According to the Audubon Society’s Field Guide to North American Birds, “The Bobolink was probably confined to the central grasslands originally, but with the settling of the Northeast it quickly spread into New England. Now with farms abandoned and the land returning to forest, the species is declining.” In Harpswell, a large portion of Mitchell…
Precipitation normals are calculated by taking the mean (average) of the precipitation in each month, over a thirty-year period. Sixty-one locations reported on this aspect of Maine’s climate for the period 1971 through 2010. Data reflects the average in the number of days with a minimum of .01 inches of precipitation for a location. See…
Here are the coldest to the warmest areas of the state, based on 49 reporting stations. Data, collected by month for thirty years, are calculated by recording the difference between the mean temperature for a month, and 65 degrees as the base temperature. (See detailed definition below.) HDD = heating degree days; CDD = cooling…
The following heating and cooling degree day normals by month for forty-nine locations in Maine, one aspect of the climate, are calculated by recording the difference between the mean temperature for a month and 65 degrees as the base temperature. (See detailed definition below.) HDD = heating degree days; CDD = cooling degree days; AP…
Relics of farmhouses hint at the glory days of Maine’s agricultural tradition. In remote villages, scenes of abandoned homes, churches, and vehicles mark changes in communities as populations ebb. The landscape is littered with these ghosts of Maine’s past, recalling a lost civilization but evoking questions of their secrets. …
Maine has had its share of notorious crimes, such as the 2003 mass poisoning in New Sweden. The Brady Gang was responsible for another. Its career ended in Bangor on October 12, 1937. Here is an excerpt from the Federal Bureau of Investigations account of their crime spree: During the latter part of the year…
(above) Fourth Machias Lake, rough beach, and boat launch site in Sakom Township (2013) Sakom Township, also known as T5 ND BPP, is certainly a “land of lakes.” Included within it boundaries are major segments of Sysladobis Lake, Pocumus Lake, and Fourth…
Fourth Lake Road in T6 ND BPP (2013) @ This township is just west of Grand Lake Stream Plantation. Its Fourth Lake Road leads to the interior, to nearby lakes, including Pocumcus Micmac for “at the gravelly place.” * Eventually the road leads to a campsite and boat launch at Fourth Machias Lake…
Panoramic View of wind turbines from U.S. Route 1 in Brookton (2013) Brookton is an unorganized township just south of Danforth on U.S. Route 1, one of its only two improved roads. The other, Forest City Road in the southeastern corner, passes by Brook Lake, half of which is in Brookton. A…
A relatively shy and infrequently noticed bird in Maine, the northern shrike often perches atop a tree awaiting a food opportunity. Unlike most songbirds, this one preys on small birds and rodents. This one, uncharacteristically, was in downtown Brewer near City Hall. Their primary habitats in summer are open spaces in woods or swampy areas…
The town of Aurora is home to two geologic features created by ancient glaciers. Silsby Plain This feature is an example of geologic deltas, which are formed where streams produced by melting ice enter a body of water. The Silsby Plain was a delta deposited into a narrow marine inlet when the sea was at…
This unorganized township northeast of Greenville is probably best known for the village of Kokadjo and First Roach Pond. The village is at the north end of the pond, which is wholly contained within the township. Kokadjo is short for Kok (kettle) Wadjo (mountain) pegwasebem (lake); together “Kettle Mountain Lake.”* …
This bird’s year round home is along the southeast coast of the United States and islands in the Caribbean. But the Glossy Ibis is an occasional visitor during the summer mating season. These two, on the right, were observed at the Scarborough Marsh in 2010, along with apparent summer vacation friends in the feather of…
Political party electoral strength has followed certain geographic patterns in recent years. In the maps below Maine Senate district election results are illustrated: blue for Democrats, red for Republicans, and yellow for non-party (“independent”) candidates. During this period the only independent elected to the Senate has been Richard Woodbury of Yarmouth representing Senate District 11.…
This duck is, in fact, common throughout Maine in the summer and year round within about 40 miles of the coast from York County to Hancock County. Lakes are their preferred habitat. Long at 22-27 inches, the common merganser has a pointed, orange bill with jagged edges to catch slippery fish. The male’s dark green…
“Best known for its soft, warm down”, the large diving sea-duck common eider, according to Audubon*, is “most easily observed because of its tendency to remain close to shore and its relative abundance, especially in northeastern North America. This cold ocean inhabitant is the largest duck in the Northern Hemisphere.” While this bird’s range is…
These pigeon-like birds visit home bird feeders, feasting mostly on seeds that drop to the ground. They remain year-round within about 40 miles of the coast. In summer they may be found in all but northern Piscataquis, Somerset and Aroostook (western portion) counties. The doves are ground feeders in the wild and measure 12…
Megunticook
This forested, rural unorganized township in Hancock County has few residents and no major village. Fletchers Landing is a small village on Graham Lake, a large water body north of Ellsworth.
This sea bird with a colorful bill lives year round near the coast of Washington and eastern Hancock counties. The largest concentration of puffins is at Machias Seal Island, off shore from Cutler in Washington County. The island is claimed by Canada. At twelve inches tall, the birds seem tiny in the water among the…