Newman Hill Preserve

Newman Hill Preserve is also known locally as the Taylor Bait Farm, although it is no longer commercially active. Its shallow ponds have a local reputation for attracting waterfowl in the spring and shorebirds in the fall.

The first pond is less than a mile from the entrance of Taylor Road. American bitterns lurk in the reeds. Canada geese, hooded mergansers, and mallards nest. Green-winged teal visit often in migration, and blue-winged teal only a little less often.

A second pond is reached by walking past the gate that marks the end of vehicle access. American black ducks, occasional common mergansers, and teal sometimes congregate in this pond.

There is a third pond a short hike beyond. It is smaller and is less likely to contain interesting species. There is also a foot trail that winds over Newman Hill. The trailhead is well marked just after the first pond, and it reenters the roadbed just after the second pond. It can be damp in some seasons, but is inhabited by a variety of warblers.

Directions: From the Bangor Mall, go north on Stillwater Avenue to Forest Avenue. Turn left, proceed 1.4 miles, and turn right onto Taylor Road. Park in designated areas.