Outdoors

Published
June 23, 2012

Birding: Songbird repertoires can be quite complex, and full of variety

In the last column, I wrote about the morning chorus, the marvelous dawn symphony performed by singing birds during the breeding season. The chorus is still going strong (much to the dismay of some would-be sleepers). I’ll expand on the topic in today’s column, exploring the complexity of bird songs. The males of some species […]
Published
June 23, 2012

Allen Afield: Hemlock mortality just part of nature’s cycle

An exotic insect, the hemlock wooly adelgid, is causing widespread mortality of eastern hemlocks across the eastern United States, where this important conifer grows in dense groves in the Northeast but occurs in sparser stands in the South. After the infestation attacks a hemlock, a white coating develops on boughs before desiccation soon limits new […]
Published
June 23, 2012

Josh Christie: Port Clyde offers abundance of wonderful sights

When I consider the name of this weekly column, one of the first places that comes to mind is Port Clyde. Situated on the southernmost tip of the St. George Peninsula, the scenic midcoast community is a haven for bikers, beachgoers and kayakers. Short of a chartered boat or ferry, the only way to reach […]
Published
June 23, 2012

Best Bets

TODAY Youth Field Day: 7 a.m. in Phippsburg Youth outdoors fans can learn to kayak, fly fish, target shoot and track animals at the Phippsburg Sportsmen’s Association. The Field Day will be organized with small groups of kids working under the supervision of an experienced youth educator who will teach them the skills needed in […]
Published
June 16, 2012

Freshwater Fishing Report

It’s difficult to like the nonstop rain, flood conditions and wet basements. But across the state, the high water can end with some fast fishing as the trout come out of hiding and anglers have better access to them. So while humming sump pumps mean rivers and streams are rising, they also mean that when […]

Published
June 16, 2012

The buzz on the bees

Beekeepers are a growing breed in Maine, and with it comes a responsibility of treating diseases.
Published
June 16, 2012

Deirdre Fleming: Trip to the woods lasts a lifetime

Wendy Clark Wescott grew up in the New York suburbs, not a child who had an interest in the outdoors. But Junior Maine Guide camp changed that, so much so that Wescott, now 61, is meeting her former camp mates this summer up near Rangeley on the edge of the north Maine woods, where more […]
Published
June 16, 2012

Pedal On: The way to get children started on the right path for bicycling

A co-worker recently shared with me the story of a bicycle outing with her young daughter that turned painful — for Mom. In an effort to avoid a collision when her child slowed significantly while chatting away, Mom hit the soft sand at the edge of the street where they were riding, didn’t get out […]
Published
June 16, 2012

Boating: Ocean races as regular as the tides

In the early 1970s, after a decade racing his 22-foot day sailer, local sailor Merle Hallett decided it was time to kick it up a notch and bought a 33-foot cruising boat. But something was missing. “I looked around, and there wasn’t much going on for racing that kind of boat,” he said. So in […]
Published
June 16, 2012

Mark Latti: Deluge hurts birds nesting near water more than fish

I was ready to go shad fishing for the first time in years. As you may have heard, American shad have made quite a comeback in Maine. Now when the shadbush blooms along the riverbanks, there actually is a very good chance that shad are running in Maine rivers. Unfortunately, by the time I returned […]