Despite snow on the ground in some parts of the state, migrant birds are returning to their breeding grounds and the second breeding season of the Maine Bird Atlas is underway! During these early parts of nesting season, it is especially important that you pay attention to safe dates and make sure that birds are on territory before submitting their behavior to the atlas. For example, these longer, warmer days are inspiring American Tree Sparrows to sing all over Maine right now, however, they have several hundred miles to fly north before getting to their breeding grounds so no records of that species should be entered to the atlas. You can review safe dates and other Maine Bird Atlas materials here: MBA – Resources and Materials.
Now is also a good time to revisit posts from last year when we highlighted specific species to be looking for in March and April. Here are those articles again:
We also recommend reviewing results to-date so that you don’t spend unnecessary effort looking for birds breeding in blocks where they’ve already been. Use the Explore Tab to see results by block, species map, or create a list of target species you haven’t documented breeding yet.