It's happening! As the days get longer and temperatures rise, we are happy to see migrant birds returning to or passing through Maine. In this blog post I'll present a quick run-through, grouped by alliterate families in taxonomic order, of some of the birds we are seeing lately. Swans through …
Maine's Naturalist
Amphibian Xing! Watch out for Frogs and Salamanders on the Road
I got the text at 9:07 last night. I had just finished practicing piano and heard the rain splattering on the roof. I was thinking about making some tea and settling down with a good book before slipping off to bed. The message read: A few moving tonight – we need your help! So, instead of …
Nature Moments: Galls, Cankers, and Witch’s Brooms
In his latest Nature Moments video, Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright asks: Have you ever noticed tumor-like growths on plants? Fungi, insects, mites and bacteria are like "body snatchers," penetrating plant cells and manipulating them to produce galls, cankers and …
South Texas Trip Report
This winter we offered a trip to escape the cold, partnering with Field Guides Inc to travel to southern Texas. We spent this week long tour birding in The Rio Grande Valley which is, in the words of our guide Doug Gochfeld, "One of the most iconic birding destinations in the United States, with a …
Nature Moments: The Odd Thing about Mosses
In his latest video, Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon board member Nat Wheelwright explains that mosses are among the most ancient plants on earth -- and their peculiar biology shows it. The lovely leafy green plant that all of us are familiar with? It has just half the normal number of …
Nature Moments: Sugar Maple Tappers
In February, when it's still frigid at night but daytime temperatures are starting to warm, it may look like trees are just sitting their doing nothing -- but inside their cells, changes are happening and sap is starting to flow, explains Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright …
Nature Moments: How to Keep a Nature Journal
The latest Nature Moment from Nat Wheelwright and acclaimed natural history writer Bernd Heinrich gets at the gist of what it takes to be a naturalist: being attentive. (Bernd authored the excellent feature article on this topic in our Fall 2017 issue of Habitat magazine.) Do you sometimes wish you …
Nature Moments: Outsmarting Squirrels
Check out Nat Wheelwright's latest "Nature Moments" video! Why is it so hard to keep squirrels off birdfeeders? After all, they're just rodents with brains the size of a ping-pong ball. Squirrels are such amazing problem-solvers because they're observant, social, experimental and …
Caution: Alcid X-ing
Something is going on with alcids... During most winters, birders strain their scopes along the coast, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these generally elusive birds. Alcids (short for Alcidae, the family that includes our Atlantic Puffin, Thick-billed and Common Murres, Razorbill, Dovekie, and …