We recycled 218 POUNDS of lead fishing tackle this past week! Maine Audubon has been collecting lead tackle from anglers across the state for about ten years through our Fish Lead Free initiative to reduce loon deaths. It only takes a loon ingesting one small piece of lead tackle to result in the …
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Fields Pond has a month of family fun this December
Embrace winter through wildlife this season at Maine Audubon’s Fields Pond Audubon Center. We’ve got a month full of activities that can help connect you and your family to wildlife and the outdoors, while still celebrating the holiday season. Fields Pond Audubon Center, just seven miles from …
Numbers are in for Maine Audubon’s 40th Annual Loon Count
(Above photo: This striking photo was taken by Elizabeth Payne, an annual loon counter; used by permission) And just like that we have 40 years of loon count data for the state of Maine! On July 15, 1503 volunteer loon counters headed out to 374 lakes to gather important data, allowing Maine …
Changes to Common Bird Names
Earlier this month, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced a plan to change the eponymic bird names, those named after people, in the US and Canada. The announcement comes after years of work by the AOS, holding listening session, meeting with stakeholders, and ultimately deciding that …
Backyard bird of the month for December: American Robin
The American Robin, or kwikweskas in Abenaki, is one of the most widespread and beloved backyard birds in North America. They are often easiest to locate by their sputtering calls, from which their onomatopoeic Abenaki name is derived. While these large, charismatic songbirds are heralded as a sign …
Let’s go birding this winter — virtually
This winter, join us virtually to improve your birding from the comfort of home, with Virtual Birding, a free online program taking place every other Monday evening, December through February. Through the magic of live-streamed bird feeder cameras, I will guide viewings of birds in Maine and …
A Gift from Madeline!
Last weekend seven-year-old Madeline visited the Nature Store at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth. In her tiny mittened hand she held a $120 check she wanted to donate to Maine Audubon. Madeline had made chocolate peanut butter truffles with her dad and then sold them at her …
BirdSafe Maine – Fall 2023 Season Summary
October 31 was the final morning for our Fall 2023 BirdSafe Maine route in Portland. It marked the end of another successful season, but in that somber way that these seasons are "successful": we once again proved that migratory birds are dying against glass windows in Portland and around the …
Andy’s Note: Reflections and resilience
The mass shooting in Lewiston last Wednesday is still very much on my mind. We’re all absolutely heartbroken that so many lives were tragically and suddenly taken in a community that has long been known for its perseverance and openness. This is truly a time for grieving and reflection. In times of …