Note: As I write, we were supposed to be preparing for our trip to Maine for the 2020 Acadia Birding Festival, unfortunately the festival understandably was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. We were able to travel to Maine in 2017 and I thought it would be fun to tell you about that adventure.
One of the birds on my “need to see” list was the Atlantic Puffin. I talked about and researched going to Maine for years to see the Puffins. Finally, in 2017, Tom and I made the trip to Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and I fulfilled my Puffin Quest.
Our journey began with a flight from Orlando, Florida to Manchester, New Hampshire, where we picked up a rental car and drove to Freeport, Maine, for a shopping stop at L. L. Bean. What a great store and so much fun. We enjoyed stopping at a few more stores and a late lunch before we drove on to Boothbay Harbor where we had reservations at the Howard House Lodge Bed and Breakfast.
A few words about Howard House Lodge Bed and Breakfast – the property is beautiful, quiet, and peaceful, the hospitality of the owners was wonderful, and the breakfasts were outstanding. Each morning we were served a delicious hot egg dish alongside homemade blueberry muffins as we sat outside on the deck and viewed the beautifully landscaped property. We would not hesitate to stay here again, and we highly recommend this bed and breakfast.
Finally, Puffins!
The location of Howard House Lodge B&B is very convenient to Boothbay Harbor. Our first trip was Cap’N Fish’s Puffin Tour. We cruised out to Eastern Egg Rock passing by lighthouses and lobster boats on the way. On board there was a naturalist who was describing and pointing out the birds to us. As we approached Eastern Egg Rock, we could see Puffins in the water! Yeah, my wish was fulfilled! They were amazing to watch, and they were not alone Double-crested Comorants, Black Guillemot, Common Tern and many types of gulls could also be seen. We passed by several lighthouses, lobster boats, and many different islands. It was a beautiful 2 ½-hour tour. To end the day we enjoyed a nice dinner at one of the restaurants in the harbor area followed by ice cream from the Downeast Ice Cream Factory where the ice cream is made fresh daily and the choice of flavors are almost limitless.
Monhegan Island
On our second day in Maine we chose to take Balmy Days Cruises’ Monhegan Island tour. Monhegan island is described by the Maine Audubon as a “migrant trap.” We hoped to see some birds we needed for our life list that might be migrating through the area. The day was fairly overcast with a few drops of rain and the sea was choppy but that did not have a negative effect on our experience. Once we arrived, we set out to explore by following a trail to Lobster Cove on the southern tip of the island. It was very windy and chilly, but we were dressed appropriately. When the trail we were following reached the edge of the coast, we found the rusty remains of a shipwreck that demonstrated just how powerful the sea can be. The views of the coastline were incredible. There was so much natural beauty – flowers, coastline, nature – awesome! The birds did not disappoint us. White-breasted Nuthatch, Red Winged Blackbird, American Robin were present to name a few. We followed the trail back towards the center of town and surprisingly came upon a craft brewery. So, of course, we stopped to sample some of Monhegan Brewing Company’s craft beer – our favorite was the IPA. After that we trekked on to Monhegan Lighthouse – what a spectacular view from there. We spent quite a while just sitting on a bench soaking it all in and before we knew it, our time on the island was up. We needed to head back to the dock for the boat trip back to Boothbay Harbor. After a day on Monhegan Island we had worked up a hearty appetite and chose The Lobster Dock in Boothbay Harbor for our dinner stop. Great choice, great food, and awesome views.
It was a quick trip and we wished we had stayed longer. On our way back to the airport we stopped at the Gilsland Farm Audubon Center. Such a beautiful place. We enjoyed walking the trails along the pond and through the meadow and salt marsh. The flowers, especially the peonies were gorgeous.
Trip Rating 5 Birds Awesome!
boothbayboattrips.com
maineaudubon.org/visit/gilsland-farm
