This program was presented on June 15, 2021. Please scroll down to the original post on this program for a full description.
Continue reading →Ever wondered what birds might be found in Cambodia? On Tuesday, June 15th, York County Audubon will present a Zoom program entitled: Birds of SE Asia: a focus on Cambodian Natural History with Howie Nielsen. Doctor Howie Nielsen is a world class birder who lives in Lincoln County, Maine. Getting hooked on birds when he was in graduate school, Howie’s birding adventures have allowed him to be involved in studying flora and fauna while traveling in multiple countries. He’s now a retired dentist who has volunteered his services in six different countries. For 10 years Howie was in and out … Continue reading →
On May 18th, Wildlife professor John Marzluff will bring us an exciting program on recent work in Yellowstone National Park which looked at interactions between ravens, wolves, and people. Ravens are known to scavenge food from wolves and people but the relationship has not been well studied. In 2019 Matthias Loretto and presenter John Marzluff began tagging ravens in Yellowstone with radio transmitters that are similar to the transmitter in your mobile device. After tagging and following many ravens they were able to relate raven’s movements to the activities of people and wolves. From this the scientists gained a better … Continue reading →
This program was presented on April 20, 2021. Scroll down to the original post on this program for a full description. Note that the recording starts after the introduction, but includes the full program.
Continue reading →Among the most amazing creatures in the world, more than 40 species of birds-of-paradise live in New Guinea’s swaths of the Indo-Pacific rainforest region, one of the largest intact tropical forested areas on Earth. The stars of the show in National Geographic and PBS Nature TV documentaries, the birds-of-paradise have become icons of New Guinea’s rainforests. Their extraordinary beauty is unlike that of any other birds on Earth, but it’s their wide range of bizarre breeding behaviors that captivates audiences—from elaborate dancing and flaring their elegant plumes to shape-shifting displays that make these exotic species seem like avian transformers. Edwin … Continue reading →
“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, January 19th at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is honored to host award winning author and photographer Paul Bannick. His online Zoom program will feature video, sound and stories from the field, and images from his book, Owl: … Continue reading →
By the middle of the 20th century, the populations of many species of seabirds in the Gulf of Maine had been decimated. Puffins had last nested on Eastern Egg Rock in 1885 and terns in 1936. In 1973, National Audubon started a program to reintroduce and establish the Maine breeding grounds for these species, led by seabird visionary Steve Kress. In 2019, forty-five years later, Steve retired and turned over the program to new leadership. The program has proved exceptionally successful. The population of Atlantic Puffins has grown to more than 1,000 nesting pairs on five coastal Maine islands, and … Continue reading →
Interested in discovering some of the birds, plants and nature that are often hiding in plain sight all around us? Local naturalist Josh Fecteau will share some of the wild treasures he’s found near his home in Kennebunkport, and encourage all of us to go outside to make rewarding discoveries of our own. On Tuesday, August 18th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon will be presenting this program online. The program is available free of charge, but advance registration is required. Please use the link in red below. Josh grew up along the southern Maine coast. In his early 20’s, … Continue reading →
Bird photography has never been more popular, and we’d like to offer some help to improve your results and your enjoyment as well! On Tuesday, July 21st, at 7 p.m., we’ll be presenting our second online Zoom program, this time on Improving Your Bird Photography. To register for this event, please click on the link in the paragraph in bold font at the bottom of this post. If you’ve ever tried to photograph birds, you know it’s often not easy. Your subjects are small, fast, and shy… they move around a lot, they’re most active early and late in the … Continue reading →
On June 16th, Michael Boardman presented a wonderful program on his experiences in Alaska. He had been selected by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to be the Artist-in-Residence at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While we don’t have a video of that program to share, here’s a link to the program he presented for the Alaska Wilderness League in May, which was virtually the same as the one he presented for York County Audubon. Enjoy! Note: there are a couple of introductions related to the Alaska Wilderness League at the beginning of the video. Michael’s program starts at the … Continue reading →
For the past several months, we have had to cancel our programs and workshops to help ensure everyone’s health and safety. Now, we are very pleased to present our first Zoom Online program on June 16th at 7 p.m. To register for this event, please click on the link in the paragraph in bold font at the bottom of this post. Michael Boardman is a wildlife artist and member of the Maine Master Naturalist program. In spring of 2019, he was selected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be the Artist-In-Residence at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He … Continue reading →
The Common Loon is an iconic denizen and for many epitomizes a Maine summer. But how well do you actually know the Common Loon? Do they migrate? What do they eat? How long do they live? How many Common Loons are there? Why are loons important? This program will start with an in-depth look at the physiology and habits of the Common Loon, including how its body is built to be an effective underwater hunter, and the timing of its arrival on Maine breeding lakes. We will also take a look at the threats faced by loons. Nick Lund is … Continue reading →
In March 2019, Maine Audubon, in association with Field Guides Birding Tours, made a trip to south-western Mexico in search of rare species that are unique to the Sierra Madre mountains area. Based in the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca, known for great birds, authentic food, and amazing human history, the group explored many habitats including the semi-arid deserts near Teotitltán and the pine forests of La Cumbre at altitudes of up to almost 10000 feet. Doug and Ken will report on the successful search for rare endemic species like Dwarf Jay, Gray-barred Wren, Mountain Trogon and Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo in … Continue reading →
Photographing the Night Sky: Capturing the Stars, Milky Way, and Northern Lights with artist, astro-photographer, philosopher, musician, movie buff, and self-proclaimed connoisseur of beverages made from malted barley Mike Taylor. Mike Taylor been interested in observing and photographing the features of the night sky since he was a child. He says it is an awe-inspiring experience that too few people ever get to enjoy. Nature at night is so radically different from the day! Moonlight, unusual noises, or unfamiliar sights can awaken your inner child. We marvel at the world again. Mike is a contributing member of the International Dark-Sky … Continue reading →
Judy Camuso’s career began at Maine Audubon and she has been engaging people with wildlife ever since. Knowing that people will conserve and protect the things they love, her mission became to share her passion for nature. An important opportunity led her to become Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s first female regional biologist and later to become the Director of the Department and most recently Commissioner. This amazing woman is a licensed bird bander and an avid birder, as well as a hunter, who canoes, hikes and bikes. Camuso is a leader in protecting Maine’s inland fish, and … Continue reading →
Wildlife ecologist Deborah Perkins brings us an engaging, informative, and visually dramatic show for all ages! Deborah’s experience as a bear biologist included studying black bears and grizzly bears across North America. In Maine, she worked with the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s black bear program. Have you ever climbed into a bear’s den? Well, Deb has! In fact, Deb has worked on various other bird and mammal studies throughout North America including shorebirds in the Canadian Arctic, Canada Lynx in northern Maine, and seals and seabirds in Maine. In this program Deb will bring her Black Bear adventures … Continue reading →
Biologist Logan Maxwell recently completed her master’s work at UNH. Her research focused on ways climate change affects birds along our coast. Our saltmarshes provide breeding habitat for a community of uniquely adapted birds that are threatened by the ongoing changes in vegetation, loss of habitat, and increased tidal flooding due to rising sea levels. Logan’s aim was to figure out how saltmarsh birds might adapt to this changing environment. Birds that live in our saltmarshes are seriously impacted by lunar high tides. These tides are the leading cause of nest failure. Saltmarsh nesting birds are extremely vulnerable to even slight … Continue reading →
Thanks to Maine Audubon’s Eric Topper for a great program this week on Bringing Nature Home. He described the many ways in which native plants and animals benefit our environment. Here’s a great list of resources and links: 2018 Links List
Continue reading →Bringing Nature Home is Maine Audubon’s new community engagement and habitat stewardship initiative based on the bestselling book of that title by Doug Tallamy. Join Maine Audubon’s Director of Education, Eric Topper, to explore the plants, practices and perks involved in restoring native food webs in our gardens, yards and communities. Like many places, the landscape of coastal Maine has changed dramatically. Today, gardens, yards, neighborhoods and towns are playing increasingly critical roles in supporting native food webs for birds, pollinators and other wildlife. Our individual efforts to support wildlife can be both intimately rewarding and broadly beneficial. With an … Continue reading →
What will be happening in the Maine Legislature after the November election? How will environmental concerns fare in Augusta next year with a new governor and new legislature? What’s the outlook for advancing solar and other alternative energy sources in Maine, and for protecting Maine’s forests, waterways and wildlife? Eliza Donoghue is Maine Audubon’s Senior Policy and Advocacy Specialist, and spends much of her time advocating for these concerns in Augusta. She joined Maine Audubon in July, 2017, bringing with her extensive experience and familiarity with the Maine State House, the Land Use Planning Commission, the Land for Maine’s Future program, … Continue reading →