A low-key birding festival now in its eight year on the coast of Maine, Wings, Waves and Woods on beautiful Deer Isle has something for birders of all ages and skill levels.
2014 Wings, Waves & Woods Schedule

Registration packets are $20 (boat trips, art workshops and Birder's Supper are additional), and include: bird list, nature preserve info, maps, Island Guide, local coupons and the coveted WWW cap. Supper tickets purchase one of three entrees, rolls, side dishes, dessert and a drink; tax and gratuity included. For boat trips allow plenty of time for parking and boarding and dress warmly! For registration, boat reservations and supper tickets, contact Island Heritage Trust (IHT) at 348-2455 or marissa@islandheritagetrust.org, or register Friday, May 17, 4:30-6:30 PM at DIAA Gallery, in conjunction with reception and art exhibit "Wings, Waves & Woods" at Pearson Legacy Gallery, 13 Dow Rd, Deer Isle.

For bad weather notices and program updates call IHT at 348-2455 or check the Wings, Waves and Woods Facebook page.

FRIDAY, MAY 16

12:30-4 PM Marshall Island

Bob Duchesne will lead a walk on Marshall Island (40" boat trip), at 985-acre island, the largest undeveloped and fully-protected island on the eastern seaboard (www.mcht.org/preserves/marshall-island.shtml). Mixed wetland, forest and shore habitats should offer good May birding. Reservations required and dress warmly. $55 Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, 130 Settlement Rd, off Oceanville Rd, Stonington; 348-2455.

2-3 PM Introduction to Birding

IHT's Mike Little offers an intro to binoculars, scopes and guidebooks; also, where and when to find birds, including in the old orchard right outside. Island Heritage Trust, 420 Sunset Rd (Rt 15A), Sunset.

4:30-6:30 PM WWW Registration

Info, registration and supper tickets for Wings, Waves & Woods at Pearson Legacy Gallery, 13 Dow Rd., Deer Isle, or at Island Heritage Trust during business hours. 348-2455. www.islandheritagetrust.org.

5-7 PM "Wings, Waves & Woods" Art Reception

Opening reception for Wings, Waves & Woods exhibit, featuring artwork related to birds and habitat by more than forty artists, including this year's poster image by Sue Shaw. Refreshments. Gallery open 1-5 PM Friday-Saturday through May 26. Pearson Legacy Gallery, 13 Dow Rd, Deer Isle. 348-6828. personlegacygallery@gmail.com

7:30-9 PM Night Noises

Join Gordon Russell and Jane Rosinski for an evening walk, listening for the distinctive calls of spring peepers, woodcock, perhaps owls and other birds that prefer darkness to daylight. Bring flashlights, boots and listening ears. Mariners Park, Morey Farm Rd (off Sunshine Rd, just east of junction with Rt 15), Deer Isle.

SATURDAY, MAY 18

6:30-8 AM Settlement Quarry Bird Walk

Tom Bjorkman & Bonnie Bochan lead a walk at this scenic, historic granite quarry overlooking Webb Cove. Abundant species in mixed woodland habitats and saltwater marsh. Settlement Quarry Preserve, Oceanville Rd, off Rt 15, Stonington.

7-8:30 AM Scott's Landing Bird Walk

Join Mike Little at this 22-acre preserve, perhaps the "hottest" birding spot on Deer Isle. Brushy habitat, hardwood stands and a tidal shore offer diverse birding. Scott's Landing, opposite Causeway Beach, Rt 15, N Deer Isle.

9AM-12 PM Sketchbook Journaling at Scott's Landing

Island artists Bruce Bulger, Hub White and Doug Wilson offer a morning of drawing, with frequent brief demos. Emphasis on quickly capturing the essence of place and object in the rich landscape and shoreline of this preserve. Sketchbook format with black and white media. Bring a sketchbook 9 x 12" or larger and favorite drawing media; $15.00; Scott's Landing, Rt 15, N Deer Isle. 348-2455.

9 AM-12 PM Create Fountains and Birdbaths

Work with Debbie Holmes to create a freeze-proof fountain or birdbath using Hypertufa, an artificial stone. All material provided; registration required, $45pp. Pearson Legacy Gallery, 13 Dow Rd, Deer Isle. Carolyn Hecker, 348-2535 or personlegacygallery@gmail.com.

9:30 AM-2:30 PM Pelagics and Puffins

Mike Little guides a trip through the archipelago to remote Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge, nesting site for thousands of pelagics: Atlantic puffins, Arctic and common terns, great cormorants, razorbills and murres. We may also spot gannets, Wilson's storm petrels, shearwaters, seals, dolphins and possibly whales en route. While landing is not permitted, there will be ample opportunity for viewing and photographing. $70pp, Reservations required (348-2455) Dress warmly for an open boat on the open ocean. Depart Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, 130 Settlement Rd, off Oceanville Rd, Stonington.

9-10:30 AM Shore Habitat Walk

Gordon Russell and Tom Bjorkman guide a walk down a quiet lane leading to beaches and marsh for a variety of birds, including shore birds on receding tide, such as Ruddy Turnstone and Black-bellied Plover. Park and meet at Sunset Congregational Church on Route 15A at junction of Dunham Point Rd.

11:30 AM-12:30 PM Owls of Birdsacre

The staff of the Stanwood Wildlife Sanctuary bring some of their owls to the barn at Island Heritage Trust. An unusual opportunity to see these nocturnal creatures up close; learn about the differences between the diminutive Saw-Whet, the dark-eyed Barred and the powerful Great Horned Owl. IHT, 420 Sunset Rd (Rte 15A), Sunset. 348-2455.

1-2:30 PM Thorofare Cruise NEW!
Join Capt Garrett Aldrich and Bob Duchesne for a guided cruise around the island-studded Deer Isle Thorofare, including Crotch Island (granite quarry), Mark Island (lighthouse), and several seabird nesting sites. Isle au Haut Boat Company; $35 pp (minimum of 12 needed); free parking and departure at the foot of Seabreeze Ave, Stonington. 348-2245.

2-3:30 PM Habits and Habitat NEW!
Join naturalists Ken & Marnie Crowell for a walk at Scott's Landing and see how your smartphone or tablet can become a virtual iNature guide. Learning species by habitat helps make sure you are looking at the right place at the right time for our flora and fauna, migrant and resident. This gentle walk is perfect for seniors, families and beginners. Scott's Landing, Rte 15, N Deer Isle.

2-3:30 PM Brush Painting Birds

Master brush painter Frederica Marshall teaches simple watercolor and brush techniques at her gallery-based classroom. Suitable for all ages; materials provided. $45; call 348-2782 to register; www.fredericamarshall.com

5-7 PM Birder's Supper at Harbor Café

Must be seated by 6 PM for this special supper at the island's popular year-round café. Supper tickets for prime rib, seafood casserole or vegetarian lasagna are required; $20, inc tax/gratuity available at 348-2455 or marissa@islandheritagetrust.org; Limited seating with walk-ins on a seat-available basis; 32 Main St, Stonington. After that last bit of homemade pie, stroll next door to the Town Hall for Rich MacDonald's slide show and talk.

7-8:30 PM Maine Coast Birds

Perhaps no one is better suited to talk on this subject than Rich MacDonald. A lifelong birder, inveterate adventurer, naturalist and field biologist, he has been guiding walks and tours from Acadia to Antarctica since 1989. The Atlantic boreal coast offers a particularly rich opportunity for birding, not to mention photography, as Rich's presentation will reveal. Stonington Town Hall, second floor. Suggested donation of $5; Handicap access at back of building.ath Natalie, he spent five months

SUNDAY, MAY 18

6:30-8 AM Mariners Park Bird Walk

Join Mike Little for a shoreline meadow walk, skirting a small marsh. Open, shrubby and wooded habitat filled with warblers and other songbirds. Shorebirds and ducks also possible. Mariners Memorial Park, Morey Farm Rd (off Sunshine Rd, just east of junction of Rt 15), Deer Isle.

7-9 AM Dow Road Walk NEW!
Join Bob Duchesne, Gordon Russell and Jane Rosinski to explore a private property that includes meadow, woods, fresh water and shore. Such diverse habitats promise some great birding! Drive to the end of Dow Rd and follow signs for Bird Walk.

8-10 AM Nesting Eagles & Their Neighbors

Local eagle enthusiast Lee Fay provides spotting scopes to view nesting eagles (tenth year at this nest!), along with loons, eiders and shore birds. Causeway Beach, Rt 15, N Deer Isle.

9-10 AM Nesting Bluebirds NEW!
Join Sue Shaw, Monitoring Volunteer for Downeast Audubon's Bluebird Trail, to "check" the nest boxes at Scott's Landing. Learn about bluebird habits, nesting preferences and how to set up, monitor and care for bluebird boxes--all you need to know to attract bluebirds to your yard and/or join the volunteer effort to monitor Bluebird Trail boxes on Deer Isle. Great family activity! Scott's Landing, Rte 15, N Deer Isle.

10 AM - 3 PM Puffins & Pelagics

Join Bob and Sandi Duchesne on the Isle au Haut Company ferry for a trip through the archipelago to remote Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge; see Saturday description. Reservations required. $70 pp; free parking and departure at the foot of Seabreeze Ave, Stonington. 348-2455.

NEW! Alternate option: Natural History of Isle au Haut Resident naturalist, Kathie Fiveash, leads a walk to some of her favorite spots. While birding will certainly be a highlight, Kathie's expertise includes flora and fauna, marine life, and the distinctive features of island ecology. Bring a lunch or snacks and plan on several hours of easy to moderate walking (with a possible surprise stop at Black Dinah Chocolatiers!). Transport is on the Puffins and Pelagics ferry that will stop at Isle au Haut going out and returning. $38pp.

1-2 PM Found Object Sculpture

Peter Beerits demonstrates how he makes bird sculptures from "junk" at his studio located at Nervous Nellie's Jams & Jellies. Using scrap wood and metal, Beerits captures the essence of birdness in unexpected ways. 598 Sunshine Rd, Deer Isle. 348-6182, www.nervousnellies.com