Migration and Monhegan

One of my fondest memories of this past summer was the night we spent with campers on Monhegan Island.  Monhegan sits far our in the Gulf of Maine and it a perfect land beacon for migranting birds as they travel south. We hiked up to a open hillside for sunrise and watched the migrant show at it's best. Flyover warblers, shorebirds, and raptors graced the skies above and a few even landed for closer inspection.

We watched raptors diving over the Monhegan forests and heard Bobolinks calling high in the sky.  We were even given great views of a couple of Whimbrels that made repeated flyovers that morning.

Whimbrel over Monhegan taken by Tom Johnson

Of course the main attraction was after sunrise when we hiked the Monhegan trails in search of migrants busily feeding on trees and bush.  We were able to identify 19 species of wood-warblers that day in addition to seeing three species of vireos in one binocular field of view!  In addition, we had a rare Black-crowned Night Heron at the Ice Pond and so many Merlins you couldn't count them all.  

Prairie Warbler on Monhegan taken by Tom Johnson

If you're thinking about joining the Hog Island Audubon Camp on Monhegan next year, you're in luck!  We have two weeks of migration camp with two different sets of prices.  The first session will be a lower price as we will just do a day trip to Monhegan.  The second session of Living on the Wind: Migration and Monhegan will be higher in price but will include an overnight on the island and a chance to see this sunrise birding firsthand!  Of course spaces are limited and we are selling out fast.  I hope you'll consider joining us next summer. 

Road Scholar Sessions

Removing lobster industry debris from Eastern Egg Rock

This September I had the pleasure to work with a great group of Road Scholar students at Hog Island Audubon Camp.  During the week-long camp they removed exotic vegetation, picked up miles of shoreline trash, and improved seabird habitat.

Mary removing debris on Eastern Egg Rock

If you're looking for a fun week of service and you should consider signing up for the Hog Island Audubon Camp's Road Scholar sessions - there are two, one in the spring and one in the fall.  If you come to camp I can guarantee that you'll make a difference for nesting seabirds and you'll meet some new friends along the way.

Hog Island Family Camp

Hog Island Audubon Camp host a lovely week for families each August.  Next summer there will be two sessions!  The week is filled with outside activities to keep the kids engaged and the parents excited as well.  Between boat trips and craft projects, the camp strives to have something for everyone. On many days there are optionals where the campers can select which activity appeals to them most.  These range from Pond Study to Squid Dissection.

Spotting an Osprey on the Shakedown Cruise

There are a couple of boat trips sprinkled in the week and this year all the campers had the chance to see Puffins!  This is late in the season for puffins but enough were still around to delight all the attendees.

One of the best activities and involves the whole camp is the Inter-tidal Exploration.  This involves everything from seining to rock scrambling. The evening is capped with a delectable exotic periwinkle snack cooked over an open fire on the beach.

On depature the campers are surprised by our "puffins" that sing and dance on the dock as the Snow Goose takes them back to shore.  The mix of grandparents, parents, kids, instructors, and volunteers make this a special week not to be forgotten. Next year the camp is expanding to include 13 year-old campers.  One session will be 8-12 year-olds and the second will be 8-13 year-olds. If you have kids, this should be on your bucket list.  It will be a week to never forget!