Author Archives: Bill

A Last Minute Program Change!

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Phil Brown was scheduled to present a Zoom program tonight on Nest Monitoring, Tagging and Migration of Broad-winged Hawks, but he has been called away to Belize to fill in as a trip leader. We’re delighted to share that he lined up a wonderful replacement: Dr. Laurie Goodrich, the Director of Conservation Science at famed Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. In 1984, Dr. Goodrich was the first full-time research biologist hired at Hawk Mountain, and she’s been there ever since, involved with every aspect of the work that goes on there. The title of her talk will be: Conserving Broad-winged … Continue reading →

A Video of our October Program – How the Personalities of Small Mammals Shape the Growth of Forests

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This program was presented on October 24, 2023 in-person at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm and via Zoom. To watch it, 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”). For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program. Note that the mammals program is preceded by a short description … Continue reading →

Nest Monitoring, Tagging and Migration of Broad-winged Hawks – with Phil Brown – Tuesday, November 14th – via Zoom only

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Fall Migration is considered to be one of the birding wonders of the world.  Well known birder Phil Brown is the Bird Conservation Director of the The Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, NH.  Under his guidance, Harris Center biologists collect hawk migration data as part of an international effort to monitor raptor population trends. The center has been partnering with Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania to better understand Broad-winged Hawk ecology.  Phil will explain what has been learned to date about the migration of Broad-winged hawks breeding in New England that travel to their wintering grounds in South … Continue reading →

The 2024 Maine Birds Desk Calendar is on its way!

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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, so 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 this year of a Maine bird. The cost is $10 plus mailing costs. They’re wonderful anywhere in the house, and … Continue reading →

2023 Bird Seed Sale – Our 25th Annual – Early Bird Pricing Deadline is October 27th

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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 27th.  Order pick-up … Continue reading →

How the Personalities of Small Mammals Shape the Growth of Forests – with Maisie Merz and Ivy Yen – Tuesday, October 24th – In-person and via Zoom

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An entertaining exploration of the role that small mammals play in forest regeneration and the movement of trees in Maine. We all know our cats and dogs have personalities, but have you ever wondered about the squirrels in your backyard? How would you even go about evaluating personality traits in squirrels, mice, or voles and why would you bother? These small mammals play an important but often unseen role in forest regeneration and the movement of trees, dispersing the seeds of the towering forests here in Maine. While this role is known at the species level, unique individuals display varying … Continue reading →

A Video of our September program: The Birds of Guatemala

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This program was presented on September 19, 2023 in-person at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm and via Zoom. To watch it, 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”). For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.

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Intro to Foraging – with Dan Gardoqui – Saturday afternoon, September 23rd

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Are you curious about wild foods and foraging during this season of abundance? Does uncertainty and concern stop you from sampling healthy, wild foods? Join us at the Wells Reserve with forager and expert naturalist Dan Gardoqui of Lead with Nature. We’ll stroll the fields, forests and shorelines, all the while connecting with the wild plants, trees, fungi and more with all of our senses. Participants should be prepared to walk a few miles, dress for the weather, and bring along a water bottle. Please note that foraging is NOT permitted at the Wells Reserve outside of this program. We … Continue reading →

The Birds of Guatemala – with Doug Hitchcox – at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom – on Tuesday, September 19th

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Guatemala is a wonderful birding destination with many avian specialties, beautiful scenery, a colorful culture (including the proud Mayan, perhaps the richest indigenous culture remaining in the New World), and some of the best coffee in the world. In March of this year, Doug Hitchcox was a leader of a spectacular trip to view the birds of Guatemala.  The areas that they visited were varied, from the cool pine-oak forests near Antigua and Tecpan (think Pink-headed Warbler) to humid tropical lowland forests in the Petén (the Caribbean slope). The tour started in the Petén with a visit to the Classic … Continue reading →