www.wellsreserve.org/news/2004-07-29_junco.htm

RESTORING GULF OF MAINE SEABIRDS

WELLS, MAINE - By using decoys and playing back recordings of bird voices, biologists have succeeded in luring seabirds back to their traditional island nesting habitats in the Gulf of Maine. On Monday, August 23 at noon, Martin Junco will talk about the National Audubon Society's research and management on behalf of puffins, razorbills, murres, and three kinds of terns.

The presentation is open to the public and is free with Wells Reserve admission. Please bring your bag lunch and a mug. We will provide drinks and dessert, so reservations are required at (207) 646-1555.

Junco, who has assisted Audubon's restoration ecologist Dr. Stephen Kress for many years, will focus on tern studies taking place on Stratton Island off Scarborough and Pond Island at the mouth of the Kennebec River. Junco will describe the three tern species (common, Arctic, and roseate), their food sources, and the challenges associated with restoring seabird colonies to historical nesting islands.

Junco will also discuss some global considerations regarding tern conservation and their relation to Gulf of Maine colonies. Other bird species that nest on islands with the terns will be mentioned, as well as the "umbrella effect" that terns have on such species.

The Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, with facilities at historic Laudholm Farm, is committed to investigating coastal environments and increasing understanding of their ecology. The Wells Reserve is located at 342 Laudholm Farm Road in Wells, just off Routes 1 and 9 near the Kennebunk line. www.wellsreserve.org

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