Author Archives: Bill

Birding by Ear Workshop – with Dan Gardoqui – Sunday, April 24, 2022

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Expert bird mimic Dan Gardoqui will help you connect with birds you can’t see by getting to know their songs and calls (as well as what they’re saying). In this workshop, we’ll do a little exploring on foot, but a lot more listening with our ears. Dan can help you learn the calls by mimicking them for the group as you hear and see the actual birds in the field. If you’re experienced with visual bird identification, this course will be a good next step in building your birding skills. Dan Gardoqui has been studying naturalist skills, wildlife tracking, bird … Continue reading →

What’s That Bird I’m Hearing? – a Zoom program with Doug Hitchcox on Tuesday, May 17th

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Take your birding to a new dimension, literally! Learning to identify birds by their songs or calls will help you find more birds, and aurally read the landscape. In this program we’ll focus on the skills to identify and recognize different vocalization, rather than just playing hundreds of recordings, but there will be plenty of examples! On Tuesday, May 17th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is pleased to host YCA Board member Doug Hitchcox who will present this program on “birding by ear.”   Doug is the Outreach Coordinator for the Maine Bird Atlas and Staff Naturalist for Maine Audubon. … Continue reading →

Hummingbirds – Recent Research and Spectacular Species We Have Met – a Zoom program with Dana and Bob Fox – Tuesday, April 19th

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Lifelong birders Dana and Bob Fox, who have traveled extensively on 6 continents and visited more than 40 countries, will present this program which focuses on a magnificent group of birds: the hummingbirds. A male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the Fox’s NH cabin – photo by Steve Whitebread Studies have given us insights into the wonders of hummingbirds. This talk will provide information including: what is a hummingbird, how they did they evolve, how do their nectar gathering and pollination activities compare with bees and butterflies, what do they eat besides nectar, what are their feeding techniques, what is torpor, how … Continue reading →

Become a Native Plant Volunteer! March 16th deadline.

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As you probably know, our native plants are threatened by various trends including human encroachment, the spread of non-native species, and climate change. The Native Plant Trust, located at Garden In the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts, has an opportunity for volunteers all over New England, including here in Maine, to document and preserve our native vegetation. Attached is a flyer describing the program run by the Native Plant Trust, and a brief description of what volunteering entails. If you have a passion for plants, you might want to consider applying for this program. The deadline is March 16, and you … Continue reading →

Our Smallest Raptor: the Northern Saw-whet Owl – with Zoe Korpi – Tuesday, March 22nd

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With a size comparable to a soda can, the Northern Saw-whet owl is the smallest raptor in eastern North America. Due to the secretive nature of this species, it wasn’t until the 1960’s that its migratory behavior was widely accepted. Much of what we know about this species today is thanks to extensive banding efforts. Project Owlnet is one such effort striving to better understand this illusive migrant through a growing network of banding stations using standardized methodologies across North America. While our knowledge of this species has grown, many mysteries remain. Zoe Korpi delves into the research unraveling the … Continue reading →

2022 Hog Island Scholarships Announced!

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YCA and MYBC are pleased to be offering scholarships for week long summer programs on famed Hog Island. Three scholarships are being offered: one for Educator’s Week (July 17-22), one for Coastal Maine Bird Studies (June 19th – 24th) and one for Mountains to Sea Birding for Teens (June 26th-July 1st). Full details are available on the Scholarships page of our website. All applications are due by March 15th.

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Winter Wildlife Tracking with Dan Gardoqui – Saturday, Feb 5th and Feb 19th

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Please note:  The Feb 5th date for this workshop has been fully booked, so we have added a second date on February 19th. Can you tell the tracks of an otter from a fisher? Ever trailed a porcupine to its den? Join certified tracker and Maine Guide Dan Gardoqui of Lead with Nature for a winter wildlife tracking adventure. Dan has been sharing his skills and passion for wildlife and wild places for over 25 years. Open to all curious adults (& interested teens 14+). We’ll spend half a day seeking out, interpreting and following the tracks, trails and signs … Continue reading →

Tree Walk in Kennebunk’s Hope Cemetery with Eileen Willard, January 29th

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THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN FULLY BOOKED.  IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO ycas@yorkcountyaudubon.org WITH “TREE WALK WAITING LIST” AS THE SUBJECT. Please include the best phone # we can use to reach you. NOTE: The date for this walk was originally the 22nd, but it has been changed to the 29th Would you like to know more about our local trees, and improve your tree identification skills?  York County Audubon is pleased to sponsor a tree walk at Kennebunk’s Hope Cemetery led by Eileen Willard, an Instructor in Dendrology at the … Continue reading →

Snowy Owl: A Visual Natural History – with Paul Bannick – Tuesday, February 15th

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“If your average picture is worth a thousand words, a Paul Bannick wildlife photograph is worth 20,000. Having worked with wildlife photographers for articles in Audubon, Smithsonian, Sierra, National Wildlife and other magazines for 45 years, I have yet to encounter one who better captures the magic and beauty of the natural world.”  Ted Williams, former Editor of Audubon Magazine On Tuesday, February 15th at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is honored to again host award winning author and photographer Paul Bannick. Please join Paul for an intimate visual exploration of the life history of the Snowy Owl, based upon … Continue reading →

Birding & Owling Parker River National Wildlife Refuge – Saturday, February 5th

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THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN FULLY BOOKED.  IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO ycas@yorkcountyaudubon.org WITH “PARKER RIVER WAITING LIST” AS THE SUBJECT. Please include the best phone # we can use to reach you. Registration:  This trip will be limited to 5 cars for ease of movement while on the preserve. Attendance will be on a first come, first serve basis. To register, please click on this event under Calendar/What’s Coming Up on the right-hand side of this page, then scroll down and fill in the form. When registering below, please select … Continue reading →

Birding Backpacks

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York County Audubon is very pleased to announce that it has donated two birding backpacks to the Kennebunk Free Library. They are available for borrowing by KFL cardholders, as well as by cardholders of the Wells, Kennebunkport and Arundel libraries. Please read the KFL press release below for additional information.

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Partnering With Beavers to Heal the Planet – with Ben Goldfarb – Tuesday, November 16th

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The consequences of losing beavers were profound: streams eroded, wetlands dried up, and species from salmon to swans and other birds lost vital habitat. Today, a growing coalition of “Beaver Believers”—including scientists, ranchers, and passionate citizens—recognizes that ecosystems with beavers are far healthier, for humans and non-humans than those without them. Ben Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental journalist and an excellent speaker. His recent book Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter reveals that our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that once trapped … Continue reading →

The 2022 Maine Birds Desk Calendar is now available!

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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. We’ve always presented them at our fall program meetings, but again this year, that’s not possible, so we’re making them 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 … Continue reading →

Our 2021 Bird Seed Sale is Coming!

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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 at the same time. Profits from our annual sale support the educational 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. Early bird pricing is available if you place your order by 4 p.m. on Friday, October 30th.  The instructions for ordering are on the order form which you can … Continue reading →