Birds on Tap - Roadtrip: Grassland and Grains, 6/2/19 Trip Report.

Cool, gray skies and a brief but steady shower didn’t put a damper on the group’s enthusiasm during our visit to the Kennebunk Plains on the birding portion of last Sunday’s Birds on Tap – Roadtrip: Grassland and Grains. However, bird activity was quite low, likely a combination of the day’s weather and our very later-arriving spring.

Nonetheless, we heard two Upland Sandpipers and a couple of Grasshopper Sparrows (and glimpsed the sparrows), two of the area’s specialties. However, Vesper Sparrows were remarkably conspicuous, and we took plenty of time to study and enjoy this uncommon and local species. Other plains denizens seen very well included Eastern Meadowlark, Eastern Towhee, Savannah Sparrow, and especially Eastern Kingbird. But even Prairie Warbler and Field Sparrow weren’t seen as well as we expect here.