If you are reading this blogpost on the Maine Audubon website, you likely: know about climate change and that we are already seeing its effects in the landscape all around us; realize that humans are the historical cause, the greatest ongoing contributors, and the source of all future threats …
Birds
Will storm damage to dunes affect plover nesting season?
A question we have been getting a lot with the heavy storms pummeling Maine’s coastlines this winter: How will the Piping Plovers manage the upcoming nesting season with the beaches so damaged? What a great question! Finally, fellow plover biologist Laura Williams and I were able to get away from …
Here’s how Swida Dogwoods provide nesting habitat for so many birds
Our 2024 Bringing Nature Home Plants of the Year, the Swida dogwoods, are an important group of plants for many reasons, but they are especially significant for a number of songbird species that nest in Maine. Red-osier, Silky, and Gray Dogwoods all form hedges and thickets in wetlands and field …
Backyard Bird of the month for March: Mourning Dove
The “mourning” song of the Mourning Dove is one of the first birdsongs many people learn, partly due to the abundance of this species. They are one of the most widespread species in North America, and have benefited greatly from human development. These habitat generalists are found everywhere …
Making beginner birding more accessible
This spring, we are increasing the accessibility of our birding programs with Accessible Beginner Birding at Gilsland Farm. If you’ve been unsure about joining a bird walk in the past, this is the one for you! Once a month, starting on March 9, from 10 am to noon, we will meet for an outing intended …
Great Backyard Bird Count 2024
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) kicks off tomorrow, Friday, February 16, and runs through Monday, February 19. This annual contributory science project run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is easy to join and your sightings are a valuable piece to this snapshot of bird populations. It is as …
Backyard bird of the month for February: Golden-crowned Kinglet
If you’ve got a quarter nearby, hold it in your hand for a moment. That quarter, at approximately 6 grams, is the same weight as Maine’s smallest winter resident bird, the Golden-crowned Kinglet. These tiny, lively birds can survive temperatures as low as -40℉, in part by roosting in small groups, …
A Loony Winter
To say we've had crazy weather this winter in Maine would be an understatement. Many lakes remained unfrozen as we headed into the winter, then finally iced over, only to unthaw in a warm spell, and freeze again with the next cold snap. These conditions have made it tricky for all of us planning on …
Backyard Bird of the Month for January: Pine Siskin
The Pine Siskin is a unique finch with a unique name, at least in North America; the name originates from Eurasia where there are many siskin species. Though probably onomatopoeic to some degree (they make many metallic noises in their chattering songs that are close to “sisk”), the name came to …