Maine Heron Observation Network
Tracking Maine's Great Blue Herons - Online!
This spring, MDIFW tagged five adult great blue herons with GPS transmitters as part of an ongoing effort to better understand the state’s great blue heron population. After a significant decline in the number of nesting pairs on Maine’s coastal islands from the 1980s to 2007, MDIFW listed the great blue heron as a Species of Special Concern and began a citizen science adopt-a-colony program called the Heron Observation Network.
Photos From 2015
This video is a showcase of photos taken by volunteers and staff throughout the 2015 colony monitoring season. It is 9 minutes long, complete with music, captions, and photo credits. Thank you to everyone who shared your magnificent photos for inclusion. Think Spring!
Species Spotlight: Why Egrets are so Great!
[caption id="attachment_1334" align="alignleft" width="300"] A Snowy Egret sporting its plumes which were once more valuable than gold. Note its yellow feet.
HERON Volunteers Fill Crucial Information Gaps
[caption id="attachment_1318" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Great blue heron nest discovered and photographed by Paul Cyr.[/caption] This past spring while I was focused on completing an extensive aerial survey effort to estimate the statewide breeding population of great b
Nature’s Beauty Inspires Linda Panzera’s Photographs and her Generosity to Maine’s Wildlife
[caption id="attachment_1309" align="alignleft" width="225"] HERON volunteer, Linda Panzera, with camera in hand while observing a great blue heron colony.[/caption] One of the best aspects about running a citizen science program such as the Heron Observati
Species Spotlight: Maine's "Night Ravens"
[caption id="attachment_290" align="alignleft" width="295"] Adults perched during a ground survey.
On the Hunt for Heron Foraging Locations
[caption id="attachment_1277" align="aligncenter" width="879"] Photo series by Doug Albert.[/caption] We are looking for volunteers willing to scope out areas habitually used by foraging great blue herons in anticipation of a potential research project aimed at tracking adults with satellite transmitters. By partnering w
Biologists Take to the Air to Estimate Maine’s Heron Population
[caption id="attachment_1263" align="alignleft" width="300"] This is a typical "fly-by" view of a great blue heron colony. How many nests do you see?
Photos from 2014
As a big THANK YOU to all HERON volunteers who monitored colonies, and to the landowners who allowed access, I've put together a slide show, "Photos from 2014". Check it out by clicking on the picture below, and be sure to have your volume un-muted because there is accompanying music. ENJOY!
Nocturnal Predators Likely Cause Colony Failures
[caption id="attachment_1225" align="alignright" width="300"] Typical time lapse camera and sound recorder setup.[/caption] The great blue heron was listed by MDIFW as a Species of Special Concern in Maine in 2007 because of a perceived population decline.
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