Travelogue: "A Can-Am Weekend" 
Lubec-Campobello-Eastport: September 7-9

A particularly sociable group of birders enjoyed a fabulous time in Lubec-Campobello-Eastport. There were many highlights, especially the fact that it stayed sunny and warm through Sunday afternoon even though rain had moved into southern Maine early in the day.

Saturday morning's first stop at Eagle Bog on Campobello turned up a few foraging flocks of warblers along the extensive boardwalk, mostly Yellow-rumps and one Palm, but the Lincoln's Sparrows commonly found there were silent or already southbound. Then, it was back across the border and over to West Quoddy Head State Park, which revealed more than the usual number of Bonaparte's Gulls and Black-legged Kittiwakes among the rocks, but none of the Razorbills that can sometimes sneak in close to shore there. Black Guillemots were the only alcids available, many of them already entering their winter plumage. We timed our arrival at our third stop perfectly. The tide at South Lubec mud flats had dropped just enough to lure in the shorebirds but was still high enough that the birds were close to us. The sandpiper flock was was too big for practical counting, but it was noteworthy that the number of Least Sandpipers in the flock had fallen to about 10% of the total from numbers seen over the two previous weeks. As usually happens through September, the variety increases as the numbers diminish. We scored  Red Knots, dozens of Short-billed Dowitchers, 75 Black-bellied Plovers and 1 American Golden Plover. Fresh from those successes, we trotted off to Boot Head trail in Lubec and turned up a female Spruce Grouse right on cue.

Then it was back to West Quoddy Head for a picnic lunch and one of the weekend's more humorous moments. While most of the birders wandered through the parking lot and up the access road looking for Boreal Chickadees, one came to rest right on the roof of the outhouse next to the van - seen only by the one person who remained behind. Fortunately, the chickadee did linger long enough for most people to get a look, and we were able to turn up another at the Edmunds Unit of Moosehorn NWR the next day.

Back on Campobello Saturday afternoon, the usual large numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls and Kittiwakes filled the channel, joined by scores of Northern Gannets at East Quoddy Head Light. However, the running joke for the weekend was the abundance of eagles present. There may have been as many as three dozen different individuals in the area, but it's hard to tell when they're all milling about along the shoreline and offshore islands. Just before supper, we poured out a few Cabernets and Chardonnays and lounged in Adirondack chairs overlooking the channel, watching several Minke whales work the tidal rips in front of our cottages.