At over 3,000 acres, Scarborough Marsh is the largest contiguous salt marsh in Maine, and also one of the most famous and productive birding destinations. Thousands of birders visit Scarborough Marsh each year�from Dunstan’s Landing to the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center to Pine Point and elsewhere�and find some incredible birds. This summer we’re celebrating the […]
Maine's Naturalist
NEW Birding Hotspot Map for Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
When President Obama established the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in 2016 he added permanent protection for some of the most important bird breeding habitat in the state. Contained in its more than 87,000 acres are boreal and deciduous forests, mountain peaks, spruce bogs, rivers and ponds, all hosting their own suite of birds. […]
RARE BIRD ALERT: STELLER’S SEA-EAGLE
LATEST UPDATE: 1 Apr 2022� — It’s not an April Fool’s joke, the Steller’s Sea-Eagle has been seen in Nova Scotia! This blog will no longer be updated (unless the sea-eagle returns to Maine!) but you can follow the new Nova Scotia: Steller’s Sea-Eagle Facebook Group for updates on sightings there. LATEST UPDATE: 18 Mar […]
Make Your BIG NIGHT Last a Week!
Things are starting to spring, and even sing! Our minds often start thinking of spring as birds return to Maine. However, the arrival of Red-winged Blackbirds and Woodcocks are also phenological indicators of something completely different � BIG NIGHT!!!� Maine�s incredible reptiles and amphibians, or �herps� as we affectionately call the subjects of herpetology, have […]
Winter Bird Atlas Returns: Count birds this winter
It is almost time for the start of the Winter Season of the Maine Bird Atlas, a project by the Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to document the breeding and wintering distributions of Maine’s birds. This five year project has just one breeding season (in 2022) left, and we are about to start […]
Rare Birds of November 2021
Many birders affectionately refer to November as “rarity season” since it tends to be the month that brings the most rare birds to Maine and the northeast. November 2021 has been no exception, with the highlights (so far) being a Barnacle Goose in Rockland and an Ash-throated Flycatcher (above) in Biddeford. As of this writing, […]
Tracking an Invasion at Gilsland Farm
All the basic information about the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is right there in its name: “emerald” refers to the hue of its iridescent body; “ash” for the family of trees that these jewel beetles feed and lay their eggs on; and “borer” for the tunnels young beetles dig through the bark, eventually leading […]
Why September is the best month for planting in Maine
Welcome to the best month for planting in Maine! September offers the perfect combination of cooler nights, high dew points, warm soil, and, typically, more rainfall. Plants that go in the ground this month will have a few weeks to settle, root out a little, and become dormant for winter. Plants planted in early fall […]
Celebrating 5 Years of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
WHEREAS, Katahdin Woods and Waters is an exceptional example of the rich and storied Maine Woods, enhanced by its location in a larger protected landscape, and thus would be a valuable addition to the Nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage conserved and enjoyed in the National Park System; WHEREAS, it is in the public interest […]