Scrunchies for Cats?
Apparently all we need to do is take old hair scrunchies and put them on cats to halve their slaughter of native wildlife? It makes sense, certainly, but the cat is still at extreme or even greater risk of injury and death by being that much more noticeable to both its prey and predators, not to mention it getting stuck on something and trapped…and it should still be in the house. Always. I also cannot imagine any cat I have ever owned putting up with this for more than a few minutes… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreDon’t feed the deer
As tempting as it may be it is NOT healthy for the wild White-tailed Deer, or you, if they are fed by humans. I can recall some winter days as a child where hungry deer were laying in our backyard for prolonged periods. The winter season can be very difficult on these friendly mammals but it is not in their best interest, health or safety to start eating anything we put out whether it is for caring about an individual, an attempt to protect other plants, to supplement the population, or any other reason. The Maine governmental website has an extremely extensive and detailed list of why we...
Read MoreMigrating Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
Here’s an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) that I recently photographed in the middle of migration, passing directly overhead from our hawk watching position. It is looking straight forward while powering down the coastline on a stiff northwest wind. Perhaps it will spend part of its journey or the winter using a bird feeder as a hunting area. While this may not be what many birders like to read these raptors are hungry birds, too. Young hawks have very high mortality rates and 8 or 9 out of 10 birds will die in their first year with migration, starvation and even...
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