By Stan DeOrsey.

Early Sunday morning, May 26, Gordon Smith led a group through Otter Brook Preserve in Harpswell. The morning started with light rain but only for about 10 minutes and then the clouds cleared and the sun shone brightly. It was a great morning, and not only for the weather. Warblers were everywhere and in numbers … and singing. It can be considered fortunate to see one, at best two, Tennessee Warblers, for this walk a very conservative estimate was 14. In the south loop they were constantly singing and often very visible. The Nashville Warbler, while more common, was also in numbers and singing. Then there was the Bay-breasted Warbler, again a good day is seeing one. There were six in one tree easily seen. How about the Blackpoll Warbler, we must have seen eight. This is also a great spot for White-throated Sparrows and they too were frequently seen and singing. That is the kind of day it was. And to cap the morning, a Pileated Woodpecker was found with an active nest cavity.
The full list of birds seen or heard can be found on ebird at ebird.org/atlasme/view/checklist/S56762009.


