On January 31, 2012, I finally got around to my first blog entry since hunting season started in October. I’ve been delinquent again and I’m sorry about it. But there is something fitting in writing my blog on the last possible day to duck hunt in Maine. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it out hunting that day, Read More
birds
Creature Feature: Bohemian Waxwing
Unlike most bird species, Bohemian Waxwings do not hold breeding territories, and in winter, they wander in search of large staples of fruits and berries. Typically, they breed from Alaska across northwestern Canada south to British Columbia, with a few breeding records from parts of the northwestern U.S.. But in winter, when their berry supplies become scarce, they wander south, and if we’re lucky, large flocks of these gorgeous birds appear in Maine.
Report Suggests Songbirds, Bats at Risk of Mercury Poisoning
by Kevin Miller Bangor Daily News news story Researchers examining the effects of mercury on wildlife found elevated levels of the neurotoxin in songbirds and bats from Maine to Virginia, prompting the study’s authors to call for more monitoring and stronger conservation measures. Researchers with the BioDiversity Research Institute, based in Gorham, and The Nature Read More
Mercury and Birds
A report by the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI), finds that mercury contamination is at levels dangerous enough to cause physiological and reproductive harm in a wide-range of songbirds and bats in the 11 northeastern states, including Maine. The report, Hidden Risk, finds that certain species and habitats are of special concern. Bicknell’s Thrush, Rusty Blackbird, Read More
Creature Feature: Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle, also known as the American eagle since it occurs only here, is especially noticeable in winter, when eagles from the North and West move to the coast, where the climate is milder and the coastal waters are free of ice. In the winter they roost and hunt in groups, feeding in open water along large tidal rivers of the Maine coast, or perched on frozen ice in search of discards from the fishing shacks.
Creature Feature: Peregrine Falcon
The peregrine, once known as the “duck hawk,” is a large falcon, the male more than 16 inches tall and the larger female measuring up to about 20 inches, with a wingspan of up to 44 inches. One of the most widespread birds in the world, the peregrine is found on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica.
Bald Eagles: Do Not Disturb
Morning Sentinel editorial With a seven-foot wingspan, a dazzling white head and elegant black wings that beat oh-so-sedately as the bird makes its way through the air, a bald eagle sighting is a soul-stirring moment. This bird is not in a hurry — why should it be? It lords over everything else in the sky, Read More
Improve, Don’t Undo, Shorebird Protections
Portland Press Herald editorial A new state law implementing a 250-foot setback for migratory shorebirds along Maine’s coast has been ruffling a lot of feathers lately. While the setback has been on the books since 1994, it had never been implemented. Last year, legislation enforcing the buffer rule and establishing new protections for vernal pools Read More
