This article was originally published in May 2019. Program dates have been updated for his 2024 season.
As the days get warmer and longer in spring, the forest around my house comes alive with the chirping of birds, and I grab my camera and head outside.
Many animals survive Maine's long, harsh winters, but as birds migrate from the south, black bears crawl out of their burrows, and frogs emerge from the mud, the state's active wildlife populations are at 4. It increases noticeably from March to May. .
This time of year is a particularly exciting time for wildlife viewing. During the spring, you can see the animals building nests, dancing and singing to impress their mates, and later in the spring, watching them raise their young. There's nothing more adorable than a line of baby ducklings following their mother's every move.
If you're new to wildlife viewing, here are some ideas for spotting creatures this spring. Just remember to keep a reasonable distance. Try using binoculars or a long camera lens. And after playing in the great outdoors (even in city parks), thoroughly check for ticks. Unfortunately, we cannot choose which creatures wake up in the spring. If I could, I'd tell the ticks to go back to bed.
1. Visit a wetland
Many public trails visit the edges of the wetlands, and you're almost guaranteed to spot wildlife in the spring. This type of vegetated wetland is an ideal nesting site for many species of birds. Common species found in wetlands include mallards, tawny ducks, red-breasted blackbirds, and grackles. Muskrats and beavers are also common in the wetlands, and many wetlands come alive in the evening with the high-pitched call of the spring peeper, a small frog with a loud voice.
2. Please row slowly
One of the best ways to spot wildlife is by going to the water, but it doesn't have to be an epic adventure. Small ponds and calm rivers offer a variety of animal viewing opportunities. Turtles sunbathing on half-submerged logs and rocks are one of the most common sights I see while paddling around area ponds in the spring. Kingfishers are also often seen nesting in holes dug on the banks of water. This bird is hard to miss as it has a distinctive rattling sound and makes spectacular dives into the water to catch fish. Spring is also the time when loons return to Maine's lakes to nest. Similarly, many bald eagles return to nests built over many years in tall trees (usually white pines) along lakeshores.
One year I came across a Canada Goose sitting in a nest on the edge of an island on a lake in Maine. Being ignorant, I thought the bird was dead at first until it reared its head. I quickly rowed away, worried that I might get in the way.
3. Participate in a bird watching event or go for a walk.
Many local organizations plan birding events in the spring. For example, Deer Isle's annual Wings, Waves and Woods Birding Festival is scheduled for May 17-19 and is packed with guided walks, boat trips, and workshops. It features a daily schedule. Maine Audubon offers bird walks every Thursday morning at Gilsland Farm and Friday morning nature walks at Fields Pond.
4. Find a spring pool
A vernal pool or “spring pool” is a shallow depression in a forest that only has water for part of the year, usually in the middle of spring and summer. These small bodies of water are too small and ephemeral to support large predators such as fish, so they serve as essential breeding habitat for certain species of wildlife, such as salamanders, frogs, and fairy shrimp. Vernal pools are a fascinating place to visit in the spring, as they are filled with amphibians, egg masses, giant turtles, and more.
Vernal pools are found throughout Maine. A great way to find vernal pools is to call your local land trust and ask if they own land where you can visit vernal pools by trail. Land trusts tend to track where the habitat is because it's such important habitat.
5. Stake out the hive
You can visit the nest boxes in the spring to observe wildlife, but it is important to keep a good distance so as not to disturb the birds or scare them away from the nest. We recommend using binoculars or a long camera lens to observe the hive.
In Maine, you'll notice square nest boxes set up on stilts in pastures, such as farms and preserves. Birds that can be observed using these nests include eastern bluebirds and swallows. Additionally, nest boxes are often placed in wetlands by conservation organizations. Waterfowl such as hooded ducks and wood ducks are often found in those boxes.
Field Pond Audubon Nature Center in Holden and Hirundo Wildlife Refuge in Alton both have nest boxes and trails that pass by them.
6. Visit a city park
Green spaces in the middle of urban areas are popular resting spots for migratory birds. You might be surprised at what you can find in a city park in the spring, especially if the park has a pond or some bird bathing areas. As you visit these green spaces, keep an eye out for warblers, a group of colorful songbirds that fly from the south each spring to nest and raise their young in Maine. According to Bob Duchesne's column, 24 species of warblers breed in Maine during the summer, all with their own special plumage patterns and colors.
In Bangor, we recommend visiting Cascade Park, which has fountains, gardens, lawns, and woodlands. From this park, a path climbs uphill (away from the road) into Saxul Park, where an even greater variety of birds can be found in spacious meadows with mowed paths. Another great spot in central Bangor is Prentice Woods, a forest with an easy network of public trails.
