FARMINGTON — Western Maine Audubon will give its first of three fall talks at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, in the North Dining Hall, University of Maine at Farmington, 246 Main St. Noah Perlut will talk about sea gulls and their declining nesting population.

The Herring Gull nesting population in the Gulf of Maine has declined 5 percent annually since the 1960’s. While gulls traditionally nest on islands, Herring Gulls are nesting on roof-tops in Portland. Beginning in 2011 Perlut has been exploring this phenomenon. His talk will describe the choices these birds are making in response to human habitat change.

Perlut is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of New England in Biddeford. He teaches field-based classes, exploring the woods and wetlands of southern Maine.

All Westen Maine Audubon talks are free and open to the public. For more information, visit western.maineaudubon.org.