Looking for a fairly gentle hike offering long views toward the High Peaks? How about a rushing mountain stream to provide background music? Want to throw in a guide to birds commonly found in a habit-rich forest and old pasture? Welcome to the new 2.4 mile Perham Stream Birding Trail in East Madrid, north of Phillips, and South of Rangeley.

This new trail is a project of the Sandy River Land Trust, an effort by local Franklin County people to identify exceptional lands in the watershed of the Sandy River, and protect them for recreational and historic value. The Perham Stream Birding Trail, established in 2012, certainly meets that criteria. It offers striking views of the Saddleback Range, to the north, and the Mt. Abraham Range and Farmer Mountain to the east.

Nearby Perham Stream rushes down from Mt. Abraham to join Orbeton Stream below the high ground traversed by the trail. This area was once home to a farming community of as many as 60 families, with a post office and school. Today, the combination of fields, replacement forest, and nearby waterways creates ideal habitat for over 100 species of birds.

In recent years I have been exploring the vast peaks and foothills territory immediately south of the Saddleback Range, and North of Madrid. Although the area is well-known to local people, and visited on many a family hike, seldom did visitors come here, largely because they were no maintained and publicized trails. In its short history, visitors from as far away as California and Oregon have signed in at the Trail Register for the Perham Stream Birding Trail.

The trailhead is on the East Madrid Road, 4.7 miles from its intersection with Maine Highway 142 north of Phillips. See Delorme Maine Atlas Map #19, A-3. Look for a trail kiosk on the left side of the road immediately after crossing a bridge over Perham Stream. Opposite the trailhead is 553 East Madrid Road. There is a trail register, maps, and a list of birds common to the area.

For my first visit I take advantage of a guided walk sponsored by the Sandy River Land Trust, led by ornithologist Peter McKinley, with the added presence of Carson Hinkley, owner of the land which the Perham Stream Birding Trail covers. Carson knows the history of the area well, as his is a five-generation East Madrid family, and his running commentary along the way certainly enriched the outing for me.

Also on the hike that day are members of the Western Maine Audubon Chapter, and a number of people from all over Maine, from the coast to Rangeley, to enjoy a spring day in the Western Mountains of Maine. I am grateful to have been in this company, learning of bird life, of the historic farming community of East Madrid, and of the good work of the Sandy River Land Trust.

High peaks loom gray-green to the north and east. Perham Stream glistens in early morning sunlight. Such a day! Let’s hike!

We hike west on a gently rising, grassed-over, woods road that crosses the small roadside field. The bird identification begins with a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird buzzing by the trailhead, and Robins working the field. Some American Crows wing overhead, then out of sight. Morning doves coo. A Pileated Woodpecker does a drum roll, presumably on a hollowed tree, beyond our view.

Nearby Perham Stream swings in close to the edge of the field, affording a view upstream at the rocky waters, then turns south to pursue a steady drop towards Orbeton Stream, out of sight a mile to the west. The trail leaves this first field to enter a new growth forest, regenerating from a wood harvest of about 10 years ago. The hike here is through a “green tunnel” – grassy trail, forest canopy overhead, dappled sunlight falling on the forest floor. Young rock maple and white birch, fir and pine line the trail.

Emerging from the short stretch of woods, the trail reaches the first of two broad hayfields.

Choices here – short loops provide options for returning to the trailhead for hikes that would total under one mile. I bear left to hike the outer loop of the trail in a clockwise direction, enjoying close-up views of Mt. Abraham and Farmer Mountain from the open field. The route passes through a hollow in the field, then passes into a second, larger field.

From here there are fine views of the Saddleback Range, Saddleback Junior on the east end, The Horn in the middle, Saddleback itself to the northwest. The near, low peak to the right (east) of Saddleback Junior is Potato Hill, a near twin to similarly named Potato Nubble which lies north of the Range and therefore out of sight. A Broad-winged Hawk, on the lookout for field mice, circles overhead, riding the wind currents.

From this field the route continues west, entering the green tunnel once again, reaching a lookout point with views over the Perham Stream Valley, south towards Mt. Blue and southwest to the Tumbledown Jackson Range. Quite a view for a short walk over hayfields and woods paths! Alone the walk, and particularly near this stop we enjoy the song of Warblers.

Our birding experts identify the songs of Black-and-white Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Nashville Warbler, and Yellow-rumped Warbler in the course of our outing. If some of these have echoes of southern locations, that is because the habitat in this unique setting draws summer visiting birds from the southern USA, and beyond, from the Caribbean.

I am at the extreme southwest limit of the property which the trail covers. From the boundary marker the land slopes sharply to the stream. I learn from Carson Hinkley that when farmers raised cattle on the pastureland of East Madrid generations ago, the cattle were driven across these fields and down this precipitous slope to Perham Stream, to reach the railroad line that ran up Orbeton Canyon. Persuade one critter to start down, and the rest follow!

The birding trail makes no such descent. Instead, the trail makes a 90 degree turn to head north, passing through level woodland once again – over the old cattle-drive route – to reach a spur trail to an overlook above Orbeton Canyon. This 0.2 mile spur should not be missed, as this viewpoint offers the closest Saddleback view of the entire trail system. The south-reaching buttresses of the range stand out in rugged detail.

In the planning stage is a new trail, the Berry Pickers Trail, which will ascend one of these buttresses to meet the Appalachian Trail at the Saddleback Ridgeline. (I am told it is expected be open by 2016). Hardy Stream along with Orbeton Stream drain the range in this direction, cutting their v-courses into the mountainside.

There was a time when the woods below rang with the sounds of the Rangeley Lakes and Sandy River Railroad, and with the work of loggers whose harvest the railroad shipped to the world beyond. Where I walk today farm families once made their homes. The south-facing ground, the level terrain along the Perham Stream intervale, the dependable water source of Perham and neighbor streams – all this combined to offer much promise to families seeking to make a livelihood in the Maine woods.

The northwest viewpoint marks the outer limit to the trail system. I reverse direction on the outlook spur, return to the main trail. Here I turn left, continuing in a clockwise direction, to pass through woodland , then in and out of open fields, on the way back towards the trailhead. There is more to be seen. A short loop ascends a small hill, rimmed with high white pine – a good spot for sitting. Beyond, a side trail leads to an old cemetery. Beyond this junction, on the main trail, the route continues to the East Madrid Road about 200 yards north of the trailhead.

Here in a small clearing by the road Carson points to the foundation remains of the post office that once served East Madrid. Beside it, on the downhill side once stood the village school. Imagine stopping here to pick up the mail – or to go to and from that schoolhouse, the high peaks rising above this mountain intervale! Across the road and beyond a field, lie a pond and marsh – more wildlife habitat!

As for birds, I lost personal count, but my sighting also included Blue Jay, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Turkey Vultures, Kinglet, Goldfinch – and a Brown Thrasher that made an appearance in the roadside field as we returned to the trailhead. Kate Weatherby of Western Maine Audubon hikers was a great help in bird identification, and she tallied over two dozen birds for the morning walk.

Bring a bird book, binoculars, and lunch. Take time here. Appreciate what it was like to live here, farming the land. This is a precious place! Thank you to the Hinkley family, and to the people of Madrid and the surrounding Sandy River Valley, for making this trail possible, drawing visitors from to Franklin County from across the USA!

Many a bird enjoys spending the summer here – join them for a day!