Just when it is safe to go outdoors without fear of brown-tailed moth caterpillars or disease-bearing mosquitos, along comes more bad news. While this new pest will not harm you directly, it damages the environment around you, and if you are a gardener there is no joy in this article. Even worse, this pest is… Read more
The middle of August found me wandering around the mud flats in eastern Maine with binoculars plastered to my face. A fair question would be why not slog around in Harpswell’s mud flats? Well, at my age I take any excuse to travel in order to see new habitats and fascinating species. The occasion was… Read more
This has been a year of travel, allowing me to view large numbers of fascinating species, many of them for the first time. It is my habit to make notes when in the field, both to record numbers of creatures but also species I have seen for the first time so I can do my… Read more
Wild turkeys in the backyard again, this time five large gobblers. Normally the birds pick their way along, grabbing a seed or an insect that catches their sharp eyes. This time the smallest tom was either feeling his oats, or he was tired of being picked on by the larger birds. Turkeys always have a… Read more
Definitions vary by your choice of dictionary, but for our purposes the word “pelagic” means “species related to or living in the open sea.” This contrasts with species of coastal areas or on the bottom of the sea, known as the benthic zone. By now you may be wondering, so why are you writing about… Read more
“Pssst.” Roused from a deep sleep, I wasn’t sure what woke me, so I lay there listening. “Psssst!” This time it was louder and more insistent. My tentmate Andy. “What do you want?” I mumbled. “Shhhh. There’s a bear out there.” I had not heard a sound other than Andy’s hissing, but we were camped… Read more
History tells us that the early Egyptians were the first to experiment with slices of crystal to improve human vision. By the 12th century A.D. early opticians were creating basic lenses from glass and putting them in frames to correct vision problems. Historical records show that the first person to seek a patent on a… Read more
One of the joys of writing nature books is the opportunity to share my photo presentations with people around Maine. From Kittery to Bar Harbor, Rangeley to Harpswell, folks of all ages enjoy seeing photos of wildlife and telling their own stories about encounters in the outdoors. At times I wonder who is getting more… Read more
Please consider a vital question – how can an animal with a brain the size of a walnut be so devilishly clever, defeating nearly every human-designed device and construction to keep him out? If you like to feed the birds, you know exactly what I mean. There are many YouTube videos to prove just how… Read more
Over the years I have written several articles about the unique black and white beauties found on Harpswell’s winter waters. I have great appreciation for these hardy birds that include common loons, buffleheads, and common eiders. They may not add a splash of color to a season that is mostly shades of gray, but they… Read more