Exploring Maine’s winter wilds after dark
Oh what a night!
A snowshoer in South Berwick enjoys the constellation Orion. PHOTO: CHARLES CORMIE
By Andrea Lani
STEP OUTSIDE ON A WINTER’S NIGHT. Find a place away from streetlights and traffic noise. Turn off your flashlight and look up. What phase is the moon in? How many stars can you see? Listen for icicles tinkling, wild creatures scurrying, snowflakes falling. Feel the cold air on your face. Breathe deeply and smell evergreen needles and woodsmoke. Take one step and then another. You are well on your way toward becoming a nighttime explorer.
Our long winter nights provide much scope for experiencing the natural world after dark, from nearby owls to distant planets. All it takes is a little advance planning and a willingness to leave the comfort of the fireside. Before heading out on a nighttime expedition, check the operating hours of any park or land preserve you plan to visit. Dress in warm layers, including waterproof boots and ice spikes if it’s slippery, and let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return. Take along a thermos of hot tea or cocoa and an insulating pad to sit on. Use a red filter on your flashlight or cover the lens with transparent red tape to preserve your night vision. Most of all, keep your sense of wonder open to the delights of a winter’s night.
Catch the sunrise or sunset
Wintertime sunrises and sunsets are more spectacular than those at other times of year, thanks to the cold, dry air, the low angle of the sun and the cloud systems that linger on the horizon. With a little planning you’ll be sure not to miss the sun’s grand entrance or exit. Use sunrise or sunset as an excuse to visit the seashore or a nearby lake; take an early morning or late afternoon hike to watch the show from the top of a mountain; or find a field with a clear view to the east for the sunrise or west for the sunset. Visit timeanddate.com for daily sunrise and sunset times.
Northern Lights in Acadia National Park. PHOTO: DOUGLAS RISSING
Walk with the full moon
A full moon gives off enough light to make walking at night a snap, especially when it illuminates a snowy trail. Take advantage of this luster by going on a nighttime hike or snowshoe trek. On or near the night of a full moon, bundle up, head to a familiar trail and walk by the light of the moon. Use a moon phase calendar to plan your adventure. While you’re out, take a few minutes to study our planet’s nearest neighbor. The dark areas are the lunar maria— the moon’s seas—which are actually vast plains of dark rock laid down by volcanic eruptions 3 to 3.5 billion years ago. Bring along a pair of binoculars for a closer look at the seas, as well as the craters, ridges and channels that enliven the moon’s surface.
Watch the sky
One advantage of our long winter nights is they give us more time to stargaze, and the dry winter air allows us to see more stars. For the best skywatching conditions, choose a clear night on or near the new moon. Use a moon phase calendar to plan your adventure. Find a location such as a field or hilltop with a wide view of the sky, away from sources of artificial light. You don’t need a telescope to enjoy constellations, but bring along a star chart or guide, such as Constellation Finder by Maine author Dorcas S. Miller, or download an astronomy app like Stellarium, to help you locate groups of stars. Nearly 20 constellations are visible in our winter skies, including Orion, Taurus and Gemini. Other stars and star clusters to look for include the Great Square of Pegasus, the Northern Cross, the Pleiades and Sirius.
While you’re stargazing, keep an eye out for other celestial bodies. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are all visible to the naked eye and will put in appearances over the coming months. For Winter 2024-2025, meteor showers will also take place: the Ursids, active December 13–24, peaking on the night of December 21, and the Quadrantids, active December 26–January 16, peaking the night of January 2. For an added thrill, the comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) might become visible to the naked eye in January.
Finally, keep an eye out for northern lights. The sun is predicted to reverse polarity within the next year. This period, known as solar maximum, is characterized by heightened solar activity, like sunspots and solar flares, which can trigger geomagnetic storms in Earth’s atmosphere, producing northern lights. For best aurora viewing, head out on a clear night to a place away from artificial light and with a clear view to the north. The farther north you are, the better your chances of seeing the show.
A great horned owl in a light snow. PHOTO: KATHERINE HALUSKA
Go on an owl prowl
While much of the wild world goes quiet in winter, the hoots and calls of owls echo through the darkness as these nocturnal birds establish territories and communicate with mates. Several species of owls are seasonal visitors to Maine or are found only in certain areas of the state, but three species make Maine their year-round home and can be found throughout the state. The Great Horned Owl is often found in pine forests near open areas such as fields or marshes. Its resonant hoots can be heard throughout the fall and winter. The Barred Owl can be found in almost any type of wooded area, and its series of hoots (“Who cooks for you?”) and unearthly cackles and trills can be heard year-round. The tiny Northern Saw-whet Owl prefers thick evergreen forests, and its call, a high repeated whistle, can be heard from mid-February to May.
Owls are curious, and territorial, creatures, and it’s possible to lure one in by imitating its call. An expedition into the woods in an attempt to call in an owl and get an up-close encounter with one of these magnificent creatures, is called an owl prowl. To experience your own owl prowl, first listen to the Great Horned, Barred, and Northern Saw-whet Owls’ calls at Cornell Lab’s All About Birds online guide. and practice making them yourself. Then, on a clear, wind-free evening, walk quietly through a forested area. Pause in a clearing, turn off your flashlight and make an owl call (choose the species based on habitat or start with the smallest—Northern Saw-whet Owl—first and work your way up to Great Horned Owl). Wait a few minutes, listening carefully. If an owl replies, call to it again. It might come closer to check you out. If you don’t get a reply, try again a few more times. If you still don’t get a reply, try a different owl species, move to another area of the forest and repeat the process, or try again another night.
Wherever your nocturnal explorations take you, remember to use all your senses to take in the world after dark and stay open to the magic that a winter’s night can bring.
Resources for exploring the night sky
Visit timeanddate.com for daily sunrise and sunset times, as well as a moon phase calendar.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides two-day aurora forecasts.
For monthly updates on planetary positions, meteor showers and other astronomical phenomena, visit EarthSky or NASA Science.
Southern Maine Astronomers hosts star parties and provides resources for those interested in learning more about the night sky.
Northern Stars Planetarium brings a traveling star theater to schools, libraries and nonprofit organizations in Central and Midcoast Maine.
The University of Maine’s Historic Clark Telescope Observatory is open for public viewings of the night sky on Fridays at 8 p.m., September through May.
The Southworth Planetarium at the University of Southern Maine offers star shows Monday through Saturday.
Get outside with friends
If you’re nervous about venturing out into the winter night on your own, find a buddy to join you in becoming a nocturnal naturalist, or join a group event. Several organizations and winter sports centers around Maine offer occasional or regular guided full-moon snowshoe treks, sunset hikes, owl prowls or star parties. Check these or your local land trust or nature preserve for upcoming nighttime events.
Downeast Coastal Conservancy | downeastcoastalconservancy.org
Eastern Trail Alliance | easterntrail.org
Great Works Regional Land Trust | gwrlt.org
Greater Lovell Land Trust | gllt.org
Kennebec Land Trust | tklt.org
L.L.Bean | llbeanoutdoors.com/snowshoeing
Maine Agriculture and Forest Experiment Station | umaine.edu/mafes/events/list
Maine Audubon | maineaudubon.org
Maine Coast Heritage Trust | mcht.org
Midcoast Conservancy | midcoastconservancy.org
Friends of Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge | moosehornfriends.org/home
Pineland Farms | pinelandfarms.org
Presumpscot Regional Land Trust | prlt.org
Royal River Conservation Trust | rrct.org
Wells Reserve at Laudholm | wellsreserve.org
York Land Trust | yorklandtrust.org
Maine is blessed with some of the country’s best stargazing–including an official International Dark Sky Sanctuary, one of just 13 worldwide.