When staying at the cabin during the summer I love to spend time in the 40-acre mountain-top field surrounded by extensive mixed forest. I may be working, walking or just sitting. Nearly 2,000 feet in elevation on the northern edge of the Appalachians in central New York State, it is a cold, windy place in… Read more
Dave Reed of Reed’s Seeds was advising me on the products I would need to complete a new pollinator plot in the field. A Conservation Stewardship Program grant from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) would provide up to $300 for a pollinator seed mix. The good folks at NRCS provided a list of… Read more
The King A friend once suggested that I write more stories about insects. I reminded him that insects are not a topic of polite conversation in Maine unless we are griping about ravenous mosquitoes, invasive brown tail moths or swarming black flies (often suggested with tongue in cheek as the next state bird). Don’t get… Read more
My recollections of early youth get a bit fuzzier over time but I remember my first outing with a fly rod. I was probably 12 years old, using an old Shakespeare rod and a top water “popper,” a floating frog imitation that made a lot of noise when retrieved quickly. Friends gave permission to fish… Read more
Some bird species are so distinctive in appearance that you can identify them at a glance. A Northern Flicker flying away reveals a bright white patch on its rump. A large flash of bright red around your home is likely the male Northern Cardinal. This month’s bird is equally distinctive during breeding season, with the… Read more
Moving to Maine in 2007 was a big step, having lived abroad for many years. We were excited by the natural beauty and recreational opportunities around us. I was keen to learn about fishing the myriad lakes, ponds and streams in this lightly populated state. I found a few friendly souls through volunteer work with… Read more
As I walked along the harvested cornfield a small flock of light-colored birds took rapid flight. These were one of the smallest winter visitors to our area, the Snow Bunting. Sometimes described as an Arctic specialist, this is the most northern breeding song bird on Earth. The birds are lovely all year, but the breeding… Read more
Some people find the winter months a bleak time for watching local birds because most of the colorful songbirds have fled to warmer climes. Fortunately, our warming winters mean we can enjoy Northern Cardinals, Blue Jays, and a few other pretty faces but all those showy warblers are long gone. I enjoy this time of… Read more
Mike could hardly believe his eyes as he stalked as close as he dared to the apparition on the stony beach. If you are persistent and patient, long hours of searching sometimes pay off in unexpected moments. Mike settled into position and began taking shots he had hardly imagined would come his way. The focus… Read more
To call this iconic bird “common” seems an insult but it distinguishes one of our favorite birds from other loons in the Gavia genus, such as the red throated, Pacific and Great Northern loons. But any Maine tourist worth her salt can spot these stunning black and white, red eyed birds at a distance. I… Read more