in Maine have been relatively mild since the reported “big one” on November 18, 1755, which was felt widely across New England and did great damage in Massachusetts. On April 20, 2002 people in Maine felt their houses shaking at 6:50 a.m. when a quake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck, the strongest in…
This seven-inch gray bird with brown wings returns to southern Maine in early spring to build its nest, often in the usual place unless it has been destroyed. The insect eating Phoebe makes its news under overhanging structures, such as eaves, second floor decks, and bridges. It perches on branches or posts awaiting the unsuspecting…
Just north of Brownville on Route 11, this township contains the East Branch of the Pleasant River which feeds the connected West Pond, Pearl Pond and Ebeemee Lake. Small year-round and seasonal cottages are located on the access roads and on the shorelines. …
The Great Egret and the Snowy Egret are both well-known birds along the Maine Coast. Egrets are part of the heron family. Great Egret This egret is all white with a yellow bill and black legs. Its length of 35-41 inches is exceeded by it wingspan of 55 inches. It has been known as the…
“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…
In general, “A Superfund site is an uncontrolled or abandoned place where hazardous waste is located, possibly affecting local ecosystems or people.”1 A federal Superfund site is any land in the United States that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by EPA as a candidate for cleanup under the federal Superfund program because…
is the science of managing forest resources for human benefit. Maine has had a long history of using forest resources and an equally long history of controversy over whether proper management of those resources has been adequate.
Maine contains an estimated 17.5 million acres of forest land in 2015. The acreage of forest land has been quite stable since 1960, covering more than 89 percent of the State’s total land area. The number of live trees greater than 1 inch in diameter is approaching 24.4 billion trees. Total timberland estimates reveal the…
The Forks village is at the confluence of the Kennebec and Dead Rivers. Appalachian Trail southbound hikers enter from Caratunk at the southeast corner at the very southern tip of Moxie Pond, trekking over Middle Mountain, then north of Pleasant Pond over Pleasant Pond Mountain before reentering Caratunk.
Bald Mountain Public Reserved Land, Rangeley. Bald Mountain’s one mile trail to the summit offers panoramic views of Rangeley, Cupsuptic and Mooselookmeguntic lakes and the Height of Land. Especially popular in the fall with autumn colors, the area contains more than 200 species of wildlife in its 1,873 acres. A short trail leads to the…
Settled in the early 1800s, the island had a population of 19 in 1820, when fishing and some logging sustained the community. Other than for a period of pulpwood harvesting, few roads were constructed outside Lunt Harbor. See amateur film, video and photos. While many Maine islands struggle to maintain a critical mass of population, Frenchboro experienced a substantial reversal of three decades of decline when the 2010 U.S. Census confirmed sixty-one people as resident.
by Patt Corr (retired – contact Brad Allen)) Wildlife Biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Description The snow goose, white-fronted goose, Canada goose, and Atlantic brant occur in Maine. The white-fronted goose, snow goose and Atlantic brant are only observed in Maine as they migrate through. Among these birds, the Canada goose is…
Maine has varied geographic features, from its coast to its lakes, to its mountains and streams. It has 73 rivers longer than 20 miles and countless other rivers and streams. More than 700 mountains reach over 1,000 feet. The state’s land area is 30,843 square miles. The straight-line measure of the coast is…
Geology in Maine is heavily influenced by collisions with the Earth’s plates and by the impact of glaciers. BEDROCK GEOLOGY The geologic history recorded in Maine’s bedrock covers close to 1.5 billion years – approximately one-third of the total age of the Earth. Over this period a variety of geologic processes – sedimentation, deformation (folding…
Allen Island with the Weymouth Cross; Benner Island at Right (2006) The Georges Islands are about four miles south southwest of Port Clyde in Knox County. They include Allen, Benner, Davis, Burnt and Little Burnt islands. According to The Maine Island Trail 2000 Stewardship Handbook and Guide (p. 125), “In the 1800’s, fishing and…
Glenwood contains most of Wytopitlock Lake (the balance is in T2 R4 WELS) and Orcutt Brook, which empties into it. In 2004 only a few camps were scattered along the rocky shore. The Bureau of State Parks and Public Lands owns and maintains a boat launch in the shallow outlet cove, located in Glenwood. Wytopitlock Stream is the outlet and the start of a popular canoe trip. Glenwood is subject to the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, which has identified critical natural areas in the plantation.
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…
A male in summer is a yellow bird with a black patch on its forehead, with black wings and tail and white on the wings and rump. In winter he looks much like the female: a dull olive yellow with brownish wings. The male has a bright orange bill, while the female’s is, again, a…
Two Islands These two small islands, in the town of Harpswell, are in Middle Bay, a major inlet off Casco Bay. A popular destination for boaters, they lie just off the southern tip of Lower Goose Island. Each has campsites with a strict carry-in carry-out policy. Maine Coast Heritage Trust is the owner and steward.…
The Common Grackle is a bird found throughout Maine in the summer; but it migrates to the southern states for the winter. As is well described in the Birds of Maine field Guide, the male is a “Large [11-13 inches] black bird with iridescent blue black head, purple brown body, long black tail, long thin…