I’ve longed to visit Scarborough Marsh, enamored by the pictures others have shared online. Hannah was up for the adventure, so we had a short mother/daughter vacation this July. On a Wednesday, we meandered our way along US Route 1 to Freeport, browsing interesting shops all the way – Belfast, Camden, and Rockland. We had no firm agenda other than Thursday would include visits to the marsh and the beach. Friday was a slow shopping our way home, this time via the inland route.

I had no idea what to expect from the marsh as the online information had little more than an address for the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center and a map without much detail. We arrived at 9 am to a half-filled parking lot.

The marsh was hugely expansive, extending almost as far as the eye could see through the fog. It was a warm, muggy morning for exploring.

It turns out that the Audubon trail is short, with a few stops marked with benches for viewing.

Yet the view from the Audubon Visitor Center parking area was incredible enough to excite us both. Right off the mark, we spotted a congregation of shorebirds, including Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and Glossy Ibis.

And a Great Blue Heron.

A Great Egret coming in for a landing, sharing air space with a Common Tern. I felt somewhat inadequate with my 250mm zoom lens compared to the other serious birders around us. Size matters.

A volunteer pointed us in the direction of the Eastern Trail that runs through the marsh. We walked for about a mile out and back, photographing all the while. It was like Christmas morning with a new surprise at every turn. Here’s a Snowy and Great Egret along with a Glossy Ibis.

The positioning and the light made it challenging to get a good shot of the Glossy Ibis. This was my first sighting, so I was thrilled nonetheless.

A Glossy Ibis taking off with a Tree Swallow in the background.

I had to look up this fellow who is another first for me – an Eastern Kingbird (I think).

My favorite birds of the day were the Egrets.

Their graceful shape popping out of the marsh grass was enchanting.

This Snowy Egret, with his bright yellow feet, was fishing for his meal.

Two Great Egrets in an aerial dance.

The Egrets are so elegant and graceful.

This bird was another new sighting for me. It’s a Willet that I was able to identify by its call through the Merlin Bird ID sound ID.

Here’s another Willet tucked in the marsh grass.

It was as if the Willets enjoyed posing for us.

Every piece of old post or tree root sported a Willet.

This is one of my favorite captures of the day – a Tree Swallow family perched on a branch. This is where I really wish I’d had a stronger lens!

There was a simple joy of a Song Sparrow (I think). The birds seemed so undisturbed by people walking by that it was easy to snap some great photos. I’m slow to focus on a moving target, so I often resort to autofocus which can sometimes end up with an image focused on the grass rather than the bird.

I took 628 images and, upon first viewing, tossed out over 200 because they were blurry. It was challenging to cull out these 23.

My greatest joy on this outing was watching Hannah’s enthusiasm for the adventure. I lost count of the number of times she called the experience “just magical.”  We talked about visiting again on Friday morning but decided not to because it likely wouldn’t have lived up to these few hours. Now I’m brainstorming how to fit in another trip to the marsh, which is not insignificant at a three-and-a-half-hour drive! And in the meantime I’ll have to save my pennies for a bigger lens!