Looking for a way to enjoy Maine’s beautiful coastline, engage with other people, and help our migrating shorebirds at the same time? Become a Shorebird Ambassador with Maine Audubon! Shorebird Ambassadors walk the Maine shoreline during migratory shorebird season (July-October) to both monitor the birds and to share the birds’ stories with the general public. […]
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 our desks March 12 and […]
Summer Summary: Record breeding plover pairs but lower fledgling numbers
Another summer, another record-breaking year: For the sixth consecutive season, in 2023 we saw a record high number of breeding pairs of Piping Plovers on Maine beaches. Maine was home to 157 breeding pairs this nesting season, with some pairs nesting in places never before occupied or that had been vacant for many years. However, […]
From the Interns: Spending a Summer with the Piping Plovers
The Coastal Birds project hires seasonal biologists, technicians, and interns every summer to help with Piping Plover and Least Tern conservation on the beaches from York to Georgetown. Every summer, we are fortunate to have energetic students who are willing to do whatever it takes! Here, they share some thoughts about what their experiences were […]
Piping Plovers: Record-breaking numbers don�t tell the whole story
One possible headline for a story about the 2021 Piping Plover season could be �Endangered Birds Break Records on Maine Beaches in 2021.� That wouldn�t be wrong, and yes, there would be much to celebrate. More Piping Plover pairs than ever before fledged chicks. In 2020, 98 plover pairs fledged 199 chicks. This year, 125 […]
Endangered Species Act: What Do the Changes Mean for Maine Wildlife?
An estimated one million species of plants and animals currently face an imminent threat of extinction. Nevertheless, the Trump Administration has just issued new regulations significantly weakening our nation’s most successful wildlife conservation law, the Endangered Species Act. On Thursday, August 15, Senior Policy and Advocacy Specialist Eliza Donoghue and I met with Senator Susan […]
A Walk and Talk about the Endangered Species Act
Last week brought what could be the most comprehensive attacks to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) we have ever seen. Legislative proposals in Congress and proposed rule changes from the Executive Branch would do everything from bar specific animals from being listed as endangered for a decade, to removing text in the ESA that specifies […]
Action Alert: Help Stop Another Attack on the Endangered Species Act
On Tuesday, July 17 — tomorrow! — the Senate Environment and Public Works committee will hold a hearing on what is perhaps the most egregious attack to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to date. We need you to stand with Maine Audubon and our conservation allies across the country in solidarity against this bill by […]
The 2018 Plover Crew Hits the Beaches
Despite the driving rain and 35 degree temperatures today, the 2018 Plover crew ventured out to the beaches. This year, Heidi Franklin (above, left) is joining Sam Albright, Zac Fait (center, right), and me as Maine Audubon’s Coastal Birds Project biologist team. Already, plovers have been seen on beaches from Ogunquit to Popham. They are […]