Assessing Heron Nesting Activity in Fall: No Herons? No Problem!
We visited the island where our GPS-tagged great blue heron, Mariner, nested this past summer. Even without any herons still using the nests, we used other clues to determine which nests were active.
Wading for Wood Turtles
MDIFW Biologists conduct wood turtle surveys to verify and track occurrences of the Species of Concern, improve knowledge of habitat use and home range, and effectively map them for conservation planning.
While You Were Sleeping, We Were Electrofishing!
Electrofishing is a highly effective way to non-lethally sample a population and is very efficient for studying bass during their May-June spawning season.
Deer Isle Mariner is Latest GPS-Tagged Great Blue Heron
Meet “Mariner,” the newly GPS-tagged great blue heron from Deer Isle. On June 3rd, Mariner became the 11th great blue heron in Maine to be added to the Heron Tracking Project that began in 2016.
Ring in the Spring with the Heron Observation Network – 13 Years and Counting
Of the many harbingers of spring, herons returning to their colonies is my favorite! Before we embark on the 14th year of heron colony monitoring, let's first review results from the 2021 volunteer efforts.
Beaver Flowage Attracts GPS-Tagged Heron to Nest
Have you heard of Cornelia, an adult female great blue heron tagged with a GPS transmitter, who nests in Maine and migrates to the Bahamas for the winter? She is one of ten other herons who’ve been equipped with GPS transmitters by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) to learn more about heron movements, habits, and habitats in Maine and beyond. The project began with the help of a Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund grant and many partnering schools, and is part of MDIFW’s ongoing efforts to understand the status of great blue herons in the state – especially along the coast where their population has declined by 89% since the 1980s.
First Maine Island-Nesting Heron Tagged with GPS Transmitter
IFW technician Brittany Currier holds tagged great blue heron just before release. To ensure everyone’s safety, IFW biologist Amanda Cross holds onto the bill.
Harper Wows Us Again!
Harper, the GPS-tagged Great Blue Heron, has done it again! Last fall she impressed us with her 38-hour nonstop flight over the open ocean. This year, she has gone above and beyond, flying for 68 hours and 2,030 miles nonstop from Quebec to Georgia.
Flight of the Great Blue Heron by Mia
The following story was written by Mia, a fourth grade student at Friends School of Portland. Mia helped with the field work leading up to the capture and tagging of "Harper" the great blue heron, in Harpswell. She was also there the morning Harper was tagged with a GPS transmitter. Thank you, Mia, for sharing your perspective!
Exploring Our School's Very Own Heronry
On October 9th, our Environmental Studies class at Nokomis Regional High was fortunate enough to have wildlife biologist, Danielle D’Auria, come to our class and talk to us about the Great Blue Heron nests that are located on our school grounds. We took a trip to the Heron Rookery right on our school property, where we were able to tag and measure 33 nesting trees and identify 39 heron nests.
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