It seems there is a crest-fest going on. Half the birds flitting through the backyard right now seem to be sporting bold top feathers. Read More
Since public shaming may be the only way I can behave better, let’s grade how I did. Read More
Winter birding is like panning for gold. You have to sift through a lot of sand to find a nugget. Or in my case, you have to sort through a lot of chickadees to find a shrike. Read More
It’s that time of year again, when trees are decorated with lights, ornaments and crows. Lots of crows. Read More
This mystery corpse appeared to be a shorebird. Read More
The No. 1 thing you can start doing right now to make your winter birding more interesting: notice flocks. Read More
It’s complicated. Read More
Saw-whet owls are tiny – smaller than a blue jay. They are widespread in Maine, but prefer to stay out of sight. Boreal owls are slightly larger. Read More
This Halloween, I’ve decided to dress up as something truly scary: climate change. Read More
Many birds have been observed scraping their bills, even when their bills aren’t dirty. Apparently, there’s more to the story. Read More
It’s 6 a.m. The sun won’t rise for another half hour here at Schoodic Point. It’s 40 degrees, with a frosty north wind. I’m dressed for the arctic. Why? Uh, for science. Yeah, that’s it, for science. Read More
Mainers enjoy amazing fall foliage, and we don’t take it for granted. Read More
Hawk identification is hard. Except that it isn’t. Read More
I’ve seen a lot of weird parenting lately, and not just at Walmart. Many Maine birds have an odd way of raising kids. Read More
Not many Mainers have heard of Sabine’s gull, nor should they. It summers in the Arctic. It winters in the tropics, mostly at sea, and mostly in the Pacific. It’s rare to see one from land, even rarer to see one from land in the Atlantic. But somehow, every year, someone spots one in the waters between Eastport and Campobello, amid hordes of wintering gulls. Read More
The ruby-throat is the only hummingbird to nest east of the Great Plains, and I don’t know why. Read More
Crossbills are notorious nomads. They wander until they find a good cone crop. Read More
Shorebird identification is challenging. So let’s see if we can make identification easier by tearing up a book. Read More
Some babies are ready to leave the nest soon after they hatch. On the other hand, some babies are still underdeveloped when they leave the egg. Read More
Suddenly, long before we’re ready to admit it, the first half of summer is over and southbound migration is happening. Read More
