LEWISTON — The Stanton Bird Club of Lewiston and Auburn will hold its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 7, in room 285 at the USM Lewiston-Auburn College, 55 Westminster St. The subject will be “Gannets of the Gaspe Peninsula” presented by Dan Marquis.

A birding field trip is also planned on March 19 to Plum Island, Mass.

Marquis, Stanton’s own Photographer, will share his adventures of a trip he took this in the summer summer to Perce, Canada, to photograph the gannet breeding colony on Bonaventure Island. His travels took him to the very tip of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec.

Bonaventure Island and Perce Rock National Park are home to one of the world’s largest seabird sanctuaries. This migratory sanctuary hosts more than 250,000 birds of 17 species each summer, including 120,000 nesting gannets. It is the largest gannet colony in North America, and the second largest in the world. The northern gannet is one of the largest seabirds of North American with a wingspan of 6 feet.

Marquis has had a number of his photos published in “Nature Photographer Magazine.” His work has been displayed at the Maine Photography Show, the most prestigious photography event in the state, which is an annual juried exhibit featuring some of the state’s top photographers. His work has won Best of the Show at the Maine Sportsman Show. Dan’s favorite type of photography includes both landscape and nature close-ups. 

The field trip led by Steve Reed will meet at 7 a.m. Saturday, March 19, at the Promenade Mall, 855 Lisbon St. Birders should meet at the end of the parking lot by Staples across from Marquis Signs where carpooling will be arranged. They should dress warmly and bring a lunch.

This annual Plum Island journey heads to a National Wildlife Refuge, which is on a migratory route for a wide variety of special winter birds, such as the snowy owl. Plum Island derives its name from the beach plum shrubs that grow on the dunes. The trip is planned to return to Lewiston about 4 p.m. 

A February field trip was held at Brunswick Landing, the former Naval Air Station in Brunswick, to look for snowy owls, two of which have been frequently seen along the runways for the past month.

The Stanton Bird Club manages the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary as well as the Woodbury Nature Sanctuary in Monmouth and Litchfield. It seeks to encourage both the enjoyment and protection of our natural surroundings. Meetings and field trips are free and open to everyone.

Field trip: (207) 319-6630.