Claybrook Mountain Lodge

Ron Joseph

It is our great pleasure to have Ron Joseph share his extraordinary knowledge with us and our guests.

Ron is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who works with private landowners to restore habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

In cooperation with private timberland owners in Maine, Ron also conducts annual surveys to monitor population trends of songbirds.

Ron has generously led trips for us and for Maine Audubon for over a decade. We count ourselves lucky to benefit from his extensive knowledge and experience.

Based on our years of experience leading nature outings, we've put together some exciting birding trips with the help of our expert bird biologist.

Birding at Claybrook Mountain Lodge is unique because we're located at the northern edge of the eastern deciduous forest and the southern edge of the boreal forest. Add to this the habitat mix the extensive grasslands and marshlands a few miles to the south, and it's easy to understand why birders consider this area one of Maine's best inland birding "hotspots."

During the height of spring migration in late May, over 100 species of neotropical migrants have been seen passing through our yard. Birders are able to compare Philadelphia vireos and Tennessee warblers in the same apple tree while sipping coffee from the porch of the lodge. Both Louisiana and Northern waterthrush nested on our property in 2002.

At the left: a baby common loon (Adult above right). Within minutes of the lodge there is a remarkable mix of habitats. From spruce-fir bogs and meandering beaver flowages to sedge meadows and mature hardwood forests, this area is home to many specialty birds such as spruce grouse, black-backed woodpecker, gray jay, boreal chickadee, olive-sided flycatcher, northern goshawk, sedge wren, and yellow-bellied flycatcher. In November 2001, an ash-throated flycatcher "hawked" cluster flies around the lodge for three weeks before disappearing.

In short, we offer lots of varied birding opportunities from the casual comfort of our lodge. This little fellow at the right, a young hummingbird visited us right on our porch!

Most of our birding is on trails within the Bigelow Mountain Preserve and in the fields and forest adjacent to the lodge. We also use our fleet of Old Town canoes to further enhance the birding opportunities while almost guaranteeing a moose sighting. We can either give directions to birding hotspots or provide a guide for a full service experience.

If you book a trip to the lodge during one of our Maine Audubon sponsored birding trips, we can help you make your reservation through the Audubon Society. However, we are always open to individual reservations at any other time. Please be in touch for a copy of our "backyard" bird list, which includes birds such as this wintertime visitor, a hairy woodpecker, shown at the left.

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