MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • October 18, 2020
Q: Why do we, in Maine, sometimes get rare hummingbirds in the fall but not the spring? A: Many of the rare birds that show up in Maine occur during spring or fall migration, and while there are many theories and catalysts for vagrancy, the majority tend to be when birds are migrating. In spring, most of our rarities are southern overshoots—that is, they’ve literally flown too far north. During fall, we often see western vagrants, many of which are immature and presumably lost on their southern migrations. ~ Doug Hitchcox, Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist