Monhegan Island, Maine
Go. If you ever get a chance to go, don’t think about it, just do it. Monhegan Island was on my list of places to see for 20 years. Back when I was in my late 20s an artist had told me about Monhegan and described the light and landscape in such palatable detail that I longed to go there for two decades. After I became a birder, I would hear about the incredible birds that stopped and passed by Monhegan in the spring and fall.
I had to go.
Finally, on a trip to the Maine coast, I had my chance. We took the ferry 16.5 miles from Boothbay Harbor on a cool, gray day in June when spring hadn’t quite hit the Maine coast (translation: it was still cold and I had many layers on). When the ferry slowed and began to dock at the edge of the island, I could feel the pull of the geography and feel my senses overwhelmed with the beauty of the almost mythical and magical landscape. Waves crashed into the rocky shoreline, birds flew everywhere, and shingled buildings and houses sat perched on cliffs. After exiting the ferry beside lobster boats we walked up a hill to begin the 4.4 mile Monhegan Island Cliff Walk. Monhegan is primarily a walking island, only a square mile in area, and by hiking this amazing little island, you will have a chance to walk unpaved roads, through the village, out to the cliffs, in the woods, and along the footpaths that cross the island.
Village area of Monhegan Island
Birds on Monhegan Island: Monhegan’s location as an isolated island in the Atlantic, along with its woods and marshes, provides for an outstanding stopover point for migrating birds. Additionally, it’s cliffs are also ideal for many breeding birds to build nests and raise chicks. According to eBird over 315 species have been recorded on Monhegan island. On the day we ventured over to the island, we were amazed by the number of warblers singing in the trees, the sheer number of gulls and cormorants nesting along the cliffs, and the stunning ring-necked pheasant wandering down a footpath. It was a complete and total immersion in nature surrounded by a cacophony of bird life. It felt surreal and magical and other worldly.
When to Go: According to the Maine Birding Trail, peak birding during migration takes place the last three weeks of May and from late August through early October. From reading other birder’s accounts of their experiences, many sight the village/town area to be particularly good for birding. We did not concentrate our time in town because we were limited by the time of the return ferry and did not want to miss the spectacular, dramatic walk along the cliff trail. From our day spring day trip experience, I highly recommend a night or two on the island (more if you can!) and possibly during fall migration.
Gull nesting on the cliff
