Bird Mentor, Rangeley, ME (2026)

10/14/2026

How does a hawk hide in plain sight? In our final hour together, a young Cooper’s Hawk 🦅revealed something we won’t soon forget…

But first… our last morning at Beach Plum Farm.

We’d returned to Beach Plum wondering what else we might find after yesterday evening’s surprises. Migration was quieter, giving us time with a passing flock of warblers in the trees… Black-and-white, American Redstart, Magnolia, Northern Parula, and Black-throated Blue were among them.

With an hour left in our retreat, we headed to Rea’s Farm, a popular birding hotspot.
For half an hour, kestrels and Cooper’s Hawks held our attention along the field’s edge. Then came a bird-language moment we were lucky to witness.

A dozen or so crows raised a ruckus—seemingly aggravated by the five Cooper’s Hawks in a nearby snag—then flew together across the road.

As they passed between us and the big red barn, one young Cooper’s used the commotion as cover. It flew level with the crows for a few wingbeats, then swiftly darted toward a mockingbird hiding in the shrubs below—a hunting opportunity in the wake of someone else’s disturbance, known as “wake hunting.”

Don’t worry, no birds were killed. 😉 Unfortunately for the young hawk.

We’d spent the week watching warblers, raptors, flickers, swallows, grosbeaks, night herons, and more, wondering what their behaviors were telling us and wishing them well on their journey south. Here, in our final hour, we watched those relationships weave together as they’ve done for millennia.

It was finally time for farewells.

Though some weren’t quite finished… Anne Marie Crosby and Cris Backel stopped at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and were treated to thousands of shorebirds, eagles, and more. 💕

Thank YOU for following along… and to the wonderful women who shared these nourishing days with me.

If you’d like to be a part of stories like these & discover more opportunities to expand your knowledge and connection to birds, join me in The Roost, a bird lover’s community.
LInk in Bio or here: https://birdmentor.mykajabi.com/the-roost-community?preview_theme_id=2162938343

10/13/2026

More than 6,000 Tree Swallows filled our view as the sun rose over Cape May Point marsh.

10/13/2026

In the dark along Cape May Point’s boardwalk, birds called softly from within the shrubs and trees as we walked past.

We wandered slowly to fully experience the land waking, and because we were barely able to see what was in front of us.

Then the path opened onto the pond overlook. We sat in silence on the benches for a bit. But, it wasn’t long before we were blessed by a sea of birds in all directions.

More than 6,000 Tree Swallows filled our view as the sun rose. Flickers kept coming—102 in all—and a secretive White-eyed Vireo offered a great mystery for a bit with its R2-D2 chatter. 😍

We stayed for hours, until our bellies started to growl. So, we headed north for breakfast and some time at Nummy Island, a large salt marsh, that held a different surprise for us.

Among Great Egrets, Savannah Sparrows, and Palm Warblers, a Clapper Rail suddenly broke cover and dashed across the road and into the reeds like a little Road Runner.

For some, this was their first-ever glimpse.

That evening at Beach Plum Farm we enjoyed a family-style dinner and finished it off with a stroll outside where a kestrel startled a flicker out of a tree and all sorts of raucous ensued.

Two nighthawks flew past, their long, angular wings carrying them in buoyant, wavering flight. Along the trail, a waterthrush appeared on the muddy edge of a drying pond, causing me to wonder what else might be hiding nearby. But, darkness was soon approaching.

We’d have to come back.

Since this was our last official night together, we headed into town for ice cream 🍦on the beach… so many good choices in Cape May! And wondered if the skimmers would be in the same spot that we saw them earlier in the week.

They didn’t disappoint.

The big flock was there. We watched them fly out group by group.

As the sun set, we shared heartfelt words with one another, then headed to bed.

Tomorrow, we’d return to the farm for one final adventure with raptors 🦅…

Come back for the last installment. 🤸🏼‍♂️☀️

10/12/2026

It was still dark in the Congress Hall, Cape May, NJ parking lot as we gathered to head north. We’d heard reports of thousands of swallows lifting off from the marshes 🌅and hoped to catch the morning spectacle.

Then the sound of small peeps and “pwees” overhead caught our attention. One flight call… then another… then another.

Tiny voices of migrating songbirds, keying us in to a migration we couldn’t yet see.
“Okay, folks… CHANGE OF PLANS. We’re going back to Higbee!”🎉

Yesterday, it had been quiet. Today?

Northern Parulas everywhere…60 counted by our group…along with 50 American Redstarts! Warblers streamed overhead and came in for wonderfully close views: Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Black-throated Blue, Palm, Yellow-rumped… plus grosbeaks, tanagers, 18 flickers, and Bobolinks.

And those were only some of the birds we saw. The official count was much higher. 😍

After breakfast at The Virginia Hotel, we headed to the western shoreline at The Rips. Scoters passed offshore while 20 Sharp-shinned and 8 Cooper’s Hawks circled upward and rode the edge between dune and water. Few ventured across Delaware Bay though.

By evening, we were passing pizza around the table at Hidden Cottage, then slipping out to explore the other side of the Meadows at dusk.

From the observation deck and bird blind, we listened as the marsh grew louder in the fading light. Black-crowned Night Herons, Green Heron, and a Least Bittern were among our discoveries.

We’d gathered that morning hoping to see thousands of swallows. A few tiny calls in the dark led us somewhere else entirely.

I’m so glad we listened.
More tomorrow. 🤸🏼‍♂️☀️

10/09/2026

A quiet morning at Higbee Beach still came with six Merlins. Welcome to Cape May. 👀

Higbee Beach is famous for its fall songbird flights. But on our first full morning after the nor’easter, drizzle lingered and migration was quiet.

6 Merlins made an appearance, though!

Because the observation deck was so quiet, we headed down to the water where the eroded beach showed us what the storm had taken with it.

It was at Cape May Point Hawkwatch , one of the best places in the country to view migrating hawks, where things really picked up!

From the Hawkwatch platform we watched 18 Cooper’s and 9 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 4 Merlin, 3 Peregrine, 2 Northern Harriers and 5 Ospreys pass overhead.
We were provided with numerous opportunities to make helpful comparisons of similar species and Hawkwatch volunteer, Chris, helped us make sense of all the action

After satiating ourselves with raptors, we headed to the beach to see who we might find along the trail. Bird tracks🐾 drew our attention to the sand and we learned to distinguish a crow’s footprints from those of shorebirds and waterbirds.

After a well-deserved siesta, We enjoyed a gorgeous gourmet dinner at Grana BYOB, then wandered back to the beach in town to see if the Black Skimmers I’d seen during my scouting session a few days prior were still there.

As we crested the top of the sandy shore, we spotted hundreds of skimmers resting together.

A small flock of Sanderlings worked the shoreline, a tern stood among the flock, and a pod of bottlenose dolphins passed by offshore.

As daylight faded, the skimmers began leaving—one group, then another—heading out to feed in the dark. We watched until the last group departed and our eyes could barely make out individual shapes anymore.

On our way back to the hotel, a Green Heron called above us, unseen in the darkness.

More tomorrow. 🤸🏼‍♂️☀️

10/09/2026

Probably preaching to the choir... but in case you didn't know....

10/07/2026

How close will a Black Skimmer come to a group of humans?

Apparently, only an inch above your head—if you’re in the right place at the right time. 😍

But let me back up…

Our first official day of the Cape May Migration Retreat began with steady drizzle, remnants of the nor’easter.

So we gathered inside Beach Plum Farm’s cozy converted tool shed for a study session… lunch, coffee, and a chance to connect and get ready for the week together.

On our walk to an early luxe dinner at The Ebbitt Room, we were greeted by thousands of Tree Swallows swirling above the buildings in town.

Bellies full, we headed to South Cape May Meadows, a coastal preserve of wetlands, ponds, and dunes.

As other visitors headed home, we stepped we stepped out for a little birding at dusk along the new boardwalk...

Merlins zipped past… and a few Mourning Doves had us looking twice. Those pointed wings and quick flight can make a dove look surprisingly falcon-like!

Then came that skimmer.

We were huddled on a small bridge, looking down the creek tucked between tall shrubs and reeds when, just inches above our heads, a skimmer swooped up and over our group, then swiftly down to the water, continuing on unfazed to skim the surface in search of food.

As darkness settled over the marsh, wild sounds of night herons calling “Walk!..... Walk!” and other mysterious cries rose from the wetlands. We paused to listen, wondering who else was out there.

More to come tomorrow. 🤸🏼‍♂️☀️

Other than the skimmers….Photos by Beach Plum Farm, Virginia Cottages & The Nature Conservancy …
I was too busy being in the moment the first day. 💕

10/06/2026

Luck 🍀 and birds 🐦‍⬛at the end of the rainbow.

10/06/2026

You know those moments when you keep saying, “Okay, I’m leaving,” and then the sky gives you another reason to stay? That was Cape May on September 25, the night the Nor’easter hit… A full rainbow 🌈 (see next post) rosy-golden light, Black Skimmers and a bounty of tourists at the beach. It was stunning.

I arrived to Cape May a few days before my Migration Retreat with a healthy mix of excitement and anticipation about what we might be in for.

The town scene felt quieter than usual, but there was plenty happening with the birds…warblers were arriving at Higbee Beach at dawn and more than 600 Sharp-shinned Hawks were counted at the Hawkwatch!

There’s much more to share with you from this trip. But I thought I’d start here, with this beautiful evening before the storm. 💛

09/03/2026

Last Day.... One spot left for Cape May. 🐦

There are times when it's worth giving yourself a few days to do something simply because you love it.

To step away from the routines that usually fill your days and be among people who understand why you can lose track of time following a tiny bird through the trees, waiting for one more good look.

To make room for the things that usually get pushed aside.
To laugh, learn, eat well, and follow the natural rhythms of the season… giving your full attention to something that makes you feel curious, connected, and a little more like yourself.

That's what these five days in the birding mecca of Cape May are all about.

And we'll be there during one of the great migration spectacles in North America. ❤️

September 27–October 1 | Cape May, New Jersey

This trip is intentionally small… so there's room for individual attention, the freedom to linger when something captures your attention, and the camaraderie that naturally grows when a handful of people experience something like this together.

And I have one space still available.

Today’s the LAST DAY to register.

If some part of you is thinking, I'd really love to do this... maybe this is your invitation. Click the link below.

https://birdmentor.safechkout.net/Cape-May

Bird Mentor

10/14/2026

10/13/2026

10/13/2026

10/12/2026

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

10/07/2026

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09/03/2026

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