Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Cool Fact: Or in this case…”cold” fact—Cardinals don’t migrate or fly south for the winter like most other birds. They will shiver and tense their muscles to generate heat, having the ability to drop their body temperature 3 – 6° in order to survive cold temperatures. Named by early European settlers because of their resemblance Read More
birds
Finch Fever: This Year’s Forecast and a New(ish) Book
While walking our dog through the neighborhood recently, we heard what sounded like the soft, mellow notes of Pine Grosbeaks. We were surprised; it seemed too early for these northern finches to be showing up in Maine. But as we approached the source of the calls, there they were: six beautiful Pine Grosbeaks in the Read More
Musings about Fall Birds in Maine
Fall is, by default, a time of contemplation, as life’s giant cog moves a notch and is expressed in all sorts of ways. Birders like us note that swell of migration from late August to early October, with dribbles of migrants continuing for several more weeks. That’s where we are now, in the birding cycle Read More
Caching Up for the Winter
It was one of those crip, golden days that couldn’t decide if it was summer or autumn. The sun lit the treetops along the late-afternoon street. Most leaves were still green, but the maple at the corner was showing off its bright yellows and reds. A tall, brilliant yellow-orange goldenrod at the corner of our Read More
My Experience Monitoring Piping Plovers in Maine
Every summer, Maine Audubon works with Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and municipal officials to protect Piping Plovers that nest on Maine’s shoreline. Over the past three months, I have been a volunteer for Maine Audubon’s Coastal Birds Project, which is among many initiatives developed to monitor and project coastal birds all across Read More
Watching Hurricane Waves and Forster’s Terns
Like many an adventurer, we took time out of our weekend to observe the drama of the surf riled up by Hurricane Erin passing far offshore—of course, with the hope of seeing nice birds. On Friday, we zipped over to Pemaquid Point and saw…a Black Guillemot. One of our favorite little seabirds, but nothing Read More
Two Rare Birds Show Up in Downeast Maine
Who would have guessed that Downeast Maine would be where the Canadian Arctic and South Florida come together (sort of)? If you’re a birder, you may already know what we’re talking about. That’s right, two birds from two seemingly different worlds. A little over a week ago, a visitor from Florida was in the small Read More
Great Reads by NRCM Members: New & Newly Discovered Books
Looking for some fantastic books to add to your summer reading list? NRCM members can help! Featured here are books published by our members covering a range of genres, from essays to mysteries, non-fiction to poetry, and children’s literature, too. If you’re an author of a book about Maine or related to environmental issues, you Read More
Potato Chip Birds: Five Cool and Surprising Facts
Actually, if you don’t know which bird the “potato chip bird” is, then consider the subtitle “Six Surprising Facts.” And if you didn’t know that the potato chip bird, unlike most songbird species, form flocks in the non-breeding season, knock that cool factoid count up to seven. Never mind, let’s just jump in. You Read More
