By Oskar Mattes, Loon Restoration Technician The start of May is a busy time of year for life of all kinds across our state. Songbirds are returning to their breeding grounds, the forsythia and daffodils are in full bloom, and the oak and maple leaves are just starting to peek out. Common Loons are also […]
News & Notes
Marking Maine Arbor Week 2024
Maine Audubon is once again joining other lovers and conservators of Maine’s forests and flora to honor Maine Arbor Week, celebrated this year from May 19 to 25. It serves to remind us of the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of flora, particularly our hundreds of native tree species. In 1978, the Maine legislature designated […]
The Important Role of Sanctuary Stewardship
As a land steward for Maine Audubon, I�m fortunate to have the opportunity to traverse each one of the organization’s eight sanctuaries regularly. The outdoor recreation opportunities at these sites vary between a short out-and-back hike, like the one found at the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, to more primitive wilderness experiences such as our most […]
The Piping Plovers’ Favorite Habitat
By Erin Campbell, Coastal Birds Biologist The Coastal Birds Crew is about to head into its fourth week of the season! Not only have we learned how to spot the Piping Plovers, but also track and complete the ultimate egg hunt. That’s right! Nests are back on Maine’s southern beaches. While some plovers are still […]
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 […]
Day One with the 2024 Coastal Birds Crew
Hello there from the 2024 Coastal Birds Crew! The season is off to a busy start and everyone on the crew has been excited to dive right into work — protecting our rare beach-nesting birds. On our first day on the beaches, we headed down to Ogunquit Beach and fenced along the entire dune edge. […]
Talking Tackle with the Fish Lead Free team
Maine Audubon’s Fish Lead Free project has been busy over the winter attending events and spreading the lead-free fishing word! Why lead-free? Because loons! Loons will mistake small lead sinkers on lake bottoms for gravel to help aid in digestion or will consume fish that have a piece of lead tackle in them. It only […]
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 […]