Whether you enjoy camping here or not, the Cobscook Bay area near Lubec is a great place to go birding with your family. There are countless hikes in the area, a playground at Cobscook for kids to play on, and many scenic ocean drives. While I am going to focus on the birding aspect of this area, you should definitely look into the other activities Cobscook has to offer.

My family and I stayed at Cobscook State Park, and were lucky enough to grab a spot along the ocean. The weather was a little chilly, but it was beautiful overall. When I woke up to the gorgeous sunrise in the morning, I became happy and excited for the day to come. Depending on the tide, we could see many different species of birds on the mudflats. The one constant was crows; they were everywhere and always calling. When it was within about an hour of low tide, the mud flats would have seabirds and gulls all over them, hoping to find their next meal. The birds we saw the most of were Ring-Billed Gulls, American Crows, and Herring Gulls.

The most prolific birds were Herring Gulls by far, and one could see at least a couple no matter the time of day. The birds feed mostly on seaweed and critters pulled from the mud, such as worms and decaying plants. Mudflats are an essential part of the ecosystem, and can be crucial places for wading birds and shorebirds to gather energy to start or continue their migration. Since the availability of mudflats depends on the tides, you should plan your visit to the mudflat in advance, using a tide chart to know when is best to be there. You should also note that you will probably see more birds during September and April, which is when most birds are migrating. For example, if we had camped there a month earlier, we might have seen sandpipers, plovers, warblers, and many more types of waterfowl and gulls.

Overall, the Cobscook area is a great place for water birds, and you can find an activity for everyone that you travel with.