Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper (2014)

This bird is one of several sandpipers in Maine.  The Semipalmated Sandpiper, described as perhaps one of the most numerous shorebirds in North America, is not a permanent resident, but is does migrate through the state. Those featured here passed through Harpswell in early October of 2014 at N43° 48′ 50.18″ W69° 56′ 40.90″.

Southport Island

Cape Island south of Cape Newagen (2013)

Located between Sheepscot Bay and Booth Bay, it is connected by a swing bridge to the town of Boothbay Harbor, and the casual visitor might not assume the town with two lighthouses was on an island. See photos. At the height of the summer, traffic is often backed up at the bridge as boats pass. Townsend Gut is the narrow waterway that separates the two towns. It is a shortcut from Boothbay Harbor to the Sheepscot River. The general store in West Southport village has been an institution for over a century.

Sparrows

Chipping Sparrow (2010)

Several species of sparrows abound in Maine’s collection of birds.  They include the Chipping, Song, and White-throated sparrows. All are between 5 and 7 inches long. In an unusual twist, the female and male sparrows noted here have the same color schemes. Chipping Sparrow The distinctive mark is the rust-colored crown atop their heads. The…

Species, Endangered and Threatened

Eagles Nest Distribution 2008

Since European settlement, at least 14 species of wildlife are known to have been completely eliminated from the Maine environment. To prevent further losses, the Maine Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1975. In 1986, Maine’s first list of 23 Endangered and Threatened species was adopted. After the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife…

Spencer Bay Township

Moose on the Spencer Bay Road near Spencer Pond in Spencer Bay Township (2011)

This township in Piscataquis County abuts a long shore of Moosehead Lake by way of Spencer Bay. The Spencer Bay Road trends northwest from Kokadjo to Spencer Pond in East Middlesex Canal Grant Township. Roach River also flows northwest about five miles from First Roach Pond to Spencer Bay. Campgrounds are frequent along the northeast…

St. Agatha

Farmland and the Village at Long Lake (2005)

Settled by Acadians, the name derives from the parish church that was established in 1890. Farming and lumbering have been this St. John Valley area town’s historic economic base. Located on the northwest shore of Long Lake, Maine Route 162 from Frenchville passes through the main village, then hugs the lake shore and continues along nearby Mud Lake.

St. John River

St. John River at Van Buren (2003)

begins, in its Southwest Branch, from Little St. John Lake in the unorganized township of T5 R20 WELS on Maine’s northwestern border with the province of Quebec, Canada. The Northwest Branch is born in Beaver Pond in the northwestern township T12 R17 WELS. This Branch is joined by the Daaquam River flowing from Quebec. The…

T10 R12 WELS

National Register of Historic Places – Listings Photos, and edited text are from nominations to the National Register of Historic Places researched by Maine. Historic Preservation Commission. Full text and photos are at https://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp  Boarding House and Storehouse at Churchill Depot             The Boarding House and Storehouse at Churchill Depot are located…

T3 R4 BKP WKR

Location Map for T3 R4 BKP WKR

T3 R4 BKP WKR This township hosts the Long Falls Dam on the Dead River. That dam maintains the level of Flagstaff Lake, but required the removal of the village of Flagstaff, which was flooded as a result of its construction.. There was a small natural lake at Flagstaff. In 1950, Central Maine Power Company…

Temperature Normals

by the month for forty-nine locations in Maine, one aspect of the climate, are calculated by taking the mean (average) of the maximum and minimum temperatures for a location, in a given month, over the thirty-year period. “Normal” temperatures are calculated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on a thirty-year basis. The data, available…

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow at the Viles Arboretum (2002)

The Tree Swallow remains in Maine, along the coast, near freshwater ponds, and in agricultural fields, during the summer.  Thereafter, as with many other birds, it migrates to to southern coastal states, Mexico and Central America. This one apparently decided to take up residence in one of the bird boxes provided in an open field…

Troy

Classic Barn in Troy (2006)

Maine Route 220 joins U.S. Route 202/Maine Route 9 at Green’s Corner near the shore of Unity Pond. Carleton Pond, Bog, and Stream are accessible from Route 220 in the north end of town. The 1840 Troy Union Meeting House is a classic example of a type of meeting house or church in Maine in the four decades prior to the Civil War.

Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse

The Tufted Titmouse is a bird found in the southern half of Maine year-round.  Nationally, its range is essentially east of the Mississippi River. Slate gray with a white belly and a rusty area below the wings, the male, female and young Titmouse share the same color and appearance. It nests in holes in trees,…