Kentucky Warbler is quite a rarity in
Maine, so when one was found at the East Point Audubon sanctuary in Biddeford Pool, Maine it
sure got my attention. I wasn’t
expecting that it would be chaseable, so I just discounted it as a likely
one-day wonder. But when it was reported
again the next day and easily findable by its frequent call notes, I started to
wonder if I could get there before it left.
My first opportunity to go after it wouldn’t be until the fourth day of
its stay – though surely it wouldn’t still be around that long. But sure enough, early on day 4 I got a call
that it was still there, so I quickly headed out the door to go after it.
I arrived at the location and found birders
Davis Finch and Peter Vickery there, but they had not seen the bird. Its last sighting was at least an hour
earlier. We all wandered through the
area searching, had a few migrants and local nesters, but no Kentucky. Finally after at least another hour and a
half, I heard its chip note. Standing
next to Peter, he and I both heard its next 2 chip notes, likely coming from
low in the brush over a small rise just a few feet away. We peered into the thicket, but never even
saw any movement of this skulking bird.
We waited at least another 15 minutes but heard no further call
notes. Peter and I turned to each other
and congratulated ourselves, though we would have been happier seeing the
bird. Good thing I count heard-only
birds.
Kentucky Warbler was #327 for me in
ME. I’ve now seen this species as a
rarity in 4 New England states, plus all the southeastern states in
its normal range.
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