Local birding report

The second and third weeks of May in Cape Elizabeth saw an awe-inspiring surge of migration, with vast numbers of songbirds and shorebirds passing through. Analysis from the Cornell Lab revealed multiple nights in which more than two million birds were aloft across Cumberland County. Radar imagery captured striking formations of these migrations, with layered movements reaching altitudes of 10,000 feet and beyond. At such heights, birds skillfully navigate atmospheric currents, seeking favorable winds while avoiding turbulence. Those traveling at these elevations are able to cover greater distances and disperse broadly across suitable stopover habitat below.

Each May, I find myself drawn back to my bookshelf, instinctively reaching for a book that feels like an old friend. “The Warblers of North America,” published in 1909 by Frank M. Chapman and adorned with exquisite illustrations by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, holds a particularly special place in my life. It was a gift from my grandmother and had once belonged to my great-grandfather. In his introduction, Chapman writes that “the warblers of North America are nature’s living jewels, flitting through the forest with brilliance that rivals the blossoms of spring.” At the time of its publication, it was considered groundbreaking—one of the first comprehensive works devoted entirely to these vibrant and elusive birds. Beyond its scientific merit, it marked an early and important step in bird identification and conservation, helping to lay the foundation for modern field guides and elevating birdwatching into a serious and enduring pursuit.

Over the past several weeks across Cape, wood warblers have filled the landscape, their numbers stretching for miles in a dazzling expression of migration. I recorded twenty species so far this spring, with Pine Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Ovenbirds, Black-throated Blue Warblers and Yellow Warblers appearing in abundance. American Redstarts and Northern Parulas clung to the budding branches of oaks, ashes and maples, as if dripping from the trees themselves. Scattered among these living jewels were Wilson’s Warblers, Blackburnian Warblers, and Cape May Warblers, while Nashville and Tennessee warblers arrived in impressive numbers alongside Chestnut-sided and striking Magnolia warblers. High above, Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers moved through the canopy, their rapid, fading trills echoing softly through the forest.

One species that often eludes me is the Northern Waterthrush. However for the second year in a row I have come across one in Cape. On May 20, I encountered this secretive bird in CELT’s Willow Brook property, singing from deep within an overgrown, boggy thicket. I stood listening to the birds sweet, whistled song and shortly thereafter the streaky brown songbird appeared, bobbing its rear and strutting its stuff.

Other observations from the latter half of May include a Solitary Sandpiper along Pond Cove on the 13th, and along the fringes of Robinson Woods III, a female Magnolia Warbler bathing, a Canada Warbler energetically foraging and a male Scarlet Tanager. The song of a male Scarlet Tanager recalls that of an American Robin, though more hurried and urgent in delivery. Also, listen for their sharp, energetic chick-burr calls across our woodlands—a distinctive note shared by both males and females. Catching sight of this striking bird amidst newly minted foliage can be a test of patience. Henry David Thoreau captured the feeling best in his journal: “that contrast of a red bird with the green pines and blue sky! Even when I have heard the note and look for him and find the bloody fellow, sitting on a dead twig of a pine, I am always startled. That incredible red, with the green and blue, as if these were the trinity we wanted. Yet with his hoarse note he pays for his color. I am transported: these are not the woods I ordinarily walk in. How he enhances the wildness and wealth of the woods!”