Maine Birding Trail

This is the authorized guide to the Maine Birding Trail, which opens in 2009. The book features more than 260 sites in Maine and includes bonus material on Campobello and Grand Manan islands. Unlike most guides, which emphasize species identification, this book highlights the sites themselves. Bird enthusiasts will count on it to lead them to the best birding locations in Maine and to list the species they will most likely find at each destination.

From inland peaks and forests to the bold and rocky shore, Maine provides habitat for more than 400 species of birds--roughly half of the species that can be found in all of North America. That wealth of birdlife, coupled with spectacular scenery, has ranked the state high on many birders' lists, and few have observed its loons and puffins, owls and eagles, more thoroughly than Liz and Jan Pierson and Peter Vickery. The Piersons, who have been birding together for more than twenty years, coauthored A Birder's Guide to the Coast of Maine in 1981. Deciding it was time to revise and expand the scope of that book, the Piersons spent two years in the field doing research and enlisted the help of another longtime Maine birder - avian ecologist and author Peter Vickery. The result is this fascinating and comprehensive new guide, which covers both coastal and inland areas of the state. Want to see a Willet? Need a Green Heron to cap off a bird list? Salt marshes are the place to look. Where are the best spots to watch hawks? Try York's Mt. Agamenticus or Popham Beach State Park. Broken down by region - from the waters of Biddeford Pool to the mountains of Baxter State Park - this handy book offers birders an in-depth look at the birds characteristic to the various ecosystems found in Maine. It also provides a timetable for birding as well as easy-to-follow directions to the best sites. An invaluable resource, A Birder's Guide to Maine deserves a spot next to the binoculars in any birder's backpack.

"This book fills an important niche for the birdwatching community by offering comprehensive entries detailing the best locations for finding birds throughout the state for enthusiasts of all levels of skill and interest. It contains descriptions of 201 birding sites in Maine, with explicit directions on how to get there, for all sixteen of the state's counties (several as large as other New England states!). Each chapter features a county map, a brief overview by Derek J. Lovitch, numerous specific site guides, and a list of rarities. The book also contains a detailed and useful species accounts guide for finding the most sought-after birds"--

A comprehensive and beautifully illustrated overview to the birds of Maine The first comprehensive overview of Maine’s incredibly rich birdlife in more than seven decades, Birds of Maine is a detailed account of all 464 species recorded in the Pine Tree State. It is also a thoroughly researched, accessible portrait of a region undergoing rapid changes, with southern birds pushing north, northern birds expanding south, and once-absent natives like Atlantic Puffins brought back by innovative conservation techniques pioneered in Maine. Written by the late Peter Vickery in cooperation with a team of leading ornithologists, this guide offers a detailed look at the state’s dynamic avifauna—from the Wild Turkey to the Arctic Tern—with information on migration patterns and timing, current status and changes in bird abundance and distribution, and how Maine's geography and shifting climate mold its birdlife. It delves into the conservation status for Maine's birds, as well as the state's unusually textured ornithological history, involving such famous names as John James Audubon and Theodore Roosevelt, and home-grown experts like Cordelia Stanwood and Ralph Palmer. Sidebars explore diverse topics, including the Old Sow whirlpool that draws multitudes of seabirds and the famed Monhegan Island, a mecca for migrant birds. Gorgeously illustrated with watercolors by Lars Jonsson and scores of line drawings by Barry Van Dusen, Birds of Maine is a remarkable guide that birders will rely on for decades to come. Copublished with the Nuttall Ornithological Club

Maine has one of the longest coastlines in the United States (by one estimation even exceeding that of California), and with nearly 55% of the state’s population living in a coastal county the Maine coast remains a popular and populated area of the northeast. Coastal Trails of Maine celebrates this vibrant region by offering the best hikes along Maine’s gorgeous coast. Written by local experts and NOBA winners, Dolores Kong and Dan Ring, Coastal Trails of Maine will offer everything hikers will need to explore this treasured shoreline.

The 39 outings—waterfall adventures, foothills and forest hikes, and streamside and lakeside rambles--in this guide make for a perfect introduction to the wilderness of Western Maine. Most of the hikes are between a half-mile and two miles in length, so they're just right for those looking for a quick trip or for families or older adults looking for a less strenuous outing..Also included are practical advice, tips, and maps to keep you on course.