10th Acadia Birding Festival

12:00-3:30 PM

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds aboard the "Friendship V" in Bar Harbor (Meet at the town Pier in Bar Harbor). For comfort Dress for Winter.

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds aboard the "Friendship V", the largest and fastest vessel in the Bar Harbor Fleet. Add the Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill and Northern Gannet or Greater Shearwater to your life list if you haven't already. This memorable excursion is offered daily. One Whale Watch/Pelagic Bird adventure is included with an Acadia Birding Festival Registration. Additional or repeat trips are offered at a discount to registered participants. Zack Klyver and Michael Good, Bar Harbor Whale Watch 288-2386.

5:00-6:45 PM

Registration and Opening Reception, College of the Atlantic George B. Dorr Natural History Museum, Gates Auditorium, 105 Eden Street. Bar Harbor

Check in and socialize with fellow birders and naturalists. Pick up registration packets. Light refreshments provided by the Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor Bed and Breakfast Association.

7:00-8:00 PM

Keynote Speaker: Pete Dunne, College of the Atlantic, Gates Auditorium

Pete Dunne is the Vice President for Natural History Information for the New Jersey Audubon Society and the director of the Cape May Bird Observatory. This event is open to the public and highly recommended for birders and ecologists of all levels interested in learning about Alcids to Warblers.

6:00-9:00 AM

Birding Pretty Marsh with Pete Dunne and Michael Good and TBA Easy to Moderate walk (Meet at the Pretty Marsh parking area)

Surrounded by a maturing Red Spruce Forest with views of Hardwood and Bartlett Islands, Pretty Marsh is truly an Acadia gem where land meets sea. White-winged Crossbills, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-headed Vireo’s and Hermit Thrush make this seaside forest their home. Bald Eagle, Osprey, Common Loons, non-breeding Long-tailed Ducks and White-winged Scoter as well as Harbor Seals and Porpoises are seen in the saltwater of Blue Hill Bay.

7:30-10:30 AM

Quietside Birding at Ship Harbor Nature Trail with Scott Grierson, Ruth Grierson and Thomas Vining. Moderate Walk (fairly flat with some roots and rocks in path)

Although the western side of Mount Desert Island is typically much quieter from May to October, the bird activity is outstanding throughout the year. The Ship Harbor Nature Trail near Seawall traverses a forest of red and white spruce, emerging onto barnacle clad pink granite ledges. The forest is a migrant trap in the spring, and is home to spruce grouse, hermit thrush, Pileated Woodpeckers, and Woodcock. Observe Common Eiders diving for mussels while Black-throated Green Warblers flit amongst the conifers. Anyone wishing a longer more strenuous hike can continue along the rocks to the Wonderland Trail with Scott Grierson while the rest of the group returns with Ruth Grierson and Thomas Vining along the harbor's edge.

8:00-12:00 PM

Ecology Kayak Tour with Robert Shaw and TBA Moderate paddle (Meet at Maine State Sea Kayak, 254 Main St. Southwest Harbor, space is limited to 12, advanced registration required, arrive 7:30 am.) 244-9500

Join Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guides Robert Shaw and TBA as they explore the birds of Mount Desert Island's rocky coast and Islands. Kayaks are excellent for close observation of Common Loons, a Bald Eagle's nest, Osprey, Terns and lingering White-winged and Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads and Common Eider. Harbor Seals and Harbor Porpoises are frequently seen. Expect 2 1/2 hour paddle.

10:00-12:30 PM

Birding Seawall with Pete Dunne and Leslie Clapp. Easy to moderate walk (Meet at the Seawall beaver pond)

One of the most consistent places on MDI for seabirds of all types including King and Common Eiders, American Black Duck, Warblers, Alder Flycatcher and Raptors searching for food along this dynamic coastal area featuring natural rock seawalls. Described by Roger Tory Peterson as one of the most beautiful places on Mount Desert Island, the exceptional number of bird species due to habitat like the Great Heath, bogs and brackish water ponds surrounded by scrub Black and Red Spruce forests.

12:00-12:45 PM

Lunch in Southwest Harbor, Little Notch Pizzeria, 244-3357. Pick up lunch or eat your lunch in the comfortable setting of the Little Notch Pizzeria. (Show festival ID for portion of proceeds to ABF)

12:00-3:30 PM

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds aboard the “Friendship V” Bar Harbor (Meet at town pier Bar Harbor) For comfort Dress for Winter.

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds aboard the Friendship V the largest and fastest vessel in the Bar Harbor Fleet. Add the Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill and Northern Gannet to your life list if you haven't already. This memorable excursion is offered daily. One Whale Watch/Pelagic Bird adventure is included with the Acadia Birding Festival Registration. Additional or repeat trips are offered at a discount to registered participants. Bar Harbor Whale Watch 288-2386.

1:00-3:00 PM

Asticou Azalea Garden, Asticou Terraces & Thuya Gardens Bird Walk, Northeast Harbor with Michael J. Good and Conservation Biologist Dr. Alison C. Dibble (Meet at Asticou Garden, Northeast Harbor)

Modeled after a classic Japanese garden, the Asticou Azalea Garden explodes each spring in every shade of pink, coral, crimson and peach. Last spring the Azalea Garden was visited by 17 species of Wood Warblers including Blackburnian, Wilson's, Black-throated Blue, Magnolia and numerous Black-throated Greens and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Other notable Neotropical migrants were the stunning male Scarlet Tanager, four Northern Orioles and scores of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Kingfishers and a resident flock of Pine Siskin. The Azalea Garden created by Boston landscape architect Joseph Henry Curtis provides a unique variety of habitats for Neotropical migrants. The watersheds flowing through the Gardens make it one of the most beautiful formal gardens in the region and its position at the mouth of Northeast Harbor places it directly in the path of an enormous variety of rare migrating and nesting birds.

3:30-6:00 PM

Canoe birding trip up Bass Harbor Marsh with Robert Shaw and TBA (Meet at the Tremont School parking area) 244-9500

This is an opportunity to venture into a unique salt marsh habitat where we hope to find Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Marsh birds, Ducks and Warblers and a beautiful view of the Western Mountains.

5:00-8:30 PM

Lobster Cookout at Bass Harbor Campground, 244-5857 Scott Grierson

Join festival staff and fellow participants as we eat like the locals enjoying Lobster, Crabs and Corn cooked over a bonfire in the tradition downeast way. This is a BYOB (Butter) event. A Maine tradition you will not want to miss, especially if you like seafood. $20.00. Lenny Warren will speak about 19th Century Bird Art and will have interesting and rare bird books available for purchase. 5:00-5:45 pm

6:00-9:00 AM

Warblers & Wildflowers Walking Tour with Michael Good and Conservation Biologist Dr. Alison Dibble. Easy walk (Meet at Sieur de Monts Spring, Acadia National Park).

This walk encompasses several unique habitat types, including upland marshes and forested wetlands, with a wide variety of bird species possible. A pleasant, woodland walk, the Jessup Path follows the west margin of the Great Meadow, one of the few large grassland habitats on Mount Desert Island. Keep your eyes open for Sparrows, Thrushes, and Ovenbirds on the ground, and Barred Owls, Raptors and Scarlet Tanager and Warblers in the trees above.

6:30-9:00 AM

Bird Walk at Otter Cliffs with Billy Helprin. Easy walk ( Meet at Fabbri parking area).

This unique peninsula acts as a migrant trap for birds traveling from Neotropical regions. Mourning, Blackburnian, Cape May Warblers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Black Guillemot and many others have been frequently seen.

8:00-12:00 PM

Ecology Kayak Tour with Robert Shaw and TBA Moderate paddle (Meet at National Park Sea Kayak, 39 Cottage St. Bar Harbor, space is limited to 12, advanced registration required, arrive 7:30 am.) 288-0342

Join Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guides Robert Shaw and TBA as they explore the birds of Mount Desert Island's rocky coast and Islands. Kayaks are excellent for close observation of Common Loons, a Bald Eagle's nest, Osprey, Terns and lingering White-winged and Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads and Common Eider. Harbor Seals and Harbor Porpoises are frequently seen. Expect 2 1/2 hour paddle.

10:00-12:00 PM

Birds of Schooner Head with Michael J. Good. Easy to Moderate walk (Meet at Schooner Head parking area Acadia National Park)

Enjoy the late morning air along Maine's rocky coast, viewing pelagic and coastal birds of Acadia. See Cliff Swallows nesting in Anemone Cave, Common Eiders, Black Guillemots, and sometimes, Red-throated Loons. Ruffed Grouse and forest birds.

12:00-1:00 PM

Lunch in Bar Harbor. Pick up lunch to go or eat your lunch at The Spot Grill 288-1233 on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor (Show festival ID for portion of proceeds to ABF)

12:00-3:30 PM

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds aboard the “Friendship V” Bar Harbor (Meet at town pier Bar Harbor) For comfort Dress for Winter.

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds, with Pete Dunne, aboard the Friendship V the largest and fastest vessel in the Bar Harbor Fleet. Add the Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill and Northern Gannet to your life list if you haven't already. This memorable excursion is offered daily. One Whale Watch/Pelagic Bird adventure is included with the Acadia Birding Festival Registration. Additional or repeat trips are offered at a discount to registered participants. Bar Harbor Whale Watch 288-2386.

1:00-3:00 PM

Habitat Restoration in the Long Pond Watershed: Fish as Food (Meet at the Somesville Historical Society parking area)

Somesville Fish Passage Restoration Project, David Lamon and Cheryl Daigle.

Located in the historic village of Somesville on Mount Desert Island, this project has taken on the task of restoring native sea-run fish populations such as Alewife, American Eel and Sea Lamprey, to historic spawning and nursery habitat in the Somes Pond and Long Pond watersheds. Through the restoration, repair and replacement of several historic fish ladders access to over 1,000 acres of lake and stream habitat has been restored. This watershed supports an abundance of wildlife including nesting Loon, Bald Eagle and Common Merganser populations. This tour traverses the dams and fish passages from Somes Sound to Long Pond. We'll have opportunities to learn more about and view species such as Bald Eagle, Common Loon, Osprey, Merganser, Kingfisher and others.

3:00-5:30 PM

Birding Indian Point - Blagdon Preserve with Michael Good and Dr. Alison Dibble. (Meet on Indian Point Road parking area)

An excellent example of a maturing Red Spruce forest, the Indian Point Blagdon Preserve escaped the Fire of 1947 and is home to a myriad of interesting birds. Black-backed Woodpeckers have nested here as well as Blackburnian, Magnolia, Black-and-White Warblers, Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-headed Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Osprey and Bald Eagles. Where land meets sea, Harbor Seals and Harbor Porpoises rear their young. This Nature Conservancy preserve represents the biodiversity that is the essence of Mount Desert Island.

4:00-5:30 PM

Drawing Birds from Photos: A Hands-on Class

Wildlife artist Abby McBride will offer a workshop in drawing birds with pen and colored pencil. Bring your own bird photo (for detail, large images preferred). On display will be Abby's drawings from the photographs of Michael J. Good, along with sketches from the artist's new book. Class fee of $12 includes all materials. Limited to 6 students (minimum of 3). (Hosted by Alone Moose Gallery (288-4229), 78 West Street on the Bar Harbor Waterfront).

A self-taught artist, Abby studied biology at Williams College. She is now writing and illustrating a book about her experiences birding on the road in the western United States. Abby provided the warbler illustrations for this year's Acadia Birding Festival and her work also appears in New York City Audubon's newsletter. Note: The windows of Alone Moose Gallery will feature bird art by Maine artists during the birding festival.

6:00-8:00 PM

Public Forum: Connecting Land and Sea: The Impact of Watersheds on Gulf of Maine Birds. It’s all about FOOD (College of the Atlantic, Gates Auditorium, 105 Eden Street Bar Harbor)

It is all about food. Food for Birds, Fish and Humans. Many studies have shown that River Herring populations along the Atlantic Coast have declined by more that 95 percent. Many species of birds, marine mammals, fish and humans depend on river herring for energy after the long winter. The Public Forum will allow participants an opportunity to learn about “fish as food” for a variety of different birds and learn about how river and stream restoration projects benefit habitat crucial to migratory and breeding bird populations of all species. Warblers, Flycatchers, Sandpipers and Pelagic birds are the beneficiaries of our stewardship. The Forum will feature 4 experts from a variety of academic disciplines who will make the connection between land and sea followed by discussion and social time. Wing Goodale will speak on Pesticides.

Penobscot River Restoration Project: Perhaps one of the most important and largest ecological restoration projects to take place in the Gulf of Maine. Somesville Fish Passage Restoration Project Located in the historic village of Somesville on Mount Desert Island, this project has taken on the task of restoring native sea-run fish populations such as Alewife, American Eel and Sea Lamprey, to historic spawning and nursery habitat in the Somes Pond and Long Pond watersheds.

6:00-9:30 AM

Coastal Bird Watch Van Tour with Michael J. Good. Meet at the clock at Bar Harbor Village Green (1 Van)

Birding the coast of Maine is always a rewarding experience. Late spring/early summer birding on the coast of Mount Desert Island can include looks at White-winged, Black and Surf Scoters, Common Eiders, Black Guillemots, Common Loons and Long-tailed Ducks, to name a few. Learn to identify many of these unique sea birds at excellent coastal birding sites around the Northern and Western side of MDI.

6:00-9:30 AM

Coastal Bird Watch Van Tour with Scott Swann. Meet at the clock at Bar Harbor Village Green (1 Van).

Birding the coast of Maine is always a rewarding experience. Late spring/early summer birding on the coast of Mount Desert Island can include looks at White-winged, Black and Surf Scoters, Common Eiders, Black Guillemots, Common Loons and Long-tailed Ducks, to name a few. Learn to identify many of these unique sea birds at excellent coastal birding sites around the Eastern and Southern side of MDI.

8:00-10:00 AM

Birding Indian Point - Blagdon Preserve with Ed Hawkes and Paul Haertel. (Meet on Indian Point Road parking area)

An excellent example of a maturing Red Spruce forest, the Indian Point Blagdon Preserve escaped the Fire of 1947 and is home to a myriad of interesting birds. Black-backed Woodpeckers have nested here as well as Blackburnian, Magnolia, Black-and-White Warblers, Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Blue-headed Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Osprey and Bald Eagles. Where land meets sea, Harbor Seals and Harbor Porpoises rear their young. This Nature Conservancy preserve represents the biodiversity that is the essence of Mount Desert Island.

8:00-12:00 PM

Ecology Kayak Tour with Robert Shaw and TBA Moderate paddle (Meet at National Park Sea Kayak, 39 Cottage St. Bar Harbor, space is limited to 12, advanced registration required, arrive 7:30 am.) 288-0342

Join Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guides Robert Shaw and TBA as they explore the birds of Mount Desert Island's rocky coast and Islands. Kayaks are excellent for close observation of Common Loons, a Bald Eagle's nest, Osprey, Terns and lingering White-winged and Surf Scoters, Common Goldeneye, Buffleheads and Common Eider. Harbor Seals and Harbor Porpoises are frequently seen. Expect 2 1/2 hour paddle.

11:00 AM

Peregrine Falcons Talk, Acadia National Park. Easy walk. (Meet at Precipice trail Parking lot)

Sitting atop the food chain raptors are known for their power, speed, or special adaptations. Learn about peregrine falcons and other raptors found in Acadia National Park. With an Acadia National Park ranger.

12:00-1:00 PM

Lunch in Southwest Harbor. Little Notch Pizzeria 244-3357. Pick up lunch or eat your lunch in the comfortable setting of the Little Notch Pizzeria. (Show festival ID for Portion of proceeds to ABF)

12:00-3:30 PM

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds aboard the “Friendship V” Bar Harbor (Meet at town pier in Bar Harbor. Dress for winter)

Whale Watch/Pelagic Birds aboard the Friendship V the largest and fastest vessel in the Bar Harbor Fleet. Add the Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill and Northern Gannet to your life list if you haven't already. This memorable excursion is offered daily. One Whale Watch/Pelagic Bird adventure is included with the Acadia Birding Festival Registration. Additional or repeat trips are offered at a discount to registered participants. Bar Harbor Whale Watch 288-2386.

1:00-4:30 PM

Hot Spot “Birding Blitz” with Michael Good and TBA (Limited to 13) (Meet at the Southwest Harbor Chamber of Commerce)

This Van Tour will venture into wilderness areas and special habitats to pick up difficult to find species. Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Bay-Breasted and Palm Warblers, Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied ,Willow and Alder Flycatchers, Swainson’s and Hermit Thrush will be among the birds being sought in unique Black Spruce Bogs, Heath and hard to get to wetland and interesting coastal forest habitats.

2:00-4:00 PM

Witch Hole Bird Walk with Billy Helprin. Moderate walk (Meet at the Duck Brook Bridge Acadia National Park)

Black-throated Blue, Magnolia Warblers, Common Yellow-throat, Ovenbirds, Northern Waterthrush, and Flycatchers. Multiple wetland habitats include American Bittern and Common Mergansers. This area is known for its excellent views of the Mount Desert mountain range. Spend time and learn on the Rockefeller carriage roads for an easy walk.

3:30-5:00 PM

Bird Carving. Hosted by Alone Moose Gallery (288-4229), 78 West Street on the Bar Harbor Waterfront

Ed Hawkes, a Bar Harbor bird carver, carving instructor, and avid birdwatcher, will demonstrate his carving process at Alone Moose gallery. Also on display will be a number of his finished carved birds. He has won numerous national and international competitions including a Best of Show for a life size loon. Ed was one of the artists selected to work on an endangered species project for the Visitors Center at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples, Florida. He carved and painted two nesting and six flying Least Terns and a Red-cockaded Woodpecker for this display. His two nesting Least Terns are displayed in a seashore diorama demonstrating loss of their critical habitat due to overuse of beaches by humans. Ed’s six flying Least Terns are mounted swirling up the wall above the diorama. And his Red-cockaded Woodpecker is part of the upland habitat display demonstrating the need for periodic burning. These endangered woodpeckers, as well as many other species, rely on the periodic burning of the undergrowth to maintain their habitat.

6:00 PM

Social/Reception: Connecting Land and Sea: Migration Begins! (Meet at George B Dorr Museum of Natural History, College of the Atlantic)

The George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History investigates, interprets and displays the natural world of Maine. All exhibits are designed and produced by students at College of the Atlantic. The Museum is housed in the original headquarters of Acadia National Park, renovated and expanded to provide a unique site for exhibits, programs, and activities.

7:00-8:15 PM

Father's Day Concert: Legacy of the Art’s Festival June 15-22, 2008 begins