Our trip offerings continue to grow. Our collaboration with The Maine Brew Bus continues with our increasingly popular Birds On Tap ℠ – Roadtrips! (see listing below). And, this year, we are excited to announce a new partnership with DownEast Adventures as their exclusive provider of birdwatching tours! Whether you are interested in something local for a few hours, or a multi-day tour, we have something for everyone. Some of these trips fill up fast, so act quickly if any pique your interest! For more details on each of these events, including registration information please visit the Tours, Events, and Workshops Page of our website. We hope to see you soon!

Woodcocks Gone Wild!
April 4^th (Weather date, 4/11)

Our most popular annual tour, join us for an evening witnessing the aerial ballet of displaying American Woodcocks on a special outing at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester.  No registration necessary.

Migratory Songbird Workshop with DownEast Adventures
May 17^th 

This half-day workshop will focus on the migrant songbirds, especially warblers, that are passing through Maine’s most famous migrant trap, Portland’s Evergreen Cemetery. At the peak of warbler migration, we’ll learn how to identify these charismatic birds and we’ll discuss their mind-boggling migration and what they’re up to in Maine.

Monhegan Spring Migration Weekend
May 22^nd – 25^th

Join Derek on Monhegan during the height of spring migration for 1-4 days searching the island for regular visitors, rarities, and vagrants.  Warblers in their summer finery are pouring through the Northeast, and many will drift over the Gulf of Maine on their nocturnal flights. Rapidly changing weather conditions can result in massive “fallouts” of tired migrants, many of which will forage in the rocks on the shoreline. The possibility of overshoots from the south and vagrants from almost any direction adds icing to the cake.

Bicknell’s Thrush Tour
June TBA

Stay tuned to our website for details on this tour.

Seal Island Charter: The Search for Troppy
July 11^th

This special 5-hour charter aboard Isle au Haut Ferry Service’s Otter will allow us to travel out to Seal Island specifically to look for “Troppy”, Maine’s famous Red-billed Tropicbird. And, we will also enjoy looks at the puffins, guillemots, terns, and Razorbills that call this island home in summer.

Ladona Island Birding Cruise (Birding by Schooner II) with DownEast Adventures
July 13^th – 17^th

Join Derek aboard the Schooner Ladona for a truly unique and exclusive birding and culinary experience. Enjoy peace, quiet, and tranquility as we spend four days aboard the Ladona enjoying unbelievable food and drink, lots of rest and relaxation, and some great birding! Weather permitting, we’ll have the chance to visit the waters around a seabird breeding colony (likely the famous Eastern Egg Rock) to place us among thousands of breeding seabirds, including Atlantic Puffins, three species of tern, and likely a few Razorbills.

Shorebird Workshop with DownEast Adventures
August 12^th

In this full-day workshop, we will hit some of the marshes, beaches, and rocky roosts that shorebirds prefer at the peak of their migration. The ebbs and flows of the season, daily and recent weather, and other factors could produce more than 20 species of shorebirds in our time together. Our focus will be in comparative experience, learning how to recognize each species both near and far.

Maine Coast in Fall with Derek and WINGS
September 13^th – 20^th

Join Derek on this all-inclusive tour to enjoy Monhegan Island at its finest.

Monhegan Fall Migration Weekend
September 25^th – 28^th

Join Derek on Monhegan during the height of migration for 1-4 days searching the island for regular visitors, rarities, and vagrants. This is a casual outing, with boat and hotel reservations, as well as meals, on your own, allowing for more flexibility (and more time at the brewery if you so desire).

Birds On Tap ℠ – Roadtrip!

Our Birds On Tap ℠ – Roadtrip! series is entering its sixth year and features 10 tours! Traveling in the Maine Brew Bus, the first half of each 6-hour tour is spent in the field with Derek as your guide to learn about the birds and their habitats. This is followed by two brewery (and one “kombuchery”) tours led by the Brew Bus guides. The locations were chosen to enjoy the peak of birding at a particular locale at certain times of year. One does not need to be a “birder” to enjoy these outings. People of all skill levels are encouraged to join us!

The 2020 schedule is as follows:

Gulls and Growlers
January 18^th, 9:00am – 3:30pm
Hatch Hill Landfill, Augusta
(gulls, eagles)
Bateau & Black Pug Brewing

Seaducks and Suds
February 16^th, 9:00am – 3:30pm
York County coast
(seaducks, alcids, gulls)
York Beach Beer & TBA

Spring Ducks and Draughts                                       
April 5^th, 12:00pm – 6:30pm
Merrymeeting Bay
(migrant waterfowl, eagles)
Oxbow & Bath Brewing

Warblers and Wort
May 10^th, 8:00am – 2:00pm
Portland sites
(warblers, other songbird migrants)
Bissell Brothers & Brewery Extrava

Grassland and Grains
June 14^th, 8:00am – 2:30pm
Kennebunk Plains
(Upland Sandpiper, Grasshopper Sparrow)
Funky Bow & Banded Brewing

Terns and Taps
July 26^th, 9:00am – 3:00pm
Biddeford Pool
(terns, Piping Plover)
Nuts and Bolts & Island Dog Brewing

Shorebirds and Steins                                                 
August 23^rd, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Scarborough Marsh
(migrant shorebirds)
Foulmouthed & Lone Pine Brewing

“Sod-pipers” and Sips
September 6^th, 8:00am – 4:00pm
Fryeburg
(grassland sandpipers, Sandhill Cranes)
Ebenezer’s Pub & Saco River Brewing

Fall Ducks and Draughts
October 25^th, 9:00am – 3:30pm
Sabattus Pond                                                             (migrant waterfowl, eagles)
Side by Each Brewing & Maine Beer Co.

“Rarity Roundup”
November 8^th, 8:00am – 3:00pm
Portland to Wells
(potential vagrants, general birding)
Root Wild Kombucha & Goodfire Brewing