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![]() ![]() FOREST & COAST May 23 - 27, 2021 Plus Vinalhaven extension May 27 - 28, 2021 Contact [email protected] to reserve your place! Itinerary> Trip Cost> Tour Registration & Terms> Maine! The largest and arguably most beautiful state in New England conjures up images of scenic, rocky shorelines and verdant deciduous and spruce/fir forests. The diverse and abundant habitats of Maine include more forested area than any other state, 6000 lakes, 3000 coastal islands and 3500 miles of coastline (more than California!) plus peatland bogs, sprawling freshwater and brackish marshes, wetlands, meadows and more.
For birders, the forest habitats of Maine offer avian gems such as Spruce Grouse (Photo: John Schwarz, birdspix.com), Ruffed Grouse, Boreal Chickadee (Photo: John Schwarz, birdspix.com), Canada Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, Saw-whet Owl, Eastern Whippoorwill, Black Tern, Rusty Blackbird, plus crossbills, vireos, flycatchers, swallows, and more than two dozen species of colorful wood warblers returning to their breeding grounds by late May. Protected areas along the coast include offer have the chance to see breeding Peregrine Falcons, returning warblers including Prairie, Cape May, Tennessee and Yellow-breasted Chat, Alder Flycatcher, songbirds like Veery, Scarlet Tanager, Field Sparrow, and perhaps a Bobolink or an Upland Sandpiper.
Maine has recorded 450 species of birds and has 200 breeding species and this tour samples the best of the forest and coast. Starting in Saco, we head up into the southern reaches of the boreal forest to western Maine’s best birding areas including Messalonskee Marsh, Cold Spring Ranch, and Bigelow Preserve in search of the specialties of those areas. From here we head to Camden to bird the varied coastal habitats. We end our trip at the famous Scarborough Marshes looking for rails, marsh sparrows and others.
As an extension, those interested can visit and overnight on Vinalhaven, the largest of Maine’s offshore islands in the center of Penobscot Bay. From Vinalhaven we have the chance to enjoy a variety of seabirds that feed in the waters around the island and breed on the celebrated Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge. Once used as a Navy bombing target, Seal Island now serves as an important nesting ground for a large seabird colony that holds everything from Atlantic Puffins (Photo: Steve Bird) to Arctic Terns to Great Cormorants. It is where the famous Red-billed Tropicbird has been showing up for more than 10 years.
This
tour is designed
to offer
the chance
to explore
the diversity
of habitats
in southern
and western
Maine. Join
us for this
special
sampler of
the iconic
forests
Sunday,
May 23: ARRIVAL
SACO, MAINE
From there, we’ll head to Messalonskee Marsh to search for breeding Black Terns (Photo: John Schwarz, birdspix.com), Sandhill Cranes (Photo: Gina Nichol), American Bittern, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Loon, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, and multiple species of swallows. Nearby, we’ll visit Maine’s largest Purple Martin colony that has been in existence at least since 1909 and hope for access to a large Bank Swallow colony on private property.
After a delicious dinner and review of our checklist, we may have the option to look for Eastern Whip-poor-will if there are any reports in the vicinity.
Tuesday,
May 25: Later in the day we’ll return to our lovely inn for a delicious dinner and review of the day’s sightings.
Wednesday,
May 26: In addition to songbirds and already breeding warblers, we may have the chance to see breeding Peregrine Falcons or maybe a Northern Goshawk. And, we’ll hope for the chance to see the amazing display flight of the American Woodcock. Our lodging tonight is another lovely inn close to town where we’ll enjoy a lovely dinner.
Thursday,
May 27:
Later in the morning, we’ll head south along the coast to the famous Scarborough Marsh, one of the premier birding destinations in Maine. In late May, the Eastern Road Trail and shoreline areas around the marsh can hold Seaside Sparrow, Nelson's Sparrow (Photo: Gina Nichol), Saltmarsh Sparrow, Marsh Wren, Glossy Ibis or even White-faced Ibis, Virginia Rail, Least Tern, Roseate Tern, lingering winter dabbling and sea ducks, herons and egrets galore, migrating shorebirds and any number of rarities.
There are many birding sites in this area and we’ll bird all afternoon before ending our tour in Saco at 6 PM. End of tour.
Vinalhaven
extension: May 27 -
28, 2021
Thursday,
May 27:
On
arrival in Vinalhaven, we
will disembark the ferry
and drop our bags at the
Tidewater Inn. After lunch,
we will board the “Skua”,
a comfortable 36' lobster
boat for a cruise out to
Seal Island National Wildlife
Refuge. Our 4 hour cruise
will take us to Seal Island
to see the 65-acre sanctuary
is managed in cooperation
with National Audubon Society
to protect colonial nesting
seabirds. Supporting one
of the largest tern colonies
in the Gulf of Maine, Seal
Island has thousands of
pairs of Arctic and Common
Terns. Atlantic Puffins
have been reintroduced on
the island and our voyage
around the island should
see us plenty of these unique “sea
parrots” as
well as and Common Eider,
Double-crested and Great
Cormorants, Leach’s
Storm-petrel, Black Guillemot,
and Razorbill. The noisy,
seemingly chaotic spectacle
of this large and diverse
colony is sure to captivate
us. We’ll
scan the waters around the
island for shearwaters,
Common Murres, Northern
Gannets, and other seabirds.
With luck, Photos:
Atlantic Puffin, Arctic
Tern by Gina Nichol, Common
Murre
by
Steve Bird. Later in the afternoon, we’ll head back to shore to the Tidewater Inn. We’ll enjoy a nice dinner and review of our unforgettable day.
PLEASE NOTE: As with any boat trip, we could be impacted by weather. We’ll heed the advice of the captain if conditions are too rough or unsafe and bird from land.
Itinerary> Trip Cost> Tour Registration & Terms>
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