Habitat, the magazine of Maine Audubon, Spring 2019

HABITAT Summer 2019

The Audacity of Salmon IN THIS ISSUE Maine’s Salmon Story Kids v. Balloon Litter Birding Oaxaca

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TABLE of CONTENTS 4 News and Notes 6 The Inspiring History of the Atlantic Salmon 13 Species Spotlight: Pandion haliaetus 12 Kid-powered Advocacy 16 Calendar of Events 20 Naturalist HQ 22 Poem: The Goldfinch and Her Mate

Habitat

Volume 35, Issue 2 The journal of Maine Audubon, ISSN 0739-2052, is published quarterly. habitat@maineaudubon.org Staff Directors Andy Beahm, Executive Director Peter Baecher, Properties Dori Barnes, Finance & HR Kate Lewis, Development Sally Stockwell, Conservation Eric Topper, Education Jan Weyant, Retail

Jeremy Cluchey, Editor Nick Lund, Assistant Editor Jenn Schmitt, Events Editor Brandi Sladek, Designer & Layout Editor Officers, Board of Trustees Stacy Stitham, President David Littell, Vice President Alyssa Hemingway, Treasurer Richard McKittrick, Secretary

Maine Audubon Headquarters 20 Gilsland Farm Rd., Falmouth, ME 04105 (207) 781-2330, maineaudubon.org

NOTE from the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Maybe it’s because we’re inching into the warmer months, but lately I’ve found myself thinking a lot about glaciers.

Glaciers deserve much of the credit for creating what we now think of as “Maine.”

The last glacial remnants were gone about 11,000 years ago, but their impact on our state’s unique geography is substantial and enduring.

Enormously thick and heavy glaciers completely reshaped Maine’s landscape. They carved our lakes and ponds, and sculpted those characteristic fingers and islands into our coastline. Today, Maine is blessed with abundant water, which covers 10 percent of our surface — more freshwater surface area than 46 other states. On the salty side of things, Maine’s tidal shoreline measures 3,478 miles — also ranked fourth in the nation.

Water shapes us, sustains us, and defines us.

In this issue of Habitat, we dive right in. As part of the Year of the Salmon, Catherine Schmitt shares the story of the persistent Atlantic Salmon, including its surprising role in presidential politics. And Kennebunk High School senior Will Jones tells his own story of inspiration and persistence that led him

to become an activist for whales and wildlife, and against balloons and plastic litter.

Summer is of course the perfect time to appreciate water in Maine. As you head outside this season, be sure to find opportunities to visit Fields Pond in Holden, or the magical ponds at Borestone Mountain.

Get out on the water as part of our Annual Loon Count on July 20, or on hundreds of streams and ponds as a volunteer angler with our Brook Trout Survey.

Of course, despite its abundance, water is not a resource we can take for granted. Clean water is essential to us, and to wildlife. On the next page, you’ll see an update on our advocacy work in Augusta on clean water issues. We need your help — if you don’t already receive our Action Alert emails, be sure to sign up at maineaudubon.org/act.

Thank you for all you do to support Maine’s wildlife!

Andy Beahm

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NEWS NOTES DOING GOOD NEW LOON COUNT LEADERSHIP! WITH MAINE We are thrilled to welcome AUDUBON AND wildlife biologist Tracy Hart DOWN EAST to our conservation team.

OUR 4TH ANNUAL NATIVE PLANTS SALE & FESTIVAL Are you a gardener or homeowner looking to integrate native species into your yard? Ready to turn your yard into a wildlife sanctuary? On June 15 at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth, we’ll be hosting this popular annual event to help you do just that! We work with state and regional vendors to source naturally-propagated plants that are easily adaptable to a variety of landscape uses.

We also grow many plants ourselves, and we’ll have experts and resources on hand to help you select the best plants for you.

Join us and choose from over 60 species of potted native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees.

This event is the signature program of Maine Audubon’s “Bringing Nature Home” community engagement and native plant restoration initiative, based on the best-selling book of that title by entomologist Doug Tallamy. It is funded by generous support from Jim and Ann Hancock.

Hope to see you there!

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The “Great Maine Scavenger Hunt” from Down East magazine is back for its third year, and we’re taking part! Participants fan out around Maine to accomplish a wide variety of tasks — from scenic hikes, to restaurant crawls, to candlepin bowling — and share selfies along the way. As the sponsor for the “Doing Good” category, we’re asking Mainers to volunteer in communities around the state, including sharing selfies of them filling bags with plastic litter and other trash. Join the fun at downeast.com/greatmainescavengerhunt.

Hailing from Freeport, Tracy has worked as a biologist in the U.S. and abroad — from studying the effects of pesticides on birds in Botswana, to coral studies in American Samoa, to assisting whale research in Alaska and Mexico, to (most recently) the biosecurity of several coastal islands in California.

Among other projects, Tracy now leads our Loon Project work — which means she is managing our Annual Loon Count, taking place this year on July 20. Learn more at maineaudubon.org/looncount.

ADVOCATING FOR CLEAN WATER We are excited to be making good headway on water quality. On Earth Day, Governor Janet Mills signed LD 216 into law, requiring septic system inspections for any property transfer in the shoreland zone. When septic systems fail, bacteria and excess nutrients can leak into groundwater, ending up in our lakes, streams, and coastal waters.

The passage of LD 216 is great news for wildlife.

Another bill — LD 235 — would increase funding for programs that prevent and control the spread of invasive aquatic plant species. Wildlife that would benefit from this bill include the Common Loon, as well as many other birds, fish, and plant life that call our lakes home. This bill had unanimous support from the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee. We are optimistic that it will be law by the time you read this!

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With Extraordinary Persistence and Force

By Catherine Schmitt

spiring History n I on e m h l a T of the Atlantic S

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Early spring was once a hungry time. Stored food would be running low, and many animals and plants still dormant. Slowly, the snow melted, the rivers begin to flow again. And even before the ice had fully cleared, like magic, the fish returned, a gift of food from the sea.

Among those that migrated between freshwater and the ocean, the Atlantic Salmon was one of the largest and most prized food fish.

Their food value, combined with their history on the landscape and incredible migratory journey, earned salmon the title “King of Fish� and inspired cultures across the Northern Hemisphere. But these same characteristics are today among the reasons why Atlantic Salmon are on the Endangered Species List — and the focus of the International Year of the Salmon in 2019.

Salmon have been here far longer than humans. The Atlantic species, Salmo salar, shares a heritage with other species of salmon and trout and evolved around 250,000 years ago, just as the planet was plunging into a series of ice ages and alternating warm periods. For hundreds of thousands of years, as the human race was emerging in Africa and dispersing across the globe, Atlantic Salmon lived with the ice, and learned to adapt to challenging conditions. Some of these adaptations include eggs that incubate in freshwater streams through long, cold winters; fast growth during short summers; and an ability to tolerate fluctuations in water flow and temperature found in the river landscapes created by glaciers.

The modern history of salmon is intertwined with the history of humanity, as ancient peoples memorialized salmon in carvings, paintings, and stories passed down through generations.

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Their migration is one of the greatest in the animal kingdom.

Young salmon hatch from eggs and spend several years in the upper reaches of freshwater rivers, where predators are few and far between, before traveling thousands of miles to grow into adults in the productive, food-rich waters of the North Atlantic. Adults then migrate back to the very same rivers where they were born to spawn and lay eggs. Unlike Pacific salmon, Atlantic Salmon don’t always die after spawning. Many survive to repeat the cycle again and again.

With extraordinary persistence and force, they make steady progress, swimming against swift rapids, climbing cataracts and launching themselves up unbroken falls as high as twelve feet. They rest in shady pools and lakes along the way. Only the strongest succeed, and sometimes only after repeated attempts. Why go through so much effort? One hypothesis is that if the habitat worked before, it must be a suitable place for making salmon —returning home is a kind of insurance that reproduction will succeed, the young will be adapted to the location, and the family lineage will live on.

Many things have to fall into place to make such a lifestyle work. And yet somehow they do fall into place, President Herbert Hoover is presented the presidential salmon caught by Horace Chapman, 1931.

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The Natural Range of the Atlantic Salmon

again and again, sending adult Salmon back to Northeast rivers every spring. Their natural range extended from New York to Labrador, Iceland, Russia, and Portugal, and included all of the major rivers of Maine.

The Atlantic salmon’s ability to live in saltwater and freshwater, to leap up waterfalls, to journey from mountain to sea and back again, generated stories and rituals throughout its range, from the Celtic Salmon of Knowledge to indigenous North American burial traditions and origin stories.

Of course, part of the reason salmon were such a part of culture is that they also were an important source of food.

Hundreds of thousands of salmon used to ascend Maine rivers. The Wabanaki people fished for salmon with spears at waterfalls and rapids, often at night by torchlight. The fresh fish supplied a feast; the rest were smoked on racks over the fire and stored for winter.

When European colonists arrived, they recognized the fish and began fishing for and eating salmon, which quickly became a commodity. “No fish of its magnitude brings so large a price per pound, and is so universally regarded as a chief delicacy,” U.S. Fish Commissioner Spencer Baird said in 1874. Fresh salmon was served on the Fourth of July with fresh peas and new potatoes, and could be easily purchased in Maine markets.

The Penobscot River was the center of the commercial fishery for salmon, with hundreds of weirs extending from the shorelines of the estuary. Shipped to Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, “Penobscot Salmon” was a recognizable and fancy brand name.

The Penobscot was also the center of fly fishing for salmon.

Between Opening Day on April 1 and sometime in July, anglers vied for who could catch the first fish, the biggest fish,

The historic range of Atlantic salmon in the United States extends from the Hudson River through New England, including all of the major rivers of Maine. American and European salmon converge in the winter off the coast of Greenland.

the hardest-fighting salmon. Newspapers reported daily on the fishery. Local hotel owners wanted bragging rights to serve the season’s first salmon to their guests. Anglers built the Penobscot Salmon Club in Brewer in 1887 (a structure now on the National Register of Historic Places).

In 1912, one of those anglers, a Norwegian immigrant and Bangor resident named Karl Anderson, caught the “first fish” on opening day and decided to send it to Presi-

dent William Howard Taft as a gesture of honor and respect.

The “Presidential Salmon” became an annual tradition, and salmon continued to be a source of shared identity and pride in the Penobscot River region.

But even as the tradition of the Presidential Salmon began, salmon numbers in the Penobscot and elsewhere had already been declining due to commercial fishing (some) and dam construction (mostly). As soon as people began building dams, other people, including members of the Penobscot

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Nation, began protesting against dams because of the impact on fish populations. Remember that salmon reproduce in headwater streams — the cold, clear tributaries hundreds of miles inland from the coast. As dams followed logging activity from head-of-tide sawmills deeper and deeper into the North Woods, they blocked more and more of the salmon’s habitat.

Celebrate the International Year of the Salmon

Atlantic Salmon are of this place, these rivers. Like so much of nature, they sustained and inspired human culFish ladders and hatchery breeding helped. Pollution did ture throughout history. Salmon have survived ice ages and not. By the middle of the twentieth century, in addition to thaws, and carry within them the wisdom they need to find the harm caused by dams, untreated sewage and effluent their way home. That they are still here says a lot about the from pulp and paper mills nearly quality of Maine’s rivers, wiped out Maine’s salmon. There That they are still here says a lot about the their presence a reflection was zero oxygen in the Penobscot quality of Maine’s rivers, their presence a of the human desire for estuary between Winterport and clean water, intact forests, reflection of the human desire for clean Bangor. Fish suffocated, or turned thriving oceans. They rewater, intact forests, thriving oceans. They away, never to return. People, main a source of wonder too, turned away, as the Penobremain a source of wonder and mystery . . . and mystery. Survival of scot and other rivers reeked and Atlantic Salmon into the seethed and foamed with waste. future depends on people retelling their story, restoring their habitat, and reclaiming their heritage.

But some people remembered earlier times, when the river was a source of sustenance and joy. Those who knew and cared about their rivers spoke up, in Maine and across the country. It is because of them, and the federal legislation Catherine Schmitt writes about science, nature, and the they supported (like the Clean Water Act, Endangered Speenvironment. She holds a master’s in ecology and environmental cies Act, and Anadromous Fish Conservation Act), that wild science and is the author of three books Atlantic Salmon are still here. of nonfiction, including The President’s And they are indeed still here. An estimated 769 salmon Salmon: Restoring the King of Fish and returned to the Penobscot River last year — the largest its Home Waters. She currently serves as remaining run of wild Atlantic Salmon in the United States. a science communication specialist with They are still here because their migratory instinct compels Schoodic Institute at them home to their historic landscape. They persist despite Acadia National Park. the presence of dams and myriad challenges in the ocean environment.

/Flickr

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Photo: K e

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Photo: Sean Murphy/Flickr

by getting to know your local river!

Join the conversation. Take a photo of your local river and share it using the hashtag: #knowyourriver

Atlantic Salmon, released by the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February, dams remain one of the most significant threats to Atlantic Salmon. The plan contains many actions that individuals and communities can take to help salmon.

The Penobscot River Restoration Project and Kennebec River restorations were unprecedented and critical. But more than one hundred dams remain in the Penobscot alone. According to the Recovery Plan for Gulf of Maine

Photo: K. Tenga-Gonzalez

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THANK YOU!

Maine Audubon Corporate Partners Many thanks to these Maine businesses who have made a demonstrated commitment to Maine’s environment and wildlife by investing in Maine Audubon.

$10K+

EAGLE

L.L. Bean Portside Real Estate Group Maine Magazine

$5K+

FALCON

Poland Spring WGME 13

$2.5K+ OSPREY

Highland Green Oceanview at Falmouth Martin’s Point Healthcare

$1K+

OWL

Allagash Brewing Company Baker Newman Noyes Brann & Isaacson Cianbro Country Farm Furniture Dow Capital Management H.M. Payson & Co. 12

Insource Renewables Islandport Press Lee Auto Malls People’s United Bank Perkins Thompson, P.A. Platz Associates ReVision Energy Walden Asset Management Wipfli

$500+

LOON

Axis Natural Foods Bath Savings Institution CPRC Group, LLC Giroux Energy Solutions Green Clean Maine Kittery Trading Post Oakhurst Dairy Patrons Oxford Insurance Co. Terrence DeWan Associates The Maine Sportsman

$250+

CARDINAL

Albin, Randall, & Bennett, CPAs Back Cove Financial Bangor Savings Bank Bath Savings Trust Co. BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC BreakTogether, LLC Coastal ACE Hardware Coffee by Design Cornerstone Financial Planning, LLC East Brown Cow Mgmt.

Falmouth House of Pizza Gnome Landscapes Green Bee Soda Havana Restaurant HNTB Corporation Inn By The Sea Kennebunk Savings

Lafayette’s Oceanfront Resort Lee International Matrix Group Benefits Morong Falmouth Nappi Distributors New England BioLabs, Inc. Norman Hanson & DeTroy Norway Savings Bank Osteopathic Healthcare of Maine Pape Subaru, Inc. Peak Dental Health Ransom Consulting, Inc. R.H. Reny, Inc. Royal River Boat Scott Simons Architects Steinke and Caruso Dental Care Sweetser’s Town & Country Federal Credit Union Warner Design Associates Well Tree Members as of 4/30/19

Save the Date!

August 1, 2019 Corporate Partner Networking Event For information on how to become a Maine Audubon Corporate Partner, contact Nick Lund at 207-781-2330 ext. 217 or nlund@maineaudubon.org.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT Pandion haliaetus

When you’re an Osprey, every year is the Year of the Salmon. The return of these large raptors to Maine in April is a sure sign of spring for birders...but it’s bad news if you’re a fish.

Ospreys like to catch their prey alive. They hunt by soaring over open water, hovering above their prey, and then dive-bombing with their massive talons outstretched.

Once snagged, a fish has little chance to escape.

Fish make up about 99 percent of an Osprey’s diet, and the birds have been known to eat all kinds. They’ll pull salmon and trout out of mountain rivers, sunfish and mullet out of southern lakes, and flounder and menhaden from saltwater bays. In fact, the Osprey’s varied diet and its fish-catching skills have allowed the bird to become one of the few bird species occurring naturally on all continents except Antarctica.

The work isn’t over for the Osprey, however. Now stuck in the water grasping a large, wriggling fish, the Osprey must figure out how to get airborne again. By maneuvering its feet so that one grasps the fish’s head and the other its tail, the Osprey faces the fish forward to improve stability and aerodynamics, then pumps its massive wings to pull itself into the air.

The way an Osprey catches its prey sets it apart, too.

Unlike the revered Bald Eagle, which (despite its fearsome reputation) gets most of its food from carrion,

It’s an incredible display from an amazing raptor — even if does leave this Year of the Salmon with one less celebrant.

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By Will Jones

Kid-Powered Advocacy Protecting Whales and Wildlife

Many of us have a moment that changes us. My moment came 12 years ago. Had I been just a little bit younger, I might have missed it, since I wouldn’t have been tall enough to see over the ship’s rail.

Will Jones is a senior at Kennebunk High School.

Below me was a sleepy humpback whale. As I watched, it rolled in the water like a log, looking right at me. I got to look into its eye and saw it sparkle. I held my breath and everything around me just stopped — the people talking, the noise of the boat, everything. It was just me and that whale looking at each other.

That connection has been there forever. It wasn’t a moment I expected. Standing on that boat, I had no idea how my life would change — and how many others’ lives would be affected — because of that whale.

Back on land, my desire to understand that experience drove me to read every book in the school library about whales. I drew whales on my notebooks. I wrote letters to scientists asking them questions about whales. When I heard Humpback Whales were coming off the endangered species list, opening them up to hunting, I went to my first grade class for help and asked them to make origami whales to send to the International Whaling Commission.

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Imagine our excitement to receive a letter back from Dr. William T. Hogarth, US International Whaling Commissioner, informing us that, “I, too, am concerned about the taking of humpback whales by Japan and appreciated the messages written on the many origami whales created by your class. I applaud your interest in this matter.” My classmates still remember this project and the empowerment it gave them — and me.

Soon, I became a junior intern with the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and began working on the whale watch boats, teaching passengers about whales alongside naturalist Dianna Schulte.

One day, I heard Dianna tell the story of the “sweatpants whale” — a 37-foot-long Gray Whale that washed up on a Seattle beach in 2010 with over 50 gallons of undigested contents in its stomach, including sweatpants, surgical gloves, duct tape, a golf ball, and more than 20 plastic bags.

I wrote to John Calambokidis of the Olympia-based Cascadia Research Collective to learn more. Like Dr. Hogarth, he

took the time to write back to me. The necropsy photos of the whale that Mr. Calambokidis sent me became a centerpiece of an “info board” I built to help educate people about this topic. Over the past 12 years, that info board has grown with me, and become an important tool that connects with people of all ages. I’ve brought it to summer camps, Rotary Club meetings, my school — anywhere someone would listen to me talk about balloon trash in the water.

Blue Ocean eventually invited me to present my project at the Naturalist Educator Workshop at Seacoast Science Center in Rye, alongside scientists from NOAA and area colleges. My 15-minute segment was entitled “Kids Inspiring Kids.” That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned: When adults take the time to listen to kids and support their passions, kids get empowered...and when empowered kids take the time to empower other kids, they can build an army of volunteers.

Last year around Earth Day, I helped organize a “Balloon-Free b-Earth-day party” at Kennebunk Elementary School for Ladder the Whale. Ladder was a real Fin Whale who lived in the Gulf of Maine, with a scar on his back that resembled a ladder. I brought a full-sized inflatable Fin Whale, which children and their parents could walk around and explore. We decorated with paper streamers — showing how a party can still be a blast without balloons.

Two elementary school students — Arturo and Roman Grimes — visited Ladder at his b-Earth-day party and

learned about balloon trash. A year later, the two boys stood with me before the Maine Legislature’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and testified in favor of LD 937, An Act Regarding the Sale and Release or Abandonment of Balloons.

That’s the kind of impact I’m talking about.

Time and again, kids have shown that they can understand the harm balloons do to animals and the environment, and they are happy to embrace alternatives to balloons.

Kids are our strongest voices and our best hope at saving more whales, turtles, and other wildlife. This is true Kid Power.

Did you know?

Balloons can travel thousands of miles, polluting the most remote and pristine places.

When an animal swallows a balloon, it can block its intestinal tract, leading to starvation.

For seabirds, balloons are 32 times more likely to result in death than ingesting hard plastic.

Sea turtles and other marine creatures are known to confuse balloons with jellyfish.

Birds, whales, turtles, sheep, and other animals have all been killed by balloons.

Ribbons, flags, temporary signs, and flowers are great alternative ways to advertise birthday parties and other events at the end of your driveway!

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Calendar of Events

on the LAND

daily/weekly Wednesday Morning Bird Walk June 12-September 25, 7-8:30 am, Scarborough Marsh Bird and Nature Walks Thursdays, 7 am, Gilsland Farm Family Nature Walk: Mummichugs and Marsh Muck Wednesdays, June 26-August 21, 10:30 am-12 pm Scarborough Marsh

june Picnic at the Pond June 7, 5-8 pm, Gilsland Farm Explore our favorite aquatic ecosystem Book Signing and Reading: Mystery Chick by local author Glennis Chabot June 8, 10-11 am, Gilsland Farm Wild Edibles Walk with Russ Cohen June 12, 2-5 pm, Gilsland Farm Co-sponsored by Wild Seed Project

Speaker Series: The State of New England Plants with Arthur Haines June 12, 7 pm, Gilsland Farm Co-sponsored by Native Plant Trust

Moth Night June 14, 7:30 pm, Fields Pond Hands-on participation. (Ages 6+)

Full event listings, pricing, and registration at 16

maineaudubon.org/events

Gilsland Farm Audubon Center Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center Fields Pond Audubon Center

Field Botany: Wildflower Walk June 15, 9:30-11 am, Fields Pond Traverse field, forest and wetland habitats to explore the diversity at Fields Pond.

Native Plants Sale & Festival June 15, 10 am - 4 pm, Gilsland Farm Climate Change Maine with Dr. Ivan Fernandez. U Maine School of Forest Resources & Climate Change Institute June 18, 7 pm, Fields Pond Peony Member Celebration Event June 19, 4-7 pm, Gilsland Farm For Kids: Tiny Tot Tour June 28, 10:30-11:30 am, Scarborough Marsh Nature Journaling: Wildflowers with Maine Master Naturalist Andrea Lani June 29, 10 am-2 pm, Fields Pond

july For Kids: Exploring Nature Through Art July 9, 10:30 am-12 pm, Scarborough Marsh Greendrinks July 9, 5:30 pm, Gilsland Farm (21+) A “One Health” Approach to Loon Conservation with Professor Emeritus, Mark Pokras, Tufts University and PhD Student Brooke Hafford MacDonald, U Maine July 12, 7 pm, Fields Pond

august Book Signing: Nature Notes from Maine by local author and Orr’s Island resident Ed Robinson July 13, 11 am-1 pm, Gilsland Farm Insect Bio Blitz at Fields Pond (Free) July 13, 10 am-2 pm Calling all bug catchers!

Sunday Funday Family Nature Exploration July 14, 21, 28, 11 am-12 pm, Gilsland Farm Join a master naturalist for an outdoor adventure.

Night Hike & Bats August 1, 8-9:30 pm, Scarborough Marsh For Kids: Tiny Tot Tour August 2, 10:30-11:30 am, Scarborough Marsh For Kids: Exploring Nature Through Art August 6, 10:30 am-12 pm, Scarborough Marsh Creating a Seashell Wreath August 7, 5:30-7 pm, Scarborough Marsh

For Kids: Nature Pottery July 16, 10:30 am-12 pm, Scarborough Marsh

Snowy Egret Day (Most programs free) August 10, 9 am-5:30 pm, Scarborough Marsh

For Kids: Cat Tales Stories July 19, 10:30-11:30 am, Scarborough Marsh Join a nature walk, story, and craft.

For Kids: Nature Pottery August 13, 10:30 am-12 pm, Scarborough Marsh

Celebrate Summer at Fields Pond! (Free) July 20, 10 am- 2 pm Fun activities for kids and adults alike!

Marsh-wide Bird Survey July 25, 8-11 am, Scarborough Marsh For Kids: Pollinator Power July 25, 10:30 am-12 pm, Scarborough Marsh Aquatic Plants of Maine July 25, 7 pm, Fields Pond An overview of the role aquatic plants play in their ecosystem. Note:This program will be an excellent primer for the aquatic plant paddle to follow on Saturday.

Restoring Maine’s Meadows Workshop with Heather McCargo July 30, 2 pm, Gilsland Farm Co-sponsored by Wild Seed Project

Marsh-wide Bird Survey (Free) August 17, 7-10 am, Scarborough Marsh For Kids: Nature Detectives August 22, 10:30-12 pm Scarborough Marsh Snakes of Maine August 9, 7pm, Fields Pond Field Botany: Tree Walk August 24, 9:30-11 am Fields Pond Labor Day Weekend Extravaganza August 31-September 2 9 am-5:30 pm Scarborough Marsh

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Calendar of Events 18

on the WATER Sunset Canoe Tour at Scarborough Marsh June 30 - 7:30-9 pm July 30, 31 - 7-8:30 pm August 30 - 6:30-8 pm

Guided Kayak Tour July 20, 2 -3:30 pm, Scarborough Marsh

Full Moon Canoe Tours at Scarborough Marsh June 15, 16, 17, 8-9:30 pm July 14, 15, 16, 8-9:30 pm August 13, 14, 15, 7:30-9 pm Moonlight Canoe Paddle on Fields Pond June 16, 7:30 pm July 16, 7:30 pm August 16, 7 pm Daily Canoe/Kayak Rentals June 15-September 2, 9 am-4:30 pm Scarborough Marsh Guided Canoe Tours June 22-September 2, 10-11:30 am Scarborough Marsh

Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center Fields Pond Audubon Center

Field Botany: Aquatic Plants Paddle July 27, 10 am-12 pm, meet at Fields Pond boat landing Nature Sketching by Canoe August 8, 1-2:30 pm, Scarborough Marsh Morning Birding by Canoe Tour August 11, 6:30-8 am, Scarborough Marsh Invasive Plant Patrol Training August 18, 10 am-1 pm, Fields Pond This fun guided exploration takes place on shore and on the water. Learn about Maine’s native aquatic plants, and the invasives that threaten them.

Save Dates THE

around the STATE The Portland Press Herald’s Maine Voices with Doug Hitchcox and Nick Lund June 4, 7-8 pm, One Longfellow Square, Portland Forestry for Maine Birds Integrating bird conservation into forest management and planning.

June 7, 9 am, Farmington June 10, 4 pm, Weston Woods, Madison June 22, 9:30 am, Skowhegan July 17, 9:30 am, Mount Vernon Seabirds of Matinicus Rock Boat Trip June 7, 8 am-4 pm New Harbor, Maine Rangeley Birding Festival June 7-9 FMI: FLHT.org Sunset Puffin Cruises June 13 and 26, 7 pm, New Harbor

AUTUMN BOAT TRIPS Bar Harbor Pelagic September 14 Bald Eagles of Merrymeeting Bay September 21

Grassland Birds of Kennebunk Plains June 17, 7 am, Kennebunk Plains Maine’s top destination for state-rare and uncommon species.

Sponsored by the Downeast Audubon Chapter

Plants of Corea Heath with Jill Weber, botanist and co-author of The Plants of Acadia National Park Saturday, June 22, 8:30 am, Gouldsboro Learn about the ecology of this unique 600-acre Frenchman Bay Conservancy property and its wildlife.

FMI: downeastaudubon.org Sponsored by the Merrymeeting Audubon Chapter

Field Trip: Maine Bird Atlas Breeding Survey June 23, 6:30-11:30 am, Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell A community science project to survey breeding birds.

FMI: Gordon Smith, (207) 725-0282.

Maine Audubon Annual Loon Count July 20, State-wide Sponsored by the Mid-Coast Audubon Chapter

Field Trip: Pine Point and Biddeford Pool Thursday, August 22, 7 am Meet at Damariscotta’s Hannaford FMI: Dennis McKenna, (207) 563-8439 Native Plants Walk with Arthur Haines Saturday, August 24, 10 am Coffin Wildflower Reservation, Woolwich Co-sponsored by Native Plant Trust

Sponsored by the York County Audubon Chapter

The State of Maine’s Wildlife with Judy Camuso Commissioner of the MIF&W June 18, 6:45-8:15 pm, Mather Auditorium Wells Reserve at Laudholm FMI: yorkcountyaudubon.org

Full event listings, pricing, and registration at

maineaudubon.org/events

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ALMANAC The Naturalist’s

NATURALIST HQ A Walk in Oaxaca Doug Hitchcox, Staff Naturalist

In total, we saw 185 different bird species on the trip, 24 of them Mexican endemics. Some real beauties, too — my retinas are still recovering from the stunning plumages of Orange-breasted Bunting and Red Warbler. But perhaps more fun than seeing these range-restricted Mexican birds was seeing familiar Maine birds on their wintering grounds — migrants that will be returning to Maine around the time you read this article.

I wrote about avitourism in Spring 2018 issue of Habitat, following our South Texas tour, and the important role birders can play in supporting the local economies during these trips. In Mexico, our itinerary allowed us to visit important cultural sites, including one of the oldest cities in Mesoamerica — dating back to nearly 500 BCE! From small, local restaurants to visiting the famous Mendoza sisters for a tour of their dying and weaving processes, it was

great to be able to support the local people that make a living in these bird-friendly locations.

You can read a full report from our trip to Oaxaca at maineaudubon.org/oaxaca.

Although the summer and its beautiful weather is upon us, now is a great time to be planning for an upcoming getaway in the cooler months. We still have space on our tour to Louisiana this October (2428) targeting Yellow Rails and many other species arriving on their wintering grounds (and you bet there will be cajun food!).

Registration has also just opened for our Costa Rica tour in January of 2020. This will be a custom itinerary to target species like Resplendent Quetzals and Scarlet Macaws. And in March 2020, we’re heading to Southeast Arizona — hands down my favorite place to bird in the US! A list of our trips with itineraries, past trip lists, and registration information can be found at maineaudubon.org/tours. Let’s escape the winter doldrums and see some birds together!

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15 Look (but don’t touch) as Snowy Lady’s Slippers are beginning to bloom.

17 Look for Common Eider ducklings along Maine’s coast.

Females will gather their young in groups called creches.

21 Today marks the Summer Solstice.

25 Are you seeing baby birds around? Report them to the Maine Bird Atlas!

4 What a great time to be at the beach — but watch out for young Piping Plovers that haven’t fledged yet.

JULY

The flock of Least Sandpipers we saw at Presa Piedra Azul could be scattered along Maine’s beaches, or stopping over in the Scarborough Marsh on their way to the arctic. The Blue-headed Vireo spotted outside Monte Alban could be in your backyard, singing “look-up... over here…” preparing to nest this summer. It was inspiring to see these birds during the winter and get an additional “piece of the puzzle” of their life cycle.

6 Now is the best time to look for adult White Admirals flying around Maine.

20 Time for the annual Loon Count!

21 National Moth Week started yesterday — try using iNaturalist to identify and ocument moths in your yard.

26 Juvenile Osprey are leaving their nests for the first time.

30 Delay mowing your fields. Bobolinks are nesting and Monarchs will soon be looking for milkweed.

AUGUST

Following our successful trip to South Texas in 2018, we’ve continued to build Maine Audubon’s trips program, working with Field Guides, Inc. to offer birding tours to distant locales.

In March, our second tour came together with 14 Maine Audubon members journeying to Oaxaca, Mexico, for a week of beautiful birds, historic culture, and delicious food.

Buenos días!

JUNE

3 Watch out for Snapping Turtles crossing roads as they are looking for places to lay their eggs.

4 Listen for Dog-day Cicadas making their high buzzy song, iconic in the summer months.

12 The Perseids meteor shower peaks tonight, but a nearly full moon may make them hard to see.

13 Woodchucks are fattening up, already planning for winter.

29 Common Nighthawk migration is peaking, sometimes seen by the hundreds passing over waterways.

30 Jewelweed is blooming and providing a valuable fuel source for hummingbirds getting ready to head south.

21

The Goldfinch and Her Mate The goldfinch and her mate, they wait for the thistle seed to come.

Amidst catbird noise and strong bright leaf, they wait.

The last to breed. The seed will come.

In oil-dark eye the owl chick grows and limbs its blinking way to flight.

In the sun-short days of summer’s end, she knows Her nest will buzz when the seed is right.

I choose to raise you, she says, in the sweetest of days.

The apple is soon to ripen on the bough.

For now, the thick rich seed: Eat, eat.

Is all she will allow.

Ian Carlsen Portland, Maine Member since 2014 22

Please submit original poems to habitat@maineaudubon.org for consideration.

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20 Gilsland Farm Road Falmouth, ME 04105

and on June 19 we are celebrating you!

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage P A I D Portland, ME Permit No. 92

m o o l B

100% PCW & FSC logos

June is in

Peony Bloom and Ice Cream Social Member Celebration!

June 19, 4-7pm Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, Falmouth

This fun annual party is just for Maine Audubon members. Bring your membership card (or give your name at the entrance). New members can join and walk right in, too!

! e r e h t u o y e Se

Come celebrate our amazing community with ice cream, art, live music, kids activities — and of course the iconic peonies of Gilsland Farm.

FMI: maineaudubon.org/peonyday