PORTLAND, Maine — Wildlife, like us, are creatures of habit. We wake up around the same time every day, go outside and expect daylight and darkness at typical times. But that’s all about to change on April 8, 2024.
For the first time in more than 60 years in Maine, a total solar eclipse will turn day into night Monday afternoon, confusing many of us and causing nocturnal animals to come out and see what’s going on.
At about 3:32 p.m. Monday, April 8, 2024, the sun’s light will be blocked by the moon right over Maine. This is several hours prior to sunset and will confuse all kinds of wildlife as this is not a normal occurrence.
A total solar eclipse over Maine hasn’t happened in more than 60 years, and the next one won’t happen for more than a few decades.
Bees will return to their hives in the middle of the day, thinking it's night.
Spiders will begin to take down their webs as darkness takes over.
Web building won’t resume until the sun comes back out.
Some of your pets, like dogs, may become confused and could appear to act scared, but not as much as fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Cats generally don’t care about the eclipse and depend on their own personalities. But they're always weird, so... (I'm kidding.)
It turns out that large eclipse crowds frighten pets more than the actual eclipse itself.
I’m told by Maine Audubon that birds in Maine will be in the early stages of migration on April 8. You can expect purple martins and chimney swifts to drop and fly low. Birds will be looking for areas to roost.
Other birds affected by the eclipse are red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, robins, sparrows, waterfowl, double-crested cormorants, egret and heron.
I’ve also learned frogs in Maine will be especially active when the sky turns dark unexpectedly. I plan to have a follow story on this experience after the eclipse.
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