Bird Watching In Maine
For the best bird watching Maine has to offer, come stay at LEEN's Lodge and see our bird paradise. Bird watchers or "birders" as they are known, flock to Washington County to pursue their energetic hobby of bird watching in Maine. We are not going into all of the types of birds to be found in the entire county, but we will refer you to several sources of information on the subject below:
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The Refuge Manager, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 1077, Calais, ME 04619, phone (207) 454-7161.
- The Refuge Manager, Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 279, Milbridge, ME 04658, phone (207) 546-2124.
- The University of Maine at Machias Institute for Field Ornithology, 9 O'Brien Avenue, Machias, ME 04654, phone (207) 255-3313.
This institute conducts workshops for bird watching in Maine during the spring, summer, and fall from Machias all the way to the State of Washington. It is co-publisher with the Maine Audubon Society of the quarterly "Maine Bird Notes", which serves as a newsletter of sightings and a vehicle to the bird watching Maine community.
The two Refuges mentioned above have detailed brochures which list the various sightings of birds.
Atlantic Puffin
A real favorite spot for Maine bird watching is Machias Seal Island, the land of the Atlantic Puffin and several other species including Razorbill Auks, Arctic Terns, and Common Murres. The season for birding on the island starts around Memorial Day and ends the first month of September, although July and August are the best months.
Facts about Maine's quirky sea parrots:
Here are some facts about the Atlantic puffin - sea birds that return in record numbers to three Maine islands, including Machias Seal Island which can be reached from either Jonesport or Cutler.
- Puffins live 25 to 30 years
- It takes puffins five years to mature and begin breeding.
- The female lays only one egg a year.
- From the time puffins first leave the nest they may not touch land again for two or three years.
- Puffins can dive at least 150 feet deep.
- They can hold up to 28 fish in their parrotlike beaks.
- The birds are about 10 inches tall - about the size of a pigeon.
- Puffins nest in colonies in burrows or rock cavities from April to August.
The Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge:
Petit Manan is a noted Maine bird watching area for many species of seabirds, shorebirds, songbirds, waterfowl and the endangered bald eagle, peregrine falcon, and roseate tern. More than 250 birds have been identified in this 3,335-acre refuge complex on the eastern Maine coast.
Petit Manan has a rugged, windblown character with a variety of habitats including spruce and mixed hardwood forests, jack pine stands, cedar swamps, raised heath wetlands, blueberry barrens and fresh and saltwater marshes.
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