Coastal Waterbird Monitoring

Piping Plover

Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary is a participant in the Coastal Waterbird Program. The Coastal Waterbird Program monitors and protects more nesting sites on the Atlantic coast than any other non-governmental entity. Every year from March through September, we utilize a variety of management techniques to protect nesting and migratory coastal birds from human disturbance and predators.
Examples of management techniques include:
·    symbolic fencing
·    signage
·    electric fencing
·    exclosures
The Coastal Waterbird Program protects over 60 miles of coastline annually and manages approximately:
·    40-50 percent of the state's piping plovers
·    40 percent of Massachusetts least terns
·    20 percent of Massachusetts American oystercatchers
The program focuses on protection of the most threatened species of coastal birds, and more broadly, coastal ecosystem management. The Coastal Waterbird Program serves as a model for integrated coastal resource management.
Allens Pond has two monitors, Allison and Josie, who monitor and survey certain areas, keeping track of the endangered species, piping plovers, least terns, common terns, plus American oystercatchers.  They also monitor predators by utilizing trail cameras and at times being out all night monitoring.

I traveled with Josie as she surveyed the beach loop and East beach areas.  We did locate some new nests along where the oystercatcher was nesting.

Piping Plover

Piping Plover on Nest

Piping Plover

Piping Plover looking for a bug

American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatcher on nest

We spent some time observing the least terns, some more nesting and being fed by the male and others with a male was trying to find a mate by offering a fish.

Least Tern, offering a fish

Least Tern, offering a fish

Because the female least tern was on nest.  The male least tern left with its fish, looking for a mate

Least Tern, offering a fish

There was a group of approximately 10 Dunlin in breeding plumage in the East beach area

Dunlin, hopping on 1 foot, they keep the other foot up in the body to reduce heat loss

We made sure if a bird was on a nest, and when we were near it, it got off the nest, we would immediately leave.


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Mass Audubon Special Event: A Bird Photographer’s Story

I attended the opening of  BIRDS AS ART/The Bird Photography of Arthur Morris at the American Museum of Bird Art at Mass Audubon  (963 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021.) The exhibition, which is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light, will run from September 29, 2013 – January 12, 2014. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.  If you have a chance go visit and see all the wonderful photographs that Artie Morris made

He will be presenting ” A Bird Photographer’s Story” on Tuesday, October 1, 2103 from 7:00-9:00pm for Mass Audubon. This event, which will be held at the auditorium, Canton High School, 900 Washington St, Canton MA 02021, is being sponsored by Canon USA/Explorers of Light and will be free and open to the public. This illustrated lecture will feature hundreds of Morris’ spectacular images as he shares the story of his life’s journey from his childhood in Brooklyn through his 23-year teaching career in New York City to the realization of his dream of becoming a full-time professional nature photographer specializing in birds. As we travel with him to his favorite locations, he will tell us about the birds and other creatures that he photographs and about the equipment and techniques he uses to create his images. The event is being hosted by The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon.

American Kestrel

Another interesting facet of my recent trip to Utah was the large number of American Kestrels that I observed. They were everywhere, in the trees, on the marsh, on wires along the road, and along streets.  In fact, it reminded me somewhat of when we drive around here in Massachusetts and see Red-tailed Hawks sitting in trees along the road.  The numbers of red-tailed hawks that we see are much less in numbers, then the amount of kestrels that I saw in Utah, in a same area, probably due to the difference in size of the birds and the territory they cover.
In fact, in Massachusetts, the American Kestrel is declining markedly and they are one of the birds of concern from the Massachusetts Audubon Society.  Here is a link to the information that the Mass Audubon has online http://www.massaudubon.org/Birds_and_Birding/birdstowatch/kestrels/index.php
The American Kestrel is a beautiful bird with the male showing a reddish brown back and blue gray upper wing colors. The females wings are reddish brown. Both the male and female have pairs of black vertical slashes on the side of their pale face. 





In the air, they will hover with tails spread as they look for prey on the ground..




You can help increase the numbers of American Kestrels by building and hanging a nesting box for them.  http://www.birds.cornell.edu/nestinginfo/downloads/Am%20Kestrel%20Screech-Owl%20N%20Saw-whet%20Owl.pdf.

Contest Winners

Today I am going to pat myself on the back. 

This fall, I received the best in show award from the Friends of National Wildlife Refuges of, Rhode Island for my picture of a snowy egret preening.

Yesterday, Massachusetts Audubon society held a reception for the finalists in their Picture This: The Great Outdoors photo contest.  There was 24 finalists chosen from over 2400 entries.  The awards were: Two Grand Prize Winners (one Adult and one Student);Two Winners for Best Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary Photo (one Adult and one Student);
and 20 Honorable Mentions (10 Adults and 10 Students).  My photograph of a funnel-weaving spider was one of the honorable mention winners.

Here are Photographs Of Me With the picture And with the award certificate.

All the Honorable Mention adult winners along with  Ms. Laura A. Johnson, President of Massachusetts Audubon Society

 

All the Winning photographs will be available to view on the Mass Audubon Site  http://www.massaudubon.org/picturethis/winners.php later this week

 

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Great Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

Thursday morning my birding calling Doug and I decided to try a new place to bird. Since we are both involved with Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary which now manages the Great Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Wareham Massachusetts that is the location we decided to visit.
Here is a description of the sanctuary taken from the Massachusetts Audubon Society webpage:
"Located in Wareham, Great Neck is truly a sanctuary for wildlife. Here you might spot an Eastern box turtle ambling along the trail or an osprey hovering over Bass Cove. The open forest provides shelter for ovenbirds and great horned owls while the salt marsh feeds wading herons and egrets. And, nearly the entire property is designated as priority habitat of state-listed rare species.
The 2.5 miles of trails follow old carriage roads and deer paths. As you walk along them, you’ll encounter native plants including blueberry, huckleberry and sassafras trees; pass by stone walls built by hand by the early settlers; and discover a large glacial erratic (a massive boulder deposited here by glaciers in the distant past) once used for quarrying.
Great Neck is more than an ecological treasure; it’s testimony of successful land conservation partnerships. Public and private conservation organizations, as well as private land owners, worked together to ensure that this special place will remain a wildlife sanctuary for all to enjoy. Members of this effective collaborative to protect the land include the Wareham Land Trust, Department of Conservation and Recreation, town of Wareham, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Mass Audubon"


The area is as described, a juvenile great horned owl allowed us nice views of it.







An ovenbird kept jumping around over our heads with a caterpillar in its mouth. We had other numerous birds sightings however we could not walk all the trails because a rain and thunderstorms came upon us and we made it back to the car just prior to the very heavy rains. A return trip is planned so we can finish seeing the entire property.

Ameran Crow



Directions to the property are:From Exit 21 off Rt 195, go southeast on Rt 28. Stay right before light onto Tremont Road and follow as it merges with Main Street, curves right, and becomes Rt 6 through downtown. Stay left on Rt 6 over bridge to light. Turn right onto Narrows Road. Take 3rd right onto Indian Neck Road, which becomes RD Stillman Memorial Drive. At T, turn right onto Great Neck Road and follow for 1.4 miles. Turn right onto Stockton Shortcut (becomes unpaved after Little Harbor Country Club) to parking lot on right.

If you use a GPS in your car, enter the intersection of Great Neck Road and Stockton Shortcut especially if you are coming from the North or West of Wareham.