New Harbor, Maine, picturesque, home of Hardy Boat Tours. The Maine Audubon Society pairs with Hardy for puffin tours to Eastern Egg Rock.
LOTS of lobstering....
...and lobster boat jokes in New Harbor.
Our intrepid steed.
Companion #1, Phil Pendleton.
#2
40 minutes from New Harbor in Muscongus Bay is Eastern Egg Rock, the Audubon's puffin re-introduction sanctuary.
As we get closer, we begin spotting terns, eiders, ducks and others I can't name. The only structures on the rock are Audubon-built observer blinds.
The birds are so noisy this late in the day that it's hard to hear over them.
Puffins on the rocks!
Puffins were quickly killed to extinction here beginning in the 1850's when it was learned their feathers made nice hat decorations.
Their rookery was taken over by opportunistic birds.
Rear view of puffin take-off.
Puffins were re-introduced here by Audubon in the 1970's. Today there are 140+ nesting pairs, considered a success.
More puffins on the rocks as well as a puffin decoy on the blind.
The single best retirement purchase we've made is a pair of great binoculars. You could see individual feathers on the birds with these babes.
Next we cruised to nearby Western Dry Ledge, where Harbor Seals have been in residence for decades.
Nearby Franklin Lighthouse, Maine's third oldest.
How can you tell you're on an Audubon cruise??!
Historic, beautiful Wiscasset, on our way home, is a must-stop. Red's is world-famous for its locally made ice cream and lobster rolls. Many other places to stop, eat, shop in Wiscasset right on the Sheepscot River, lobster in all varieties available, of course, even in ice cream.
