Page 12 - Bird Column News Today

Glasgow, Scotland is a long, long way from us here in Maine—about 2,800 miles to be exact. Paradoxically, decisions made by people meeting over the coming days in Glasgow will have an impact right down to your own backyard. Those decisions will...

On one of last weekend’s glorious days, we had the pleasure of taking a late-day stroll through the fields and around the pond at the Salt Bay Farm Preserve in Damariscotta. This has been one of our favorite places for many years. We used to take...

Loons are among Maine’s beloved birds. But many people don’t realize that there are several species of loons, in addition to the most familiar, the common loon, that we see and hear each summer on Maine lakes. Worldwide, there are currently five...

No one would call the sounds that they make “musical” or “pretty.” Regardless, the low croaks and loud raucous squawks of common ravens are among our favorite sounds in the bird world. There’s something about those sounds that, to us, convey a sense...

Birds are among the most popular and beloved of wild animals. Sure, moose are majestic. Deer are popular to different groups of people for different reasons. Some people find foxes beautiful (or at least the kits cute). Some love skunks—one of our...

These early June days of temperatures in the 90s and high humidity are far from comfortable for those of us remembering the “old days.” We much prefer high temps in the 60s and low 70s at this time of year; us northerners need to ease in to summer...

Wed, 06/02/2021 - 7:45am In a delightful, easy-to-read style, the author, Steve Kress, makes the reader feel as though they are having a conversation with Steve himself. Ironically, the authors first met Steve Kress, not in Maine, but 500 miles away in land-locked Ithaca, New York, when we were students at Cornell University. Courtesy of Jeff and Allison Wells. Steve Kress came to Maine to teach at the famous Hog Island Audubon Camp in Bremen in 1969, when we were just toddlers. He ha...

Ospreys are big birds. They make big nests that very often sit out in the open so that the birds on the nest are visible to all. Brother Andrew and his spouse Nina have one of these osprey nests near their house. They have watched a pair of osprey...

Jeff and Allison Wells Wed, 05/12/2021 - 10:30am A song sparrow in the authors’ yard has taken to attacking its own reflection. Attempts to thwart the self-attack have been in vain. Courtesy of Jeff Wells Despite the commonly held belief that reflection-fighting was a male bird thing, the authors saw evidence suggesting this individual could be a female. Courtesy of Jeff Wells For years we have read about and had acquaintances tell us stories about birds that would attack their refl...

Jeff and Allison Wells Wed, 04/21/2021 - 8:00am The St. Vincent parrot occurs only on the island of St. Vincent. This uniquely colorful endemic bird is currently under threat from the recent volcanic irruptions on the island. Courtesy of Jeff Wells In years past, the Vermont Nature Trail on St. Vincent is one of the most popular locations to search for whistling warblers and St. Vincent parrots. Courtesy of Jeff Wells. The viewing platform at the Vermont Nature Trail has traditionally...