One warm, sunny day five years ago, during my first visit to Monhegan for fall migration, as I was sitting at a picnic table eating pizza from The Novelty, five Peregrine Falcons flew over. I was sold.
This warm, sunny day, while sitting at a picnic table having pizza at the Novelty, seven peregrines flew over, circling lazily, or chasing each other. Others passed overhead in morning, and more in afternoon. A day of falcons. Unless you see it, pay attention to it, you can’t really appreciate the thrill.
In other news, I went with friends on a 45-minute around-the-island cruise. Seals, porpoises, eagles, Black-bellied Plovers.
Oh, yeah: and I got my first good look at this year’s vagrant Yellow-headed Blackbird.
Monhegan List
Tally of species from my sixth day on the island.
1. Herring Gull
2. Blue Jay
3. American Crow
4. American Goldfinch
5. Pine Siskin
6. Yellow-rumped Warbler
7. Northern Flicker
8. European Starling
9. Great Black-backed Gull
10. Red-eyed Vireo
11. Warbling Vireo
12. Nashville Warbler
13. Black-capped Chickadee
14. Merlin
15. Osprey
16. Sharp-shinned Hawk
17. Song Sparrow
18. Yellow-headed Blackbird
19. Rusty Blackbird
20. Peregrine Falcon
21. Carolina Wren
22. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
23. Golden-crowned Kinglet
24. American Redstart
25. Northern Parula
26. Double-crested Cormorant
27. Mallard
28. Chipping Sparrow
29. Eastern Towhee
30. White-crowned Sparrow
31. White-throated Sparrow
32. Common Grackle
33. Northern Harrier
34. Black-bellied Plover
35. Bald Eagle…
…and more I’m forgetting.
Tags: American crow, American goldfinch, American redstart, bald eagle, black-bellied plover, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Carolina wren, chipping sparrow, common grackle, double-crested cormorant, eastern towhee, European starling, golden-crowned kinglet, great black-backed gull, herring gull, mallard, merlin, Nashville warbler, northern flicker, northern harrier, northern parula, osprey, peregrine falcon, pine siskin, red-eyed vireo, ruby-crowned kinglet, rusty blackbird, sharp-shinned hawk, song sparrow, warbling vireo, white-crowned sparrow, white-throated sparrow, yellow-headed blackbird, yellow-rumped warbler