September Trips Offer Chance to See Unique Birds on Maine’s waters

FALMOUTH, Maine, August 19, 2008—With excursions by boat to see bald eagles and pelagic species, Maine Audubon is offering great ways this fall to enjoy a range of birds on the beautiful waters of Midcoast and Downeast Maine.

Bald Eagles of Merrymeeting Bay

From 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, September 13, naturalists Eric Hynes and Bob Bittenbender will lead a trip to Merrymeeting Bay, a gathering spot for one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in Maine, readily seen by boat.

Rebounding numbers of nesting bald eagles in Maine have prompted the state to consider removing the birds from its endangered species list. Thanks to its listing as a federal and state endangered species and the eradication of DDT use, bald eagle populations have successfully rebounded in Maine over the last 30 years—from just 21 nesting pairs in 1978 to nearly 500 this year.

Through the years this annual trip has been a great way to see that rise in the field. When Maine Audubon first began running this trip in the mid 1970s, sighting one or two eagles was all that could be expected. Since then, recent trips have seen as many as 36 eagles.

We’ll board the boat in Boothbay Harbor for a trip across Sheepscot Bay to the Sasanoa River then up the Kennebec to Merrymeeting Bay. Weather and tides permitting, we’ll return to Boothbay via the Kennebec. The sheltered tidal waters of Midcoast Maine offer some of the most pleasant and scenic cruising to be found anywhere—plus excellent wildlife watching.

Advance registration necessary: please call (207) 781-2330, ext. 215; $45/Maine Audubon member, $55/nonmember.

Annual Downeast Pelagic Birding Trip

From 6 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, September 14, Maine Audubon will lead its annual trip to see pelagic birds and other marine life off the shore of Downeast Maine.

Maine Audubon’s annual fall pelagic trip out of Bar Harbor has long been a must-do outing for the region’s birders. We’ll have a full eight hours to bird our way east almost to Grand Manan, covering some of the most productive seabirding waters in the Gulf of Maine.

Led by expert birders Jan Pierson, Lysle Brinker and Eric Hynes, this outing is aboard a 111-foot power catamaran designed for speed, stability and optimum viewing. Trip participants will cruise by Schoodic Point and Petit Manan before heading up to 40 miles offshore to see gannets, several species of shearwater, puffins, razorbills, jaegers, a variety of gulls and two kinds of phalaropes. The group may also see several types of whales before looping back in toward the waters of Mount Desert Rock and spectacular views of the mountains of Mount Desert Island.

Typically, these waters are only accessible to birders incidentally via the ferry to Nova Scotia.

Trip leader Lysle Brinker of Cumberland has been a Maine Audubon volunteer since 1990; his enthusiasm for birds spans more than 35 years. Coauthor of “A Birder’s Guide to Maine,” Jan Pierson of Harpswell leads birding trips throughout the world as founder and president of Field Guides, Inc., a company specializing in international birding tours. Eric Hynes is Maine Audubon’s staff naturalist.

The trip is $110 for Maine Audubon members and $135/nonmember. Advance registration is necessary. For more information and registration, please call (207) 781-2330, ext. 215.

MAINE AUDUBON works to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action. For more than 160 years, Maine Audubon has been connecting people with nature and leading science-based conservation in major projects across the state. An independent affiliate of Audubon’s national organization, Maine Audubon has seven local chapters, 11 nature centers and sanctuaries, and 11,000 members and supporters.

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