LEWISTON — The Stanton Bird Club of Lewiston and Auburn will hold its next meeting 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 6, at the USM Lewiston-Auburn College, 55 Westminster St., in Room 285.

The subject will be “The Spring Arrival of Migratory Birds,” presented by Herb Wilson.

A birding field trip is also planned for Saturday, March 25, to Plum Island, Massachusetts. Meetings and field trips are free and open to everyone.

The speaker, Herb Wilson, is the professor of biosciences at Colby College. Wilson has taught at Colby College for more than 25 years. He is an ecologist with a special interest in birds, butterflies and dragonflies. He has been tracking the arrival dates of over 100 Maine breeding birds for more than 20 years. A network of volunteer citizen-scientists assists in this monitoring process. He also has research interests in the winter foraging ecology of birds, especially sandpipers.

His talk on the patterns of springtime arrival of Maine migratory breeding birds will be very timely, as March is the month when spring migration starts in this part of Maine. Wilson’s research also provides insight into the timing of arrivals over different parts of the state, variations over the past 100 years, and the effect of changes in springtime temperatures. Although the migration commences very slowly in Maine, climaxing later on in May, bird watchers eagerly look forward to its beginning.

The Red-winged Blackbird and the American Robin are some of the earliest migrants returning in March, bringing color and cheer into the drab and lingering winter season. At first glance, the Red-winged Blackbird appears to be outfitted all in black. But soon one sees the striking red patch on the crook of each wing. Its cheerful “Quong-ka-reee!” seems to proclaim that it feels nothing but joy. Robins also bring the cheerful orange-red color to Maine’s dull winter hues. They have a complicated migration, wandering over a wide and unpredictable range, and often ending up in the spring far from where they were raised. The variation in size and color is not too pronounced, but generally the Robins from Newfoundland, which we see here in Maine in the winter, are somewhat bigger and brighter than their cousins arriving in mass in the spring.

The Saturday, March 25, Stanton Bird Club field trip will meet at 7 a.m. at the Promenade Mall located at 855 Lisbon St. at the end of the parking lot by Staples across from Marquis Signs. Carpooling will be arranged. Those attending 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. 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. The day’s explorations will be led by Steve Reed, who can be contacted at 207-319-6630.

Some birds likely to be seen at Plum Island are the Snow Bunting, Common Eider, White-winged Scoter and Red-breasted Merganser. Last year, birders were excited by the chance to see the Northern Harrier on numerous occasions and at close range. They also had the treat of viewing a number of Gadwall and American Widgeon. There are several prepared observation posts and beaches on the island. Native salt-water marshes, artificial fresh-water marshes and thickets and isolated trees of the refuge offer excellent habitat and occasion for scrutiny. 

The Stanton Bird Club manages the Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary as well as the Woodbury Nature Sanctuary in Monmouth and Litchfield. It is an environmental organization, which seeks to inculcate a love of nature in people of the community and also seeks to create model bird sanctuaries.

FMI: www.StantonBirdClub.org, tinyurl.com/zxakq6n.

This male Common Yellowthroat is one of the small, colorful Wood-Warblers commonly found in Maine from late April to early October, is generally in brush near a damp or wet area. Herb Wilson will be the guest speaker at the Stanton Bird Club, discussing this and many other migrating birds that will soon be returning to Maine to breed. 

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