On May 27, 2026, I went to Deer Hill Wildlife Management Area in search of a reported Acadian Flycatcher. After about ten minutes of walking, I noticed some ticks crawling up my leg, which was not surprising given the high grass on the trail. I ended up taking a picture, disposed of the ticks, and then tucked in my pants to my socks, thinking to prevent any more from following. As I continued down the trail, the next hour or so became a veritable horror movie as over a hundred ticks found purchase on my clothes and I tried desperately to fling them off me before they could reach the back of my neck. At one point, I counted at least 15 attempting the climb simultaneously, an unnerving sight as they moved at full-speed in search of blood — my blood! — and I eventually had to flee as I could no longer keep up with the sheer number of ticks. Once back at my car, it was another 15 minutes of just removing ticks from my shoes before I could even make the journey home, and to top it all off, I didn’t even find the Acadian Flycatcher! Remember, wear long pants, tuck them into your socks, and ideally apply permethrin to your clothes or risk ending up like me 🕷️.

Enjoy this field note? Check out other field notes from Spring 2026!    

• Bohemian Rhapsody by Kurk Dorsey
• Lawrence’s Warbler by Tony Baldasaro
• Broad-winged Hawks on a Yard Layover by Kathy Carson
• American Herring Gull Eats a Snake by Kathryn Frieden
• Orchard Oriole in Coos County—Again! by Lori Charron
• The Little White Bird by Cameron Johnson
• Painted Bunting—a Random Rare Sighting by Rebecca Elliott
• Short-billed Dowitchers in Dummer by Janice Landry

Want even more? Visit our “From the Field” page.