Cape Elizabeth birding report

On the afternoon of May 1 along Wells Road, a flock of twelve Glossy Ibis foraged the flooded fields with their sickle-shaped bills while a mixed flock of Tree Swallows and two Barn Swallows above on the telephone pole wires chirped and gurgled away. Continuing along I spotted a Tri-colored Heron along Sawyer Road in the Rachel Carson Wildlife Preserve. This particular heron is larger than a Snowy Egret, but a good deal smaller than a Great Blue Heron and it’s coloring is a comingling of lavender, blue-gray and white. One of the key identifiers for this bird was the bright blue patch of skin around its bill. This characteristic only occurs during breeding season.

On May 2 the big to-do was our first male Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the year (a young male). This admirable bird is strikingly handsome, tuneful and very devoted to his partner – so much so that he may be spied by a lucky few standing guard over his mate in the secret nest, singing her a cheerfully sweet song.

On May 3 there was not one but two Louisiana Waterthrushes at Hinkley Park in South Portland. These shy, elusive gems are almost always found along running streams and have olive-brown plumage and bold streaking on their chests which explains to some degree why this member of the warbler family has the word “thrush” in its name. The call-song of the Louisiana Waterthrush is delightfully pleasing, remarkably clear and far-reaching. A first of the year Black-and-White Warbler was seen and heard as well.

That evening southerly breezes, breaking clouds and a guiding glow from the waxing crescent moon created the right conditions for a decent movement of migrant birds. The following morning our yard saw its first Gray Catbirds and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Of note, a Ruby-throated showed up at our house on the exact same day one year ago! Also, it was hard not to notice the White-throated Sparrow invasion - showing up in extraordinary numbers across Cape Elizabeth and surrounding lands. Another standout arrival was that of the Baltimore Oriole - herald of springtime. Orioles have been showing up every day now with their fluid whistling tones that seem to carry across the upper canopies of our forests.

The 5th of May brought a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher to the fringes of Robinson Woods. Other notable sightings included a singing Winter Wren, nice numbers of Pine Warblers, several Yellow Warblers, a single male Northern Parula (warbler) and a solitary Nashville Warbler perusing through an apple tree along shore Road. Nashville Warblers have a gray head, prominent white eye-ring and are yellow below, olive above. Ironically, this bird, at most, passes through Nashville during migration but does not nest anywhere near Tennessee, preferring the cool, open mixed woods of places far north.

Also spotted within the depths of Robinson woods III was a Wood Thrush. A terribly reclusive interior forest bird, the Wood Thrush is more often heard than seen. One way to tell the difference between this bird and the more commonly seen Hermit Thrush is to carefully observe the bold black spots across its underparts. A Hermit Thrush also has black spots below however their markings become smudgy and fade running from breast to belly - contrasted with a Wood Thrush’s spots which are bold and unfaded throughout. Also, in the general area, a continuing Barred owl called out during the daylight hours from its swampy woodland hideout. That evening I heard both Barred and Great-horned Owls calling.

On the 8th of May my first treetop dwelling Great-crested Flycatcher was seen and heard calling along Shore Road. Earlier this spring I had built and installed a hanging nest box on my property specifically for Great-crested Flycatchers. I hope to have more to relay on this topic soon. Later in the afternoon on this same day I had my first Ovenbird (a very special, chunky, with bold black-and-orange crown striped warbler of the deep forest floor) and I also heard the cheery-buzz of several Black-throated Green Warblers. Additional birds worth mentioning - three Savannah (Northeastern “Ipswich”) Sparrows hunkered down and a Northern Mockingbird scolded any passerby’s along Pond Cove on the morning of the 9th. As the snowflakes whipped through Cape, two bright male Baltimore Oriole’s refueled on oranges in our yard. Later that day a single male Black-throated Blue Warbler passed through, making a brief pitstop in a crab apple tree. On the 10th I incidentally came across a female Indigo Bunting dining at our feeder. Contrasted with the blue jewel colored male, the female is easy to overlook with it plain brown plumage. Interestingly the female’s inconspicuous appearance may serve a vital purpose – Indigo Buntings typically build their nest only a couple feet from the ground and the brown color allows her to stay better hidden while tending to the eggs and young. Later this same day two Snowy Egrets were spotted along the marshy edge of Sawyer Road. Rounding out the first couple weeks of May, a male Scarlet Tanager briefly made an appearance in our yard on the early morning hours of May 11. Truly a bird of paradise across our northern landscape, its encrimsoned body, jet black wings and tail stand out in strong relief against the tender greenery. A Blue-headed Vireo, another neotropical migrant was spotted methodically moving about the shrubbery nearby. And finally, a male Chestnut-sided Warbler and a male Magnolia Warbler were seen foraging around a clearing on our property.