Your wildlife community - Maine Audubon

Help Loons on July Fourth

Five steps you can take to share the waters with wildlife >

Upcoming Events at Maine Audubon

Scarborough Marsh Bird Walks

Jul 03, 2024

Wednesday Bird Walks at Scarborough Marsh

Scarborough Marsh - Scarborough
92 Pine Point Road, Scarborough, ME 04074

8:00 am

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Guided Canoe Tour on Scarborough Marsh

Jul 03, 2024

Guided Canoe Tours at Scarborough Marsh – Week of June 30-July 6

Scarborough Marsh - Scarborough
92 Pine Point Road, Scarborough, ME 04074

10:00 am - 11:30 am

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Jul 03, 2024

Family Nature Walk: Mummichugs and Marsh Muck

Scarborough Marsh - Scarborough
92 Pine Point Road, Scarborough, ME 04074

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

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Aislinn Sarnacki

Jul 05, 2024

Borestone Naturalist Series: Small Wonders Walk with Aislinn Sarnacki

Borestone - Elliotsville
Bodfish Valley Road, Elliotsville, ME

10:00 am

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News & Notes

Farmyard Native Plants Sale

Missed the Native Plants Festival and still need to purchase native plants? We’ve got you covered! Place your orders online, then schedule a pickup at Gilsland Farm (Falmouth/Greater Portland) or Fields Pond (Greater Bangor). The online store will be open all summer with inventory updated as it becomes available. Shop for plants here >

Chapter Event: Weskeag Marsh

Mid-Coast Chapter has a field trip to Weskeag Marsh in South Thomaston, one of Maine’s best birding marshes, on August 10. Find details here >

Maine Audubon has seven chapters around the state. Find one in your area, and check out the wide range of programs, walks, field trips, and events offered!

Loon with wings outstretched

Help Loons on the Fourth of July

July 2, 2024

Song Sparrow seen at Capisic Pond in Portland

Backyard Bird of the Month for July: Song Sparrow

July 2, 2024

Bridge building at Mast Landing

Building Bridges at Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary

June 28, 2024

Scarborough March Canoe Tour

Scarborough Marsh Canoe Tours: Take tides into account

June 27, 2024

Common Loon swimming with baby

Happy Fourth of July: Loon Restoration Project Update

June 25, 2024

Exploring the Kenduskeag

Wildlife in Maine’s “Queen City”

June 21, 2024

Find Your Sanctuary

All this wildlife, just outside of Portland at Gilsland Farm. Take Metro Bus #7!

Current Projects

Maine Audubon initiatives bring together elements of conservation, community engagement, advocacy, and education.

Forestry for Maine Birds

Forestry for Maine Birds integrates bird conservation with forest management and planning by improving habitat for priority forest birds and a variety of other wildlife species and engaging woodland owners in forest stewardship.

Maine Loon Project

Maine Audubon works with residents and partners statewide to promote healthy lakes, clean water, and quality habitat for loons and to understand trends in their population over time.

Bringing Nature Home

Maine Audubon works to restore and rebuild Maine’s natural biodiversity by planting the native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees that support the widest array of wildlife.

Rare and Threatened Species

In the field, Maine Audubon’s Coastal Birds Crew works to protect endangered Piping Plovers and Least Terns. In the last session of the legislature, our advocacy team helped pass a bill to add protection of endangered species habitat.

Birding In Maine

Birding events, resources, regional guides, Young Birders checklist, maps, and more

Find Your Chapter

We’ve got seven chapters around the state; find the one in your area!

maineaudubon

Five things you can do to help loons and wildlife

Five things you can do to help loons and wildlife during the Fourth of July weekend
Maine Audubon has been working to protect Common Loons for decades, so we know that the Fourth of July is one of the busiest periods on Maine lakes and ponds. The potential for conflict is high, especially since many loons have vulnerable chicks by their sides in July or may still be nesting. In many cases, people may not realize they are presenting disturbances to wildlife. As we gear up toward the Fourth of July week, Maine Audubon presents some important tips to help people understand how to celebrate while keeping our Common Loons safe.

1️⃣ Avoid Nests, Even in Low-impact Boats like Kayaks and Paddleboards
Loons may abandon their nests or their young if they feel they are in danger.

2️⃣ Follow Boat Wake Rules
Watercraft are required to travel at no-wake speeds within 200 feet of shore or islands. Additionally, any boats engaging in wakesurfing or wakeboarding activities must be at least 300 feet away from shore or islands and stay out of areas shallower than 15 feet.

3️⃣ Avoid Shooting Fireworks Near Nesting Loons
Multiple anecdotal incidents recorded on past July Fourth holidays show that fireworks and boats can create stressful situations for wildlife, not just loons!

4️⃣ Look Out While Boating
Blunt trauma is a leading cause of death for loons and is often indicative of a boat strike, so it’s important to be mindful of loons near your boat path while on the water this Fourth of July. Consider moving your boat flotilla if a loon pair is known to be nesting nearby. Many eggs are due to hatch any day now!

5️⃣ Know the Signs of Stress
Loon stress behaviors include: Crouched on nest; doing a “penguin dance” (rearing up and rapidly paddling its feet in the water, with its head tucked in and its wings either spread out or clasped against its body. This is a sign of high distress); Wing Rowing; and Warning calls (If loons vocalize when you are present, it is best to back away).
Photo: Sue Bonzey

Dive deep into nature with Aislinn Sarnacki – Auth

Dive deep into nature with Aislinn Sarnacki - Author & Hiking Guide for the second installment of this summer's Borestone Naturalist Series: Small Wonders Walk.

🍃 Join us Friday, July 5, here at Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary on a scenic hike where we'll uncover the hidden gems of flora, fauna, and fungi. It's the perfect destination for a long weekend!

🌳 Learn from Aislinn's years of experience exploring Maine's wilderness through writing and photography.

Register at https://maineaudubon.org/news/events/159/ - tickets are $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers

#NatureHike #MaineOutdoors #BorestoneNaturalistSeries #AislinnSarnacki #ScenicHike

If you are interested in a canoe tour at Scarborou

If you are interested in a canoe tour at Scarborough Marsh, remember to take tides into account! Our guided canoe tours are a great way to explore the Dunstan River from the water, offering a chance to see cormorants, egrets, and other birds up close, and experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the marsh. Because of the changes from storms this past winter and shifts we are experiencing in the tides, we regret to announce that we will not always be able to run our daily canoe tours this summer. From our location, it’s not possible to launch a boat at low tide. Upcoming guided tours: 10-11:30 am on Sat 6/29, Sun 6/30, Mon 7/1, Tues 7/2, Wed 7/3, Thurs 7/4, Fri 7/5, Sat 7/6 . These are drop-in, first come first served tours. It is always best to call at 9 am on the day in question and check first for conditions. Keep in mind that tide charts are estimates. The tide can change earlier or later, and the low tide mark can be higher or lower than predicted. This makes scheduling boat tours a little harder. For the most up-to-date information, call 207-883-5100.

From the Summer Naturalist’s Almanac: WOOD FROGS

From the Summer Naturalist’s Almanac: WOOD FROGS are often seen around this time on the forest floor. This species only breeds in vernal pools, and is nearly always found within a quarter-mile of a vernal pool site. They spend the summer searching for insects in the leaf litter of cool forests, another great reason to leave the leaves throughout the year!

#WoodFrogs #NaturalistsAlmanac #SummerAlmanac #VernalPools #MaineAudubon

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