Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
Imagine if there was one place you could sit and watch all of Canada fly by. Forgive the slight exaggeration, but this actually happens at Schoodic Point.
Millions of waterbirds nest across Canada. Virtually all of them need to head south before Canada freezes into a 3.85-million-square mile block of winter ice. Many of those birds are migrating through Maine waters right now. It’s a spectacle almost nobody notices, unless they are tipped off by a highly popular newspaper columnist.
All these birds are flying south, but not randomly. They follow predictable pathways. One of the major flyways takes them past Schoodic Point. Why? To answer that question, you need to think like a duck.
You float. You’re comfortable on water. Your food is in water. If you fly over water, you can put down anywhere and not worry about land-based predators.
However, you probably nested in freshwater wetlands across Canada. You’re not an ocean bird, except in winter. You’re not built to fly across a vast open sea. Therefore, you choose to fly a coastal route, over water but close to land. And if any part of that land sticks into the ocean, you’re going to fly right by it. “Schoodic” comes from a Mi’kmaq word meaning “place at the end,” which literally describes Schoodic Point.
Not all those migrating waterbirds hug the coastline. Some take the scenic route, following rivers and lakes southward. Northern Maine sees a fair number of migrants passing through this time of year. Still, if there is one single place to view the spectacle best, it’s Schoodic Point. That’s how SeaWatch got started ten years ago.
SeaWatch operates under the auspices of Schoodic Institute. Every year, naturalists make daily observations through the fall from the edge of the parking lot at Schoodic Point. They tally every waterbird species they spot heading south. Double-crested cormorants usually chalk up the biggest numbers. Common eiders run a close second. Surf scoters and black scoters typically outnumber white-winged scoters more than 3-1. Red-breasted mergansers and long-tailed ducks pass the point in smaller numbers.
Common loons get counted. Most of Maine’s loons merely head east to the ocean when the lakes freeze up, but Canadian loons are apt to find winter more bearable farther south than their home territories.
Thousands of northern gannets make the list every year. Gannets nest in two enormous colonies in Québec and Newfoundland. Unlike most species passing the point, these huge birds are perfectly comfortable flying across open ocean, beyond the sight of land. However, the fish they eat often run closer to shore, so some gannets pass by close enough to get counted.
SeaWatch runs every morning from now until mid-November. Anyone can join the watch party. The primary naturalist is on hand Saturday through Wednesday, from sunrise to 10 a.m. Assistant naturalists cover Thursday and Friday.
New this year, “Seawatch Saturdays” are educational sessions centered around migrating birds of the Atlantic Coastal Flyway. You’re invited, Saturdays from 1-3 p.m. until November 14.
I spend at least one morning at SeaWatch every year. Here is some advice for your own visit.
Good binoculars are essential, and a spotting scope comes in handy. Most migrating birds will be far away. On a southerly breeze, birds pass closer to the point. On winds from the north, they may be miles away, barely perceptible on the horizon. Most of the SeaWatch birding happens early, from sunrise to midmorning. After that, the birds settle down, and the spectacle abates. Avoid mornings of thick fog or high wind.
I tried my luck last Sunday. The northeast breeze pushed everything away. Only about 2,000 seabirds were observed that morning. I’ll try again, knowing that some days can be awesome.
On October 17, 2018, an astounding migration flight took place. The counters tallied 29,147 birds in one day. The flood of birds was so intense, it was like watching disappointed Miami Dolphins fans streaming out of their football stadium at halftime.
SeaWatch began in 2016, inspired by a similar program operated by New Jersey Audubon at Avalon, NJ. NJA has been counting waterbirds since 1995.
Why count? Many migrating ducks are game species — a resource that requires proper management. It’s impossible to count them across the Canadian wilderness. It’s easy to count them as they fly by Schoodic Point. Comparing counts from year to year offers the best clue to whether climate change and Canadian wildfires are destroying remote habitats and threatening the entire ecosystem.
Plus, it’s fun.
