Bird Ecology

Two birders face the sea, looking for birds at Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park.
October 12, 2023

2023 Sea Watch at Schoodic Point

Nathan Dubrow of Ipswich, Massachusetts is the Schoodic Point Sea Watch counter for the 2023 fall migration season. Graduating from […]

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Close-up profile view of a wild turkey.
June 29, 2023

Wild turkeys on the rise

by Seth Benz + Kyle Lima If you’ve spent any time in Maine within the last decade, there’s a very […]

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The 2021 Schoodic Notes volunteer group stand together with arms linked, smiling at the camera, with the forest shown behind them.
May 18, 2023

Volunteer Opportunity: Record Bird Sounds in Acadia!

Are you interested in recording bird sounds in Acadia National Park? Join Schoodic Notes: Bird Sounds of Acadia’s Laura Sebastianelli […]

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View of two people walking along a wooden boardwalk in Acadia National Park, with lush green trees surrounding them. The sun is shining and blue sky is visible through the tress.
April 12, 2023

Citizen science in the Great Meadow Wetland

by Catherine Schmitt and Seth Benz If you are rolling down the boardwalk of the Jesup Path this summer and […]

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An American Tree Sparrow perches on a branch while snow lightly falls around it.
March 23, 2023

The subtle beauty of a winter sparrow

story by Kyle Lima It’s a sunny day, and after being cooped up all winter you decide to get outside […]

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View of a female common eider afloat deep blue water, with ripples in foreground.
February 21, 2023

Can we continue to call the Common Eider common?

story by Seth Benz In the Spring of 1991, I was working as an Audubon warden on an island near […]

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American tree sparrow sits on branches, with pale blue sky background
December 30, 2022

New research shows dramatic declines in Acadia National Park winter bird populations

WINTER HARBOR, MAINE – Acadia National Park’s winter bird populations have declined by nearly half since 1971, according to a […]

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November 1, 2022

42 million birds and counting

by Seth Benz The migration of birds along the Downeast coast of Maine is spectacular. According to Birdcast, a collaborative […]

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Chickadees perch on the tips of spruce tree branches, silhouetted against a pale blue sky
October 17, 2022

A banditry of chickadees

story + photos by Seth Benz A black-capped chickadee “irruption” is most noteworthy among the usual migrating birds counted at […]

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September 30, 2022

Sharp-shinned Rascals

In the September nor-westers also fly Hawks, sometimes in veritable companies. Evil little sharp-shinned rascals flap and sail through the […]

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