Freeport Wild Bird Supply

Freeport Wild Bird Supply is pleased to announce an expanded selection of travel, tours, workshops, and other outings. We look forward to additional offerings in the near future. As soon as trips and programs are scheduled, they will be added here.

And don't forget to join us for a free local birdwalk every Saturday at 8:00am.

Woodcocks Gone Wild! at Pineland Farms
Saturday, April 7: 6:30pm
Cost - $5 per person

Join us for our annual evening outing to Pineland Farms in New Gloucester for the sky-dancing of the American Woodcock. Witness the spectacular show as this cryptic and secretive species erupts in a swirling and twirling display of sound and flight. Displaying Wilson's Snipe are also possible.

Meet at 6:30pm at the "Wax Room," below the Visitor's Center at Pineland Farms. We'll caravan onto the farm for a short walk to our favored viewing location. Bring a light-weight chair if you wish. Pregistration is not required.

The rain date will be 4/19.

Michigan: Migration in the Upper Peninsula with Derek and WINGS.
April 18-25, 2012

This tour visits one of the most beautiful and sparsely populated areas in North America at near the time of peak migration for a number of enigmatic families of birds. Waterbirds (especially ducks, Red-throated and Common Loons, and Red-necked Grebes), Owls (Great Gray, Long-eared, Northern Hawk, Northern Saw-whet, Snowy, and Boreal), and diurnal raptors (especially Rough-legged Hawk, and Bald and Golden Eagle, and maybe even a Gyrfalcon) are on the move, and the Upper Peninsula is perfectly positioned to catch and funnel these species to specific concentration points.

The vanguard of passerines are also migrating, in particular irruptive finches such as White-winged and Red Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, and Common and Hoary Redpolls as well as Northern Shrikes, Bohemian Waxwings, Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs plus the first longer-distance migrants such as a variety of sparrows. Furthermore, a number of resident species, such as Spruce and Sharp-tailed Grouse, Gray Jay and Boreal Chickadee, and Black-backed Woodpecker are active, and displaying males (especially the grouses) can be surprisingly conspicuous.

We’ll spend much of our time at the migration hotspots of the famous Whitefish Point and the Keweenaw Peninsula, enjoying the spectacle of migration from hawk- and lake-watches. In between, we’ll scour the boreal forest for residents such as woodpeckers, Gray Jay, and Boreal Chickadee. Wintering waterfowl, “white-winged” gulls, and other resident species will also be targeted. There’s plenty of opportunity to chase rarities – from either side of the continent – and take advantage of concentrations of irruptive species. We’ll be applying the disciplines of geography, ecology (habitat), and meteorology to guide our birding efforts, and you can expect to take home many new skills to apply to your neck of the woods.

There are few “guarantees” to be honest, with a trip based on irruptions and migration, but by covering a diverse array of habitats, and putting us in the best locations for the best birding, I have little doubt that this tour will yield a variety of birds and new knowledge and that every year will be different.

To learn more, including viewing a prospective bird list, and to register, visit:
http://wingsbirds.com/tours/michigan-migration-upper-peninsula/

Feathers Over Freeport: A Birdwatching Weekend
Saturday April 28th and Sunday April 29th

The 2nd Annual Feather Over Freeport: A Birdwatching Weekend comes to town on April 28th and 29th at Bradbury Mountain and Wolfe's Neck State Parks.

An exciting weekend of events, activities, and presenations will be announced soon. Mark your calendars!

Annual MonhegZEN Birding Spring Migration Weekend
May 18-20, 2012
Cost - Per Diem, see below.

Join Derek on Monhegan during the height of spring migration for 1-3 days searching the island for regular visitors, rarities, and vagrants. This is a casual outing, with boat and hotel reservations, as well as meals, on your own. Although we are likely to eat meals together, we'll have more flexibility on rooming and eating arrangements this way. Also, you can come and go as you please, based on whatever boat and departure times and locations suit you best. Sign up for 1,2, or 3 days.

Late May is a fantastic time to visit Maine’s Monhegan Island. Warblers in their summer finery are pouring through the Northeast, and many will drift over the Gulf of Maine on their nocturnal flights. Come dawn, the birds seek refuge on land, and Monhegan Island is perfectly positioned to catch arrivals. Rapidly changing weather conditions can result in massive “fallouts” of tired migrants, many of which will forage in the rocks on the shoreline. The possibility of overshoots from the south and vagrants from almost any direction adds icing to the cake of the fantastic birding afforded by this quaint little island.

Read all about our 2011 trip on Derek's blog:
http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=60368
Check out the daily bird lists, photos, and an analysis of the weather that produced such an amazing trip.

Once again, we’ll be staying at the rustic Trailing Yew will be our home for the week, featuring delicious breakfasts and home-cooked dinners. Our comfortable European-style accommodations only enhance the “turn-back-the-clock” mystique of the Mohegan Island experience (although folks are welcome, as always, to stay elsewhere, but there isn’t much open this early in the year). We have blocked off rooms for 12 people at this time (under “Derek Lovitch”), with the possibility of adding more rooms if we need them. Reservations are made through the Trailing Yew, at: Please call (207) 596-6194. Office hours: 9:00am-noon, 3:00pm-5:00pm. While we don’t have a group rate, the excellent prices INCLUDES a home cooked DINNER, PLUS breakfast. Rates are $130 for single occupancy, and $230 for double occupancy, per night.

Remember, you do not have to stay or eat with us, but of course, your company is most welcome! Coffee and tea are also available before breakfast, to fuel those first couple of hours of birding. (http://www.trailingyew.com/).

With room and travel arrangements made on your own, the cost for this trip is only $60 for one day, or $50 per person per day for multiple days.

Bicknell's Thrush and the White Mountains
June 9-10, 2012
Cost - $160 per person (limit 9 pax)

We’re pleased to continue our annual "Bicknell's Thrush and White Mountains Weekend" tour, complete with round-trip transportation. We’ll meet that store on Saturday at 7:00am and drive towards the White Mountains (carpool or van rental, TBA). We’ll make one birding stop in southern Maine (likely the Kennebunk Plains, Sanford Sewerage facility, and/or Brownfield Bog) on the way into New Hampshire, stop for lunch, and spend the afternoon birding in the White Mountain National Forest for boreal specialties such as Black-backed Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Boreal Chickadee, and a variety of northern warblers.

After an early dinner, we’ll head to the Mount Washington Auto Road for a private after-hours tour up the mountain. We’ll visit the summit and look for breeding American Pipits, and then get in place for sunset at the ethereal song of the enigmatic Bicknell’s Thrush. We’ll put ourselves in the best position possible for both hearing, and yes, seeing, this charismatic species.

We’ll spend the night in Gorham and then head out early Sunday morning for some more woodland biding before we make another excursion into the realm of the Bicknell’s Thrush. This time, however, we’re going to take a gondola up the hillside, at nearby Wildcat Mountain. In addition to breathtaking views, we’ll be effortlessly whisked into the krummholz, where we’ll get a second dose of Bicknell’s and Swainson’s Thrushes, Blackpoll Warblers, and more before slowly birding our way back to Freeport by late afternoon.

This package tour includes:
- Mount Washington Auto Road after-hours, private charter.
- Wildcat Mountain Gondola
- Guiding services.
- round-trip transportation from Freeport

The price does not include meals and your room at the Royalty Inn. However, rooms have been blocked off and you will receive a discounted group price. Make sure to mention that you are part of the “Freeport Wild Bird Supply/Derek Lovitch” group. Visit www.royaltyinn.com or call 1-800-43-RELAX for reservations.

You can read about the 2011 trip on Derek’s blog here:
http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=60885

We are strictly limited to 9 participants on this trip, so sign up soon!

Poor Man's Pelagics
Two dates - see below
TBA

Dates: TBA

Cost: TBA< br>
After three years of superbly successful outings from Portland, our “Poor Man’s Pelagic” series shifted southward in 2011 with Kennebunkport’s First Chance Whalewatch. The reason: Proximity to Jeffrey’s Ledge, affording us the opportunity to explore the birding possibilities in this area. Based on reports from trips out of New Hampshire in particular, this area has once again become a birding hotspot – at least for now. Our goal is to find out what is out there in Maine waters.

Different place; same deal. Derek will join the skilled crew aboard the boat to focus on the detection and identification of seabirds aboard the regularly-scheduled whale watch outings. Birders who sign up as part of the group will receive an $TBA discount (please note, First Chance accepts cash only, no checks or credit cards).

But that's right, 4 ½ of pelagic birding for a mere $TBA!!!

But yes, there is a catch. For one thing, we will not be chumming. And secondly, these are primarily whale-watching trips - we won't be able to spin the boat around for a rare shearwater, or move in for a closer look. (Of course, if enough of us go, we may have a little more influence over the Captain, but no promises!).

As you know, whale-watching trips can produce excellent bird sightings - even without the dedicated effort of a chartered pelagic trip - and, for only 40 bucks, well, you get the idea!

So, here's what you do. It's simple. Just contact First Chance Whalewatch directly by calling them at: (207) 967 5507. To learn more about them, their boat and their schedule of other trips, visit:
http://www.firstchancewhalewatch.com/nickschance.php

Advanced reservations are required to receive the discount (and you need to mention the “Freeport Wild Bird Supply” trip), and these boats can fill up fast. But, if any space remains, walk-ons are welcome at the regular price. (Note: parking is $10 at the dock, but there is a free lot about 1.5 miles away. For both cost and carbon reasons, carpooling is always recommended!).

So, that's it - cheap, easy, and flexible. Now, all we need are for the birds to cooperate!

Claybrook Mountain Lodge Birding Weekend
June 22-24, 2012
$249 per person - see below for details.

Join Derek for a weekend of birding and relaxation at the Claybrook Mountain Lodge!

This new tour is sure to become a regular feature, as once you spend some time with Greg and Pat Drummond at their charming lodge in Highland Plantation, you won’t be able to wait to go back!

The trip begins on Friday evening with one of Pat’s scrumptious dinners. We’ll rise early on Saturday to spend the day birding and enjoying other wildlife, scenery, and habitats. Greg will be our co-leader for the day, and in addition to his local knowledge of birding hotspots, we’re more than likely to learn about the tracks and signs of other wildlife, from White-tailed Deer to Coyotes to Black Bear. Greg is a wealth of Maine Woods expertise, and you’ll really enjoy spending time in the field with him.

We’ll have plenty of room in Claybrook’s 15-passenger van, and Pat will pack us a picnic lunch. We’ll bird a wide variety of habitats from agricultural fields to boreal forest. Depending on how far we travel, we may have a chance for all of the boreal specialties including Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Tennessee, Cape May, Bay-breasted, and Blackpoll Warblers and others. A variety of warblers – including goodly numbers of Mourning Warblers, Alder Flycatchers, Lincoln’s Sparrows, and others could be encountered with much shorter drives. We’ll likely check out some meadows for American Bittern and Bobolinks, and we’ll be on the lookout for nomadic finches: White-winged and Red Crossbills and Evening Grosbeaks, although their presence fluctuates widely from year to year.

Returning to the lodge for a little rest before dinner, we might – energy permitting – just have to take a walk for an owl or two after sunset.

Sunday morning will be laid back and relaxing. We’ll bird the lodge’s fields, garden, edges, and extensive trail system to enjoy a myriad of breeding species (over 100 species have been recorded from the property). Black-backed Woodpeckers have been seen within a short walking distance, as has Olive-sided Flycatcher and many others. At the very least, we’ll be entertained with Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Eastern Bluebirds in the garden. We’ll do a short walk before breakfast, and then a longer stroll before lunch. After lunch, it’s time for a little R&R, reading, or casual birding as you begrudgingly depart for home.

We are only going to take 10 people, so sign up soon!

Price: $249 per person includes: lodging (shared bathrooms and one to three people per bedroom, ALL MEALS from Friday’s dinner through Sunday’s lunch, guiding for both days including a van tour with Greg on Saturday, and good company!
Single Person supplement (for a private bedroom): $55

Take a look at Claybrook’s website (http://www.claybrookmountainlodge.com/) and when you’re ready to join us, give us a call here at the store – we’ll be handling the reservations and shared room assignments.

The Birds of Casco Bay Aboard the Lucky Catch
Sunday, July TBA, 2012: 8:00am to 11:00am.
Cost - TBA

Join us for this very popular annual outing aboard the Lucky Catch. We'll enjoy the space, comfort, and speed of their new boat, as we motor on out to the tern breeding colony on Outer Green Island. There we'll look for Roseate and Arctic Terns among the hundreds of pairs of Common Terns, and perhaps meet with the island's resident biologists.

We’ll also check out hotspots around the bay itself as time permits, where we’ll be looking for migrant shorebirds and lingering waterfowl, and enjoy other breeding species such as Black Guillemots and Common Eiders. We'll check out basking Harbor Seals, and look for a Gray Seal or two among them. We'll also visit a couple of Osprey nests, and we are likely to see the local breeding pair of Peregrine Falcons under the Casco Bay Bridge.

Previous outings have yielded Long-tailed Duck, White-winged Scoter, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Bridled Tern! And, most trips produce Wilson’s Storm-Petrels and Northern Gannets as well.

The Maine Coast in Fall - with Derek and WINGS.
September 9-16, 2012

The coast of Maine is one of those treasures—beautiful, of course, and rugged, yet also accessible. Our short tour will visit three of our favorite places, Scarborough Marsh, Mount Desert Island, home to Acadia National Park, and Monhegan Island.

We'll begin in Scarborough Marsh for Saltmarsh and Nelson's Sparrows, as well as lingering shorebirds. We'll also visit a variety of migrant traps along the coast.

Next, we'll head to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park, where we’ll spend our time seeing the sights, all of which are good for birds, and take a boat trip into the Gulf of Maine to look for seabirds and whales.

Then it's off to Monhegan Island! Small, isolated, and quite far offshore, it concentrates landbird migrants, attracts off-course vagrants, and provides some of the most pleasant birdwatching anywhere. There are very few motor vehicles, and footpaths lead out in many directions through spruce forests and small clearings to high rocky headlands and tiny coves. Fall is probably the best birdwatching time at Monhegan, as nocturnal migrants drift offshore on northwest winds and find refuge on the island, sometimes in large numbers.

All of these birds, sandwiched between beautiful sunrises and star-filled skies – and interspersed with breaks for lobster (even in scrambled eggs) - I’ll ask you if you can think of a finer place to be!?

For complete information, including lodging arrangements and a complete itinerary, visit the WINGS website:
http://wingsbirds.com/tours/maine-coast-fall/

Monhegan Island and Coastal Maine with Derek and New Jersey Audubon.
September 22 to 28, 2012

Monhegan Island lies twelve miles off the rocky Maine coastline and is arguably the best fall migrant trap in New England. This small and isolated island is steeped in rustic New England charm, with characteristic lobster boats, spruce forests, and rocky headlands. Our tour focuses on fall bird migration, which can be spectacular if the winds are right. A wide variety of both waterbirds and songbirds may be present and include Common Eider, Great Shearwater, Black Guillemot, Parasitic Jaeger, vireos, flycatchers, thrushes, 20 species of warblers, and sparrows. Monhegan is a great location for both expected migrant songbirds as well as unusual strays from the south and west…one never knows what might appear on the island’s beautiful forests, headlands, and fields!

For more information, visit:
http://www.njaudubon.org/SectionEcoTravel/Tours/MonheganIsland2012.aspx

Maine and New Hampshire Tour with Derek and WINGS
June TBA, 2013

Join Derek on this comprehensive Maine-New Hampshire tour for WINGS. 179 species were recorded on his 2010 tour, including including 20 species of warblers, 9 species of flycatchers, 7 species of thrushes, 5 species of terns, 5 species of vireos, and 4 species of alcids. Some of the highlights included a great Roseate Tern show over the beach, an exceptional Upland Sandpiper performance in a blueberry barren, a 4th-state record Eared Grebe at a sewage pond, digiscoped photos of Bicknell’s Thrushes in the stunted spruce on Mount Washington, a juvenile Black-backed Woodpecker, a Spruce Grouse hen with chicks, pelagics off of Bar Harbor, and of course – Machias Seal Island.

Other sought-after species seen in 2010 included Razorbill, Common Murre, Arctic Tern, American Pipit, Mourning Warbler, Saltmarsh and Nelson’s Sparrows, and White-winged and Red Crossbills.

And of course, we'll see a lot of great places, and enjoy plenty of food - including plenty of lobster, if you so desire!

Here's the itinerary and other details: http://wingsbirds.com/tours/view/111. Also be sure to check out the 2010 trip report and species list for this amazing trip!

Birding by Schooner!
July 2013

Join Derek and Jeannette aboard the Schooner Lewis R. French, America's Oldest Windjammer (and National Historic Landmark) for a truly unique birding experience.

Enjoy peace, quiet, and tranquility (and environmental friendliness!)of wind-powered locomotion as we spend a week aboard the French enjoying great food, lots of rest and relaxation, and some great birding!

We'll visit multiple seabird breeding colonies (Eastern Egg Rock, Matinicus Rock, Seal Island, and/or Petit Manan Island - wind and weather permitting, of course), to place us among thousands of breeding seabirds, including Atlantic Puffins, Common Murres, and Razorbills. Roseate, Common, and Arctic Terns will be seen, along with other local breeding species from Common Eiders, Black Guillemots, and Bald Eagles.

In the open waters, we'll be on the lookout for Greater, Sooty, Manx, and perhaps even Cory's Shearwater, along with Leach's and Wilson's Storm-petrels. We will also hope for Parasitic Jaegers, and perhaps a surprise such as a South Polar Skua or the Red-billed Tropicbird that has spend much of the last four summers in the Seal Island - Matinicus Rock area and which put on a truly extraordinary show for us on our 2010 trip!

Conditions permitting, we'll spend at least one day chumming offshore to bring seabirds in close, and we'll also spend a few hours looking for breeding birds on Monhegan Island - such as Carolina Wrens and a variety of warblers - and/or elsewhere on short land-based excursions.

For more information, visit the Schooner French's website:
http://www.schoonerfrench.com/birding.htm
and
http://www.schoonerfrench.com/

Also, take a look at Derek's photo journal from his blog about our 2010 excursion:
http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=20340

Hope to see you aboard!

MonhegZEN Birding Fall Migration Weekend 2013
September/October 2013
Cost - Per diem; see below.

Join Derek on Monhegan during the height of migration for 1-4 days searching the island for regular visitors, rarities, and vagrants. This is a casual outing, with boat and hotel reservations, as well as meals, on your own. Although we are likely to eat meals together, we'll have more flexibility on rooming and eating arrangements this way. Also, you can come and go as you please, based on whatever boat and departure times and locations suit you best. Sign up for 1,2, or 4 days.

Cost - $TBA per person, per day for one day, or $TBA per day per person for multiple days.

Once again, we’ll be staying at the Trailing Yew (although folks are welcome, as always, to stay elsewhere) We have blocked off rooms for 12 people at this time, with the possibility of adding more rooms if we need them. Reservations are made through the Trailing Yew, at: (207) 596-6194. Office hours: 9:00am-noon, 3:00pm-5:00pm. While we don’t have a group rate, the excellent prices INCLUDES a home cooked DINNER, PLUS breakfast. Rates are $TBA for single occupancy, and $TBA for double occupancy, per night.

Remember, you do not have to stay or eat with us, but of course, your company is most welcome! Coffee and tea are also available before breakfast, to fuel those first couple of hours of birding. (http://www.trailingyew.com/).

The 2011 outing was highlighted by 21 species of warblers, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Caspian Tern, Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, 3 Clay-colored Sparrow, 3 Dickcissels, and a Blue Grosbeak.

In the five years we have run this trip, we have averaged 101 species, including 19 species of warblers! Here are Derek’s blog entries from the past four years to see what you have been missing!:
2011: http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=66865
2010: http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=24217
2009: http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=15553
2008: http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=8207
2007: http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=5399

Don’t miss this year’s excitement!

Please sign up, and make your hotel reservations soon. The trip is limited to _9_ people.