As you may have heard, Portland's famous Great Black Hawk has been taken to a rehabilitation facility after being found on the ground in Deering Oaks Park during this weekend's cold snap and snowstorm. The bird is receiving excellent care at Avian Haven in Freedom, though there is still much …
Maine's Naturalist
Momentos Naturales! “Nature Moments” Takes Root in Colombia
Nat Wheelwright's beloved "Nature Moments" video series was so well-received, he and his wife, Bowdoin professor Genie Wheelwright, decided to take the show on the road -- to South America! As part of a Fulbright program this fall, Nat worked with students in Colombia to develop a new suite of …
What Are Maine Insects Doing in the Winter?
One of the small consolations of living through a cold, dark Maine winter is that, hey, at least we're not getting bitten by mosquitoes! There are thousands of "bug" species in Maine. You see them all over in the spring and summer -- bees, mosquitoes, flies, and dragonflies zip through the air, …
Maine Bird Superlatives: Our Fastest, Heaviest, Oldest Birds, and More!
Don't put away those decorations, because the holidays aren't over yet: Saturday, January 5th is National Bird Day! We at Maine Audubon are constantly celebrating our feathered friends, but for National Bird Day we wanted to share some of the superlative birds in our state. These are species that …
Why Are Rare Birds Coming to Maine?
The national birding community is still in the grips of Great Black Hawk fever. Those of us who get excited about seeing rare birds are still abuzz about this one, so far outside of the tropical range of this species and surviving the start of a cold Maine winter. After a few days' absence, the …
Seeing Beautiful New Birds At Your Feeders? They Might Be Evening Grosbeaks!
Some lucky Maine birders are seeing some unusual birds at their feeders this winter. They're yellow, but they're not goldfinches. They've got fat bills, good for crushing seeds, but they're not House Finches or Eastern Towhees. They're Evening Grosbeaks, an almost mythical species in Maine and a …
5 Creatures You May Not Know Used to Live in Maine
Maine is home to some incredible wildlife. From Moose, Canada Lynx, and Black Bear in our northern forests to Gray Seals, Northern Right Whales, and Atlantic Puffins in the Gulf of Maine, we're surrounded by fascinating creatures. But not all of them are still around. Here are five animals that …
For Bats, Acadia’s Real Estate Market is on the Rocks
White-nose syndrome is a nightmare, almost literally, for hibernating bats. The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome stressing bats out and speeds their metabolism so that they wake up hungry and low on energy, and with itchy, irritated skin. Infected bats might leave their hibernacula in search …
The Big Sit! The Largest Number of Birds With the Least Amount of Effort
The annual Big Sit is a combination of two things I love: birding and sitting down. The idea is to count as many birds as possible in a single day without leaving a 17-foot circle, and Maine Audubon will be hosting our 11th consecutive Big Sit event this coming Saturday, October 13. Big Sits are …