You may never see Sharp-shinned Hawks, but they certainly pass through your backyard. Sharp-shinned Hawks are some of the most significant predators of small birds, which make up the majority of their diet, so as you might expect, bird feeders make easy hunting grounds. Here’s a good clue to their presence, as well as that […]
Maine's Naturalist
Spot the Asters and Goldenrods Blooming in the Pond Meadow!
Late August is the best time of year to observe many species in the Asteraceae, the Aster family, as their flowers bloom and blanket the landscape in yellow and white. This is specifically true of goldenrods and asters, in the Astereae tribe of the massive Asteraceae family. These species often appear similar but are easier […]
How to help monarchs this season
As we enter peak monarch butterfly season, here is the latest on the status of these majestic and vulnerable insects. Monarch butterflies migrate north in a relay race, with three to four generations successively laying eggs and passing the baton to their offspring. In Maine, you will start to see the final generation in late […]
Summer Naturalist Weekend at Borestone Mountain: Walk, swim, hike, bird!
High on the shoulder of Borestone Mountain, draping down its flank toward Lake Onawa on one side and the 100-Mile Wilderness on the other, sits Borestone Mountain Audubon Sanctuary. Surrounded by miles of northern hardwood forest and itself full of stands of very old trees, the sanctuary is a haven for breeding birds and diverse […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for July: Song Sparrow
The song of the male Song Sparrow is one of the most frequently-heard vocalizations across the continent. The exact song varies by region and individual, and individuals will often sing multiple distinct songs, but they always follow a discernable pattern: two to four introductory notes, followed by a trill, and then a jumble of quick […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for May: Red-eyed Vireo
Here I am! Where are you? Way up here! In the tree! So goes the song of the Red-eyed Vireo, heard in nearly every forested area between Kittery and Fort Kent from May until early autumn. True neotropical migrants, Red-eyed Vireos spend the nonbreeding season in the Amazon Basin, especially in Colombia, Brasil, Venezuela, Ecuador, […]
Here’s what bloomed in April at our sanctuaries
Believe it or not, flowers have been blooming all month at our sanctuaries in southern Maine. These earliest blooms can be divided into two groups: the earliest blooms, mostly trees or shrubs, geared towards wild-pollination, and the first ephemeral wildflowers, herbaceous species that take advantage of the lack of tree canopy and resultant sun in […]
Planting Staghorn Sumac
Spring snowstorms can be a challenge for everyone. For humans ready to put away shovels and snowblowers, storms can be a real annoyance. For early migrant birds looking to feed on insects, blizzards can be a real threat. In the thick of a snowstorm in late March 2024 I witnessed a large flock of American […]
Backyard Bird of the Month for April: Brown-headed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbirds are easily overlooked among the flocks of returning blackbirds in early spring. They are a similar shape and size to Red-winged Blackbirds, and the males of both species are mostly black. Male Brown-headed Cowbirds have no red or yellow on the wing, and a brown head. Females look completely different; they are a […]