Tim Caverly, author of the “Allagash Tails” series, let me take a peek at his upcoming book. When it’s released next year, it’ll be the sixth in his series. Most people know Tim as the long-time superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. The whole author thing came later.
There it was on page 78 of the draft: The name Allagash comes from the original Indian place name Allagaskwigamook, or as we now call the location of the boat launch: T6-R11. Let’s face it, the Penobscot Indian Nation has always been way better at naming places.
I like to get far up into the north woods to chase birds. There are unusual species that don’t exist much south of Bangor. I’ve visited a family of rare American three-toed woodpeckers in T5-R12 nearly a dozen times this year. I watched a pair of unusual black-backed woodpeckers raise a brood in T4-R11, near the lake which was given the much cooler Indian name Nesowadnehunk. As I pursue birds around all these oddly named places, I often wonder what the names mean.
A few months ago, I had the chance to sit down with Penobscot tribal historian, James Francis, who explained many of the origins, and I was fascinated. I always suspected that most place names referred to a geologic feature of the location, which proved to be correct. Some place names also refer to cultural activities that took place there.
One doesn’t have to bird the north woods to be intrigued by these names. Anyone in the Bangor area who lives along the banks of the Penobscot, Kenduskeag, Sedgeunkedunk, Penjajawoc, or Souadabscook might wonder the same thing. The Penobscot Valley Chapter of Maine Audubon wondered, too.
The chapter is kicking off another series of programs at the Sea Dog Brewing Company in Bangor next Friday night, Oct. 17. This one is called “Keags & Kegs,” in honor of all those Passadumkeags, Passagasswaukeags and Mattawamkeags out there. The free program features James Francis, and will begin in the function room at the north end of the building at 7 p.m. Feel free to arrive and dine early in the restaurant. I will.
I travel all over the state, and birding gives me a strong bond to this land and its natural history. Glaciers finished rearranging the Maine landscape about 10,000 years ago. European colonists started showing up about 400 years ago. That leaves about 9,600 years of natural history and glacial features that were named by Maine’s tribes. This program will be a good way to learn about them.
So will the next program. Tim Caverly will join us at the Sea Dog on Friday night, Nov. 21 for a 7 p.m. program to be called “Allagash Tales and Ales.” It will be a good night to enjoy hearing his imaginative and fanciful stories, anchored firmly and accurately to Allagaskwigamook. The optional enjoyment of a cold, foamy, Maine-brewed beverage during the program just makes it better.
Now here are some good Indian place names to visit this time of year. There are certain lakes where waterfowl concentrate. These water bodies tend to be shallow, especially when they are drawn down in autumn to remove excess phosphorus and improve water quality. Shallow water concentrates the fish for diving ducks, and lower levels make some vegetation more reachable for dabbling ducks.
Generally, these lakes are too populated to be suitable for hunting, which the birds have figured out. Sebasticook Lake in Newport is one such lake. Cobbosseecontee and Annabessacook Lakes near Augusta are well-known. Sabattus Pond near Lewiston is legendary. Chickawaukie Pond near Rockland is famous for large gatherings of American coots.
Such lakes are still deep enough in autumn for divers. Ruddy ducks, in particular, can gather in big numbers. Greater and lesser scaup stop in during their southward migrations. Common goldeneyes and mergansers congregate. When birding these duck ponds in autumn, the drawdown of water also exposes handy mudflats. This is one of the first places to look for snow buntings and horned larks in mid-autumn, perhaps joined by a few Lapland longspurs and late migrating shorebirds.
Weskeag Marsh in South Thomaston is worth a stop right up until it freezes for the winter. Its puddles are too shallow for diving ducks, but it supports a healthy number of migrating teal, widgeons, shovelers, and the usual mallards and black ducks. And it’s got a cool Indian name.
Bob Duchesne serves as a Maine Audubon trustee and vice president of its Penobscot Valley Chapter. Bob developed the Maine Birding Trail, with information at mainebirdingtrail.com. Bob can be reached at duchesne@midmaine.com.