Maine: A Place of Serendipity

Maine holds a special place in my heart. It is a place where I love to visit. The mountains beckon. The incredible rocky seashores are striking. And the islands off the coast are home to many seafaring birds. Maine has a great concentration of nesting passerines, too. Many of our migrant warblers end their journey in Maine to breed.

The mornings are often cool and crisp, but inviting. Foggy mornings often give me a feeling of mystery. My curiosity is always aroused. What is out there that I cannot see? (In a good way, I mean–not like a horror movie!)

By early June, the forests are carpeted with rocks, moss and lichens. It is absolutely beautiful. Hiking in the forests here is like treading on sacred ground. It gives me such a sense of awe. The stands of trees allow rays of light to gently touch the forest floor. And the sound of a tiny Winter Wren sounds almost other-worldly.

Maine has good food, too. Of course there is seafood. Yes, there is lobster. But you should also try lobster roll while you are there. Or a whoopie pie. Or blueberry anything–like blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry scones, blueberry jam, blueberry ice cream, and blueberry pie for starters.

Off the coast one can find Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Arctic Terns, and Common Murres. Along the coastline there are Common Eiders and Black Scoters. On land one can find a number of nesting warbler species, flycatchers, and other passerines. And one can hunt for a few boreal species like Bicknell’s Thrush, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse, and Black-backed Woodpecker.

This is a very enjoyable Big Year Tour with Wildside Nature Tours. You can check out all the details here. This year, 2019, it will run from June 2-June 8.