Everybody knows Great Blue Herons. Or think they do. Sure, their tall, long-necked, dagger-billed profiles make them pretty unmistakable as they stake their claims across Maine’s ocean shores, lakesides, ponds, streams, rivers, and muddy wetlands. Natural Resources Council of Maine members have shared with us oodles of photos of these magnificent birds. Maybe you call Read More
Birding with Jeff and Allison
Do you enjoy watching and learning about birds? In “Birding with Jeff and Allison Wells,” these two lifelong birders share their birding adventures, knowledge, stories, and enthusiasm for birds. Jeff, National Audubon Vice President of Boreal Conservation and a Fellow of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is one of the nation's leading bird experts and conservation biologists, and is author of Birder’s Conservation Handbook. Allison Childs Wells, formerly of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and now Senior Director of Public Affairs at the Natural Resources Council of Maine, is a widely published natural history writer and birder. Jeff and Allison are coauthors of the books, Maine’s Favorite Birds and Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao: A Site and Field Guide from Cornell Press.
Bird/Doggy-ing the Neighborhood
Dogs change things. Since recently adopting one into our family (joining the ranks of many Natural Resources Council of Maine colleagues), we now have a dog snuggled at our feet if we’re working at the desk, cuddled on or near our laps if we’re watching the NBA playoffs (go, Hawks!), and curled up on our Read More
A Surprise Nest Guest
We’ve all had those unexpected house guests, folks who arrive (sometimes for an indefinite amount of time) with little to no heads up and leave you scrambling a little to make adjustments. Birds likewise can become host to unexpected guests to their home. In fact, this spring an Osprey pair in Georgetown found themselves temporarily Read More
Rare Dove Wings It into Maine
The cops had been notified. A notice had been posted on the city’s Facebook page. Neighbors had been informed. In other words, we followed the typical protocol when a VIP arrives in town. This one was extra special. It had wings. The guest that arrived for a short but exciting visit to our small city Read More
Acoustic Signs of Spring
The acoustic sounds of spring. This time of year, it’s hard to miss them, as birds are winding up to establish breeding territories and to attract mates. Do you have favorites? Maybe you have some that, when you hear them, make you say, “Yup, spring has arrived!” For us, there are many. The first whistled Read More
Bird-feeding Tips for a Purpose
February has beenall about birds, at least for us bird enthusiasts. For one thing, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) took February 12 through February 15. We have fond memories of our years at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, one of our best being the brainstorming we did with National Audubon as we all tried Read More
Irruption Underway: Keep an Eye Out for Winter Finches
In Florida, a Purple Finch was recently spotted as far south as Sarasota, and Red-breasted Nuthatches were found at Cape Canaveral. And get this: A Pine Siskin was heard flying over Everglades National Park! Meanwhile, Pine Siskins and Red-breasted Nuthatches were reported far, far to the north in the tiny community of Moosonee, on the Read More
Rock Wren, Rock Star
It’s not every day you get to meet a rock star. They tend to perform on their own terms and make public appearances when and where they darn well please. Often, they live far from the crowds who admire them; when seen, they may or may not accommodate your request for a selfie. This past Read More
We All Want to Help the Birds We Love
People have a tendency, it seems, to want to help birds. We put up feeders filled with seed and suet, telling ourselves that it will do them good while also acknowledging that this will allow us to enjoy hours of watching their behaviors and interactions at close range, without disturbance to them. Some people go Read More
