Bangor, ME. Last weekend, birders from every corner of the nation descended on Bangor (population 32,446) to become a part of the aviary event of the century.
An estimated 10 million came by plane, train, and automobile, all of them desperate to see the yellow-headed blackbird that was first spotted in Bucksport, ME (population 4,494), this past Friday.
By lunchtime, a video of the bird perched on the abandoned paper mill had gone viral.
“As soon as I saw the clip, I shut down the schools and gave all municipal workers the day off. Around 3:00, it took flight and headed north upriver towards Bangor. I got on the phone and alerted my counterpart in Bangor and the governor.” Thurmond Gray, Mayor of Bucksport, told reporters. “I mean, a yellow-headed blackbird! this far down the coast! When would we ever get another chance to see something like that?”
The Yellow-Headed Blackbird is rarely seen East of the Mississippi River. Within hours, tens of millions of avid birders around the country sprang into action.
By Friday night, the hotels in Bangor and its surroundings were fully booked, and its riverfront was a virtual metropolis of tents and camper vans.
“It was a beautiful experience. Like Woodstock, you know?” said Brad Roupenian (37), an Investment Banker from Manhattan. “We drove up in my brother’s RV, and just opened our composting toilet to whoever needed it. People were cooking up hot dogs, burgers, or whatever they could find, and passing them around.”
It was on Saturday at 11:00 A.M. that the bird made its appearance. Sloane (49), an adult entertainer from Reno, Nevada, was the first to record it on film. A hush passed through the crowd. The spectators spent the rest of the day snapping pictures and writing in their journals, in silence.
Our reporters were able to speak with Sloane the following day. “I’m still shaking, knowing that I’m forever a part of birding history.”
Many public figures were among the crowd. A commissioner of a major sports league who chose to remain anonymous described the event as “The Super Bowl, a Solar Eclipse, and the Bachelorette Finale all rolled into one.”
In the end, the weekend meant the most to the Bangor natives. Bangor, a city that had its heyday before the Civil War, has declined steadily from its erstwhile status as “Lumber Capital of the World.”
“I think we needed this.” Sammy McGuire (93) told reporters. “I can surely say I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime. My father used to tell me stories about Christmas time back in the logging days, when the streets would flood with woodsmen coming down all the way from the County [Aroostook County] and Quebec to spend their wages in our world-famous brothels. But I was just a boy when they were shut down.”
The excitement ended as swiftly as it began. On Sunday morning, the bird soared over the historic downtown, landing briefly on the DMV before flying off once and for all, leaving the crowds in awe.
The Francophone woodsmen and world-class brothels of Mr. McGuire’s childhood may be long gone, but for one weekend, Bangor could once again hold its head high.
“That bird’s probably in Halifax by now, but that’s the beauty of birding. No wonder it’s our national pastime.” Added Mr. McGuire. “Yesterday, I bore witness to history. But by tomorrow, I’ll probably be home in bed, wishing the brothels would reopen.”