Plan B - Bangor City Forest

We planned to visit the Orono Bog Boardwalk, which is a walk that we enjoyed in 2011 and again last year. But we arrived to find that it had not yet opened!  It turns out that the boardwalk has to be repaired each year to deal with the impacts of winter, and they didn't quite have it finished yet. We've since learned that it opened just 2 days after our visit!

So Plan B was the adjacent Bangor City Forest. This 650 acre tract of forest has around ten miles of hiking trails, and is a popular spot for walker, joggers, and birders!  It is still early spring here in Maine, with many of the trees just now starting to bud out. The ground is wet and boggy in many areas.

Skunk Cabbage

We had seen the massive green leaves in the past, but had never seen the maroon flowers so predominantly. It turns out the flowers emerge first in the Spring, with the leaves emerging later. Skunk Cabbage is named for the unpleasant smell of the flowers which attracts pollinators like flies. The leaves also give off the smell when damaged, which is thought to prevent mammals from feeding on them.

We didn't see a ton of birds, but we did see several species of warblers. The warblers spent their winter in Mexico and Central America and are now returning to their breeding grounds in North America. Some of the birds we saw will breed in Maine, while others will continue north into Canada and the Arctic. 

Blackburnian Warbler male

Our very first warble was a male Blackburnian Warbler. They have the nickname of "Firethroat" as their throats can get very red in breeding plumage. We later saw a female, who like most birds is not as brightly colored as the male. 

Blackburnian Warbler female

The most common bird was the Black-throated Green Warbler. The males have a striking black and yellow pattern. The females have a similar pattern that is not as intense. 

Black-throated Green Warbler male

Black-throated Green Warbler female

We got to watch some of the birds searching for insects to eat. You never know where you might find a delicious bug!

Many of the male birds were singing to establish breeding territories and attract mates. This Common Yellowthroat was singing his little heart out!

Common Yellowthroat male

We also saw several aptly named Black-and-white Warblers. What they lack in color they make up for in pattern.

Black-and-white Warbler male

Black-and-white Warbler female

We'll keep a lookout for more birds as Spring progresses here in Maine.