Serviceberry is one of the first flowering trees of spring in southern Maine. South Pond in Warren proved to be a superb spot to enjoy the white flowers accentuated against backdrops of deep blue sky and the shoreside greens of hemlock and pine. Early settlers gave this common May bloomer its name because they had to wait until May for the ground to thaw in order to hold a burial for deceased family members.
The serviceberry bloom dovetailed with the softening ground. South Pond has a colony of cottages adjacent to the boat launch site, and some at the far southern end of the pond, but for the most part this 2-mile long pond offers seclusion and lots of bird life. We paddled for three hours; circling the lake and then snaking our way up to Route 1 via a sprawling bog at the northern end of the pond.
We paddled at a time of high water. At low water you will be limited as to how far into the bog you can travel. As we paddled under a railroad trestle into the bog a bald eagle stared down at us from a dead tree.
Ten minutes later we saw three turkey vultures and that same eagle putting on an acrobatic show, vying for control of the airspace above the bog. We were mesmerized with the emerging buds on oaks and other hardwoods. It seemed as if the buds were small going down the pond and larger an hour later coming up the pond.
Were they really emerging that fast in the 70-degree warmth and powerful late morning sun? Delicate yellow catkins hung down from the white birch emerging out.