Dear Katie,

This month we are sharing just a few of the posts from our Harpswell Nature Watchers Facebook group. Want to see the rest? Click here to join.

What are you seeing out there? We'd love to hear from you! Click here for more information about Harpswell Nature Watchers.

Great blue heron.

(Submitted by Barry Coflan. September 23, 2022)

This time of year, the rockweed takes on a beautiful yellow-orange color. What is happening is the inflated receptacles stemming from the long flat fronds of the main body of the rockweed, transitions from the smooth, olive-green to yellow or orange. If you look closely, you will also see small raised dots studding the surface of the receptacle. Although the reproduction process begins in the spring or early summer, this color change occurs when the receptacle is reaching maturity. These mature receptacles will rupture when the surrounding seawater reaches a certain minimum temperature. At that point the eggs and sperm cells, will be released into the water for fertilization. The empty receptacles will eventually fall off the algae.

(Submitted by Lynn Knight. September 13, 2022)

The spiders are decorating early for Halloween at Curtis Farm!

(Submitted by Molly Tannatt. September 10, 2022)

Another hawk sighting today, this time in our backyard. Bird Box IDs every picture I took today as a red-tailed hawk. It must have ID-ed it as a juvenile, as its markings are clearly not those of a mature red-tailed hawk.

(Submitted by Howard Marshall. September 10, 2022)

This porcupine was walking slowly down the hill at the north end of Orr's Island.

(Submitted by Jon Haddon. September 5, 2022)

Saw some wildlife today and a few nests.

(Submitted by Jess Marie. September 4, 2022)