Included:

• Guided birding for 9 days.

• Lodging for eight nights

• Meals beginning with dinner on the first night through breakfast on the final day.

• Transportation including airport pickup and drop off at Portland Airport (PWM).

• Half-day boat trip to Petit Manan Island to see Puffins.

• Optics – I will have a Kowa 99mm scope available throughout the tour.

NOT Included:

• Round trip flights to Portland International Jetport (PWM).

• Lodging/Meals prior to or after the tour dates: July 10-18.

• Personal items such as alcohol with meals, laundry, etc.

July 10: Arrive in Portland. If there’s time, we may get our first look at nearby Scarborough Marsh to listen for Sora and Virginia Rail.

Night in South Portland.

July 11: We’ll begin our birding at Kennebunk Plains, the most significant remaining sand-plain grassland in New England and home to Grasshopper, Vesper and Field Sparrows, as well as Prairie Warbler, Eastern Meadowlark and Upland Sandpiper. We’ll continue to the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm where Bobolinks are often singing their otherworldly songs above the lush, wet meadows. The nearby hardwood forest is good for breeders like Veery, Great Crested Flycatcher, Ovenbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

After lunch in Biddeford, we’ll visit Biddeford Pool, with beaches, a freshwater pond and rocky coastline to search for waterfowl, shorebirds and seabirds.

Night in South Portland.

July 12: This morning we’ll visit Scarborough Marsh, the largest salt marsh north of Massachusetts and a good place for Nelson’s and Saltmarsh Sparrows along with “Eastern” Willet, Roseate and Least Terns and Piping Plover.

Then we’ll head north towards Bar Harbor with a few stops on the way. We may detour to Lake Messalonskee, home to a small breeding population of Black Terns and one of the few Purple Martin colonies in the state. Sandhill Cranes can be observed in the area as well. Another option would be to swing by the Columbia Blueberry Barrens to observe Upland Sandpipers on their breeding grounds.

Night in Southwest Harbor. 

July 13: After savoring some famous blueberry pancakes, we’ll make our first visit to Acadia National Park, birding the western area for Winter Wren, Alder Flycatcher, Pileated Woodpecker and a host of other species. By mid-morning we’ll venture into Bar Harbor for an afternoon boat trip to Petit Manan Island, part of the Maine Coastal Islands NWR. Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Common Murre, Black Guillemot and Common Tern nest on the island. On our return, we’ll explore Frenchman’s Bay, where Bald Eagles, Common Eiders, Black Guillemots and perhaps a shearwater can be seen.

Night in Southwest Harbor.

July 14: This morning we’ll have and early start, birding with local guide and long-time Bar Harbor resident Michael Good. We’ll stop for breakfast after exploring the Park Loop Road in Acadia NP with its fabulous vistas. Peregrine Falcon and Broad-winged Hawk are possible along with songbirds like Blue-headed Vireo and Pine Warbler.

Then we’ll wish Michael well and begin our drive up the coastline, sopping in Millbridge for lunch and a walk on the Hollingsworth Trail where Spruce Grouse is possible. There are several places we may visit as we make our way “downeast.”

Night in Lubec

July 15: After breakfast, we’ll visit West Quoddy Head State Park, the easternmost point in the United States and home to Palm Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrow and perhaps a lingering Great Cormorant.

Following lunch, we’ll visit Roque Bluffs SP, a hidden gem along with Maine coast with a secluded beach that can be great for shorebirds, seabirds and waterfowl. The nearby ponds attract up to five species of gulls along with songbirds. The tides here are 15 feet or more, and the exposed mudflats can be brimming with activity. We may walk the trails at Tide Mill Creek preserve where salt marshes and bogs attract many birds, butterflies and wildlife.

Night in Lubec.

July 16:  This morning, we may make a stop at the Moosehorn NWR, 30,000 acres of hardwood forests, streams, lakes bogs and marshes. Many boreal species breed here, and the refuge boasts a bird list of 225 species.

Continuing inland, we’ll enjoy lunch in Topsfield and make a quick drive up the Burn Road for boreal species like Spruce Grouse, Canada Warbler, Canada Jay and others.

Night in Millinocket.

July 17: We’ll spend the day birding Baxter SP. In the shadow of Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, exploring the many ponds, bogs and forests accessible by the main park road. We’ll search for Black-backed Woodpecker, Spruce Grouse, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo and up to 15 species of warblers.

In the evening we’ll celebrate a wonderful week together at dinner.

Night in Millinocket.

July 18: Afternoon departures from Portland. It’s a 3.5-hour drive to Portland, so please book flights that depart after 1PM.

Please read through Rocky Mountain Birding terms and conditions here.