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 their two-year lifespan. Larvae are predators and […]
Maine's Naturalist
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. Nature Moments�are filmed with the help of Wilder Nicholson, Rebecca Goldfine, Tom Porter, Paul Benham and Genie Wheelwright. […]
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 […]
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 larger than themselves. They also use echolocation […]
Nature Moments: Birds’ Personalities
If you’ve watched birds, you know that different species have unique personality traits. Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright’s latest Nature Moment take a closer look at why that is. Have you noticed how different bird species have distinct personalities? Some are shy and skittish, while others are curious and gregarious. Don’t you […]
Nature Moments: Sexing Plants in Winter
The latest Nature Moment from Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright takes a closer look at the…well, we’ll let him explain it. Depending on the species, plants either have separate sexes, like most animals, or they are bisexual. But how can you tell a plant’s sex in winter, when there are no flowers? […]
Nature Moments: Jonathan Livingston Gull
In his latest “Nature Moment,” Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon board member Nat Wheelwright gets into the nuances among the many species of gull — and among the incredible array of plumages within each species. Gulls are extraordinarily variable in the way they look. The color of an individual’s plumage, legs, and eyes reveals not […]
Nature Moments: Fungi, the Original Recyclers
Check out the latest installment from Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon board member Nat Wheelwright. As if we needed more evidence that he was a “fun guy”… If it weren’t for fungi, dead trees might not decompose and nutrients would be locked up, unavailable for other plants and animals to use. You can easily find […]
Nature Moments: How to Identify Winter Trees at 60 mph
Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright shares easy tips for identifying certain winter trees, even while driving (just remember to keep your eyes on the road!). His latest Nature Moments video: American beech is actually easier to identify in winter than in summer, even at 60 mph, because it holds onto its dead […]