Brunswick is thriving community about 10 miles south of our home in Wiscasset.  It has a thriving industrial park and Executive Airport (both of which sprung from installations at a now defunct Naval Air Station); one of the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges (Bowdoin College); and a charming, quintessential New England downtown.

And for the last five days, it has been the home of a stunning male Blue Grosbeak.

If you drew a straight line across the United States, from New York City to Sacramento, south of the line you’d find Blue Grosbeaks nesting . . . north of the line they become rare vagrants.

This particular wayward bird was reported on Saturday at a Brunswick blue berry barren.  Ingrid and I rushed over there later in the afternoon but were forced to abandon our chase due to an approaching thunderstorm (rare in Maine).

We searched again on Sunday morning (no luck) and I failed yesterday afternoon (had to cut my visit short due to a COVID booster appointment).  Just as the needle was going into my arm (ouch) my phone lite up . . . a whole bunch of birders had found the Grosbeak.

So this morning I set my alarm for 4:00 am and was in the field by 5:00.

The incredibly beautiful bird was singing right by the trail and I watched it for almost an hour.  So amazing!!!!