Despite the driving rain and 35 degree temperatures today, the 2018 Plover crew ventured out to the beaches. This year, Heidi Franklin (above, left) is joining Sam Albright, Zac Fait (center, right), and me as Maine Audubon's Coastal Birds Project biologist team. Already, plovers have been seen …
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Hermit Thrushes are Here!
I didn't want to go at first. I just couldn't ignore those imploring eyes any longer. So, I donned my warm coat, hat and gloves, grabbed the dog leash, and together we headed out into the April Sunday morning sleet. The trail through the woods was covered with hard-packed snow and tiny slippery …
Marching for Science in Portland [Photos & Video]
Maine Audubon wildlife biologist Laura Minich Zitske, who leads our Coastal Birds Project, was a featured speaker at Portland's March for Science yesterday. Despite the chilly April temperatures, a dedicated corps turned out to support science and its wider inclusion in public policy …
Spring Migration Is Underway!
It's happening! As the days get longer and temperatures rise, we are happy to see migrant birds returning to or passing through Maine. In this blog post I'll present a quick run-through, grouped by alliterate families in taxonomic order, of some of the birds we are seeing lately. Swans through …
Amphibian Xing! Watch out for Frogs and Salamanders on the Road
I got the text at 9:07 last night. I had just finished practicing piano and heard the rain splattering on the roof. I was thinking about making some tea and settling down with a good book before slipping off to bed. The message read: A few moving tonight – we need your help! So, instead of …
Nature Moments: Galls, Cankers, and Witch’s Brooms
In his latest Nature Moments video, Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright asks: Have you ever noticed tumor-like growths on plants? Fungi, insects, mites and bacteria are like "body snatchers," penetrating plant cells and manipulating them to produce galls, cankers and …
Calling All Anglers: Help Find Wild Brook Trout in Maine!
Fishing season is open and it's time to cast a line! But I must admit -- I'm not a very accomplished angler. So I need your help! When I head out with my rod, I am often so distracted by everything else going on around me – I listen to bird songs and try to identify who's calling; I watch the …
South Texas Trip Report
This winter we offered a trip to escape the cold, partnering with Field Guides Inc to travel to southern Texas. We spent this week long tour birding in The Rio Grande Valley which is, in the words of our guide Doug Gochfeld, "One of the most iconic birding destinations in the United States, with a …
Susan Gallo Receives Press Herald Source Sustainability Award
Last night, Susan Gallo received her Source Sustainability Award, presented to her by the Portland Press Herald in recognition of her leadership of Maine Audubon's annual Loon Count. From the Press Herald's original story: Every year, in early summer, hundreds of Mainers head out onto lakes …