This seems like a fairly bizarre phenomena in birds but can easily be explained. In most cases, we are observing one of two things: 1) Molt: Birds have to molt their feathers, otherwise they will wear out and the bird could lose flight. Different species will have varying methods but the …
Maine's Naturalist
Rare Bird Alert: Creasted Caracara
Most birders have heard of a Creasted Caracara. Even non-birders often recognized it from its fame as the national symbol of Mexico, where you can normally find this species. This large charismatic raptor is very closely related to our falcons (in the family: Falconidae) but acts more like a vulture …
Fall Migration Begins
As a follow up to our last post answering “where did all the birds go?”, many people don't realize that there are already a lot of birds on their southern migration. Yellow Warblers are a perfect example of this as many that nested in Maine have already begun their journey back toward the Amazon …
Where did all the Birds Go?
I am often asked questions about fluctuations in bird populations. The common question is: “I've noticed that all my chickadees are gone this year. Are other people seeing this decline?” Most recently, I was asked about a lack of Belted Kingfishers in southern Maine. It is easy to say that we …
I Found a Baby Bird. What do I do?
Mid- to late-summer is prime time for hatching and fledgling birds. This means many birds will be using their wings for the first time and probably won't be very good at it at first. If you happen to find a fledgling in this stage, think about the situation and what is best for the bird before you …
2014 Sunset Puffin Cruise
On the evening of July 12, we held our first Sunset Puffin Cruise of the year and it was amazing! We gathered in New Harbor to take the Hardy Boat out to Eastern Egg Rock. In the harbor we enjoyed some common waterfowl dabbling around the shore, recently fledged Barn Swallows making for a fun …
Wildflower Walk at Gilsland Farm
We held our first wildflower walk of 2014 last week and had a blast walking around our orchard, through the woods, and into the West Meadow learning how to identify wildflowers, shrubs, and vines along the way. You can come and see these bursts of color at our sanctuaries any time. After a quick …