Everywhere I look right now, I’m seeing signs of the summer breeding season. At Gilsland Farm in Falmouth, the first family of groundhog pups are above ground. Canada goose goslings are following parents around pond edges. And the phone at Maine Audubon is ringing off the hook with people calling about babies they are finding and asking what they can do to help. So it is time for our annual reminder that, in almost all the cases we hear about, you don’t need to help.

To be clear, for a lot of wildlife, the first few days or weeks of life are going to be the most difficult. Many baby birds fledge from their nests before they are even capable of strong sustained flight. The nest is a good place to keep eggs from rolling around, but otherwise is a dangerous spot for a chick to sit from day to day. It is safer to leave the nest prematurely but the result is a few days of awkwardly hopping around on the ground. Adults are still nearby, offering protection and bringing them regular meals, but can easily be scared off by approaching humans. They’ll even keep their distance so as to not give away the location of their young. Many of the phone calls we get are from people finding a young bird and they’re concerned because there are no adults around. Fear not! You can help by making sure the chick is safe from predators like cats, and then giving them plenty of space.

The same is true for mammals, where adults will often leave young unattended for a short period of time. Young deer are often encountered by people hiking through the woods, but these fawns are often intentionally left in a safe place so the does can go forage. Again, leaving them where you found them is often the best course of action. If the fawn is injured, or if you see a dead doe nearby (car strikes are unfortunately common), then you should reach out to a licensed rehabilitator.

Unfortunately, the extensive rains this spring have caused a lot of birds to experience nest failure, as the rain floods out or destroys nests. For most species, it is early enough in the season that they will be able to re-nest, and in a few weeks, we’ll see another batch of fledglings around. Nearly 30% of all the piping plover nests in Maine got washed out with the storms a few weeks ago. Again, it is early enough for many to re-nest, but that delayed start will lead to more potential conflicts with beach-goers in the summertime.

While I think the most succinct way to remember if you should help or not is to say “NO TOUCHING,” a more popular refrain is “If you care, leave it there.” In most cases, only if you see that an animal has a visible injury should you step in to help. You should never try to care for a wild animal yourself and sometimes providing what seems like basic care — even water — can be harmful. Contact rehabbers first and follow their instructions for care before transporting the animal to them. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has a full list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators (mefishwildlife.com) in the state and more details on dealing with human-wildlife interactions.

Have you got a nature or wildlife question of your own? It doesn’t have to be about birds! Email questions to [email protected] and visit www.maineaudubon.org to learn more about birding, native plants, and programs and events focusing on Maine wildlife and habitat. Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox and other naturalists lead free bird walks on Thursday mornings starting at 7 a.m., at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Audubon Sanctuary in Falmouth.