Wings, Waves and Woods - May 17-19, 2024 - Deer-Isle, Stonington
The Wings, Waves, and Woods festival comprises a mix of birding, nature, historical walks, and activities. The popular boat trip to Seal Island offers sightings of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Northern Gannets, and others. Up to two dozen species of warblers can be seen on the various guided walks on Island Heritage Trust’s preserves, as well as shorebirds nesting and breeding along our extensive shoreline. Experience just one activity, or make it an entire weekend. Connected by a bridge to the mainland Deer Isle is off the beaten path but worth visiting! Get a taste of life “the way it should be” by taking in the spectacular scenery and working waterfronts around the Island.
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Downeast
Spring Birding Festival - May 24-27, 2024 - Cobscook Bay, Whiting
The annual Down East Spring Birding Festival provides a unique birding experience during spring migration and the breeding season with guided hikes and boat tours, all led by local guides with local knowledge. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has named the Down East Spring Birding Festival one of the best in the country, and Yankee Magazine listed it as an Editor’s Choice event in 2014.
While birding, festival participants will enjoy the tranquility and great natural beauty of Down East Maine’s Cobscook Bay area. The region sports the greatest variety of habitats on the East Coast, including boreal and northern hardwood forests, bogs, fresh- and salt-water marshes, grassy and shrubby fields, streams and lakes, steep rugged headlands, extensive tidal flats, and coastal islands.
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Acadia Birding Festival - May 30 - June 2, 2024 - Acadia National Park and beyond
The Acadia Birding Festival is Maine's 1st bird watching
festival, established in 1998. Nationally famous speakers are featured every year, to be announced. Participate for a special and educational birding experience during spring migration and the breeding season, with a wealth of opportunities to see many bird species in their unique habitats.
The festival offers birders various self-guided explorations as well as guided hikes, boat tours, and presentations led by area experts. Enjoy a diversity of habitats: northern hardwood forests, bogs, fresh and salt-water marshes, grassy and shrubby fields, streams and lakes, steep rugged headlands.
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Rangeley Birding Festival - June 7 - 9, 2024 - Rangeley
This new festival, coordinated by the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust and Maine Audubon, stands out as a more focused opportunity to find the boreal birds of Maine's northern forest, such as black-backed woodpecker, spruce grouse, and boreal chickadee, as well as breeding warblers including Cape May, bay-breasted, and mourning. By this weekend, migration has ended and all resident birds should be on territories, giving themselves away in song. The festival includes an opportunity to chase the difficult Bicknell's thrush, which resides atop the mountains surrounding Rangeley Lake. Expect the cry of the loon to drift across the water on any of the lakes in this region, and special loon cruises get just a lens length away.
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