Our 2024 Bringing Nature Home Plants of the Year, the Swida dogwoods, are an important group of plants for many reasons, but they are especially significant for a number of songbird species that nest in Maine. Red-osier, Silky, and Gray Dogwoods all form hedges and thickets in wetlands and field edges, which creates important habitats […]
Birds
Backyard Bird of the month for March: Mourning Dove
The �mourning� song of the Mourning Dove is one of the first birdsongs many people learn, partly due to the abundance of this species. They are one of the most widespread species in North America, and have benefited greatly from human development. These habitat generalists are found everywhere except extensive wetlands or forest, and prefer […]
Making beginner birding more accessible
This spring, we are increasing the accessibility of our birding programs with Accessible Beginner Birding at Gilsland Farm. If you�ve been unsure about joining a bird walk in the past, this is the one for you! Once a month, starting on March 9, from 10 am to noon, we will meet for an outing intended […]
Great Backyard Bird Count 2024
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) kicks off tomorrow, Friday, February 16, and runs through Monday, February 19. This annual contributory science project run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is easy to join and your sightings are a valuable piece to this snapshot of bird populations. It is as simple as reporting what birds […]
Backyard bird of the month for February: Golden-crowned Kinglet
If you�ve got a quarter nearby, hold it in your hand for a moment. That quarter, at approximately 6 grams, is the same weight as Maine�s smallest winter resident bird, the Golden-crowned Kinglet. These tiny, lively birds can survive temperatures as low as -40?, in part by roosting in small groups, huddled together near the […]
A Loony Winter
To say we’ve had crazy weather this winter in Maine would be an understatement. Many lakes remained unfrozen as we headed into the winter, then finally iced over, only to unthaw in a warm spell, and freeze again with the next cold snap. These conditions have made it tricky for all of us planning on […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for January: Pine Siskin
The Pine Siskin is a unique finch with a unique name, at least in North America; the name originates from Eurasia where there are many siskin species. Though probably onomatopoeic to some degree (they make many metallic noises in their chattering songs that are close to �sisk�), the name came to English from Slavic languages […]
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 Audubon to calculate […]
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 of spring when they flock to lawns […]