Monday, Dec. 18, with its whirling high winds and steady rain, proved a little too much for a tiny seabird. It wasn’t a people day either. Without electricity, I headed off Southport Island where I spotted a small black and white object on the road. I thought it was a rock, but as I passed by, it moved. I turned the car around to see what it was.

I recognized it as a small seabird, but didn’t recognize which species. Passerby, Corinne, stopped to offer to call for help, however was unable to reach someone to help the tiny bird. 

After a lot of chasing and puddle jumping, I was able to pick up the bird, the size of a pigeon, larger head and shorter neck and place it into a shopping bag. 

As I headed to the Chewonki Foundation in Wiscasset with my son, Jason, the seabird in the back flapped around. Chase Brown of Boothbay Harbor, now employed at Chewonki, told us the facility no longer rehabilitates birds, but Avian Haven in Freedom, Maine, does.

We headed for Freedom, windy roads, many blowdowns and loose power lines hindered the drive. We finally arrived. I opened the bag to see if the little bird made the trip OK. Sure enough its little head popped up stretching to get out.

We walked to the back of the building opened the office door. The receptionist wanted to know our purpose, I presented the small bag as a technician came out. She pulled the bird up and close to her, I took a photo. The bird seemed quite calm. 

I asked what kind of bird is it? 

She said, ‘A Dovekie.’

I asked her if she had seen them before and she said, “Oh, yes, we have had about 15 calls for them today.”

‘Where have the calls come from,’ I asked. 

She said, “Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Biddeford, Saco and Portland.”

According to the National Audubon Society Field Guide, Dovekies breed in Eastern Arctic Canada. They spend winters as far south as New Jersey in the U.S. The majority winter far out to sea, however during migration in November, storms can blow them great distances inland. Many do not survive these powerful storms.

My guess, is that many of these little guys were caught up in a powerful wind and lost track of where they were going. Avian Haven named our bird #2577 and said we could call and keep track of him.

Dovekies eat phytoplankton, krill, small fish and crustaceans. 

I called Avian Haven just now, and was told that Dovekie #2577 is in a pool with 10 other Dovekies being fed and seems to be doing alright, phew!

My son and I experienced a Christmas miracle … and what a great gift.