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Main House 2011

Central and Southern Maine are the best locations to see colorful foliage through the weekend, according to the final 2011 fall foliage report from the Maine Department of Conservation.

Maine Forest Service and state park rangers are reporting past peak leaf color in each of the state’s seven tracking zones, but pockets of remarkable color can still be seen in the Kennebec Valley region along Route 201 and in Cumberland and York counties in southern Maine. Leaf drop in these regions is currently 50 to 70 percent, rangers say.

Autumn Colors

I went out for one of my rare October drives this Tuesday on Route 9 and Shore Road to see Nubble Light House in Cape Neddick  and I was surprised to still see an abundance of bright colors and  leaves still on the trees.  I am usually  here attending to guests here at the Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast, for most of the October leaf-peeping season. I wase amazed at the brilliance of leaf color even at higher elevations.  Along the beach here in Old Orchard Beach many of the trees are at  their color potential. We have Ash, Maple, Birch and Oak trees on our property that are in their full Fall display of bright fall colors. The road that we are located all the trees  are  orangingy, red and yellow Crayola Crayon shades that over-shadows all other leaf colors.

Wooden Covered Bridge

Numerous guests have taken area drives on scenic inland To Route 5 toward the White Mountains and coastal roads this past weekend and brought back spectacular photos of waterfalls, swimming-holes, covered wooden bridges,  landscapes, hiking trails, and all the photos bore a palette of bright colors.

Never mind the experts. We have gotten the word straight from the source, our guests:  The leaves are still on the trees and that the show will go on for another week or two. Don’t miss them.

Just took a ride this morning and as amazed at the amount of trees changing color just over night.  It finally looks like fall but still unusually warm for this tiome of the year.  Some leaves are strting to fall but not manny yet.   We’re  here most of the Fall Foliage Season attending to guests  at the Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast, for most of the October leaf-peeping season. We were amazed at the brilliance of leaf color even at higher elevations. Along the beach here in Old Orchard Beach many of the trees have just begun to hit their color potential. We have Ash, Maple, Birch, Apen and Oak trees on our property that will soon be in their full Fall display of bright fall colors. The road that we are located on all the trees will be  taking on those orangingy, red and yellow Crayola Crayon shades that over-shadows all other leaf colors.

Numerous guests have taken area drives on scenic Route 5 and 112 inland and route 1 coastal road this past weekend and brought back some spectacular photos of waterfalls, swimming-holes, covered wooden bridges, landscapes, hiking trails, and all the photos bore a palette of bright colors.  Never mind what the experts say.

We have gotten the word straight from the source, our guests: The leaves tell us that the show will go on for another couple of weeks. Don’t miss them.

Victorian Main House

Bed and Breakfast Maine namely Atlantic Birches Inn invites you to Old Orchard Beach Maine during the fall foliage season where there are miles and miles of scenic roads ,parks and coast line that we can send you on to see trees displaying their Autumn colors. Some of our favorite spots to see the autumn fall colors in Southern Maine and Mid Coast Maine are Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, Bradbury Mountain State Park, Mount Agamenticus Park, and Ferry Beach State Park , because of their close proximity to us at the Atlantic Birches Inn a Southern Maine Bed and Breakfast.

Pumpkin Valley Corn Maze

Along the way one can stop at one of the many pick you own apple orchards, and picnic under the apple trees. Sometimes these orchards are situated atop of or along side the hills and provide spectacular autunm view of the surrouding mountains and valleys. One can also stop along the many farm stands or pick your own pumpkin patches for autumn\halloween gourds, pumpkins, or maize corn. If you really want to try something fun and dirferent you can try to navigate some of the eloborate corn mazes that farmers have created in their corn fields.

Portland Head Light

During your touring stop and see some of the nearby Must See Maine Lighthouses, Maine Wooden Covered Bridges,

Hemlock Bridge Fryeburg Maine

Maine Waterfalls and Swimming Holes or nearby Walking and Bicycling Trails. If you get hungry or thirsty along your travels you might want to stop at one of Maine’s Ten Best Lobster Shacks, or take a tour one of Maine’s Wineries or Micro Breweries and sample some of Maine’s best wines and beers.

Birders

You can feel, hear, see and smell it as soon as you walk outside, the warm air, the chirping of the birds, the crocus, day lilies and daffodils pushing up through the ground, the mounds of snow melting you finally realize spring has sprung.

The busiest birding season begins in April, when blackbirds, waterfowl, sparrows, and the first warblers return. The Migrants start arriving in Southern Maine and Portland about a week ahead of Acadia and Bangor. April 1st Robins and Song Sparrows have returned and begun singing and by the third weekend of April, Tree Swallows and the earliest warbler species of Yellow-rumped, Pine, and Palm Warblers begin to show up. Calls of the first Eastern Phoebes and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers liven up quiet mornings in late April. Hawks also begin to return around this time.

Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers

Below we have provided a Maine Birding Trails Map of some of our favorite walking and Birding trail locations near and around the Alantic Birches Inn an Old Orchard Beach ME Bed and Breakfast and hope you enjoy visiting and photographing these Maine Birding Trails as much as we have.

The Old Orchard Beach Maine area enjoys abundant seabirds in Spring, see some Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, and Common Eiders on the beach, and the day is full of other surprises. Although the entire Maine coastline is full of birds, there are two land features (half-moon bays and rocky capes that make for some of the best places to visit for Birding.

Rocky capes that extend into the ocean are the places where Harlequin Ducks, Common Eiders, and Wandering Alcids are more likely to be found. They are good vantage spots for the passing Northern Gannets and Great Cormorants. The good sites to see these birds on the Southern Maine Coast from south to north are Fort Foster in Kittery, Nubble Light at Sohier Park in York, Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Biddeford Pool, and Dyer Point in Cape Elizabeth. Noteworthy Major land extensions into the sea in the Mid-coast area are at Ocean Point in Boothbay, Pemaquid Point and Lands End on Orr’s\Bailey Island.

Half-moon bays and sheltered harbors are more apt to contain any of the scoter species. Grebes and Long-tailed Ducks appreciate the respite from surf. Buffleheads and

Bay Breasted Warbler

Wells Beach in Wells, Fortunes Rocks Beach next to Biddeford Pool, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough Marsh (Pine Point and Higgins), Crescent Beach and Kettle Cove in Cape Elizabeth, Eastern Promenade in Portland, and Sandy Point Beach in Yarmouth are good spots to check in the spring Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg and Reid State Park in Georgetown are two of the best sites in Maine year round.

Snow Geese

Bird anywhere along the coast for sea ducks. Snow Geese  and sometimes Horned Larks frequent beaches, particularly at Reid State Park, Pine Point, Ferry Beach State Park.

Listed below are some Spring Birding Events that you might want to attend.

Wings Waves & Woods May 20-22, 2011 is Deer Isle’s Stonington Migratory Birding Weekend. Local birders lead conservancy and beach walks plus boat rides to see puffins, sea birds and eagles. Island artisans and artists offer birding and nature-related originals. The puffin trip to Seal Island is outstanding! Good chance for Purple Sandpipers, Great Cormorants, and pelagic specialties.

The 8th Annual Downeast Spring Birding Festival in Cobscook Bay, Whiting is May 27-30, 2011. Hikes, Puffin trips, Sightseeing Boat Trips, Sunset Cruises, Expert Lectures. Join us in the Cobscook Bay area of Down East Maine for a special birding experience during spring migration and the breeding season. You’ll have a wealth of opportunities to see many bird species in their special habitats. The Annual Down East Spring Birding Festival provides a unique experience in “the real Maine” where birders can get out on their own and observe a great variety of birds in diverse natural environments. The festival offers birders various self-guided explorations as well as guided hikes, boat tours, and presentations led by area experts.

13th Acadia Birding Festival: Bar Harbor, Mt Desert Island, Acadia National Park is June 2-5, 2011  The Acadia Birding Festival is Maine’s 1st bird watching festival, established in 1998. Featured speakers: Pete Dunn and Kevin Karlson. Participate for a special and educational birding experience during spring migration and the breeding season, with a wealth of opportunities to see many bird species in their unique habitats. The festival offers birders various self-guided explorations as well as guided hikes, boat tours, and presentations led by area experts. Enjoy a diversity of habitats: northern hardwood forests, bogs, fresh- and salt-water marshes, grassy and shrubby fields, streams and lakes, steep rugged headlands and maybe you will get to see an ugly moose.

View Maine Birding Trails in a larger map