It's December and that means one thing: the annual Christmas Bird Count! Well, maybe to birders that's what it means, but for everyone else, it is a time for celebrating the holidays. Here are some gift ideas for the budding naturalist and nature lover in your life: Sibley Birds, Second …
Maine's Naturalist
Our Naturalist Answers Your Questions
One of the goals of this blog is to answer your questions. Below are a few that I received over the past month. I hope these are informative for everyone and spark new inquiries! The Naturalist Answers Your Questions: Question: Kathryn sent in a question I often receive “I have robins and …
Is that a moth? In November?!
November always seems like a strange time to see insects. It seems even more bizarre when we experience nights that are at or near freezing temperatures and moths are still active. There are only a few moths that can do this, some "good" and some "bad," but it is an interesting adaptation. Their …
Keep an eye out for these birds at your feeders!
Have you noticed any change in the birds at your feeders? Many of our summer residents have migrated south, while winter visitors are now arriving and will fill the now available niches. My favorite example of this can be seen with two sparrows: Chipping Sparrow and American Tree Sparrow. Here is …
Yes, Turkeys do Roost in Trees!
As we head into November there is usually one bird on everyone's mind (or maybe their plate): Wild Turkey. But how much do you know about the turkey? Below is some background information on the lives of these famous Thanksgiving birds. Roosting. Yes! Turkeys do roost in trees. They look a little …
Bats!
As we approach Halloween you have probably noticed bats everywhere. They are carved into pumpkins, shaped into cookies and decorating cereal boxes. But you probably won't see bats in the skies this Halloween, as they are getting ready for winter. There are eight species of bats that occur in …
Late Hummer at Gilsland Farm!
Remember the October 1 post about keeping your hummingbird feeders up in hopes of attracting a rare hummingbird? The post that said: “Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have vacated the state by the second week of October.” Well, we kept our feeders up at Gilsland Farm and we had a hummingbird here …
“SKUA!!” Another great pelagic trip!
Any pelagic trip that you get to yell “SKUA!!” is a great trip in my book. Skuas are essentially gulls on steroids; large, aggressive and quite often very hard to find. In 2013, it seemed unbelievable when we tallied multiples of both Great and South Polar Skua. Planning the 2014 trip to go in the …
How late in the year should we keep our feeders up to attract hummingbirds?
Beginning as early as August, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds start migrating south, timing their movements with peak flowering times of jewelweed. So how late should we keep our feeders up to attract hummingbirds? Looking at a line graph of hummingbirds' frequency in Maine, we can see that the …