Photo Gallery
Images: Derek Lovitch, Beth Russell (br), Luke Seitz (ls)
We’ll begin near Portland at Scarboro Marsh , here at flood tide, where we sometimes see… (dl)
…both Nelson’s and, here shown, Saltmarsh Sparrows. (dl)
Late we’ll drive to Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island.; here a view over Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain. (br)
We’ll probably see the first stirrings of fall color… (br)
..and wonderful late-season wildflowers especially the asters and goldenrods…
We’ll see birds too including winter plumaged Black Guillemots…. (ls)
…and on our morning’s sea trip, perhaps Greater Shearwater. We can only hope the waters are this calm.
We’ll probably see our first lobsters as well.
Leaving Mt. Desert, we’ll travel to Monhegan Island, accessible on by three ferries.
We often encounter Northern Gannets on the crossing. (jl)
After about an hour at sea, we’ll round Manana Island… (br)
…and enter Monhegan Harbor…
We’ll lodge at the Island Inn…
..whose simple but very comfortable rooms…
…can have lovely views over the harbor…
…and the waterfront which is shared by lobstermen, artists, and birders.
Perhaps we should add that the Island Inn has superb food; here a lobster scrambled for breakfast. Yum.
On the island, Rusty Blackbirds show well… (ls)
…and scarce wanderers such as Dickcissel… (ls)
…and Clay-colored Sparrow are almost expected. (ls)
But birders flock here to see the migrants…
…which might include Canada Warbler… (ls)
…or the scarce Prairie Warbler. (ls)
Many birds are tired and tame such as this Bay-breasted Warbler, which has just made it to shore…
..and there are almost always lots of raptors, such as this Merlin.
Monhegan itself is magical, from the high cliffs…
…to the rubble shores…
…and from the dark spruce forests…
…and the magnificent lichens. (br)
The village itself isutterly charming… (br)
…with its narrow lanes, yards, and gardens. (br)
We’ll look at everything…
…and surprises await, from a Sora in a puddle…
…to the best pizza in Maine…
…and phenomenal sunsets.