Birding Downeast
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If no place has it all, downeast Maine is the exception that proves the rule. Indeed, Washington County has everything except crowds. In the entire county there is only one traffic light. It would be one of the most heavily birded areas in America if America only knew about it.   

The region has every northern forest habitat: mature hardwood, mixed growth, and thick stands of boreal softwood. It has fast and slow rivers, marsh and bog wetlands, rocky coasts and mud flats, grasslands and blueberry barrens. It has two national wildlife refuges - Petit Manan NWR and Moosehorn NWR. It has some of Maine’s best bird nesting islands, including Machias Seal Island which is arguably Maine's best birding experience.   

As a result, all of Maine’s most sought-after species are found here, sometimes in abundance. Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees, and Gray Jays are all resident in the dense spruce forests. Common Eiders, Long-tailed Ducks, grebes and scoters occupy prominent viewing spots along the coast. Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Common Murres, and Black Guillemots are sometimes visible from shore. Even if they aren’t, boat tours visit their nesting areas for exceptionally close observation. Cape May, Bay-breasted, and Blackpoll Warblers can be found anywhere in the state, but they are more often seen downeast. The mud flats of Lubec attract large concentrations of shorebirds every August with more variety than is commonly found elsewhere. Winter holds its own surprises. The population of sea ducks triples in winter.

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