Birdwalk Highlights for 5/30: Tour de Brunswick.

Well, that was fun! Rain remained to our south, and while it was stupid cold and windy, we found sheltered viewpoints and lots, and lots of birds.

Beginning at Wharton Point, the last of the mudflats held a nice number of shorebirds: 41 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 25 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, 4 spiffy breeding-plumaged DUNLIN, 1 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, and 1 GREATER YELLOWLEGS. 75 or so COMMON EIDERS were joined by a tardy flock of 36 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, a nice count for the late date (not that it felt like the end of May!). Four COMMON TERNS put on a good show, too.

Six BOBOLINKS were in the nearby field, a few displaying despite the wind. A YELLOW WARBLER was the first of 7 tallied today, 8 confiding CEDAR WAXWINGS were the first of many seen today. Three of the morning's 4 BALD EAGLES were here, too.

Simpson's Point added 5 COMMON LOONS, 7 OSPREYS, 50 more Common Eiders, another Bald Eagle, a couple more Common Terns, Yellow Warblers, 3 GRAY CATBIRDS, etc.

We then went over to the Androscoggin River, to see what was feeding on, or waiting for, another pulse of Alewives. At the Bowdoin Mill, we watched an Osprey catch one, barely, while a total of 8 GREAT BLUE HERONS were patiently waiting for the 75+ DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS to herd some fish towards shore, as were at least 150 HERRING GULLS with one GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL among them.

There were more close Cedar Waxwings and Yellow Warblers here and there, but it were swifts and swallows that stole the show! About 200 CHIMNEY SWIFTS were wheeling in a tight flock over town, contemplating returning to their chimney roost on Maine Street. Some swifts were foraging along the river, but here we had a nice swallow show with 30 BARN SWALLOWS, 20 TREE SWALLOWS, 2 BANK SWALLOWS, and 2 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS.

Finishing up at the Swinging Bridge, we were treated to more swallows, including at least a dozen Bank Swallows with 30 Tree and 20 Barn. Chimney Swifts were foraging low, including below us as they passed under the bridge - an uncommon angle to see swifts for sure! We also heard and saw 3 BLACKPOLL WARBLERS - one quite well in fact, a NORTHERN FLICKER, and 3 BALTIMORE ORIOLES.