The latest Nature Moment from Nat Wheelwright and acclaimed natural history writer Bernd Heinrich gets at the gist of what it takes to be a naturalist: being attentive. (Bernd authored the excellent feature article on this topic in our Fall 2017 issue of Habitat magazine.) Do you sometimes wish you …
Maine's Naturalist
Nature Moments: Outsmarting Squirrels
Check out Nat Wheelwright's latest "Nature Moments" video! Why is it so hard to keep squirrels off birdfeeders? After all, they're just rodents with brains the size of a ping-pong ball. Squirrels are such amazing problem-solvers because they're observant, social, experimental and …
Caution: Alcid X-ing
Something is going on with alcids... During most winters, birders strain their scopes along the coast, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these generally elusive birds. Alcids (short for Alcidae, the family that includes our Atlantic Puffin, Thick-billed and Common Murres, Razorbill, Dovekie, and …
Nature Moments: Life Under the Ice
Check out Nat Wheelwright's latest "Nature Moments" video! Have you ever wondered what could be living underneath the ice of a frozen pond? With no light or air, and temperatures just above freezing, you'd think life would be impossible, but... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K50XY0nZNr0 Nature …
Rare Bird Alert: Slaty-backed Gull
On Friday, February 23rd, I had the pleasure of meeting with folks from the City of Augusta to talk about improving birder access to the Hatch Hill Landfill. This site, a large municipal active landfill, has become increasingly popular for birders because of the large number of gulls attracted by …
Fireflies in Winter?
Most people associate fireflies with soft summer evenings, but late in February and into March it is possible to see Winter dark fireflies (Ellychnia corrusca) glowing in the woods. The larvae and pupae have the ability to bioluminesce, but lose the necessary organs as they become adults during …
Nature Moments: Leaf Behavior in the Cold
In the latest Nature Moments video, Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright takes a closer look at the fascinating ways some plants hold onto their leaves throughout the year -- including through the freezing winter months. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF9qclhZbPs Nature …
Nature Moments: Leaping Snow Fleas
The latest Nature Moment video from Nat Wheelwright takes a close look at a creature that can be easy to miss in winter -- the Snow Flea. What animal can jump 100 times the length of his body – without using any of his six legs? Take a walk in the snow on a sunny February day and look closely in …
The Filming of the Shrew (VIDEO)
Staff photographer Ari van den Akker just captured this video of a Northern Short-tailed Shrew tunneling under the thistle feeder outside the Discovery Room at Gilsland Farm. She reports: These shrews are one of very few mammals that are venomous -- an adaptation that allows them to kill prey …