Local Birding Report

The seasons

He began his first column with the words “No matter the season”, and wrote through all of them. The year turns here as it did in the columns: sea ducks in winter, the first sparrows of spring, warblers in June, and the long passage south in fall.

The turning year

Each petal is the number of birds a column named, on average, in that month. Choose a month to see its season.

January: 12 birds in a typical columnFebruary: 13 birds in a typical columnMarch: 14 birds in a typical columnApril: 14 birds in a typical columnMay: 19 birds in a typical columnJune: 21 birds in a typical columnJuly: 21 birds in a typical columnAugust: 15 birds in a typical columnSeptember: 13 birds in a typical columnOctober: 17 birds in a typical columnNovember: 12 birds in a typical columnDecember: 16 birds in a typical column
December to February

Winter

“This winter, as the frigid Arctic air continues to dip south and snow sweeps across Maine, one of the far north’s most iconic raptors has drifted silently into our landscape: the Snowy Owl.”

From Local birding report, February 18, 2026

28columns
114birds named
37places named

Birds of winter

Long-tailed Duckwinter13 of 21 columnsCommon Ravenwinter8 of 13 columnsNorthern Mockingbirdwinter8 of 13 columnsHorned Grebewinter7 of 7 columnsBuffleheadwinter7 of 9 columnsCommon Goldeneyewinter7 of 11 columns
March to May

Spring

“Certain birds mark the changing of the seasons for me and there is something special about the arrival of Fox Sparrows every spring that renews my spirit.”

From Local birding report, April 9, 2025

44columns
179birds named
47places named

Birds of spring

Song Sparrowspring14 of 20 columnsPalm Warblerspring10 of 14 columnsFox Sparrowspring9 of 10 columnsRed-winged Blackbirdspring9 of 15 columnsWinter Wrenspring9 of 16 columnsCommon Gracklespring8 of 12 columns
June to August

Summer

“This is birding in Cape Elizabeth at summer’s height—warm, wild and quietly expectant.”

From Birding in late July: Cape Elizabeth’s quiet abundance, August 6, 2025

41columns
159birds named
50places named

Birds of summer

Common Yellowthroatsummer24 of 33 columnsAmerican Redstartsummer21 of 35 columnsBlack-throated Green Warblersummer20 of 33 columnsOvenbirdsummer19 of 26 columnsVeerysummer18 of 21 columnsEastern Wood-Peweesummer17 of 19 columns
September to November

Fall

“The leisurely pace of fall migration provides birders like me with ample time to reflect on missed sightings that seem to mount as the days grow shorter.”

From Local birding report, October 2, 2024

42columns
173birds named
40places named

Birds of fall

Yellow-rumped Warblerfall11 of 20 columnsRuby-throated Hummingbirdfall10 of 16 columnsYellow-bellied Sapsuckerfall10 of 16 columnsEvening Grosbeakfall9 of 13 columnsNorthern Harrierfall6 of 9 columnsBlackpoll Warblerfall6 of 11 columns