Bird watching enthusiasts swooped into a small farm in Cape Elizabeth this week to catch a glimpse of an extremely rare grey heron.
The bird, a native of Africa, Asia and Europe, was first spotted Oct. 18 around Jordan Farm. By Tuesday afternoon scores of sightings were recorded on popular online tracking program eBird as birders piled on to get a glimpse.
Maine Audubon naturalist Doug Hitchcox said it is the first time a grey heron has been sighted in Maine, and it is extremely rare in North America with only a few recorded sightings since the 1990s in Alaska, the Canadian Maritimes, Massachusetts and Virginia.
It's often a mystery why birds like this grey heron show up so far away from their typical range, Hitchcox said.
In this case, the heron is young and may have just flown the wrong way, Hitchcox added. Grey herons are similar to native great blue herons, so it may stick around the area as long as it can find food, Hitchcox said.
"This bird is mostly hunting grasshoppers and rodents in the fields, so perhaps the first heavy frost or snow will be a motivator to move," Hitchcox added.
Rare sightings are exciting for bird watchers, but Audubon is reminding visitors to be respectful of landowners and careful about parking and driving in Cape Elizabeth.
