9781684581993
9781684582006
Distributed for Brandeis University Press
Birdwatching in Maine
The Complete Site Guide
Second Edition
An invaluable site guide for New England birders, now available in a new updated edition.
With over 470 species of birds recorded, Maine offers an abundance of birding opportunities for people of all levels of interest and experience, from those looking beyond their backyards for the first time to knowledgeable visitors looking to plug a hole in their list of sightings. The state’s wealth of undeveloped land and its extensive coastline, countless islands, and varied habitat combine to host an impressive diversity of birds at all times of the year. Birders travel to Maine from near and far to seek hard-to-find species, from the only Atlantic puffins breeding in the United States on offshore islands to Bicknell’s thrushes high in the mountains.
This book fills an important niche for the birdwatching community by offering comprehensive entries detailing the best locations for finding birds throughout the state for enthusiasts of all levels of skill and interest. It contains descriptions of 202 birding sites in Maine, with explicit directions on how to get there, for all sixteen of the state’s counties, several as large as other New England states! Each chapter features a county map, a brief overview by Derek J. Lovitch, numerous specific site guides, and a list of rarities. The book also contains a detailed and useful species accounts guide for finding the most sought-after birds.
Lavishly illustrated in color throughout, Birdwatching in Maine is the best available resource for finding birds in the largest of the New England states. This updated edition features a new introduction, as well as new birding sites and maps.
With over 470 species of birds recorded, Maine offers an abundance of birding opportunities for people of all levels of interest and experience, from those looking beyond their backyards for the first time to knowledgeable visitors looking to plug a hole in their list of sightings. The state’s wealth of undeveloped land and its extensive coastline, countless islands, and varied habitat combine to host an impressive diversity of birds at all times of the year. Birders travel to Maine from near and far to seek hard-to-find species, from the only Atlantic puffins breeding in the United States on offshore islands to Bicknell’s thrushes high in the mountains.
This book fills an important niche for the birdwatching community by offering comprehensive entries detailing the best locations for finding birds throughout the state for enthusiasts of all levels of skill and interest. It contains descriptions of 202 birding sites in Maine, with explicit directions on how to get there, for all sixteen of the state’s counties, several as large as other New England states! Each chapter features a county map, a brief overview by Derek J. Lovitch, numerous specific site guides, and a list of rarities. The book also contains a detailed and useful species accounts guide for finding the most sought-after birds.
Lavishly illustrated in color throughout, Birdwatching in Maine is the best available resource for finding birds in the largest of the New England states. This updated edition features a new introduction, as well as new birding sites and maps.
Reviews
Table of Contents
Preface xv
Introduction: Why Go Birding in Maine? 1
Basics of Birding in Maine 3
How to Use This Book 5
American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics 9
1 Y ork County 13
Derek Lovitch
Y1 Fort Foster and Seapoint Beach 14
Y2 Mount Agamenticus 17
Y3 The Nubble (Cape Neddick) 18
Y4 Winter Alcid and Harlequin Duck Tour 20
Y5 Moody-Ogunquit Beach and Beach Plum Farm 22
Y6 Wells Marshes and Beaches 24
Y7 Wells Reserve at Laudholm 26
Y8 First Chance Whale Watch 27
Y9 Kennebunk Plains 28
Y10 Sanford Lagoons 31
Y11 Timber Point and Fortunes Rocks Beach 33
Y12 Biddeford Pool 35
Y13 Saco “Yacht Club” and Riverwalk 41
Y14 Pleasant Point Park 43
Y15 Waterboro Barrens Preserve 44
Y16 Killock Pond Road, and Maynard Marsh and
Little Ossippee River Wildlife Management Areas 45
Y17 Sawyer Mountain Loop 48
2 C umberland County 51
Derek Lovitch
C1 Scarborough Marsh 53
C2 Crescent Beach and Kettle Cove State Parks 60
C3 Dyer Point and Two Lights State Park 62
C4 Village Crossings and the Cape Elizabeth Greenbelt Trail 64
C5 Portland Harbor Winter Gull Loop 65
C6 The Eastern Promenade 68
C7 Back Cove 71
C8 Evergreen Cemetery and Other Urban Sites 73
C9 Capisic Pond Park 77
C10 Odyssey Whalewatch 78
C11 Casco Bay Islands (especially Peaks Island) and the Mailboat 80
C12 Riverbank Park and Westbrook Riverwalk 82
C13 Sebago Lake State Park and the Sebago Lake Loop 83
C14 Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island 87
C15 “Greater Yarmouth Goose Fields” 89
C16 Old Town House Park 91
C17 Morgan Meadow Wildlife Management Area 92
C18 Bradbury Mountain State Park and Spring Hawk Watch 93
C19 Winslow Park and South Freeport 95
C20 Florida Lake Park 98
C21 Wharton Point to Simpson Point 100
C22 Harpswell Neck 102
C23 Bailey Island 105
3 O xford County 107
Kirk Betts
O1 Brownfield Bog 109
O2 Pleasant Mountain 111
O3 Fryeburg Harbor Loop 112
O4 Heald and Bradley Ponds 114
O5 Streaked Mountain 115
O6 Virgil Parris Forest (Packard Trail) 116
O7 Norway Loop 116
O8 White Mountain National Forest 118
O9 Mount Will 119
O10 Rumford Whitecap Mountain 120
O11 Grafton Notch State Park 121
O12 Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge 122
4 A ndroscoggin County 125
Dan Nickerson
AN1 Androscoggin River Tour, Durham to Lewiston 126
AN2 Beaver Park, Lisbon 129
AN3 Miller Park—Papermill Trail, Ricker Farm, and Androscoggin
River Trails 131
AN4 The “Louie” Loop 133
AN5 Range Pond State Park 136
AN6 Lewiston-Auburn Parks and Trails 137
AN7 Auburn North Circuit 141
AN8 Sabattus Pond 144
5 S agadahoc County 149
John Berry
SA1 Morse Mountain and Seawall Beach 151
SA2 Popham Beach State Park 152
SA 3 Reid State Park 155
SA4 New Meadows River 158
SA 5 Bath Landfill and Waterfront 158
SA6 Whiskeag Creek Trail (Sewall Woods and Thorne Head) 161
SA 7 Bradley Pond 162
SA8 Bisson’s Farm 163
SA 9 Cathance Preserve 164
SA10 Merrymeeting Bay (including the Mouth of the Abagadasset
River) 165
SA11 Green Point Wildlife Management Area 168
6 L incoln County 171
Allison Childs Wells and Jeffrey V. Wells
L1 Monhegan Island 172
L2 Boothbay Harbor Loop 177
L3 Cap’n Fish’s Whale Watch 178
L4 Boothbay Center Loop 179
L5 Ocean Point—Linekin Preserve Loop 181
L6 Pemaquid Point Loop 183
L7 Eastern Egg Rock via the Hardy Boat 186
L8 Schmid Preserve–Zak Preserve Loop 187
L9 Old Cedar Grove Road and Pownalborough Court House
Trails 189
L10 Great Salt Bay Loop 191
L11 Dresden Bog Loop 194
L12 North Lincoln County Loop 196
7 K ennebec County 199
Herb Wilson
KE1 Cobbosseecontee Lake 201
KE2 Vaughan Woods 202
KE3 Mill Park and Augusta State Airport (West Augusta) 203
KE4 Viles Arboretum 204
KE5 Hatch Hill Landfill 206
KE6 Messalonskee Lake 208
KE7 Sidney Bog 210
KE8 China Lake 211
KE9 Waterville Loop 213
KE10 Kennebec River 216
KE11 Kennebec Highlands Trails 217
KE12 River Road Farmlands 218
8 K nox County 221
Kristen Lindquist
KX1 St. George River in Warren 222
KX2 Weskeag Marsh 223
KX3 Thomaston Waterfront 226
KX4 Owls Head Area Loop 228
KX5 Rockland Breakwater 230
KX6 Vinalhaven Island (and Ferry) 232
KX7 Chickawaukie Lake and Maces Pond 238
KX8 Clarry Hill 239
KX 9 Appleton Ridge to the Gibson Preserve 241
KX10 Beech Hill Preserve 243
KX11 Merryspring Nature Center 246
KX12 Camden Harbor 248
KX13 Camden Hills State Park 249
9 Waldo County 253
Seth Benz
WO1 Fernald’s Neck Preserve 254
WO2 Ducktrap Harbor 256
WO3 Islesboro (Island) 257
WO4 Lake St. George State Park 260
WO5 James Dorso (Ruffingham Meadow) Wildlife Management
Area 261
WO6 Belfast Tour 262
WO7 Head of Tide and Stover Preserves 266
WO8 Bog Brook Sanctuary / Sheepscot-Wellspring Land Alliance
Properties 269
WO9 Frye Mountain State Wildlife Management Area 270
WO10 Sears Island 272
WO11 Cape Jellison Loop 276
WO12 Sandy Point Beach and Sandy Point Wildlife Management
Area 278
WO13 Unity Area 279
WO14 Howard L. Mendall (Marsh Stream) Wildlife Management
Area 283
10 Hancock County 285
Rich MacDonald
H1 Deer Isle Tour 287
H2 Blue Hill Peninsula Tour 290
H3 Holbrook Island Sanctuary 292
H4 Acadia National Park Tour (including Park Loop Road) 295
H5 Mount Desert Island (West) Tour 301
H6 East Mount Desert Island Tour 304
H7 Bar Harbor Whale Watch 306
H8 Trenton 308
H9 Schoodic Peninsula Tour 309
H10 Great Pond Mountain Wildlands 311
H11 Ellsworth Tour 312
H12 Route 9, Airline Road (“the Airline”) and Stud Mill
Road Tour 314
11 Franklin County 317
Kirk Betts
F1 White Granite Park 319
F2 Foothills Land Conservancy 320
F3 Whistlestop Trail 321
F4 Mount Blue State Park 322
F5 Perham Stream Birding Trail 323
F6 Saddleback Mountain 324
F7 Rangeley Lakes 326
F8 Rangeley Loop Drive 328
F9 Bald Mountain 331
F10 Boy Scout Road and the Kennebago River 332
F11 Quill Hill 334
F12 Sugarloaf Area 335
F13 Burnt Mountain (aka Burnt Hill) 337
12 S omerset County 339
Ron Joseph
SO 1 Mill Island Town Park 341
SO2 Shawmut Dam 342
SO3 Goodwill-Hinckley School Nature Trail, L. C. Bates Museum,
and Kennebec Valley Community College Farm Fields 343
SO4 Madawaska Bog Wildlife Management Area 344
SO5 Gilman Pond Farm and Stream Inlet 345
SO6 Long Falls Dam Road 346
SO7 Moore Pond 350
13 P enobscot County 353
Luke Seitz
PE1 Sebasticook Lake 354
PE2 Corinna Marsh 355
PE3 Plymouth Pond 357
PE4 Essex Woods 358
PE5 Bangor Waterfront Tour 359
PE6 Penjajawoc Marsh 361
PE7 Bangor City Forest and Orono Bog 362
PE8 University of Maine Campus 363
PE9 Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge 365
PE10 Stud Mill Road 366
14 W ashington County 369
Herb Wilson
WN1 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge 370
WN2 Southern Washington County Blueberry Barrens 371
WN3 Addison Marsh 372
WN4 Great Wass Island 372
WN5 Roque Bluffs State Park 374
WN6 Machias Loop 374
WN7 Machias Seal Island 376
WN8 Hamilton Cove and Boot Head Preserves 377
WN9 Lubec and the Lubec Bar and Flats 380
WN10 Quoddy Head State Park 383
WN11 Campobello Island 386
WN12 Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge: Edmunds Division 387
WN13 Pleasant Island–Eastport Loop 388
WN14 Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge: Baring Division 390
WN15 The Burn Road 391
15 P iscataquis County 393
Luke Seitz
PS1 Shirley Bog Railroad Bed 395
PS2 Big Moose Mountain 397
PS3 Lily Bay State Park 398
PS4 Kokadjo Area 398
PS5 Golden Road 400
PS6 Harvester Road 401
PS7 Baxter State Park: Nesowadnehunk Campground 405
PS8 Baxter State Park: Roaring Brook Campground and
Sandy Stream Pond 406
PS9 Baxter State Park: Mount Katahdin 407
16 A roostook County 411
Luke Seitz
AR1 Mars Hill Pond 412
AR2 Masardis Area 413
AR3 Aroostook State Park 414
AR4 Lake Josephine 415
AR5 Christiana Reservoir 417
AR6 Collins Pond 418
AR 7 Limestone / Fort Fairfield Goose Tour 419
AR8 Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge 421
AR9 Stockholm–Van Buren Path 422
AR10 Muscovic Road 424
AR11 Sinclair Area 425
AR12 Square Lake Road 426
AR13 The North Maine Woods 429
17 S pecies Accounts 432
References 465
About the Editor and Contributors 467
Index of Bird Species 473
Introduction: Why Go Birding in Maine? 1
Basics of Birding in Maine 3
How to Use This Book 5
American Birding Association Code of Birding Ethics 9
1 Y ork County 13
Derek Lovitch
Y1 Fort Foster and Seapoint Beach 14
Y2 Mount Agamenticus 17
Y3 The Nubble (Cape Neddick) 18
Y4 Winter Alcid and Harlequin Duck Tour 20
Y5 Moody-Ogunquit Beach and Beach Plum Farm 22
Y6 Wells Marshes and Beaches 24
Y7 Wells Reserve at Laudholm 26
Y8 First Chance Whale Watch 27
Y9 Kennebunk Plains 28
Y10 Sanford Lagoons 31
Y11 Timber Point and Fortunes Rocks Beach 33
Y12 Biddeford Pool 35
Y13 Saco “Yacht Club” and Riverwalk 41
Y14 Pleasant Point Park 43
Y15 Waterboro Barrens Preserve 44
Y16 Killock Pond Road, and Maynard Marsh and
Little Ossippee River Wildlife Management Areas 45
Y17 Sawyer Mountain Loop 48
2 C umberland County 51
Derek Lovitch
C1 Scarborough Marsh 53
C2 Crescent Beach and Kettle Cove State Parks 60
C3 Dyer Point and Two Lights State Park 62
C4 Village Crossings and the Cape Elizabeth Greenbelt Trail 64
C5 Portland Harbor Winter Gull Loop 65
C6 The Eastern Promenade 68
C7 Back Cove 71
C8 Evergreen Cemetery and Other Urban Sites 73
C9 Capisic Pond Park 77
C10 Odyssey Whalewatch 78
C11 Casco Bay Islands (especially Peaks Island) and the Mailboat 80
C12 Riverbank Park and Westbrook Riverwalk 82
C13 Sebago Lake State Park and the Sebago Lake Loop 83
C14 Sandy Point Beach, Cousin’s Island 87
C15 “Greater Yarmouth Goose Fields” 89
C16 Old Town House Park 91
C17 Morgan Meadow Wildlife Management Area 92
C18 Bradbury Mountain State Park and Spring Hawk Watch 93
C19 Winslow Park and South Freeport 95
C20 Florida Lake Park 98
C21 Wharton Point to Simpson Point 100
C22 Harpswell Neck 102
C23 Bailey Island 105
3 O xford County 107
Kirk Betts
O1 Brownfield Bog 109
O2 Pleasant Mountain 111
O3 Fryeburg Harbor Loop 112
O4 Heald and Bradley Ponds 114
O5 Streaked Mountain 115
O6 Virgil Parris Forest (Packard Trail) 116
O7 Norway Loop 116
O8 White Mountain National Forest 118
O9 Mount Will 119
O10 Rumford Whitecap Mountain 120
O11 Grafton Notch State Park 121
O12 Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge 122
4 A ndroscoggin County 125
Dan Nickerson
AN1 Androscoggin River Tour, Durham to Lewiston 126
AN2 Beaver Park, Lisbon 129
AN3 Miller Park—Papermill Trail, Ricker Farm, and Androscoggin
River Trails 131
AN4 The “Louie” Loop 133
AN5 Range Pond State Park 136
AN6 Lewiston-Auburn Parks and Trails 137
AN7 Auburn North Circuit 141
AN8 Sabattus Pond 144
5 S agadahoc County 149
John Berry
SA1 Morse Mountain and Seawall Beach 151
SA2 Popham Beach State Park 152
SA 3 Reid State Park 155
SA4 New Meadows River 158
SA 5 Bath Landfill and Waterfront 158
SA6 Whiskeag Creek Trail (Sewall Woods and Thorne Head) 161
SA 7 Bradley Pond 162
SA8 Bisson’s Farm 163
SA 9 Cathance Preserve 164
SA10 Merrymeeting Bay (including the Mouth of the Abagadasset
River) 165
SA11 Green Point Wildlife Management Area 168
6 L incoln County 171
Allison Childs Wells and Jeffrey V. Wells
L1 Monhegan Island 172
L2 Boothbay Harbor Loop 177
L3 Cap’n Fish’s Whale Watch 178
L4 Boothbay Center Loop 179
L5 Ocean Point—Linekin Preserve Loop 181
L6 Pemaquid Point Loop 183
L7 Eastern Egg Rock via the Hardy Boat 186
L8 Schmid Preserve–Zak Preserve Loop 187
L9 Old Cedar Grove Road and Pownalborough Court House
Trails 189
L10 Great Salt Bay Loop 191
L11 Dresden Bog Loop 194
L12 North Lincoln County Loop 196
7 K ennebec County 199
Herb Wilson
KE1 Cobbosseecontee Lake 201
KE2 Vaughan Woods 202
KE3 Mill Park and Augusta State Airport (West Augusta) 203
KE4 Viles Arboretum 204
KE5 Hatch Hill Landfill 206
KE6 Messalonskee Lake 208
KE7 Sidney Bog 210
KE8 China Lake 211
KE9 Waterville Loop 213
KE10 Kennebec River 216
KE11 Kennebec Highlands Trails 217
KE12 River Road Farmlands 218
8 K nox County 221
Kristen Lindquist
KX1 St. George River in Warren 222
KX2 Weskeag Marsh 223
KX3 Thomaston Waterfront 226
KX4 Owls Head Area Loop 228
KX5 Rockland Breakwater 230
KX6 Vinalhaven Island (and Ferry) 232
KX7 Chickawaukie Lake and Maces Pond 238
KX8 Clarry Hill 239
KX 9 Appleton Ridge to the Gibson Preserve 241
KX10 Beech Hill Preserve 243
KX11 Merryspring Nature Center 246
KX12 Camden Harbor 248
KX13 Camden Hills State Park 249
9 Waldo County 253
Seth Benz
WO1 Fernald’s Neck Preserve 254
WO2 Ducktrap Harbor 256
WO3 Islesboro (Island) 257
WO4 Lake St. George State Park 260
WO5 James Dorso (Ruffingham Meadow) Wildlife Management
Area 261
WO6 Belfast Tour 262
WO7 Head of Tide and Stover Preserves 266
WO8 Bog Brook Sanctuary / Sheepscot-Wellspring Land Alliance
Properties 269
WO9 Frye Mountain State Wildlife Management Area 270
WO10 Sears Island 272
WO11 Cape Jellison Loop 276
WO12 Sandy Point Beach and Sandy Point Wildlife Management
Area 278
WO13 Unity Area 279
WO14 Howard L. Mendall (Marsh Stream) Wildlife Management
Area 283
10 Hancock County 285
Rich MacDonald
H1 Deer Isle Tour 287
H2 Blue Hill Peninsula Tour 290
H3 Holbrook Island Sanctuary 292
H4 Acadia National Park Tour (including Park Loop Road) 295
H5 Mount Desert Island (West) Tour 301
H6 East Mount Desert Island Tour 304
H7 Bar Harbor Whale Watch 306
H8 Trenton 308
H9 Schoodic Peninsula Tour 309
H10 Great Pond Mountain Wildlands 311
H11 Ellsworth Tour 312
H12 Route 9, Airline Road (“the Airline”) and Stud Mill
Road Tour 314
11 Franklin County 317
Kirk Betts
F1 White Granite Park 319
F2 Foothills Land Conservancy 320
F3 Whistlestop Trail 321
F4 Mount Blue State Park 322
F5 Perham Stream Birding Trail 323
F6 Saddleback Mountain 324
F7 Rangeley Lakes 326
F8 Rangeley Loop Drive 328
F9 Bald Mountain 331
F10 Boy Scout Road and the Kennebago River 332
F11 Quill Hill 334
F12 Sugarloaf Area 335
F13 Burnt Mountain (aka Burnt Hill) 337
12 S omerset County 339
Ron Joseph
SO 1 Mill Island Town Park 341
SO2 Shawmut Dam 342
SO3 Goodwill-Hinckley School Nature Trail, L. C. Bates Museum,
and Kennebec Valley Community College Farm Fields 343
SO4 Madawaska Bog Wildlife Management Area 344
SO5 Gilman Pond Farm and Stream Inlet 345
SO6 Long Falls Dam Road 346
SO7 Moore Pond 350
13 P enobscot County 353
Luke Seitz
PE1 Sebasticook Lake 354
PE2 Corinna Marsh 355
PE3 Plymouth Pond 357
PE4 Essex Woods 358
PE5 Bangor Waterfront Tour 359
PE6 Penjajawoc Marsh 361
PE7 Bangor City Forest and Orono Bog 362
PE8 University of Maine Campus 363
PE9 Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge 365
PE10 Stud Mill Road 366
14 W ashington County 369
Herb Wilson
WN1 Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge 370
WN2 Southern Washington County Blueberry Barrens 371
WN3 Addison Marsh 372
WN4 Great Wass Island 372
WN5 Roque Bluffs State Park 374
WN6 Machias Loop 374
WN7 Machias Seal Island 376
WN8 Hamilton Cove and Boot Head Preserves 377
WN9 Lubec and the Lubec Bar and Flats 380
WN10 Quoddy Head State Park 383
WN11 Campobello Island 386
WN12 Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge: Edmunds Division 387
WN13 Pleasant Island–Eastport Loop 388
WN14 Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge: Baring Division 390
WN15 The Burn Road 391
15 P iscataquis County 393
Luke Seitz
PS1 Shirley Bog Railroad Bed 395
PS2 Big Moose Mountain 397
PS3 Lily Bay State Park 398
PS4 Kokadjo Area 398
PS5 Golden Road 400
PS6 Harvester Road 401
PS7 Baxter State Park: Nesowadnehunk Campground 405
PS8 Baxter State Park: Roaring Brook Campground and
Sandy Stream Pond 406
PS9 Baxter State Park: Mount Katahdin 407
16 A roostook County 411
Luke Seitz
AR1 Mars Hill Pond 412
AR2 Masardis Area 413
AR3 Aroostook State Park 414
AR4 Lake Josephine 415
AR5 Christiana Reservoir 417
AR6 Collins Pond 418
AR 7 Limestone / Fort Fairfield Goose Tour 419
AR8 Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge 421
AR9 Stockholm–Van Buren Path 422
AR10 Muscovic Road 424
AR11 Sinclair Area 425
AR12 Square Lake Road 426
AR13 The North Maine Woods 429
17 S pecies Accounts 432
References 465
About the Editor and Contributors 467
Index of Bird Species 473