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 America and back.

photo by Chuck Carlson

The Broad-winged Hawk, despite its familiarity in the Northeast as a common raptor during the breeding season and in fall migration, is a poorly understood species throughout much of its life cycle. During the breeding seasons of 2021 through 2023, Harris Center staff and volunteers spent hundreds of hours finding and monitoring Broad-winged Hawk nests through a collaboration with Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, which conducted subsequent trapping and tagging of several adult hawks. Five adult Broad-winged Hawks were successfully trapped and outfitted with cellular or satellite transmitters and now provide a sample representation of migratory routes, wintering sites, and breeding territories of individuals within the New England breeding population. The findings yield critical information about habitat selection and demonstrate differences in migration timing and wintering ecology from other populations of this species in eastern North America. Through the use of transmitters and the nest monitoring component, conservation biologists have learned critical information necessary to better conserve this emblematic woodland raptor.

On Tuesday, November 14th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is pleased to host Phil Brown, Bird Conservation Director & Land Specialist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, NH. Phil spent his childhood in Staten Island, NY, where he was fascinated with the natural world. After studying at Rutgers, he took to the wilder woodlands of New Hampshire, realizing a lifelong dream, and ultimately becoming NH Audubon’s Director of Land Management, and then joining the Harris Center.

At the Harris Center, he leads conservation research projects focused on a variety of birds. These projects currently include Broad-winged Hawk research, an American Kestrel nest box project, Saw-whet Owl banding station, the Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory, and a Common Nighthawk migration watch. Phil is also a frequent field trip and nature tour leader in NH and beyond, where he guides for several companies and organizations. He lives in Hancock, NH, with his wife, Julie, and two children.

This program will be presented via Zoom only.  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_jS89IsQvS1WpuTg4IbZ1sA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We hope you can join us via Zoom!

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 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 $5.00 postage and handling

2 calendars (mailed to one address) – $20 plus $5.75 postage and handling

3 calendars (mailed to one address) – $30 plus $10.50 postage and handling

4 calendars (mailed to one address) – $35 plus $10.50 postage and handling

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

Thank you!

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. 

A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak at a Kennebunk feeder- photo by Bill Grabin

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 will be at the Wells Reserve on November 3rd and 4th 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/2023/10/Bird-Seed-Sale-2023_order-form.pdf

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 personalities, with some consistently acting more boldly than others or consistently showing higher activity levels. Personality in the mice and voles of our forests has consequences for where small mammals are living, how they are foraging, and what they are doing with the seeds they find. Small mammals with contrasting personality traits are contributing to ecosystem services such as seed dispersal in different ways. Their behavior is influencing forest regeneration.

Land-use change, such as forest management or urbanization, and climate change are also at work altering the composition of forests and the distribution of personality traits within populations. We explore the intersection of these factors and investigate how the personalities of small mammals shape the growth of forests and how this may be shifting under changing land-use and climate change conditions. All this in turn affects the habitat and impacts birds and all other life in the forest.

On Tuesday, Octoberber 24th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is pleased to host Maisie Merz and Ivy Yen, second year PhD students at the University of Maine. Under the guidance of Dr. Alessio Mortelliti, they study the consequences of small mammal personality on several ecological processes that shape the forest landscape. Their presentation includes slides and night video that is entertaining, educational, and surprising!  It will be interesting and fun to learn about mammals we rarely see much less understand.

This program will be presented in-person in the Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, and will also be viewable via Zoom.  To view 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_mof6PHp4T9qOga4vu1jY9g

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We hope you can join us in-person, or, if not, via Zoom!

A Video of our September 2023 program: The Birds of Guatemala – with Doug Hitchcox

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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.

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 encourage you to find legal places to forage near your home.

Dan Gardoqui has been studying naturalist skills, wildlife tracking, bird language, and mentoring for over 30 years. Dan has a M.S. in Natural Resources, is a Certified Wildlife Tracker, Registered Maine Guide, and served as Science Faculty at Granite State College. Dan co-founded and led the nature connection nonprofit, White Pine Programs for 20 years. He currently runs Lead with Nature, where he helps leaders find success and meaning through nature-based consulting services & adventures.

York County Audubon is co-hosting this program with and at The Wells Reserve. It will run from 1 pm to 4 pm.  Advance registration is required, and the cost is $25 for members (of either YCA/Maine Audubon or the Wells Reserve), or $30 for non-members. To register, please email suzanne@wellsnerr.org or call Suzanne at (207) 646-1555 x116.  Please note: Program fee does not include site admission fee.

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 Mayan site of Tikal and Las Guacamayas which added a large number of birds (not possible on the Pacific Highlands side), including the opportunity to see Orange-breasted Falcon, as well as several Yucatan endemics that include Ocellated Turkey, Yucatan Poorwill, Yucatan Flycatcher, and the striking Gray-throated Chat. Tikal is easily one of the best birding sites in all of Central America, but it will also amaze you for the immensity of the surrounding forest and the grandeur of the temples and complexes.

Keel-billed Toucan – photo by David and Judy Smith.

On Tuesday, September 19th, at 7 p.m., York County Audubon is pleased to host YCA Board member Doug Hitchcox who will present this program. Doug is the Staff Naturalist for Maine Audubon. In his free time, Doug is one of Maine’s eBird reviewers, owner and moderator of the ‘Maine-birds’ listserv, and member of the Maine Bird Records Committee.  He also served as the Outreach Coordinator for the Maine Bird Atlas, and writes a regular nature column for the Portland Press Herald.

This program will be presented in-person in the Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, and will also be viewable via Zoom.  To view 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_A9sbOK_bRg2whvNVQkZk9w

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We hope you can join us in-person, or, if not, via Zoom!

How Can I? – with Enock Glidden – Tuesday, August 22nd

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Join Enock Glidden as he shares stories of his life using the question “How can I?” to accomplish many adventures, including his 2016 ascent of El Capitan. He will also delve into his work with Maine Trail Finder and his mission to get more people of all abilities to enjoy the outdoors of Maine.


An avid and accomplished outdoorsman, Enock Glidden can be found adventuring every season of the year throughout his home state of Maine. As a person born with a disability, Enock is a passionate advocate for making trails more accessible for all. He hikes extensively, assessing and writing about his experiences through the award-winning Maine Trail Finder website. His blogs and experiences have been shared widely in local, state, and national media outlets, and Maine Magazine named him one of their Mainers of the Year in 2022. Out on trails, Enock works directly with trail managers to assess both physical and communication barriers that can be minimized or eliminated to make those experiences more accessible and welcoming for everyone.

This in-person program is being co-hosted by the Wells Reserve and York County Audubon, and will be held in the Wells Reserve’s Mather Auditorium, beginning at 7 p.m. It will be in-person only without Zoom streaming.  A suggested donation of  $5 would be greatly appreciated to help offset the costs  of this special program. We hope to see you there!

Wildlife Track and Sign by the Sea – with Dan Gardoqui – Sunday, July 23rd

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The sands of Laudholm Beach reveal the stories of a diverse array of birds, mammals and invertebrates. Join Certified Wildlife Tracker and Maine Guide Dan Gardoqui for an enlightening morning of decoding stories in the sand. Participants will need to walk about 3 miles and spend time on uneven surfaces. Please bring your own water and snacks.

About the Presenter

Dan Gardoqui has been studying naturalist skills, wildlife tracking, bird language, and mentoring for nearly 30 years. Dan has a M.S. in Natural Resources, is a Certified Wildlife Tracker, Registered Maine Guide, and served as Science Faculty at Granite State College. Through wildlife tracking, Dan has contributed to wildlife studies and served as science editor for the bird language book What the Robin Knows. Dan co-founded and led the nature connection nonprofit, White Pine Programs for 20 years. He currently runs Lead with Nature, where he helps leaders find success and meaning through nature-based consulting services & adventures.

YCA is co-hosting this program with partner the Wells Reserve. It will run from 7:30 am to 10:30 am.  Advance registration is required, and the cost is $25 for members (of either YCA/Maine Audubon or the Wells Reserve), or $30 for non-members. To register, please email suzanne@wellsnerr.org or call Suzanne at (207) 646-1555 x116.

Please note: Program fee does not include site admission fee.

Birds of Prey: Our Talon-ted Friends – with the Center for Wildlife and their Wildlife Ambassadors – Tuesday, June 20th – at the Wells Reserve, in-person only

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What is the difference between a hawk and a falcon?  Do we have vultures in Maine?  What is our smallest owl?  What is our largest hawk?  Where do they live?  Using our amazing live non-releasable bird ambassadors, posters, and hands-on materials, we will discuss the kinds of birds of prey found in Maine, their habitats, habits, place in the food chain, and why we need to protect them.  This program will connect the audience with these beautiful ambassadors of their species as well as provide their natural and personal histories and empower audience members to help to steward the environment we all share.

Eastern Screech Owl - Center for Wildlife
Photo of Great Horned Owl from CFW

Nestled at the base of Mount Agamenticus in Cape Neddick for 33 years, CFW has treated over 50,000 injured and orphaned wild animals and presented programming to thousands of community members annually. CFW’s vision is to instill a sense of understanding, responsibility, and compassion for our natural world leading to a society connected to nature and empowered to take action, and we do this through conservation medicine, environmental education, community empowerment, and advocacy. FMI: www.thecenterforwildlife.org

We are proud to host CFW for this program, as we have long supported their work. The program will be presented in-person in the Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, and will be preceded by a short YCA annual meeting starting at 7 pm. It will be in-person only without Zoom streaming. We hope you can join us!

Annual Election of Officers and Directors

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The Nominating Committee has presented a slate of Officers and Directors to the YCA Board, and that slate has been approved by the Directors:  Bill Grabin, President, Laurie Pocher, Vice President, Kathy Donahue, Treasurer, and Monica Grabin, Secretary, as well as the following slate of Directors: Britney Fox, Dan Gardoqui, David Doubleday, Doug Hitchcox, Heather Rutledge, Joyce Toth, Marian Zimmerman, Marion Sprague, Mary Bateman, Rebekah Lowell, Seth Davis. This slate will be presented and proposed to our members for their approval at our June 20th annual meeting, which will precede our June 20th program.

Revision of YCA Bylaws

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Over the last six months, YCA’s Board of Directors took on the task of reviewing our current Bylaws which had been drafted in 2004 (with a minor amendment in 2013) . Many changes were required to enable them to accurately reflect our current operations and our thoughts for the organization’s future. On April 18th, the Board unanimously approved the new version.

Our June 20th annual meeting will precede our program that evening. At that time, we’ll be seeking our members approval of these revised Bylaws. You can use the links below to review both the 2004 Bylaws and the proposed 2023 Bylaws.

https://www.yorkcountyaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/YCAS-Bylaws-June-2004-amended-June-2013.pdf

https://www.yorkcountyaudubon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/YCA-Bylaws-approved-by-Board-4.18.23.pdf

Beach Plum Farm Eco-fest in Ogunquit on Saturday, May 20th

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Please join York County Audubon and many other great organizations at the Beach Plum Farm Eco-fest from 10 – 2 on Saturday, May 20th. Beach Plum Farm is a wonderful spot right on Route 1 in Ogunquit. It’s the last remaining salt water farm in Ogunquit, home to community gardens, and the office of Great Works Regional Land Trust, who acquired and permanently protected it. FMI: https://gwrlt.org/beach-plum-farm-preserve/

Our 2023 Birding Challenge — to Support the Maine Young Birders Club

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York County Audubon needs your support! YCA was founded in 1968, and for the past 55 years, has promoted a wide variety of conservation activities and initiatives to benefit thousands of people. A few years back, we realized that there was an unmet need: a program that specifically focused on young birders.  So, in 2016, we launched the Maine Young Birders Club (MYBC).

Since then, many young birders aged 11 to 18 have actively participated and gained a greater understanding of the natural world, while connecting with and being inspired by like-minded young people. While MYBC members do pay a small annual fee to participate, we’re looking to raise funds to support the club’s efforts and expand our membership to reach under-served communities.

Starting in 2001 and continuing for fifteen years, YCA hosted an annual Birding Challenge, and it was our most prominent fundraiser. Now, after a few years’ hiatus, our Birding Challenge is back!  This year, our goal is to establish solid funding for the MYBC, something the young participants and the dedicated club coordinators really deserve.

The Birding Challenge is a twenty-four hour event in which teams of participants attempt to identify as many bird species as possible, asking friends, family and businesses to sponsor them at whatever level they wish.  Every donation will help, large or small! 

For the first time this year, we’ll be making use of an online portal dedicated to the Challenge, where you can pledge a donation, either a fixed amount or on a ‘per-species’ basis.  You can access our fundraiser page and make a pledge or donation at https://tinyurl.com/yca-bc-2023. There’s also information there describing how you can participate if you’d like.  Just scroll down that page and click on “About” and “FAQ’s.”

We would be very grateful for your support in any way.   Thank you so much! 

As a Chapter of Maine Audubon, a recognized 501(c)(3) organization, all contributions to York County Audubon are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. 

Saving Birds With Maine’s Commercial Forest: the 30-Year Bird Project – with Anna Siegel – Tuesday, May 16th – at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom

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In 2019, an alarming article from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology reported that three billion North American birds have been lost since 1970 (about 30%). Maine’s nearly 10-million-acres of commercial forest form the heart of National Audubon’s largest Important Bird Area of Global Significance in the contiguous U.S.  What role does this enormous area play in national-scale land bird conservation?  This fertile breeding ground still supports a wide range of bird species of conservation concern.

In 2021 and 2022, the “30-Year Bird Project” replicated a groundbreaking 1990s study to understand how bird populations have changed as a result of changes in forest practices. The project has involved three generations of scientists.  Anna Siegel, the Outreach Lead of the project, will describe what the team has learned and how forest practices might change to further support bird conservation while also sustaining rural, forest-based communities.

Anna Siegel is climate justice activist, young birder, and high school student. She is the Advocacy Director of Maine Youth Action, a Core member of Maine Youth for Climate Justice, and serves on her town’s Climate Action Task Force. She is also a member of the Maine Young Birders Club and is an avid hiker.

This program will be presented in-person in the Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, and will also be viewable via Zoom.  To view 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_DU-HSEE4TZ6BCYKA0NUnrw#/registration

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We hope you can join us in-person, or, if not, via Zoom!

A Video of our April 2023 program: Native Plants: Good for What Ails Your Garden – with Shawn Jalbert

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This program was presented on April 18, 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.

Native Plants: Good for What Ails Your Garden – with Shawn Jalbert – Tuesday, April 18th – at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom

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It’s almost spring and we’ve all got a hankering to get back outside to do some landscaping and gardening. Instead of grabbing the same old plants off the garden center shelves, consider going the native route.

Fritillary Butterfly on Coneflower – Shawn Jalbert photo

Native trees, shrubs, and perennials are the glue that holds our ecosystems together and are directly tied to the health of our environment. All of our backyards could use some extra natives planted in them, but sometimes you don’t have to recreate the wheel; recognizing and preserving the natives we already have growing around us is important too.

We will learn how the food web revolves around native plants; the more we have in our yards the richer the biodiversity of our neighborhoods, from the birds to the bees. These actions have tangible results we can see, smell, hear, and even taste. Join us for an empowering evening on how native plants are the best medicine for what ails our landscapes.

Shawn Jalbert is the owner and operator of Native Haunts, based in Alfred, Maine. He has made it his mission to make native plants, and the knowledge of their critical importance, available to the general public. “Native Haunts” is an “old-timey” term to describe native plants in their natural habitats. For the last 20 years, he’s made it his mission to sustainably propagate and sell native plant materials, but more importantly, to share the vast knowledge he has accumulated through his personal experience and his intense studies as a lecturer and consultant. FMI: https://nativehaunts.com/

This program will be presented in-person at 7 p.m. in the Mather Auditorium of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, and will also be viewable via Zoom.  To view 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_vALL9WzQRi6z_RvircuAig

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We hope you can join us in-person, or, if not, via Zoom!