BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 24, 2026
Stop the presses. A grey heron has been identified in Cape Elizabeth. Hundreds of birders have already rushed to view it in its adopted farm field. If it lingers, more people will go. The grey heron is strikingly similar to our great blue heron. They are common and widespread throughout Europe, Asia and Africa, but very rarely seen in North America. That makes sense. The Atlantic Ocean is a nearly insurmountable barrier. Birds that swim might make the jump. Northern birds occasionally leapfrog from Europe to Iceland to Greenland to Newfoundland. It’s exceedingly rare for a wading bird to make the crossing. ~ Bob Duchesne