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Great Blue Heron (above) and Osprey (right)
Photos by Thomas Arter
Birding the Pemaquid Peninsula in May
The Damariscotta River Association (DRA) is sponsoring
a series of bird walks during May, one on each of the month’s
Saturdays. Meet the trip leader, ornithologist Tom Arter, at DRA
headquarters, Salt Bay Heritage Farm, on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta, at
7 a.m. Participants will carpool to selected birding sites. This is an
opportunity to note different species in different locations and over time.
The walks are free of charge. Dogs are not invited.
DRA is a nonprofit, membership-supported organization
dedicated to preserving and promoting the natural, cultural and historical
heritage of the Damariscotta River, its watershed and adjacent areas for
the benefit of all. The association has active programs in the areas of
lands protection, stewardship, community education, water quality
monitoring, marine conservation and cultural preservation. For more
information, call 563-1393 or view the Web site at www.draclt.org.
Three Belfast Bird Walks Planned for Bird Day, May 17
To set the mood for a day of bird-related activities on
Bird Day, Saturday, May 17, the Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition is offering
a choice of three different bird walks. At 7 a.m. there will be a stroll
along the New River Trail led by Cloe Chunn and Lyndon and Cathy Morgan.
The group will meet at the Walsh Ball Field parking lot across from the
YMCA on Route 52 in Belfast.
A second walk, also at 7 a.m., will trace the City
Point railroad tracks. The walk will start at the Old Upper Bridge parking
lot on Belfast’s High Street. George Kleuber and Mark DiGirolamo will
lead. For later risers, a third trek at 8 a.m. will cover the Water
District Trail and will meet at the Water District parking lot off Route 1
in Belfast. Ron Harrell and Don Phillips will shepherd this group.
The walks are free and open to the public. No
registration is necessary; for further information, call 338-1147.
Participants for any of the walks should bring binoculars, bird
identification books, water and appropriate clothing for an early Maine
spring morning.
Spring Warbler Walk on Spruce Mountain
Spring Myrtle Warbler Photo by Don Reimer
Join the Georges River Land Trust for a warbler walk on Spruce Mountain with Bill Goodwill on Thursday, May 15. This early morning walk on the Georges Highland Path should allow hikers to enjoy the calls and sights of these early migrants that herald the return
of spring each year. Hikers will meet at the parking lot on Route 17 in Rockport. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring binoculars and a bird guide.
This walk is jointly sponsored by the Georges River
Land Trust and Mid-Coast Audubon and is part of the Georges River Land
Trust’s continuing series of activities connecting the public with
the resources of the Georges River watershed and surrounding areas. Other
upcoming events include a fly-casting demonstration and training session on
Saturday, May 24, and a wildflower walk on Frye Mountain on Saturday, May
31. For more information on the Georges River Land Trust and its programs,
visit www.grlt.org, e-mail info@grlt.org or call 594-5166.
Alna Bird Walk Held by SVCA on May 11
The Yellow-Rumped Warbler is one of the first migrants
to move northward. Photo courtesy USFWS
The Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association (SVCA)
and the Mid-Coast Audubon Society will hold an early morning bird walk on
the SVCA’s Bass Falls Preserve in Alna on Sunday, May 11, from 6 to 9
a.m. Ecologist and birder Jerry Therrien will lead participants along
nearly two miles of trails through fields, forests and along the Sheepscot
River looking and listening for spring migrants. The preserve is located on
Route 218 just south of the Alna Store and Dock Road. For directions, see
the SVCA Web site at www.sheepscot.org/preserves.htm.
Red-Necked Grebe —
Birding with Don Reimer
Bufflehead pairs in St. George photographed last month.
Photo by Don Reimer
Readily recognized by its small size and unique black-and-white color patterns, the diminutive Bufflehead is the smallest diving
duck in North America. Its common name is derived from a combination of the two words “buffalo” and “head,” attributed to the male duck’s disproportionately large, bulbous head. The word “cute” is often ascribed to these stubbly little
ducks, as well. Males are black above and white below,
with a sizeable white cap behind the eye; females are darker and duller
in coloration, and have a small white patch behind the eye and a stubby gray bill. Buffleheads winter along both continental coastlines, feeding principally on crustaceans and mollusks that are found in sheltered bays and coves.
Food is captured and swallowed under water. Their summer diet consists more of aquatic insects and fish. By late May Buffleheads will migrate into northern regions across Alaska and Canada
to seek nesting cavities at wooded ponds and lakes. There is a strong site preference for abandoned woodpecker holes created by Northern Flickers and Pileated Woodpeckers. Unlike most other duck species, Buffleheads are monogamous, and pairs may stay together for several years.
Early spring is a good time of year to witness some of their typical courtship behaviors, such as head-bobbing. Rockland Harbor is one place where these ducks will be seen for a few more weeks.
Land on Ragged Mountain Purchased by Land Trust
Bob and Judy Oxton
Coastal Mountains Land Trust (CMLT)recently purchased an 18-acre forested property on Ragged Mountain from Bob and Judy Oxton. The property contains trails that will connect the abutting Ragged
Mountain Recreation Area to CMLT’s 326-acre Ragged Mountain Preserve to the south, trails
frequented by mountain bikers, hikers and cross-country skiers.
The Oxtons sold their property below market value, thus
contributing to CMLT’s efforts to conserve the mountains. Of their
decision to work with the land trust, Bob Oxton said, “A lot of
people use the trails up there, so we wanted the property to end up with
the land trust. It’s the right thing to do.”
Jeff Kuller, director of Camden Parks and Recreation,
said, “With the generosity and foresight of the Oxtons, a key link
between the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area and the land already conserved
by the land trust to the south are now joined, further enhancing the
concept of the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area as a gateway to an expanding
trail system on Ragged Mountain.”
With this acquisition, CMLT has surpassed 40 percent of
its goal to conserve 3,320 acres of undeveloped land on Bald and Ragged
mountains. For more information on CMLT, visit www.coastalmountains.org or
call 236-7091.
Beach Monitoring Training on May 13
For the sixth year in a row, the Pemaquid Watershed
Association (PWA) is partnering with the Maine Healthy Beaches program and
the town of Bristol to help make sure the water quality at Pemaquid Beach
is safe for the public. Those interested in learning about the
sampling protocol are invited to a training session on Tuesday, May 13,
from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pemaquid Beach Park, rain or shine. Pre-registration is
required; contact the PWA at 563-2196 or at info@pemaquidwatershed.org
before May 12.
At the training, a Maine Healthy Beaches program
specialist will teach participants how to collect water samples and other
environmental data such as salinity, water and air temperature and field
observations. No experience is necessary. The procedures are relatively
simple to learn and the handheld equipment is easy to use. Training will
require participants to wade calf-deep into the tide to demonstrate
sampling competency. So, participants should be prepared for the
possibility of getting wet and are encouraged to bring waders (the trainer
will have extra waders to borrow if need be). Those who complete the
training are then qualified to sign up to conduct the monitoring, which is
done in pairs for safety and efficiency. Each monitoring session takes
approximately one hour; and sessions scheduled for every other week from
Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The biweekly water samples are transported to the
Knox-Lincoln Extension office in Waldoboro for analysis of enterococci bacteria, an indicator
of water-borne illnesses. Since the start of the PWA-Healthy Beaches
partnership in 2003, enterococci monitoring results have indicated exceptional water
quality at Pemaquid Beach, well within the limits of Environmental
Protection Agency–established criteria for recreational water
quality. To view the water quality history of Pemaquid Beach, visit
www.mainehealthybeaches.org.
Paul Kando to Speak in Thomaston in “Art in the
Environment” Series
Paul Kando
On Thursday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. the Friends of the
Thomaston Public library present Paul Kando in the third lecture of the Art
in the Environment series. In his talk “What are we waiting
for?” Kando
will address the science, the warning signs, the symptoms and the future of
climate change in the region. He will look at some of the causes, then turn
to things others around the world are doing with resources similar to our
own.
Educated in Hungary, Kando came to the United States
after the 1956 revolution was crushed. He pursued a career as a chemical
engineer in the synthetic fibers industry where he had an opportunity to
work on a pilot project using solar energy. In the wake of the first 1970s
oil crisis, Kando switched to energy research and was also involved in
designing and installing the solar heating system for the White House
during the Carter presidency. At the University of Delaware he conducted
research on photovoltaics and energy storage technologies. After 1981, he
worked in building-energy research both in the United States and
Scandinavia.
Kando moved to Maine in 1991. In 2006 he was trained by
Al Gore and a group of climate scientists how to present the findings of
climate science to lay audiences. In 2007 he became a Maine certified
residential energy auditor. He is one of the organizers of Midcoast Green
Collaborative, a citizen initiative dedicated to the premise that
addressing global warming in a timely fashion represents an economic
opportunity for Maine. Art in the Environment is free to the public but
donations to the library will be appreciated. For further information,
contact the library at 354-2453.
David Getchell Receives Award from Maine Coast Heritage
Trust
Dave Getchell displays the Espy Land Heritage Award.
Photo by Eliza Ginn
Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT), a statewide
conservation organization, has named David Getchell Sr. as recipient of the
2007 Espy Land Heritage Award, presented each year to an individual,
organization, or coalition for exemplary conservation efforts in Maine.
“Dave Getchell is truly an outstanding
conservationist, and his enthusiasm and work ethic are contagious. His
efforts have helped conserve some of Maine’s most treasured
landscapes, and have furthered the conservation ethic throughout the entire
state,” said David MacDonald, interim president of MCHT while
presenting the award at the Maine Land Conservation Conference this past
weekend. “Dave is a worthy recipient of the first Espy Land Heritage
award and of the new $5,000 conservation gift.”
Among his many accomplishments, Getchell was founder of
the Maine Island Trail Association, cofounder of the North American Water
Trails Association, founder of the Georges River Land Trust Conservation
Trails Program, the inspiration behind the Georges Highland Path (an
ambitious project involving nearly 40 different private landowners along a
36-mile footpath), and honorary director of the Friends of Baxter State
Park.
In honor of outgoing president Jay Espy, the board of
directors at MCHT renamed the Land Heritage Award the Espy Land Heritage
Award and created a fund for an annual $5,000 award. The winner may direct
the funds to the conservation charity of their choice. Getchell has chosen
to direct his award to the Maine Island Trail Association, the Georges
River Land Trust, and the Friends of Baxter State Park.
Astronomy Day at Merryspring Nature Center
As a part of the nationwide Astronomy Day celebration,
the Central Maine Astronomical Society (CMAS) and Merryspring Nature Center
will host a variety of astronomy-related events at Merryspring at 30 Conway
Road in Camden on Saturday, May 10.
From 1 to 4 p.m., amateur astronomers from CMAS will
set up a variety of telescopes to view the sun safely, weather permitting.
This is an opportunity to see sunspots and solar prominences.
There will also be a variety of displays including a
mirror-grinding demonstration, children’s activities, and
knowledgeable amateurs will be on hand.
At 6:30 p.m. there will be a lecture entitled
“The Case for a Cold Early Universe” by Dr. Eric Wollman, chair
of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Bates College.
Wollman’s talk will explore alternatives to the dominant Hot Big Bang
theory, and their implications for the existence of dark matter and dark
energy.
At 8 p.m., weather permitting, there will be a star
party in the field adjacent to the parking area at Merryspring. Come view
Saturn, the Moon, and a host of other interesting denizens of the night
sky. Participants may bring their own telescopes, CMAS members will be
present to assist.
For more information visit www.maineastro.com/astroday,
call Pete Kalajian at 236-7765 or call Jacob Gerritsen at 236-6070. To
learn more about Merryspring, visit www.merryspring.org.
Data from Mirror Lake Weather Station, April 2008
Monthly Water Almanac
Precipitation
April 2008
6.49" Year-to-date 2008
26.72"
April 2007
10.22" Year-to-date 2007
24.26"
April avg. yr. 4.33"
Year-to-date avg. yr
16.20"
The lowest precipitation for April was in 1999 when
0.46 inch was recorded. The highest was in 2005 when 13.04 inches were
recorded. The storm of April 29 delivered 4.86", more than the average
for the entire month.
Temperature Data Degrees Fahrenheit
2008
2007
Warmest Day, 4/19
Warmest Day, 4/23
Max. Temp.: 75°F
Max. Temp.: 80°F
Coldest Day, 4/5
Coldest Day, 4/5
Max Temp.: 41°F
Max. Temp.: 33°F
Mirror Lake Data
Mirror Lake is full. There were 79,160,000 gallons of
water delivered to the distribution system this month.
During the month of April, no water was pumped from
Grassy Pond to Mirror Lake.
National Weather Service ForEcast for
Knox County
Thursday Night: Partly
cloudy, with a low around 41. Northwest wind between 6 and 14 mph.
Friday: A chance of rain
after 2pm. Partly cloudy, with a high near 62. North wind 5 to 8 mph
becoming southeast. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday Night: A chance of
rain. Cloudy, with a low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New
rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday: A chance of rain
before 6am, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.
Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday Night: A chance of
showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Chance of precipitation is
50%.
Sunday: A chance of showers.
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday Night: Rain likely.
Cloudy, with a low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
