FARMINGTON — Western Maine Audubon’s next program will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, in Room C 23, Roberts Learning Center, University of Maine at Farmington. The topic will be e-birding.

Range maps are an indispensable part of knowing what we might see and, indeed, often what we are seeing. “Can I see or can I be seeing this bird here today?” is the question many of us ask as we squint through the binoculars. The traditional tool for the task has been the trusty printed field guide. But that may be changing.

Now that birders anywhere can enter their sightings in real time databases, we can have access to up-to-date distributions and occurrences as never before. Electronic guides or apps are starting to outnumber bird books on many walks. Is this something for you? How do you use these tools? Will it make you a better birder or just bog you down in technology?

Doug Hitchcox is Maine Audubon’s staff ornithologist, someone with remarkable powers of observation and enthusiasm for being wherever the birds are. He will give us the skinny on how to use this resource.

This program is free and open to the public.