Pond Island National Wildlife Refuge Rockport

Description

Pond Island NWR is a 10-acre island located in the mouth of the Kennebec River adjacent to Popham Beach. The U.S. Coast Guard transferred the island to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1973 and still maintains the historic light house on the island. The treeless character and grass, forb, and shrub cover provides excellent habitat for nesting seabirds. In 1996, the Service, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and National Audubon Society initiated a tern restoration program on Pond Island. In 1999, ten pairs of common terns successfully nested producing the first tern chick in more than 60 years. Today the island supports about 135 pairs of nesting terns. Common eiders also nest on Pond Island and during the fall migration, a variety of shorebirds, songbirds, and raptors can be seen there. 207-236-6970