Brunswick Trail Wander

I wanted to get in my miles today without doing anything too taxing, ie. no hills and nothing technical. I've been thinking about trying to get out to connect the "in-town" Brunswick trails for a while. I know Nate and Shannon have done it, but I have never run the middle section of trail, so it would be a bit of an adventure. Seemed like the perfect day for it. I started from Bowdoin and ran to the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust trails around Crystal Spring Farm that I've been running with Shannon. I added on an extra lollypop loop along the edge of the pasture to the edge of the farm, and am so happy I did. I wouldn't want to run this section in the height of summer - the grass would be too long - but it was perfect today, and I was able to hear and see my favorite field birds, the bobolinks. It made me very happy. From there, I crossed the blueberry fields to the high school and then ducked into the woods across the street. I have never run these trails - the "extended Commons" - before, although I know the boys used to when we were in school. It was quiet and peaceful out there, and I explored the different offshoots of trail, enjoying the woods. From there, it was a bit of road up to the Coleman Farm trails. By now, I was pretty tired, so I stopped in the shade by the pond and had a snack, enjoying the daffodils and the view. Then it was down to the ocean and back up through the woods, the forest floor awash with trout lilies. The final few miles were through the Commons. I hit the pavement at the field house with my Garmin reading 16 miles and change, so perfect! A beautiful morning for a fun run!

Flora and fauna report: Wood anemone and goldthread abound. False lily of the valley, starflower and indian cucumber are out but not yet flowering. Saw some wild oat, many violets, a lot of beautiful blueberry bush blooms, and many trout lilies out in the woods at Coleman Farm. The Crystal Spring Farm pasture trail yielded some good birding - bobolinks, catbird, cardinal, a pair of brown trashers, swallows, chickadees, goldfinch and a beautiful Hooded Warbler. Also saw a Black and White Warbler in the trees out along the Coleman Farm trails.

Crystal Spring Farm trails

Goldthread

Bobolink flying above the pasture

Wood anemone

Trail along the edge of the pasture

Sheep resting in the shade at the farm

Piggies!

Blueberry fields

Extended Commons trail

Horses Welcome

Coleman Farm property

Daffodils

Trout lily

Ocean view