Acadia National Park is one of the most visited national parks on the East Coast, despite being the most rural. The avian diversity is spectacular from alcids to warblers. What attracts birders is the allure of wilderness found in Acadia National Park, especially in the Schoodic District, more commonly called Schoodic Peninsula. Protruding north to south 9.2 miles into the biologically rich Gulf of Maine, Schoodic Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by numerous islands and sheltered bays along the eastern and western coastlines. The peninsula offers an ideal ecological setting from which to observe more than 350 species of birds.

Along with the forested hills of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island to the west, Schoodic Peninsula was exploited by early colonists for its natural resources— the spruce, fir, white pine, jack pine, maples, birch, and cedar of its boreal forests. Once logged, its thin soils were not conducive to long-term sustainability, so the peninsula was basically abandoned. This, along with its remoteness and isolation from coastal towns and resorts, allowed for the forests’ regrowth and preservation (Workman 2014). The boreal forest and isolated Atlantic coast are the perfect combination for adding difficult species to a birder’s life list.