Those of you who have asked us why the number of birds you now see in your yards, feeders, or favorite birding spots, appear to be far fewer than you remembered decades ago may now have your answer. A study published in the rigorously academic journal Science found that there are nearly three billion fewer Read More
New Canadian National Park is Good for Maine’s Birds
What is the largest protected area you know? Is it Baxter State Park? Yellowstone? Are you sitting down? Thaidene Nene, a new Canadian national park reserve, is more than 25 times larger than Baxter and more than twice the size of Yellowstone. At more than six million acres, Thaidene Nene is one of the largest Read More
An Evening with the Puffins
On Thursday, July 18, we were transported to another world. The world of puffins. We, along with more than 100 members of the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), boarded the Hardy Boat in New Harbor on a warm, calm summer evening along the coast of Maine. We were thrilled to be joined by Dr. Read More
Birds, Bogs, and Grasslands: Update on Our Mindfulness Birding Big Year
Some dads get ties for Father’s Day. Some get tools. Jeff wanted a Lincoln’s Sparrow. Those first two gifts are pretty much guaranteed: we’ve never heard of a store running out of ties or power drills. Just check your friendly neighborhood store. On the other hand, acquiring a Lincoln’s Sparrow takes some effort. Since we Read More
Wowed by Warblers
Some days are better than others. That’s true when it comes to birding (though there’s no such thing as a bad day of birding), and it’s definitely true when it comes to warbler watching. Any opportunity to avoid the dreaded “warbler neck” (the cramping that comes from staring up at these tiny birds as they Read More
Maine’s Most Adaptable Bird?
We were captivated one recent evening by the songs of American Robins. As we listened to their carols echoing around our neighborhood during a lull in the rain showers, we started thinking about how adaptable robins are. We’d seen small flocks here and there over the winter, and just last week saw them in Florida Read More
Maine Birding Big Year: Update from the Field
Earlier in the year, we shared that we’ve decided to pursue a “mindfulness birding” Maine Big Year in 2019, keeping track of the different species we identify (by sight or sound) in the state. We noted, you may recall, that people who compete in Big Years do so with the hope of breaking a record. Read More
Sparrows Celebrate First Day of Spring & World Sparrow Day with Impromptu Concerts
We woke up this morning to the thin, quivery whistles of the “Old Sam Peabody” song of one of the two White-throated Sparrows that have made it through the entire winter in our yard. The songs were not the strong, perfect version that we all know as a quintessential sound of summer in Maine but Read More
Mindfulness Birding: Our Maine Big Year
Mindfulness birding. That’s how we’re describing our Maine Big Year. The Natural Resources Council of Maine has worked hard to protect many beautiful areas throughout Maine, covering a range of habitats that are important to hundreds of species of birds that breed in our state or pass through during migration. Maine is a terrific place Read More
