Winter ’26 Downeast Audubon Calendar of Events
Email deaudubon@gmail.com to register for field trips, no need to register for evening programs. Binoculars are provided at birding field trips.
In November '25, Maine Audubon led a birding tour to Ecuador, exploring the east slope of the Andes. This 10-day adventure was primarily based out of the famous San Isidro Lodge, with daily trips to different habitats in the area. Doug Hitchcox, Maine Audubon's Senior Naturalist, will present highlights from the trip including 300+ species of birds, mythical mammals, and cultural experiences that will make for a fun evening of vicarious birding, or help you plan a trip of your own!
James Longo will guide us along the Schoodic Loop Road, making regular stops to see winter specialties which could include sea ducks (fingers crossed for Harlequins!), loons, grebes, Purple Sandpipers, and lots of winter finches since it is an irruption year. The Young Birders Club will be joining the group as well. To register, send an email to deaudubon@gmail.com.
Tracking in Hancock with Jon Sargent
Frenchman Bay Community Forest
Date TBA depending on snow conditions in the next couple months! Watch for an email from Downeast Audubon for more details coming soon.
Join Maine Audubon’s second annual All Chapter Speaker Event as they host acclaimed author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul for a lively discussion about Snowy Owls and working with Project SNOWstorm which has been tracking them since 2013. Project SNOWstorm uses innovative science to understand these owls and engages people in conservation through outreach and education. The program will be recorded and sent to all registrants. Register at www.maineaudubon.org.
Join leader Chuck Whitney for a casual stroll along Ocean Drive between Sand Beach and Otter Cliffs. You can’t beat the view, and with the ocean on one side and evergreen forest on the other, we have the potential to see a good variety of birds. *Winter access to Ocean Drive is via Schooner Head Road off Route 3 after Bar Harbor village.
Tour of Shaw Institute
Thursday, February 19, 1-2:30 PM (snow date: February 26)
55 Main St., Blue Hill
Dr. Charlie Rolsky will present the latest research from the Shaw Institute on the impact of plastics on human health, PFAS contamination, and innovative coastal monitoring efforts. His talk will delve into the complex reality of plastic pollution, providing insights into a more sustainable future. A laboratory tour and touch tank exploration will follow the presentation. *The laboratory is located in the basement—if anyone requires assistance, please notify the institute in advance. (207)-374-2135.
Building with Birds in Mind
Monday, March 9, 7:00 PM
Moore Community Center, Ellsworth
More than 1 billion birds die each year in the United States after colliding with buildings. Maine Audubon’s Nick Lund explains how the BirdSafe Maine program is working to reduce that number by educating Mainers and passing policy solutions. Learn what makes certain architectural features dangerous to birds, and what you can do to make your own home or construction project bird-friendly.
Saturday, March 21, 9:00 AM
Come on, grab your binoculars and join leader Craig Kesselheim for our first spring outing! We will scan the coastal waters around Seawall picnic area looking for seabirds then walk along the nearby road and through the campground searching for forest birds. There just may be some early migrants!
Join the world in connecting to birds
•Watch birds for 15 minutes or more at least once over the four days.
•Identify all the birds you see or hear and share your sightings on eBird or Merlin. (If you already use these apps, all entries automatically count toward GBBC)
Last year hundreds of thousands of people from 217 countries and sub-regions found 8,078 of the known bird species! 387,652 eBird checklists and 655,549 Merlin Bird IDs were submitted. The US had the most checklists—200,258, identifying 670 species. India came in second with 69,112 checklists and 1,085 species, followed by Canada with 26,420 checklists and 247 species. Colombia had a record 1,374 species recorded in the four days. Maine birders reported 124 species on 1983 checklists, and in Hancock County 64 species were identified on 222 checklists. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations. Won’t you contribute to the GBBC this year? To learn more, go to: www.birdcount.org.