are beautiful, so why is this one one of my favorites?

I cannot say for sure, but I do have memories of being a kid in central New Jersey and climbing the mulberry tree in the backyard in August, and sharing that tree - and its bounty of tart berries - with dozens of Cedar Waxwings. As I perched precariously on the largest limbs, the waxwings fed daintly on the smallest twigs a few feet from my face. Was this my "initiator bird" - the specie or species that causes a birder to become a birder?

Well, I can't really say for sure why it's my favorite bird. But this morning, as I walked around the scrub behind Kettle Cove and in Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth, I reflected as I enjoyed dozens upon dozens of waxwings stuffing their faces, and the faces of their fledglings, on the berries of the invasive alien - but good for waxwings - Amur Honeysuckles bushes. Waxwings are one of our latest nesters, as they time the arrival of their kids to coincide with the late summer and fall bounty of fruit, their primary food sources. Look for bushes such as honeysuckle, or natives such as chokeberry and Mountain Ash, and see for yourself what a beautiful bird the Cedar Waxwing is.

Biddeford Pool is one of the best spots in the state for seeing shorebirds. Shorebirds are one of the first southbound migrants to peak. In fact, there "fall" migration peaks in late August! With this in mind, I took 11 year-old birding prodigy Luke Seitz of Falmouth down to the Pool this morning.

We began at Hills Beach, where we enjoyed many shorebirds including 5 Hudsonian Godwits. Then, we drove to East Point Sanctuary on the other side of the peninsula. A wayward Orchard Oriole was a suprise, and we were treated to about 50 Wilson's Storm Petrels dancing in the waves offshore. We walked through the neighborhood, and down the road to Hattie's Deli. With the onshore wind and the full moon, the tide had rushed in higher and faster than usual, so few birds were seen here.

But, then, we continued our loop to the north end of Biddeford Pool Beach - and we hit paydirt! Hundreds of shorebirds were feeding in the surf of the incoming tide. We had close up views of multiple White-rumped Sandpipers, always a treat, as well as the more common species.

Then, as the tide continued to come in, and the shorebirds filled their bellies (actually, their crops to be accurate), they began funneling in to roost on the rocks at the end of the beach. We approached slowly and carefully, climbed the rocks up to the road, and looked down to see not hundreds, but THOUSANDS of birds! At least 2,000 shorebirds were roosting on the rocks a mere 15 feet from us! Over 1500 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 400 or so Semipalmated Plovers, with a smattering of White-rumped and Least Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings also present.

As if that wasn't enough icing on our day's birding cake, we rounded the corner and moseyed down Ocean Ave back to the car. A wave or two must of washed over the rocks the birds had been roosting on, as the flock flies around the bend and lands on the dry rocks just offshore in front of us, providing a second hearty helping. And to top it off, Luke picks out a single Purple Sandpiper, a rare occurrence in August (they usually don't arrive until October) among the group.

What a great morning out!

What a beautiful morning for a walk on the beach! Clear skies, a cool breeze, and the peak of shorebird season. I decided to check the sand and mudflats at low tide at Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg this morning. Usually, terns congregate in large numbers to roost and feed young here, but this has been a very bad year for tern productivity. Lots of nest failed, and it seems a lack of nearshore baitfish is to blame. As I rounded the point, to take a look at the shoreline of the Morse River, a small flock of Least Sandpipers cames whirring in overhead. Joining some of their brethern and a few Semipalmated Sandpipers on the shore, I carefully scrutinized the birds through my spotting scope to determine their age, and to make sure no similiar-looking vagrants had dropped in. As I stood there, more and more birds, of about half a dozen species slowly filtered in as the now incoming tide slowly but surely filled the back bays. Shorebirds watching is all about timing - many places, such as Popham Beach are only in prime time for a short period as the tide ebbs and flows. Today, my timing was a bit off. Just as things were getting good, and more and more birds were arriving, I had to fold up the tripod and head back to move my car out of the road! Then, by the time I had made it to my next spot, Wharton Point in Brunswick, the tide had completely filled in the mudflats there. So, I figured now was as good as a time as any to show up for work!