Gray Heron in Maine! ~ October 19, 2026

On the 18th, a birder near Portland, Maine discovered a Gray Heron near Cape Elizabeth! This European heron looks similar to a Great Blue Heron, but it has a white leading edge on its wings and white shoulder patches. There is only one other record of this species in the United States, a bird that moved down the East Coast during the Fall of 2020. During the day, conversations went on between Jason Horn, Marjorie Keefe, Rick Wiltraut, and myself, and a plan was devised. We would meet at my house on Tuesday at 7:30 AM and drive the seven hours to Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

At around 2:30 PM, we arrived at the spot on Wells Road where the bird was most often seen. Unfortunately, as we were parking the car, the bird took off, flew over the car, and headed southeast into the large, adjacent marsh. We headed in that direction and pulled off at a parking area along Spurwink Avenue where the Spurwink River, which is really a deep-banked, narrow creek, crossed under the road. We were searching the marsh when the bird took off very close to us, flew a little farther away, and landed in the marsh. I was able to get these few distant, backlit photos of it before it disappeared behind some trees.

Gray Heron

We drove over to the Spurwink Church Cemetery and searched the marsh from there. We didn't find the heron but, while there, did see 3 American Black Ducks, a Greater Yellowlegs, 5 Ring-billed Gulls, a Double-crested Cormorant, 2 Great Blue Herons and a Great Egret, an Eastern Phoebe, 4 Blue Jays, 2 Tufted Titmice, a Carolina Wren, 2 Eastern Bluebirds, 2 American Robins, 2 Chipping Sparrows, a Song Sparrow, 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and 2 'fly-by' Pileated Woodpeckers.

Pileated Woodpecker

We then continued over to the Spurwink River Fishing Wharf and again searched the marsh. Eventually, the bird was seen flying back in the direction of the cemetery, so we returned to that spot. This time, the bird was seen flying from one spot to another, which allowed me to get these distant flight shots showing the bird's white markings on the shoulders and the leading edge of the wing.

Gray Heron

Later, the bird took off and flew back in the direction of Wells Road, so we drove back over to the original spot where I refound the bird hunting by the tall grass along the hillside on the north side of the road. That's where I got the best photos of it.

Gray Heron

It eventually took off, flew over the road, and back into the marsh at 4:29 PM.

Gray Heron

Happy with our looks at this rare bird, we headed back to Pennsylvania. The trip was around 800 miles. We got back to my house at around 1:15 AM on Wednesday.

---