As we’ve been done for many years, YCA is again offering two scholarship opportunities for week-long programs at famed Hog Island this year, one for Educators and one for Teens.
The Educators Week program runs from August 9th to 14th. The Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens program runs from June 21st to 26th. Note that applications are due by Wednesday, February 18th.
These are unique opportunities, and we’d greatly appreciate it if you could post or forward this information as appropriate, so that any both educators or teens on your staff or that you work with may be made aware of it. Complete information and applications are available on the Hog Island Scholarships page of this website: www.yorkcountyaudubon.org/scholarships.
York County Audubon is pleased to announce that starting in February, we’ll be hosting a bird walk each month in a different location. The first walk will start at Nubble Light in Cape Neddick, on Saturday, February 21st from 9 am to 11 am.
Beginning birders are most welcome. We will be happy to introduce you to the joy of birding, if you’re new to it. More experienced birders are most welcome as well!
These walks are provided at no charge and advance registration is not required. Please bring a pair of binoculars if you have them, but we will have some pairs available to borrow. And please dress warmly!!! We’ll be looking for birds both on the ocean and in the neighborhoods within easy walking distance of the lighthouse. We will also have a spotting scope or two available.
A pair of Harlequin Ducks, a bird frequently seen in the winter at Nubble Light. Doug Hitchcox photo
We plan to host these morning walks on the third Saturday of each month. Please check our website or Facebook page for the location and other details. The start time will get a little earlier as the season progresses, and may also vary with the tides if we’re birding near the shore.
This program was presented via Zoom on February 5, 2026. It was hosted jointly by Maine Audubon and MA’s 7 chapters. For a description of the program, please scroll down to our original post for it.
To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bottom right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).
Can you tell the tracks of a fox from a fisher? Ever trailed a porcupine to its den? Join Professional Wildlife Tracker and Registered Maine Guide Dan Gardoqui for an outdoor adventure. Open to all curious adults (& interested teens). We’ll spend the morning seeking out, interpreting and following the tracks, trails and signs of our wild neighbors living on the Wells Reserve. Bring your own food/snacks and dress warmly. This program is co-sponsored by York County Audubon and the Wells Reserve, with members of either organization (and Maine Audubon) receiving the discounted program pricing.
Dan Gardoqui has been passionately connecting people to the more-than-human-world for over 30 years. He has a M.S. in Natural Resources and has served as faculty for multiple colleges. Through wildlife tracking, Dan has contributed to wildlife studies (including wolf, lynx and flying squirrel) and contributed to multiple field guides and training programs. Dan is the Education & Outreach Director at the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick Maine.
York County Audubon is co-hosting this program with and at The Wells Reserve. It will run from 9 am till noon. Advance registration is required, and the cost is $32 for members (of either YCA/Maine Audubon or the Wells Reserve), or $40 for non-members. To register, please email suzanne@wellsnerr.org or call Suzanne at (207) 646-1555 x116. Please note: Program fee does not include site admission fee.
Everything about the Laysan Albatross is superlative: they fly unbelievable distances, live longer than any other wild bird and are iconically devoted to their chicks. They spend about 90 percent of their lives airborne and most of that time is solitary. They are extraordinary wayfinders and are, in the words of one seabird biologist, “Corvid bright.” Since all species of albatross nest on remote islands, however, it can be difficult to see them in person. The Hawaiian Island of Kauaʻi is an exception to that rule and is the only place in the world where albatross nest within a good-sized community of humans. Laysans likely nested there for millions of years but disappeared when people arrived about a thousand years ago. In the 1970s a few birds, likely from Midway Atoll, began visiting Kauaʻi again. In 1979 the first chick fledged from its shores in perhaps a millennium. Since then the population has grownand has given observers a chance to learn more about the brief amount of time they spend on terra firma. Join us for a lively, entertaining and in-depth look at their lives, their strengths and their perils.
Hob Osterlund is the Safina Center Conservationist in Residence, the founder of Kauai Albatross Network (KAN), the author of Holy Mōli: Albatross and Other Ancestors (Oregon State University Press, 2016, 4th printing), the producer of a short documentary called “Kalamaʻs Journey,” and a bird guide on Kauaʻi. An advanced-practice nurse, Hob spent her career in the acute hospital setting. During those years, she was the Principal Investigator for the Comedy in Chemotherapy (COMIC) Study. She also performed a comedy character “Ivy Push, RN” for national audiences. She now devotes herself full time to the well-being of Hawaiiʻs native birds, with a special focus on the Laysan albatross.
This program will be presented by Zoom only at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31st. (It was originally scheduled for February 17th, but needed to be postponed.) To view it, you’ll need to register in advance. To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IvV1UgPsRSqDQlPDIJXxtw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us!
A Snowy Owl at Parsons Beach in Kennebunk – Ken Janes photo
Join Maine Audubon’s second annual All Chapter Speaker event on Thursday Feb. 5 at 6pm. We’re hosting acclaimed author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul for a discussion about Snowy Owls and his work with Project SNOWStorm. Project SNOWstorm uses innovative science to understand Snowy Owls, and to engage people in their conservation through outreach and education. Join us for a lively, virtual discussion about these incredible birds, and preorder Scott’s new book, The Return of the Oystercatcher.
The program will be recorded and sent to all registrants. To register for the Zoom program, please go to:
This program was presented on November 18, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.
To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bot right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).
Scott McNeff is a lifelong birder who has been practicing falconry for over 30 years. He is past President of the North American Falconers Association and currently serves on the board of two international falconry organizations. Scott is also a federally licensed bird bander, who got his start under the instruction of the late June Ficker, at the Wells Reserve.
Scott has trained, handled and hunted with nearly all of the diurnal raptors of North America, as well as quite a few exotic species, but is particularly passionate about red-tailed hawks, goshawks, and merlins. He will be discussing the crossover of falconry with citizen science and sharing his passion for, and observations of birds of prey. Scott has utilized the demanding art and sport of falconry to further enrich his passion for birds, and indeed for Mother Earth in general. He says that Nature is his church, and living a life in close association with birds of prey has given him a bountiful and resplendent way to worship at the altar of his chosen god.
This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom. To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance. To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sDRIzoaqRNi1NgO0n9wKQQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person, or, if not, via Zoom!
This program was presented on October 21, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.
To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bot right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).
Please note that due to technical difficulties, only a portion of each Powerpoint image appears.
This program was presented on September 16, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.
To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bot right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).
York County Audubon invites the community to a special program at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, October 21, when Ethan and Ingrid Whitaker will share the story of their 2024 Lower 48 State Big Year. Over the course of a single year, the Whitakers traveled from coast to coast and border to border, observing 708 species of birds. They will share their adventures with photographs, videos, and funny stories from the road.
Gambel’s Quail – Portal, AZ
Together, Ethan and Ingrid planned and executed an ambitious year of birding with an unorthodox strategy that resulted in a hundred more birds than expected. From high deserts to remote mountains, from migration hotspots to windswept coastlines, they chased rarities and regional species, often learning as much about people and places as they did about the birds themselves.
The Whitakers’ program will not only recount the species they saw and the miles they traveled, but will also share practical tips, planning thoughts, and reflections on how a year of bird-focused travel deepened their appreciation for the landscapes and communities across America.
Ethan is a retired software developer and entrepreneur who has started and sold multiple companies. In 2021, Ethan completed a Maine Big Year, setting a new state record of 324 species. Ingrid is an award-winning teacher and science educator, recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching and a Maine Teacher of the Year finalist. When she retired in 2023, she concludedforty years in the classroom. They live in Wiscasset.
Red-crowned Parrot – Brownsville, TX
Following their presentation, Ethan and Ingrid will sign copies of their book, Every Bird from Sea to Shining Sea, which captures the full sweep of their 2024 Big Year adventure in words and images. Those who own copies are welcome to bring them along. The book will also be available for purchase at the event, along with their other two books. One Man’s Journey to See Every Bird in Maine and What’s That Bird? A Kid’s Guide to the Backyard Birds of New England.
This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21st in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom. To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance. To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9BndbfrZSsSksZThcAz1Tw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person, or, if not, via Zoom!
Keep your feathered friends happy this winter by treating them to tasty and fresh premium-quality bird food and help support two of your favorite environmental organizations. Proceeds from our annual sale support programs of both York County Audubon and the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. A wide variety of types of seed and suet is available, with great pricing, especially if you order early.
Additional items this year include mealworm, suet cakes, and roasted peanut chips. Early bird pricing is available if you place your order by 4 p.m. on October 24th. Order pick-up will be at the Wells Reserve on Saturday, November 1st from 10-2 and Monday, November 3rd from 1-4, with easy access and volunteers on hand to help load your car.
For many years, our former Board member, Marie Jordan, an avid birder and photographer, has produced a calendar and offered it for sale, graciously donating the calendars to YCA to support our educational programs. As many of our programs are now presented via Zoom, we’re making the calendars available by mail.
It’s a desk calendar in a 4” by 6” plastic case that opens into a stand to display each month. Each page features a great photo she took of a Maine bird. The cost is $10 plus mailing costs. They’re wonderful anywhere in the house, and also make great gifts! And York County Audubon tremendously appreciates your support for our programs.
To place an order, please make out a check payable to York County Audubon, write Calendar in the memo line, and mail it to Marie Jordan, 32 Crestview Drive, South Portland, ME 04106. Be sure to include the address or addresses that the calendar(s) should be sent to. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marie at wooddk5555@gmail.com.
Note that the calendars will be available November 1st.
The costs including postage and handling are:
1 calendar – $10 plus $7.00 postage and handling
2 calendars (mailed to one address) – $20 plus $8.50 postage and handling
3 calendars (mailed to one address) – $30 plus $12.50 postage and handling
4 calendars (mailed to one address) – $35 plus $12.50 postage and handling
(Note: these rates reflect the latest USPS increases.) Thank you!
Bobolink and Savannah Sparrow populations are declining throughout the Northeast. While intensifying grassland management and loss of breeding habitat are important factors in these declines, these birds spend ~9 months of the year away from the breeding grounds. We used miniaturized tracking devices to reveal mysteries of Bobolink and Savannah Sparrow movement ecology, connecting what happens to them on the breeding grounds to the rest of their life-cycle.
Male Bobolink in the hand. Photo by Noah Perlut.
Savannah Sparrow – c. Bryan Calk, Macaulay Library
Noah Perlut leads the Perlut Lab, which explores how human habitat management effects the ecoloty of diverse species and diverse habitats, studying mostly birds but some mammals too. The Lab uses state of the art technology: 1) tiny tracking devices that allow us to follow animals around the world, and 2) genetic techniques that allow us to understand their behavior. Noah Perlut is an ornithologist and professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England. He has studied Bobolinks since 2002. FMI: https://sites.une.edu/perlutlab/noah-perlut/
This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on September, June 16th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom. To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance. To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k8htlIvFSO6sgUMuSjcplw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person, or, if not, via Zoom!
Might you be interested in getting out on our beaches and helping to protect our vulnerable shorebirds? If so, Maine Audubon and York County Audubon could use your help.
Maine Audubon’s Shorebird Ambassadors walk Maine’s beaches during migratory shorebird season (July-September) to both monitor the birds and to share the birds’ stories with the general public. By raising the public’s awareness of these tough, far-flying birds, our hope is that people will be better equipped to give the birds the space they need to prepare for their long migratory flight.
To help us with this mission, we are looking for folks with a positive attitude, an interest in learning the basics of shorebird ID and biology, a love of walking on the beach, and an enthusiasm for sharing information about and appreciation of migratory shorebirds with others. If this sounds like you, we would love to have you join us as a Shorebird Ambassador!
If you might be interested, please sign up for one of the Zoom sessions and one of the in-person sessions listed below. To do so, just click on the bold links below for your preferred dates. During these trainings, we will provide you with the tools needed to be an advocate for migratory shorebirds. Attendees will learn the basics of shorebird ID and biology, as well as gain valuable tips on how to engage with the public while out on the beach. Note that if you’re not able to join the Zoom sessions on July 23rd or 31st, the Zoom will be recorded and made available.
This program was presented on June 17, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.
To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bot right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).
Iceland abounds in natural splendor: Waterfalls and glaciers, panoramic views and otherworldly landscapes. It is a land of Northern Lights and midnight sun. And it is the realm of one of the world’s most charming and iconic birds: the Atlantic Puffin. But Iceland is home to much more. During the summer months, Iceland’s round-the-clock sunlight draws in a panoply of birds: Razorbills and guillemots, phalaropes and godwits, plovers and terns, all accompany the puffins in nesting frenzy. Come along with wildlife photographer and Mass Audubon instructor Shawn Carey as he shares images and stories from his journey spent on two Icelandic islands. We will visit Grimsey Island, the northern-most inhabited island off the mainland of Iceland. For bird photographers and bird watchers looking for a great place to view and photograph nesting seabirds that call this island home during the summer, this is a place you want to visit.
From Grimsey we will travel to the island of Flatey, a real hidden gem for bird photographers and bird watchers alike. Most people pass through Flatey (via ferry service out of Stykkisholmur) on their way to the well-known Latrabjarg bird cliffs to see Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills. However, for those that have or take the time to explore Flatey, you will find a small island that offers some very good photographic opportunities, especially for Black Guillemot, Red-necked Phalarope and Common Redshank just to name a few.
Shawn Carey (Migration Productions) produces bird and wildlife-related multimedia presentations, videos and photo workshops that have been presented all over the United States. Shawn moved from his home in Pennsylvania to Massachusetts in 1986 and started watching birds in 1988. Already with an interest in photography and now birds, Shawn began to combine the two in 1991. By 1994 he and good friend Jim Grady started Migration Productions as a way to present their multi-image slide presentations to a live audience. Shawn’s photos have been published in the Boston Globe, New York Times, Science magazine and many others. He is a photography instructor for Massachusetts Audubon. FMI: www.migrationproductions.com
This program will be presented at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17th in the Mather Auditorium at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. It will also be live-streamed via Zoom. To view it via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance. To do so, please click on this link and enter your name and email address: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k8htlIvFSO6sgUMuSjcplw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. We hope you can join us either in person, or, if not, via Zoom!
The Nominating Committee has presented a slate of Officers and Directors to the YCA Board for a two year term, and that slate has been approved by the Directors: Bill Grabin, President, Laurie Pocher, Vice President, Kathy Donahue, Treasurer, and Tova Mellen, Secretary, as well as the following slate of Directors: Britney Fox, Dan Gardoqui, David Doubleday, David Nelson, Doug Hitchcox, Marian Zimmerman, Marion Sprague, Mary Bateman, Rebekah Lowell. This slate will be presented and proposed to our members for their approval at our June 17th annual meeting, which will precede our June 17th program.
This program was presented on May 20, 2025 at the Wells Reserve and via Zoom. For a description of the program, you can scroll down to the original post for the program.
Please note that there were some technical difficulties that lasted from the 5 minute to the 9 minute mark of the video, but that the program then successfully resumed.
To access the recording, please click on the image below to watch it on this page, or you can click on “Watch on Youtube” at the bottom of that image. (We also recommend clicking on the little white square in the bot right corner of that viewing screen to convert the image to “full screen”).
