Monhegan Island, Maine
Fall 2009
With a grand total of 125 species, this fall's annual trips to
Monhegan Island broke all records. Among the major highlights:
- A striking shearwater show that included Greater Shearwater,
Cory's Shearwater and a lone Sooty Shearwater.
- 24 warbler species.
- 5 vireo species, including Philadelphia Vireo and White-eyed Vireo.
- Daily falcon displays, with Merlins and Peregrine Falcons hunting
just above and around us.
- Other "southerners," "northerners," and oddballs, including
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Lark Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, Blue Grosbeak
and Dickcissel.
- Minke Whales, Fin Whale, plenty of Harbor Porpoises, Gray Seal
and Harbor Seal.
Bryan guided three trips this year. He himself spent 17 days on Monhegan,
getting a chance to help with the start of lobster fishing season on
October 1. Below is Bryan's personal trip list with some notables
in bold. Any of these -- and more -- are possible or likely on next
year's Monhegan outings.
Canada Goose
American Black Duck
Mallard
Common Eider
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Ring-necked Pheasant
Common Loon
Cory's Shearwater
Greater Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Northern Gannet
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Cormorant
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Sora
Semipalmated Plover
Black-bellied Plover
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Laughing Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Black Guillemot
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Alder/Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
White-eyed Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Carolina Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Northern Waterthrush
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Dickcissel
Bobolink
Rusty Blackbird
Common Grackle
Baltimore Oriole
American Goldfinch
Marine Vertebrates
Minke Whale (common)
Fin Whale
Harbor Porpoise
Gray Seal
Harbor Seal
Butterflies and Dragonflies
Cabbage White
Clouded Sulphur
Orange Sulphur
Mourning Cloak
American Lady
Red Admiral
Questionmark
Monarch
Common Green Darner
Shadow Darner
Meadowhawk species
Wandering Glider
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