A joint adventure of Atlanta Audubon and Schoodic Institute.
Forever Wild - Baxter State
Park surrounds Mt. Katahdin, Maine's highest peak. Nearby, the West Branch
of the Penobscot River tumbles out of the North Maine Woods. We'll spend the
first half of the tour in the northern forest during the height of songbird
singing. From there, we move off to the northern portion of Acadia
National Park and the downeast coast of Maine. The scenery on this
adventure is equal to the variety of birds to be found. This two 5-day, 4-night tour meets in Bangor and moves immediately to The
Maine Highlands in and around Baxter State Park, where we'll chase some of
Maine's toughest birds, including American Three-toed and Black-backed
Woodpeckers. Spruce Grouse and Boreal Chickadees also haunt this locale, and
we should witness Fox and Lincoln's Sparrows singing on their territories.
While we're in this spot, we'll have a great chance to snap up some of the
tougher warblers, such as Blackpoll, Bay-breasted, Tennessee and Mourning,
and northern forest flycatchers such as Alder, Least, Yellow-bellied and
Olive-sided.
Day One begins in Bangor as the group
convenes for the 5-day, 4-night tour. We'll head directly for one of the
best boreal birding spots deep in the Maine forest. Our first two nights
will be spent at the Big Moose Inn, straddling two quiet lakes. We'll follow dinner
with a little moose watching.
Day Two begins
early. We'll rise with the sun and head up the west side of Baxter State
Park, enjoying the abundance of warblers, thrushes, flycatchers, and finches
that breed in the northern Maine forest. This will also be a chance to
target any rare woodpeckers or grouse that might be missed on the first day.
Day Three begins early again, as we head up the
east side of the park to Roaring Brook. Here, we'll enjoy close-ups of
moose, chase down Philadelphia Vireos, and search out a few other elusive
species. After lunch, we'll finish up with the mountains, then bird our way
to the sea at Acadia National Park, where we'll spend our next two nights
enjoying the accommodations and meals at the Schoodic
Education and Research Center(SERC).
Day Four features a puffin and seabird tour as we circle
Petit Manan Island, one of Maine's breeding colonies of Atlantic Puffins and
Razorbills. With luck, we may encounter some of the pelagic species that
come into the Gulf of Maine in summer, such as Northern Gannet, Great and
Sooty Shearwaters, and Wilson's Storm-petrels.
Day Five is leader's choice, giving us the opportunity to make up for any bad weather
that may occur. The day and the tour end before dinner in Bangor. Participants should bring binoculars, and this is a scenic
tour for photography. Spotting scopes are useful and the guides will provide
one for group use, as well as guidebooks and extra binoculars. This trip
will not require strenuous hiking. Hikes will be slow and on level ground.
There may be some spots that are muddy, uneven, and slippery. Adequate
footwear is advised, but large boots are unnecessary. Mosquitoes and black
flies will be present. Insect repellent is suggested. June tends to be warm,
sunny, and dry, but conditions in the northern Maine woods are changeable.
Dawn temperatures may start in the 40s and reach the 80s by afternoon. Boat
tours can be cold and wet. Bring appropriate clothing. Bring an appetite. We
don't starve.
Tour guides are Seth Benz,
Director of the Schoodic Institute Bird Ecology Lab and Michelle Hamner, Atlanta Audubon,
Tour is limited to 10 participants to
insure proper attention. Package price includes four nights lodging, all
meals from lunch on Day One through lunch on Day Five, guided transportation
by 15-passenger van, and puffin boat excursion. Rooms at the Big Moose Inn
feature shared baths. Upgrades to a room with private bath are available for
a limited time. Ask for current availability. Fortunately, due to the
schedule of the tour and the time spent in the field, shared baths are
seldom a concern for most people.
Accommodations at SERC are in shared,
multi-bedroom cottages, with kitchen and ample living space.
This year's tour has been fully booked by Atlanta Audubon, which is currently maintaining a waiting list.
For tour details, visit Atlanta Audubon, or
Contact Michelle Hamner at 678-973-2437.
