song by Sean Oshima Editor’s note: Another beauty from Maine’s first family of music, the Oshimas!

photographs, video, and text by Brian Willson The towhees were singing this morning at Beech Hill. “Drink your tea!” all over the place. I put together a little video. I also got a look (or listen) at three first-of-year species—including a Black-throated Green warbler, which was wholly unexpected and seemed kind of early, actually. Third […]

photograph by Brian Willson What does a Northern Cardinal sound like? “Cheer, cheer, cheer!”

photograph and text by Brian Willson This is the week it began. When I first stepped out early yesterday and heard the trill of a northern cardinal, I knew. Then came the loose, lazy warble of a house finch, for good measure. Soon song sparrows will be returning, and—perhaps the surest (and most miraculous) sign […]

Dear readers, Join The Maine for an adventure a day, each day of this advent season — big or small, by land or sea, with friends or solo, in image or word, exuberant or contemplative, real or conceptual. We live in a state of wonder, its wide open spaces anticipating our hope and joy. Brian Willson has been […]

photograph and text by Brian Willson What does a Northern Shrike, aka Butcher Bird, sound like? “Beek!” and “Shraa!” We’re entering that time of year when birdsong subsides here on the 44th parallel—or, more accurately, has already subsided. You won’t hear much, outside of our resident chickadees, a feeder finch or two, a few woodpeckers, […]

photograph and text by Brian Willson What does a Raven sound like? “C-r-r-ruck!“ We live among common ravens. These large, smart, omnivorous birds are the stuff of myth and superstition—and they’re also our neighbors year-round. My guess is most people mistake them for crows, because they’re hard to tell apart at a distance. In fact, […]

photograph and text by Brian Willson What does a Pileated Woodpecker sound like? “Wuk-wuk!” Late yesterday while hiking the wooded Beech Hill trail with dog, I heard a loud, long cackling bird call echoing through the trees from close behind us. I’ve wandered those woods long enough to recognize the voice of a pileated woodpecker. […]