Maine Nature News Photo courtesy of John Bay |
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Editor's Column Notes, Announcements & Reflections Hello! This week's banner comes from John Bay. Thanks John! Working outside was great. The sun is warm, the birds are very active and keep me entertained, and the dogs are happy to sleep in the grass all afternoon. It was lovely. Then the *&%!!! black flies showed up. I'm not complaining too much. Thanks to a brisk wind I haven't had to deal with many just yet. This year's first black fly report is now online. I've been listening to and watching two belted kingfishers around the pond for the last week. I've seen them together only once. There are also two American bitterns nearby. I've seen one flying over as I listened to another in the woods. They make an odd sound, a bit like a huge drop of water. The usual assortment of wild ducks have not visited our pond early in the morning. I had three dogs at the pond Monday morning and didn't see the bittern at the edge of the woods until he flew when a dog startled him. They're extremely well camouflaged.  It's time to watch for moose in the roads. They'll be out more as the black fly pressure increases. They're looking for relief outside the woods and in water. Have a great week! Robin Follette Editor/Publisher  |
Maine Nature News
Wednesday, May 7 Buckfield (Map 11)
Black flies were a level 1 here yesterday, but this morning they're up to a 2 in the warm sun - many and annoying, but only a few really biting. Each day new birds seem to return: yesterday was the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, so now I'm looking for the Baltimore Orioles that usually show up at the same time, and I put out orange halves this morning in hopes of luring them. No hummingbirds yet, but they're due any minute. Fern fiddleheads of many species (but not the edible kind, yet) are popping up everywhere, and I saw my first red trillium coming up today. Hardwood trees are leafing out, tinting the forests that beautiful soft green with bits of pinks and reds from the maples. Even the oaks and beeches are getting close to bud burst, and lilac flower buds are showing color already. GR Sunday, May 11 Windsor (Map 13) Black flies here for the past five days have been a 3 (three). There's no getting around it, the excess of running water this spring has produced a bumper crop of black flies. The birds will feast, (along with the flies, of course) and its the one time of year that one of my bad habits turns fruitful. Stopping to smoke a cigarette while cutting brush is the only way to keep these flies at a distance. I wonder what the native consumption of tobacco was like during these early spring periods! Spring robin counts seem high around our place, and woodcocks seem busy flying at dusk. Our bluebirds are back, as are the whiporwills. We accidentally imported some wasps in a recently purchased trailer body. Things are leafing out very quickly: the tree pollen is quite heavy too! Here come the apple blossoms as well as the cherries...And, of course, the youthful groundhogs are exploring, eating, and digging. posting from Emma's Family Farm, Steve Hoad  Sunday, May 11 Milford (Map 33) A little battle in our back yard...the woodchuck and the crow are having a standoff! The crow finally hopped away into his safety zone and the woodchuck then ignored him. KT Tuesday May 13, Windsor (Map 13) The breezy/windy weather has kept the flies at bay a bit, at least out in the open. Mon. AM brought temperatures of 36° and 37° in the hours between 4:30 and 6 AM. And, of course, that kept the flies down too! I noticed hummingbirds were back yesterday and we found some very early timothy all ready coming to head in our pasture/hayfield. There are many "solitary" ground bees around this year (we always call them bumblebees) and I'm happy because they're good pollinators and don't really bother us. Days in the sixties and nights in the forties (for the most part) are really prevalent, and I wonder about May frosts! I'll have to look through MNN archives! posting from Emma's Family Farm, Steve Hoad Tuesday, May 13 Talmadge (Map 35) This sleepy salamander was under a pile of floating row covers in the greenhouse. I moved him to the woodpile where he'd be safer. I think this is a blue spotted salamander. RF  |
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Celebrate Earth Day with Stanton
Stanton Bird Club May Events Lewiston, ME, In celebration of Spring 2008, the Stanton Bird Club is sponsoring several events in May and early June. All events are free and open to the public. Weekly Bird Walk Tuesdays April 22nd through Tuesday May 20th 6am-8:30am. Join other “early birds” as we walk along the Bates college campus and Riverside cemetery in search of migrating warblers and other songbirds. All experience levels are welcome to attend. Meet trip leader Tom Hayward at Hathorn Hall, Bates College in Lewiston. Evergreen Cemetary Saturday May 10th – 7am-Noon. This Portland hotspot is a migrant trap, and usually yields an abundance of warblers. All experience levels are welcome to attend. The group will meet at the Lewiston Promenade mall in front of Staples, leaving at 7am and returning around noon. For more information, contact trip leader Dan Marquis at 784-8397. New Gloucester Marsh / Pineland Farms Saturday May 17th – 7am-Noon. Marsh birds such as the Virginia rail, sora and American Bittern will be scouted for at the marsh, while warblers, orioles and tanagers are possible visitors to Pineland Farms. All experience levels are welcome to attend. The group will car pool from the Auburn J.C.Penney parking lot, leaving at 7am and returning around noon. For more information, contact trip leader Tom Hayward at 782-5238. Warren Warbler Walk Sunday May 18th – 7am-10am. The Warren warbler walk, named in honor of Mary Warren, has been conducted annually by Stanton since 1928. This perennial favorite explores some prime habitat for warblers, thrushes and vireos. All experience levels are welcome to attend. The group will meet at the Auburn J.C.Penney parking lot, leaving at 7am and returning around 10am. For more information, contact trip leader Tom Hayward at 782-5238. Birding at Sylvester’s Wednesday May 21st – 7am. This annual trek is along the Androscoggin riverside and open fields and woodlands. Past birds at this location include Bobolinks, several warbler varieties, Red breasted Grosbeak, and Eastern Meadowlark. The trip will continue on to the property of Col. George Benjamin, where we will explore the farm pond, feeders, stream and overgrown fields. All experience levels are welcome to attend. The group will meet at the property of William Sylvester (1128 Riverside Dr. Auburn) at 7am. For more information, contact trip leader Tom Hayward at 782-5238. Birds and Flowers of Beaver Park Saturday May 31st – 7-12noon. Beaver Park is a 337 acre wooded area in Lisbon. Join trip leaders Stan DeOrsey and Susan Hayward as we look for migratory birds as well as spring flowers. The group will meet at the Lewiston Promenade mall in front of Staples, leaving at 7am and returning around noon. For more information, contact trip leader Susan Hayward at 782-5238. Papermill & Ricker Farm Trails Wednesday June 4th – 8am-11am. The Papermill Trail is a newly paved trail in Lisbon. The trail runs approximately ¾ mile. Join trip leaders Stan DeOrsey and Susan Hayward as we look for migratory birds as well as other woodland residents. The group will meet at the Lewiston Promenade mall in front of Staples, leaving at 7am and returning around noon. For more information, contact trip leader Susan Hayward at 782-5238. 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 A Youthlinks Benefit LectureNaturalist Bernd Heinrich594-2221 x 401, dbookham@brmaine.org  Noted Biologist and Naturalist Bernd Heinrich Returns to Rockland StrandOn Thursday, June 12, scientist, author, and illustrator Bernd Heinrich will be speaking at Rockland's Strand Theatre on "Cuckoos, Cuckolds, and the Evolution of Monogamy"; a fascinating look at bird behavior with parallels for many species, including our own. The author of 16 books and a semi-retired professor of zoology at the University of Vermont, Dr. Heinrich has been called one of the most insightful and original biologists living today thanks to his wide-ranging research in many fields and eclectic interests beyond the sciences. The lecture is a benefit for Youthlinks, a Rockland based program that provides midcoast adolescents with meaningful volunteer opportunities with community organizations. Dr. Heinrich has made major contributions to the study of insect physiology and behavior as well as bird behavior. His books mostly relate to his research examining the physiological and behavioral adaptations of animals to their physical environments, but he has also written books that include more of his personal reflections on nature. Most recently he published a memoir titled The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology which will be released in paperback on June 28th. The lecture "Nesting Season: Cuckoos, Cuckolds, & the Evolution of Monogamy" is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, at 7:30pm and should run about 90 minutes. Tickets cost $20 or $15 for youth 12 and under and are available by calling Youthlinks at 594-2221. Tickets will also be available on the door, although given the response to Dr. Heinrich's previous Strand lecture in 2006, advance purchase is strongly recommended in order to avoid disappointment. Dr. Heinrich's lecture is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Cold Mountain Builders, Mrs. Polly Chatfield, Lonza Rockland, FMC Biopolymer, and Viking Lumber. For those wanting to offer more support to the life-changing programs Youthlinks offers, there will also be a pre-lecture reception at the Eric Hopkins Gallery at which attendees will have the opportunity to talk with Dr. Heinrich in a more intimate setting over food from Mid-Coast Catering. Tickets for the reception- limited to 50 attendees- cost $125 each and are available by advanced purchase only by calling 594-2221. The reception ticket includes the reception itself, reserved seating at the lecture, and the option to receive a hardback copy of The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology. Youthlinks is a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services located in Rockland that provides community service, leadership and enrichment opportunities to all youth ages 11-17 from anywhere in mid-coast Maine. These programs help youth learn skills, build self-esteem, cultivate social responsibility, develop leadership abilities and connect to their peers, to adult mentors, and to their communities. Youthlinks is funded primarily by the generous donations of individuals, businesses, and foundations. All programs are free for participating youth. For more information on Youthlinks, visit www.youthlinksonline.org or call 594-2221. |
History of the MNN Web Resources
Reports from Frank's hiking and backpacking trips
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via webcam
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Current Northern Hemisphere "auroral oval" as seen from NASA POES satellite
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Preparation
Maine Nature News, a weekly online periodical updated on Tuesdays, covers natural history events, occurrences and observations in Maine. It emphasizes what is happening in the natural world, from the point of view of Nature, and deemphasizes human events and activities about Nature, such as the environmental movement, societies and clubs, since those are well-covered elsewhere. (A few Web links of interest are provided.) It will be successful with your support as a natural history correspondent.
Editor/Publisher:
Robin
Follette
Founder
and Past Editor:
Frank Wihbey
Page
design
and HTML coding: Robin
Follette, Frank
Wihbey
Page name banners: Kirk Betts Paul Garrity, Frank Wihbey
Photographs: ©1996 by Karen A. Wihbey, ©1996-2006 by Frank Wihbey and other contributors.
Weekly Nature reports: Volunteer correspondents throughout the state.
Page name banners: Kirk Betts Paul Garrity, Frank Wihbey
Photographs: ©1996 by Karen A. Wihbey, ©1996-2006 by Frank Wihbey and other contributors.
Weekly Nature reports: Volunteer correspondents throughout the state.
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