Birds

How to Tell Crows from Ravens in Maine

Maine is home to several species of large, smart, loud, occasionally obnoxious, sometimes eerie, endlessly fascinating birds called corvids. Our two species of jay belong to this family, Canada Jay and Blue Jay, as well as three similar-looking black birds: American Crow, Fish Crow, and Common Raven. Crows and ravens are notoriously difficult to tell […]

Maine’s Naturalist: Grouse Encounters

This story was submitted by a member, Marion Britts of Orland, and we wanted to share her joy and excitement with others. We love hearing about how our members are making connections with the wild world around them. It has been included in full here with only minor edits. One morning as I was riding […]

Common Nighthawks Migrating

Keep your eyes to the skies this Labor Day Weekend as swarms of nighthawks migrate south! The Common Nighthawk is a seldom encountered species in Maine � most Mainers will be more familiar with their cousin, the vocal Eastern Whip-poor-will � but in late August we see a spike in their sightings as large groups […]

Head Harbor Passage 2019 Trip Report

On Saturday, August 24th, we ran our third annual Head Harbor Passage boat trip out of Eastport and again, this is an area that didn’t disappoint. The narrow waterways of Head Harbor Passage pair with extreme tides to create upwellings and the famous “Old Sow” whirlpool that drives food, like krill, to the surface for […]

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 […]