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Editor's Column Notes, Announcements & Reflections Hello! Thanks to Ginny Remeika for the photo in this banner. The hummingbirds are returning to Maine quickly now. I have two feeders out but they haven't arrived here yet. It's usually the middle of May before I see them here in northeastern Maine. They're out and annoying. This could mean just one thing this time of year -- "they" are the black flies. JB has seen them in Biddeford and I've swatted at them in Red Beach. I'll get this year's map online and officially start the count with this week. Black flies are the number one search that brings people to Maine Nature News. Black flies. Not moose or leaf peeping, it's the dreaded black flies. Last summer someone asked me why I stopped report in the middle of summer. I can only report what I know so please send your reports to me. This graphic shows the top 20 searches so far this month.  Have a great week! Robin Follette Editor/Publisher |
Maine Nature NewsMay 6, 2008
Vol. 13, No. 18
 Wednesday, April 30 Hodgdon (Map 53) Yesterday afternoon about 4:45 pm, we spotted a glossy ibis in a flooded farm field along the Canadian border in Hodgdon, Aroostook County. He was quite content to dabble in this large puddle along with some Canada geese, sea gulls, mallards and teals. This was quite a pleasant surprise. I've attached a photo, sorry for the poor quality, he was intent on staying as far out of range as possible and this is the best my little camera could do, but it's good enough for making a positive ID. SY Friday, May 2 Mars Hill (Map 59) I have enjoyed seeing the Nature Report for some time now. I am fairly new to the "County" but have been in Maine since 1965. I am amazed at how different the weather and resulting nature is up here! Our first flower to be seen is the Colts foot dandelion, yesterday. I can't believe the several inches of gravel it grew up through. JSS  Sunday, May 4 Talmadge (Map 35)
When I looked out the window this afternoon this large creature was eating away. JB  This is the third
year I've participated in the North American Woodcock
Singing Ground Survey. Steve drove me to Danforth (Map 45) Sunday, May 4,
for the
first count. The route is 3.6 miles long and takes up to 38
minutes. I
counted only four males. On Tuesday,
May 6, we went to Amity
(Map 53) for the
second count. There were six singing males and a moose that
wouldn't
come out so that we could get a good look. Since the count doesn't
start until either 15 or 22 minutes after sunset we're able to hear a
lot but see little by the end of the count. We could hear it walk into
the woods when we pulled over and shift its weight while it
waited for
us to leave.
Counting involves the exact timing of sunset plus 15 or 22 minutes depending on cloud cover. You listen for two minutes then drive .4 miles, listen two minutes then drive .4 miles, and repeat for a total of 10 stops. If the temperature is lower than 40° the count is canceled for the night. I have from April 10 to May 20 this year. Steve recorded the GPS coordinates for me on my first counts in 2006. I have to mark down the level of disturbance (no to high) and make any necessary notes. One of the notes in the Danforth count is about stop number nine. It's the parts yard for the wind farm this year. RF |