Birding Monhegan Island in migration season is like a family reunion. At various times, we ran into groups led by Maine Audubon, Mass Audubon, and the Wild Bird Center in Yarmouth. The hour-long ferry from Port Clyde to Monhegan passes a familiar lighthouse. For those who saw the movie Forrest Gump, this lighthouse is where Forrest ends his cross-country run.

Saturday dawned with promising breezes from the northwest, but it became apparent by noon that most of the nocturnal migrants had flown right over the island. Warbler watching was slow. However, the hawk migration was phenomenal. We noted all three falcons within 10 minutes of checking into the hotel. We had many Sharp-shinned Hawks (and one Cooper's) by mid afternoon. Also noteworthy: the island was overrun by flickers and juvenile sapsuckers - a trend that would intensify all weekend. The flickers were as numerous as Shriners at a circus. After awhile, you come to recognize the flicker panic call, which it screeches whenever pursued by a Merlin, Peregrine, or accipiter. You know where the raptors are even when you can't see them.  Another wonderful aspect about the weekend: it was the height of butterfly migration, too. Thousands of Monarchs settled among the autumn flowers.

Sunday was the warbler fallout. We tallied 18 species on the day, including Orange-crowned, Cape May, Tennessee, and Northern Waterthrush. But the White-crowned Sparrows stole the show. They were always underfoot. Hundreds were encountered. Birders also had excellent looks at rare Lark and Clay-colored Sparrows. We were particularly keen to relocate a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, which we failed to do on Sunday despite a fresh sighting report. Monday was to be a different day.

Monday dawned overcast with southerly breezes. This may have dissuaded an influx of fresh raptors, but the ones still present put on a great show around Burnt Head. A mix of Merlins and Sharp-shinned Hawks kept flashing just overhead as they prowled for breakfast, often alighting on a nearby snag. At one point, a Northern Goshawk brushed by, followed by a Merlin that was so dwarfed in relative size that it looked like an enlarged swallow. Later in the day, we enjoyed a kettle of six peregrines above White Head. Throughout the day, panicked flickers told us where the raptors were. In the meantime, we kept bumping into the elusive Yellow-billed Cuckoo. An out-of-range female Summer Tanager also delighted birders.

All weekend, Northern Gannets filled the sea around the island in spectacular numbers. On the return ferry, Derek Lovitch spotted a Pomarine Jaeger. Although I've seen numerous individuals off the Bar Harbor Whale Watch, this was the first breeding plumage adult I have seen with full-length tail feathers. Outstanding. So, too, was the poor fate of a Solitary Sandpiper. When I first spotted it from the ferry, it was successfully evading a Peregrine. When a second bird joined the hunt, its fate was sealed. Soon, the smaller, male falcon snared it. Immediately, the larger falcon snatched it from him. So it goes.

The weekend boasted of extraordinary weather. Let that be a warning. Even with great weather, each day was a different experience. That's Monhegan. You goes, you takes your chances. I was prepared to spend a day indoors playing Scrabble. It was a terrific experience I wish upon everyone.