Pond Island National Wildlife Refuge
The Pond Island National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Sagadahoc County in the US state of Maine . The four acre island is located at the mouth of the Kennebec River and borders Popham Beach State Park . The coasts of the island are mostly rocky, only in the north there is a small sandy beach. The area around the island and off Popham Beach, which dries out at low tide, provides excellent foraging for shorebirds.
history
In 1821 a lighthouse was built on the island, which was replaced in 1855 by the tower that is still active today. The beacon was automated in 1960, in 1973 the US Coast Guard ceded the island to the Fish and Wildlife Service , but they still maintain the lighthouse. Pond Island is one of five areas of the Maine Coastal Island National Wildlife Refuge . The island can be entered from September to the end of March, but can only be reached by boat. Entry is forbidden during the breeding season from April to the end of August.
Flora and fauna
The treeless island is covered with various types of grass as well as bushes and ground cover and is therefore an excellent habitat for nesting seabirds. In 1996 common common terns were successfully resettled on the island, and in 2003 breeding specimens of the endangered rose tern were discovered on the island. Eider ducks also nest on Pond Island and during the bird migration it is a resting place for numerous migratory birds.
Web links
- Website of the National Wildlife Refuge
- Pond Island National Wildlife Refuge in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
Coordinates: 43 ° 44 ′ 20.3 " N , 69 ° 46 ′ 15.2" W.