Editor's Column
Notes, Announcements
& Reflections

Hello!

Today is Wednesday and obviously I'm a day late this week. It's the snow's fault and has nothing to do with me being klutzy with a shovel. That's my story...

Frank sent a great new link this week. The Champlain Project. In 1880 Charles Eliot, son of Harvard president Charles W. Eliot, organized the Champlain Society, a group of Harvard undergraduates, to explore Mount Desert Island (MDI) and study various topics of natural history: botany, ornithology, geology, etc. One result of their investigations was the 1894 publication "Flora of Mount Desert Island, Maine".

I'm eager to sit down with a cup of tea this afternoon and read the entire website carefully. Thank you Frank!

Today is a soup day. There's a fine mist falling and it's only 18°. With the wind blowing it feels bitterly cold. I finished up chores quickly and went to the greenhouse for part of tonight's supper. I've cut spinach, tatsoi and red kale. I'll sautee these with carrots, onions, garlic and a chicken breast and make it the base of a soup. The root cellar is starting to look bare after a long winter.

Snow covered spruce

This winter I've measured 107" of snow and 3" of rain. I spend a lot of time these days cleaning snow off the greenhouses then shoveling that snow away so that there's room for the next storm. The snowbank beside both greenhouses are now six feet high. I spent all day Friday on the road with Steve. We saw three greenhouses flattened and two more propped up and still leaning heavily.

The Maine Birds list has had reports of turkey vultures and red winged black birds moving back into the state. When I was in Baring yesterday I saw one of the American bald eagles on the Rt 1 nest. Signs of spring are encouraging when there's still two feet of snow on the ground.

Sincerely,

Robin Follette
Editor/Publisher
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Maine Nature News

March 4, 2008 Vol. 13, No. 10

Stanton Bird Club: March 8 field trip canceled due to weather

Sunday, March 2, Buckfield (Map 11)

The deep snow (about 4 feet here) has pushed hungry raptors to hunt around our bird (and incidentally, squirrel) feeders. Today the Barred Owl was focusing on the red squirrels under the feeders (when not eying me through the window taking his picture). Many are seeing these owls during the day recently, and although they are surely driven by poor hunting in the deep snow, I do often see Barred Owls during the day, even in the summer - and of course hear their call ("whoo? whoo cooks for you -all?") day and night, almost year-round.

Last week it was the Sharp-shinned Hawk, perched (just like in another observer's yard recently) on the feeder pole, hoping for a careless Redpoll. We do have "Sharpies" hunting around our feeders pretty much all year. And a few days before that, in a snowstorm, it was a Goshawk, high in a butternut, scanning for squirrels. We spotted a juvenile male here last October, but this was a mature male, a beautiful bird. G.R.

Barred Owl

Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Sharp-Shinned Hawk sitting on the pole of a hanging bird feeder

Northern Goshawk
Northern Goshawk sitting in a tree

Northern Goshawk

If your nature-related organization is sponsoring an event I'll be happy to advertise it here for you. Press releases can be sent to the Reports address.

Richardsontown Twp T4 R1 WBKP (Map 18)
Upper Richardson Lake
Upper Richardson Lake, covered in snow

Photo courtesy of Kirk Betts

Don't Feed The Hungry Geese!

By John Bay

Back in my other life I used to patrol near a large lake that supported Canada geese in the summer, and I used to like to eat lunch in the cruiser parked at a "lookout" pullover about 20 feet up a fairly steep bank from the shore. I would eat my sandwich and sometimes throw a few crusts down to the honkers that would come right to the shore looking for handouts. On days that I had stale bread at home, I would bring it along and give them a bit more of a treat.

One day we had a rainy morning, but the sun broke out about 11 AM, just in time for lunch. I sat there on the guardrail and ate my sandwich, and decided to see just how close I could get to the geese. I had the better part of a loaf of bread with me, and walked down the bank to the waters edge.

I started breaking up bread and tossing small pieces in just offshore from where I was standing. The geese started in and eventually got within about 5 feet from me. All well and good. One big Gander was hogging everything and pushing the others out of the way when I finally ran out. He was a bit upset, and made it clear he wanted more. I just laughed and turned to head up the bank back to my cruiser. Big mistake!

When I turned my back, he started honking loudly and came at me, beating me with his wings. I had heard about that but never really believed it. Well, let me tell you it was NOT at all comfortable.

Not wanting to hurt the thing, I started trying to run up the wet grassy slope, and must have done a great cartoon-like spinning of feet wheels. I imagine I would have laughed like hell had I been watching someone else go thru this. Then the humor went away! That goose bit me! He took a good sized hunk out of the seat of my pants, and a pretty good hunk out of ME! At that point, I turned around, stood up straight, waved my arms and started yelling until he backed off...

The cruiser seats still had blood stains when I traded it in for a civilian vehicle two years later, and my butt still bears a scar!

Moral? Don't feed hungry geese unless you have a trunkload of bread!

Q&A

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Clubs & Organizations

Clubs and organizations related to Maine's natural history are welcome to submit their press releases for consideration in Maine Nature News. MNN is compiled on Tuesdays so please send them with that day in mind. email

Stanton Bird Club plans coastal field trip

LEWISTON, ME, Numerous sea birds will be the point of interest for participants in the coastal field trip sponsored by the Stanton Bird Club on Saturday, March 8th. Portland Back Cove and Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth are the destinations.

The group will car pool from the Promenade Mall parking lot in front of Staples, leaving at 8a.m. and returning around 1p.m.

The birds the group hopes to see include wintering ducks such as common eiders, scoters, long-tailed ducks and winter loons, as well as some uncommon sea birds such as king eider, harlequin ducks and the northern gannet.

Stanton field trips are free and nonmembers are invited. All experience levels are welcome. For more information, contact trip leader Dan Marquis at 784-8397.

The Stanton Bird Club is a conservation organization offering monthly free natural history programs and field trips throughout the state. The organization welcomes new members whose dues help to provide land stewardship at three sanctuaries, owned and managed by the club, in Lewiston and Monmouth. For more information, call 782-5238, visit the Web site or email questions to Linda Seamans.

For questions or comments please contact:
        Linda Seamans
        Stanton Bird Club
        Chair – Public Relations
        (207) 240-1380