Iceland: Land of the Midnight Sun and Magnificent Birds – with Shawn Carey – preceded by (brief!) Annual Meeting – Tuesday, June 17th in-person and via Zoom

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Iceland abounds in natural splendor: Waterfalls and glaciers, panoramic views and otherworldly landscapes. It is a land of Northern Lights and midnight sun. And it is the realm of one of the world’s most charming and iconic birds: the Atlantic Puffin. But Iceland is home to much more. During the summer months, Iceland’s round-the-clock sunlight draws in a panoply of birds: Razorbills and guillemots, phalaropes and godwits, plovers and terns, all accompany the puffins in nesting frenzy. Come along with wildlife photographer and Mass Audubon instructor Shawn Carey as he shares images and stories from his journey spent on two Icelandic islands. We will visit Grimsey Island, the northern-most inhabited island off the mainland of Iceland. For bird photographers and bird watchers looking for a great place to view and photograph nesting seabirds that call this island home during the summer, this is a place you want to visit.

From Grimsey we will travel to the island of Flatey, a real hidden gem for bird photographers and bird watchers alike. Most people pass through Flatey (via ferry service out of Stykkisholmur) on their way to the well-known Latrabjarg bird cliffs to see Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills. However, for those that have or take the time to explore Flatey, you will find a small island that offers some very good photographic opportunities, especially for Black Guillemot, Red-necked Phalarope and Common Redshank just to name a few.

Shawn Carey (Migration Productions) produces bird and wildlife-related multimedia presentations, videos and photo workshops that have been presented all over the United States. Shawn moved from his home in Pennsylvania to Massachusetts in 1986 and started watching birds in 1988. Already with an interest in photography and now birds, Shawn began to combine the two in 1991. By 1994 he and good friend Jim Grady started Migration Productions as a way to present their multi-image slide presentations to a live audience. Shawn’s photos have been published in the Boston Globe, New York Times, Science magazine and many others. He is a photography instructor for Massachusetts Audubon.  FMI: www.migrationproductions.com

This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom.  To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k8htlIvFSO6sgUMuSjcplw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person, or, if not, via Zoom!

2025 Election of Officers and Directors

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The Nominating Committee has presented a slate of Officers and Directors to the YCA Board for a two year term, and that slate has been approved by the Directors: Bill Grabin, President, Laurie Pocher, Vice President, Kathy Donahue, Treasurer, and Tova Mellen, Secretary, as well as the following slate of Directors: Britney Fox, Dan Gardoqui, David Doubleday, David Nelson, Doug Hitchcox, Marian Zimmerman, Marion Sprague, Mary Bateman, Rebekah Lowell. This slate will be presented and proposed to our members for their approval at our June 17th annual meeting, which will precede our June 17th program.

A Video of our May Program: York County: Birds, Birders and Birding – with Britney Fox Hover

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This program was presented on May 20, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.

Please note that there were some technical difficulties that lasted from the 5 minute to the 9 minute mark of the video, but that the program then successfully resumed.

To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bot right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).

York County: Birds, Birders and Birding – with Britney Fox Hover – – Tuesday, May 20th at 7 p.m. in person and via Zoom

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A Black and White Warbler – photo by Britney Fox Hover

Curious to know more about what birds can be found in York County?  Birding close to home or where you often visit is an amazing way to deepen your understanding and curiosity about the world around you.  Plain and simple, York County is a spectacular place to bird!

In this program, we’ll talk about some of the incredible birds that visit York County from the far reaches of the globe and go on a visual tour to see some of them.  We will also explore the seasonality of York County and how the birds change with the flow of the seasons specific to our area.  Brit and friends will be discussing some of the recent local birding highlights, and will be using a wealth of local birding wisdom to tell you about the best birding hotspots, when to visit them, and what you can expect to see.  There’s always something new to discover and learn from our local birding community.

Britney Fox Hover is a member of YCA’s Board, and an avid birder and photographer.  She will be joined in this program by other Maine birders.

A male Canada Warbler – photo by Britney Fox Hover

This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom.  To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5yCXa5lxSLGwDNVtQgge0A

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person, or, if not, via Zoom!

“How to Love a Forest” with Ethan Tapper” – Tuesday, May 6th at 7 p.m. in person and via Zoom (and a walk at 2 p.m.)

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What does it mean to love a forest? In this talk, Ethan Tapper, a forester, author and content creator from Vermont, will draw from his work as a forester and his bestselling book — How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World — to discuss what it means to care for forests and other ecosystems at this moment in time. How do we respond to the harmful legacies of the past? How do we use our species’ incredible power to heal rather than to harm? How do we reach towards a better future? In a time in which many believe that “protecting” ecosystems means protecting them from ourselves, Ethan argues that humans must take action to help ecosystems heal and to move into a more abundant future. Ethan’s message is at once compassionate and pragmatic, clear-eyed and hopeful, sobering and inspiring, a powerful new idea for how we can build a world that works for all of its ecosystems and all of its people.

This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Ethan-Tapper-How-to-Love-a-Forest-cover-220x300.jpg

To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-TWx7hpKQm-kbcnxuiltOQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person or via Zoom!

Ethan will also be leading an interpretive walk of Tatnic Woods, starting at 2 p.m. It will be a two-hour deep dive into forest ecology,  birds, wildlife habitat, natural history and more.

Preregistration is required, and space is limited.  Cost for the walk is $20/member, $25/non-member.  This program is offered in partnership with the Wells Reserve and Great Works Regional Land Trust, with members of each organization receiving discounted pricing.

To reserve a spot for the walk, please go to:  https://wellsreserve.regfox.com/a-walk-in-the-woods-with-ethan-tapper

A Video of our April Program: The Yellowstone River Osprey Project with Marco Restani

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This program was presented on April 15, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.

To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).

The Yellowstone River Osprey Project with Marco Restani – Tuesday, April 15th at 7 p.m. – in-person and via Zoom

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A banded adult Osprey near its nest

In 2009 a few members of the Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society in Billings, Montana initiated a field study of Ospreys. They were interested in monitoring the distribution and abundance of the local population, and in helping management agencies and electric utilities reduce human-Osprey conflicts. That first year 3 members found 22 nests. Today over 40 volunteers monitor nearly 100 nests along the Yellowstone River in collaboration with power companies, landowners, and government agencies. This presentation will describe how nest monitors are trained to become proficient in Osprey observation and data collection. From the efforts of these dedicated volunteers, you will learn where Ospreys produced along the Yellowstone River migrate and spend the winter, how long they live, where they settle to breed, and their lifetime reproductive success. You will also learn how many electrocutions and twine entanglements occur each year, and the management to reduce these mortality factors.

Marco Restani began birding with the Seacoast Chapter of New Hampshire Audubon in the late 1970s and the mentorship he received launched him on a lifelong journey with birds. Originally an ‘Army Brat’, he attended high school in Durham before heading west to the University of Montana (BS), Montana State (MS), and Utah State (PhD). Following post-doctoral research at the University of Washington, Marco was Professor of Wildlife Ecology for 15 years. Currently, he is a Biologist at NorthWestern Energy in Montana responsible for developing and implementing the company’s avian protection program. He has studied raptors for over 35 years and each summer since 2012 conducts research for the Yellowstone River Osprey Project.

Marco Restani with a Golden Eagle

This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom.  To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bcBHFnpYRbq0QtkHBVG1OQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person or via Zoom!

A Video of our March program: Behavior, Society, and Sex in Adolescent Birds with Dr. Liam Taylor

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This program was presented on March 18, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.

To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).

Behavior, Society, and Sex in Adolescent Birds with Dr. Liam Taylor – Tuesday, March 18th at 7 p.m. – in-person and via Zoom

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Most birds have some growing up to do before they start to breed. Despite reaching full size within weeks or months of hatching, some species will not raise offspring for years, or even decades. Dr. Liam Taylor explores the strange things that some birds need to do before they reproduce—from developing a territory on a rocky island to finding a dance partner on the rainforest floor. Looking back through millions of years of evolution, we will uncover how behavioral, social, and sexual development continues to create new challenges and opportunities for adolescent birds.

Liam Taylor is an ornithologist and evolutionary biologist, studying how social structures influence the ecology, evolution, and conservation of birds.  He’s a Postdoctoral Scholar in Biology at Bowdoin College.  Liam’s field work at Bowdoin’s Scientific Station on Kent Island (several miles off the mainland in the Bay of Fundy) involves Leach’s Storm-Petrels, American Herring Gulls, Black Guillemots, and Tree Swallows. Previous fieldwork projects have included Golden-winged Manakins (in the cloud forests of Ecuador), White-throated Manakins (in the Brazilian Amazon), and Semipalmated Plovers (just beyond the tree line in Churchill, Manitoba).

This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom.  To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mbqKqhi_SS23HoJE6Op5cQ#/registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person or via Zoom!

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mbqKqhi_SS23HoJE6Op5cQ#/registration

A Video of our January program: Old Forests: Jewels in the crown of the Maine landscape? with Malcolm Hunter

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This program was presented on January 21, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.

To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ungxRFjS2QA?t=120s

The Hidden History of American Shorebirds – An online talk with Kenn Kaufman – Monday, February 10th at 6 p.m.

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The shorebirds – sandpipers, plovers, and their kin – are beautiful, but telling the many species apart can be a confusing challenge for birders. However, the level of confusion was much greater in the early 1800s, when naturalists were struggling to classify all these birds for the first time. Some species were described to science over and over, under different names, while some other species were overlooked completely for decades. And for many years, everyone underestimated the amazing migrations of these long-distance travelers. In this program, based on a chapter from his most recent book, Kenn Kaufman will describe the misadventures of early shorebird-watchers, and how those events are reflected in our experience of birding today.

Kenn Kaufman is the author of more than a dozen books, including Kingbird Highway, his memoir about traveling the country searching for birds as a teenager in the early 1970s. His other titles include The Birds that Audubon Missed, A Season on the Wind, Flights Against the Sunset, and the Kaufman Field Guide series, covering birds, mammals, insects, butterflies, and other subjects.

This program will be presented only via Zoom.  To view it, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address:  https://maineaudubon.ticketspice.com/an-evening-with-kenn-kaufman-february-10

This program is being presented by Maine Audubon in conjunction with all the MA chapters.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  We hope you can join us!

Old Forests: Jewels in the crown of the Maine landscape? – a Zoom program with Malcolm Hunter – Tuesday, January 21st at 7 p.m.

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The Maine landscape remains widely covered by forests but our current forests are very young compared to the pre-European landscape, when large, old trees were dominant.  These old forests may be treasure troves of hidden biodiversity.  Why this matters and what we should do about it will be discussed by Malcolm Hunter, Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine.

Dr. Hunter’s research experience covers a variety of ecosystems and organisms – birds, amphibians, mammals, reptiles, insects, vascular plants, rivers, lakes, wetlands, grasslands, and more – but his major focus is on forest ecosystems and the maintenance of their biological diversity. He is a member of a team that has studied one forest and the evolving interactions among its vascular plants, amphibians, birds, and small mammals through nearly 40 years. Dr. Hunter’s interests are geographically broad; he has worked in 30 countries on every continent except Antarctica.  As a researcher and advisor, he interacts with a broad spectrum of organizations such as the Society for Conservation Biology, The Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Forest Service.  This year, he received the Honorary Membership Award from The Society of American Foresters, an award that “recognizes individuals whose contributions to forestry are viewed as outstanding by their peers.”

This program will be presented only via Zoom.  To view it, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wE9_CmJ_S7icWlHl-2uhjA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  We hope you can join us!

A Video of our November 2024 program – Wandering Rivers, Nameless Mountains-Drawing the Arctic – with Michael Boardman

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This program was presented on November 19, 2024 at the Wells Reserve, but we had difficulty with the video feed for our Zoom link. Michael was gracious enough to present it again for us via Zoom on December 3rd, and a recording of that encore presentation is available below. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the November program.

To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).

Wandering Rivers, Nameless Mountains-Drawing the Arctic – with Michael Boardman – Tuesday, December 3rd at 7 pm via Zoom

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Note: Michael Boardman presented this program for us on November 19th at the Wells Reserve.  However there were technical problems and the zoom video feed didn’t work.  It was a great program, and he has graciously volunteered to re-present it by Zoom only on December 3rd.  Thanks Michael!

In 2019, North Yarmouth wildlife artist Michael Boardman was selected to be the artist-in-residence for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Alaska. The landscape has become embedded in Michael’s focus and artwork, and he has returned several times to explore the natural history of the Refuge, recording his experiences through sketching.

In May, 2019, Michael had planned to make a presentation for us on his residency, but we had to cancel it due to Covid.  The following month, he did our first Zoom program.  Since then, he has returned to the Arctic several times, and we’re delighted to host him in person this time (and also on Zoom!).  He’ll share his latest adventures in the arctic, telling stories of animals, geology, human history and why we should care about this endangered landscape.

Michael is known for his watercolor bird portraits and nature journal sketches. He has connected his art to wildlife science through artist residencies at Acadia National Park, Hog Island Audubon Camp, Glacier Bay National Park, in addition to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. He is also the owner and artist of Coyote Graphics, creating nature based garments from his artwork.

This program will be presented only via Zoo m.  To view it, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-Eepikw6RJKk-XAcMgLkAQ#/registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  We hope you can join us either in person or via Zoom!

Wandering Rivers, Nameless Mountains-Drawing the Arctic – with Michael Boardman – Tuesday, November 19th at 7 pm – in-person and via Zoom

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In 2019, North Yarmouth wildlife artist Michael Boardman was selected to be the artist-in-residence for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Northern Alaska. The landscape has become embedded in Michael’s focus and artwork, and he has returned several times to explore the natural history of the Refuge, recording his experiences through sketching.

In May, 2019, Michael had planned to make a presentation for us on his residency, but we had to cancel it due to Covid.  The following month, he did our first Zoom program.  Since then, he has returned to the Arctic several times, and we’re delighted to host him in person this time (and also on Zoom!).  He’ll share his latest adventures in the arctic, telling stories of animals, geology, human history and why we should care about this endangered landscape.

Michael is known for his watercolor bird portraits and nature journal sketches. He has connected his art to wildlife science through artist residencies at Acadia National Park, Hog Island Audubon Camp, Glacier Bay National Park, in addition to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. He is also the owner and artist of Coyote Graphics, creating nature based garments from his artwork.

This program will be presented in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom.  To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance.  To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p-K3cUi1ReioDtcdPMZvzA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  We hope you can join us either in person or via Zoom!

A Video of our October 2024 Program – The Science of Watching, The Art of Seeing, and the Power of Nature Absorption

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This program was presented on October 15, 2024 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.

To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).

Please note that Chris stepped out of the camera view at the beginning of the program, but that was corrected a few minutes later.

The 2025 Maine Birds Desk Calendar is available now!

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For many years, our former Board member, Marie Jordan, an avid birder and photographer, has produced a calendar and offered it for sale, graciously donating the calendars to YCA to support our educational programs. As many of our programs are now presented via Zoom, we’re making the calendars available by mail.

It’s a desk calendar in a 4” by 6” plastic case that opens into a stand to display each month. Each page features a great photo she took of a Maine bird. The cost is $10 plus mailing costs. They’re wonderful anywhere in the house, and also make great gifts! And York County Audubon tremendously appreciates your support for our programs.

To place an order, please make out a check payable to York County Audubon, write Calendar in the memo line, and mail it to Marie Jordan, 32 Crestview Drive, South Portland, ME 04106.  Be sure to include the address or addresses that the calendar(s) should be sent to.   If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marie at wooddk5555@gmail.com.

Note that the calendars will be available November 1st.

The costs including postage and handling are:

1 calendar – $10 plus $5.50 postage and handling

2 calendars (mailed to one address) – $20 plus $6 postage and handling

3 calendars (mailed to one address) – $30 plus $11 postage and handling

4 calendars (mailed to one address) – $35 plus $11 postage and handling

(Note: these rates reflect the latest USPS increases.) Thank you!

A Video of our September 2024 Program – Falkland Islands – The Penguin Adventure – with Shawn Carey

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This program was presented on September 17, 2024 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.

To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).

2024 Bird Seed Sale – Our 26th Annual – Early Bird Pricing Deadline is October 25th

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Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Photo by Marie Jordan.

Keep your feathered friends happy this winter by treating them to tasty and fresh premium-quality bird food and help support two of your favorite environmental organizations.  Proceeds from our annual sale support programs of both York County Audubon and the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve.  A wide variety of types of seed and suet is available, with great pricing, especially if you order early. 

Additional items this year include feeders, mealworm suet and Feather Friendly window markers to keep your birds safe. Early bird pricing is available if you place your order by 4 p.m. on October 25th.  Order pick-up will be at the Wells Reserve on Friday, November 1st from 1-4 and Saturday, November 2nd from 10-1, with easy access and volunteers on hand to help load your car. 

Please click on this link to view and print the order form:

https://www.yorkcountyaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/seed-sale-2024.pdf