by Marion Sprague

On September 19, the Maine Young Birders Club set out for Monhegan Island under nearly perfect conditions. The seas were calm, the skies were sunny, and the mild weather made for a beautiful day on the water and on the island. By the end of the day, we had recorded 54 species between the boat ride and our time exploring the island.

The boat ride got the birding off to a great start. As we headed toward Monhegan, we watched seabirds passing around the boat, including a juvenile Northern Gannet that flew behind us and gave us a memorable look. It was a fitting preview of the birding to come.

After arriving on the island, we climbed the hill from the dock and immediately found ourselves surrounded by birds. The pines at the top of the hill were alive with warblers, keeping everyone busy looking from branch to branch as birds moved through the foliage. The island also provided some excellent raptor watching. A Merlin gave us a great look perched at the top of a spruce, while a Peregrine Falcon made an unforgettable pass directly over our heads.

We finished our day at Lobster Cove, where two American Pipits hopped among the rocks, providing a fitting finale to our island adventure.

We are incredibly grateful to the Acadia Birding Festival for sponsoring this trip and helping make this special experience possible for the Maine Young Birders Club. It was a wonderful day of birding, exploration, and shared discovery on one of Maine’s most memorable islands.

For a full list of birds seen, please checkout our eBird trip report: http://ebird.org/tripreport/576324

Until we meet again, Monhegan!