Bird Atlas Blog

2020 Season Kickoff Meeting goes online!

As COVID-19 continues to affect our daily lives, the Maine Bird Atlas is committed to protecting the health and wellbeing of our staff, volunteers, and community members. We believe that feeling connected and involved in the community and empowered to be out in nature and making a difference (while still following social distancing practices) is important for getting through these difficult times.

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Breeding Season Weekly Challenges

Back by popular demand: Weekly Challenges! Each week through the breeding season well be posting three challenges for you. The purpose of these is to help direct your atlas efforts and provide motivation through direct targets. And did we mention theres swag!? Anyone who completes one of the challenges will be entered to win any item of their choice (any product, style, color, size, etc) from the Maine Bird Atlas online store.

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Atlasing in March

Great Horned Owls start nesting in midwinter so any acceptable codes you detect should be reported. Keep an ear open at night for their Whos awake? Me too songs that are often duetted between pairs. A careful ear will even be able to detect differences in the females higher pitched vocalizations compared to the males lower, deeper hoots.

Late Winter Challenge

For the Winter Atlas to be successful, we need your help! We are incentivizing winter atlasing by offering up some free items from the Maine Bird Atlas shop.

REGISTRATION OPEN: 2020 Season Kickoff Meeting

Were kicking off the 2020 breeding season and 3rd year of the Maine Bird Atlas with a day-long volunteer extravaganza and you're invited!

Winter Atlasing Report and Early Winter Challenge

By Doug Hitchox

Make it a Big (Atlas) Year: New Years Resolutions for 2020

By Glen Mittelhauser

Winter Atlas Season Begins!

The Winter Atlas is here! December 14th launches the winter season so grab your binoculars and get out for some winter atlasing.

White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera Photo by Doug Hitchcox

New to atlasing?

Which eBird Portal to Use for Maine Bird Observations?

We have recently made the decision to keep 2 state-based eBird portals for Maine. Although having 2 portals for entering Maine eBird records may seem confusing, deciding which portal to use is quite simple. If your checklist includes one or more species with a breeding code of Confirmed, Probable, or Possible, enter the entire checklist  in the Maine Bird Atlas eBird port

When Fledglings Become Juveniles

[caption id="attachment_769" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus Doug Hitchcox[/caption] July is a great month for atlasing Adults can easily be seen carrying food, baby birds are chasing their parents around begging for meals, there are even some birds working on a second (or third) brood already.