Midcoast

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   Midcoast has long been a stretch of working villages. Though the hard-working character of the people remains, the towns in Knox and Waldo Counties have been dramatically revitalized. Rockland, in particular, is enjoying a Renaissance. Main Street has been transformed into a unique shopping district, centered around The Farnsworth Art Museum - home to the collected works of Andrew Wyeth and his family, and the world’s second-largest collection of Louise Nevelson sculptures. The city is home to the Maine Lobster Festival, one of the largest summer events in the state. Many of Maine’s fabled windjammers dock in Rockland. The new Project Puffin Visitor Center is here, as is the Maine Lighthouse Museum. Camden and Rockport have always been tourist destinations, sandwiched between scenic harbors and coastal mountains. Their windjammer fleets rival Rockland’s. Belfast has so recently enjoyed its own renovation that even many Mainers are unaware of the new amenities to be found downtown. All of the Midcoast towns have been home to sea captains and land barons. Their former mansions now provide the highest concentration of bed & breakfast inns anywhere in the state.

   At the southern end of Knox County, 10 miles offshore, Monhegan Island is one of the most famous birding destinations in Maine. As a migrant trap, it has few rivals in North America. Weskeag Marsh in Thomaston presents a different experience every time it’s visited. It is arguably second only to Scarborough Marsh in Portland as Maine’s most productive wetland, but it receives far fewer visitors. Midcoast has an unusually high number of small ponds and streams that attract waterfowl in migration, many right next to the road. In spring and autumn, just a quick “stop and peek” can prove rewarding. Rockland Harbor is famous for producing black-headed gulls while Belfast Harbor is the frequent hot spot for their white-winged cousins.
Maine’s coast is under tremendous development pressure. In answer, land trusts have sprung up from Kittery to Calais, and some of the most effective are in the Midcoast area. Dozens of precious tracts have been preserved, and some offer tantalizing birding opportunities. Camden Hills State Park lies in the center of these. Quiet islands, such as Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Islesboro lay just offshore. The ferries that serve these islands sometimes provide glimpses of pelagic birds in summer. Midcoast is often a preferred destination for birders with families, because there are so many different things to do and see.
 

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