Potluck and Wildlife Lecture Series

This summer Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary is holding a potluck and wildlife lecture series at the Stone Barn.  The program starts at 4:30 PM on selected Thursday's.  People are asked to bring a dish for sharing with everybody.

Yesterday, June 26, Dr. Gregg Skornal who is the project leader of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program presented a multimedia presentation highlighting the recent research of the great white sharks that have been tagged off of Cape Cod.  It was interesting to hear all in the new information being gathered on the great white sharks migration patterns.

Upcoming Programs in this series are:
The Miracle of Migration - July 17 - Paul Champlin
The Lives of South Coast Osprey - July 31 - Gina Purtell
Allens Pond Intern Spotlight - August 7
Tracking New England's Most Imperiled Wildlife - August 21 - Todd Mcleish

Hope to see you there.


Do not forget July 5th from 2-5 PM Opening Reception for my photography exhibit at the Stone Barn

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My Photography Exhibit

Come to the opening of my art exhibit entitled "Photographing Our Natural World" on Saturday, July 5 from 2 to 5 PM at Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary Stone Barn.  There  will be photographs from my film days along with photographs from the digital age.

There will be a  continuous slideshow showing most of the birds that the Allens Pond Bird-a-thon group found this year

At 3:30 PM, 1 will present a talk on photographing our natural world and locations that I have been both near and far.  What makes our natural world interesting is that it is ever-changing, and never can be the same twice.  Yes, mountains may not change, but the sky, clouds and light to change and makes a different subject.  Although I have traveled to different locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica.  Our natural world occurs right around our houses.  You just have to open your eyes and you can see the beauty of our world.

photographed around my house

Refreshments will be served, photographs will be available for sale with a portion of their price will be given as a donation to Allens Pond to help with programs and education.

Directions:
To Sanctuary Entrance at Stone Barn Farm
From Interstate 195, in Westport, take Exit 10 (Rt 88 South). Follow Route 88 for 7.2 miles through three lights to intersection with Hixbridge Rd at 4th light. Turn left onto Hixbridge Rd and proceed 1.5 miles to stop sign at Pine Hill Rd and Horseneck Rd. Turn right onto Horseneck Rd. Proceed 3.3 miles to corner with East Horseneck Rd and turn left. Stone Barn Farm entrance will be 0.4 miles further on your right at 786 E. Horseneck Rd. in Dartmouth right after the entrance to the Quansett Nursery. Just follow the dirt road to the parking area. GPS may give you the wrong directions by making you go down to Allens Neck Rd.

 Just look for the sign on your right

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Barney's Joy and a "Sunrise Shorebird Shoot (with your camera!)"

Today I returned to Allens Pond joining Josie and one of the wildlife interns Kourtney for a visit to Barney's Joy.  The private beach at Barney's Joy is one of the sites that are monitored by the shorebird monitoring program.  Least terns are the the main endangered bird that is encountered out at Barney's Joy.  Just before we went to Barney's Joy, we went down to the beach loop at Allens Pond where Josie showed Kourtney the new piping plover nest that we found yesterday.

Josie and Kourtney

area of the nest

Compared to yesterday, the weather was overcast and there was intermittent slight drizzle, plus the winds were blowing out of the north northwest.  The temperature with the wind chill was probably in the 40s.

The majority of the least terns were huddled in the leeward side, but at times the terns were being blasted by the wind blown sand.  This gave the appearance of rain/snow.

Least Terns

Least tern being blasted by the wind-blown sand

Besides the least terns, a willet and oystercatcher flew by and there was one piping plover running around foraging.  The piping plover probably came from the nest that is located on the opposite side of the channel.

Piping Plover

 To celebrate the beginning of the summer, join me for a "Sunrise Shorebird Shoot (with your camera!)"  Sponsored by Allens Pond, Sat, Jun 21, 2014 5:30 am - 12:00 pm.  We will meet at the field station, and then travel out to Gooseberry to begin photographing.  Recommended, a long lens of at least 300 mm plus a tele-converter and a tripod.  Be prepared to get wet and dirty, because the best pictures are obtained by shooting at the level of the shorebirds.  I recommend knee-pads to protect your knees from the rocks.  I would bring non-DEET bug spray and sunscreen along with water and a snack.  After we finished at Gooseberry, we will returned to Allens Pond and photograph on the beach loop.  We will finish up with lunch and a review of the morning activities. You can sign up at http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/program-catalog#program:sanctuary=25:program_code=34448
Cost is $20 for members and $24 for non-members

Piping Plovers and Harassment

Piping plover on the beach

When you read the title, I bet the first thing you thought was that the piping plovers were being harassed by people or dogs.  Well, you were wrong.

Today I visited Allens Pond, first, to set up some programs for the upcoming summer and to go down and see if my piping plovers were nesting again.  Yes, for the fifth year in a row, the piping plovers on nesting near the walkway to the beginning of the beach loop.

When I arrived the first thing I noticed were Killdeer running around behind the roped off area and when I took a good look, there were two adults and four chicks.  As I watch and photograph them, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a white object moving.  It turned out to be a piping plover.

Killdeer, looking for its chicks and also the piping plovers

Killdeer chick

Killdeer chick parading down the beach

In fact, there were a pair of them.  Now as the killdeer started moving down the beach toward where the piping plovers were, once the killdeer noticed the plover it began to chase them.  One of the plovers try to make the killdeer follow him, while the other plover went back to try to sit on the nest.  The harassment continued until the Killdeer went further down the beach and finally the plover was able to sit on its nest.  From the distance, I saw at least one egg in the nest.  After reviewing the photos there are 3 eggs present in the nest.  I also found out this is the second episode of egg laying . These plovers lost their first set of eggs.  Hopefully, the killdeer will move out and the piping plovers can nest in peace.

Piping plover looking out for a Killdeer

Piping plover nest with three eggs

Piping plover coming back to sit on the eggs

Piping plover sitting on the eggs

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Gooseberry Neck Macro Workshop

Feather on the beach

Sunday, February 9 I held a macro workshop far Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary. It was held on Gooseberry Neck in Westport Massachusetts. I had four participants, who skills range from novice to experienced. Their cameras range from a point-and-shoot, a bridge camera, a mirrorless camera and a DSLR. I had chosen the time and date so we would be working the shoreline with an outgoing tide.

David

Gordon

Catherine

Dominic

We worked our way up the east side of the beach and found numerous subjects to photograph both as close-ups and macro subjects. I help people with this settings and explained about some of the natural history of the area and the subjects that we found.

Rock Lines

 

Bay scallop shell and an arc clam shell - Also known as a blood clam or a cockle, even though it is not related to the true cockles

The beach was loaded with shells, mainly slipper shells but a number of other varieties

Seaweed floating in the water as the tide moves the seaweed

Seaweed floating in the water as the tide moves the seaweed- another view

After Gooseberry and prior to going to lunch at the Stone Barn, we stopped at the sanctuary and went down to the beach. The main reason was that three of the participants are not from the area and I want to the show warm and explain what was available the year-round to see and photograph.

We finished the workshop at the Stone Barn, where we had lunch and hot coffee. I then presented a program on macro photography and since the group was interested another program on bird photography.

A great time was had by everybody in the group actually is looking forward to another workshop.