December 2018

Front Cover: December 2018

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Surf Scoter

The Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) is a breeding and wintering endemic species to North America, yet until the 1980s and 1990s was our most poorly studied duck species. Adult males are distinctive, beautiful birds with glossy black plumage highlighted with white patches on the forehead and nape; the swollen wedge-shaped bill, which looks orange from a distance, is red, yellow, white, and black. First winter males are browner and their white head patches are somewhat muted. Females have three variable white patches on the nape and face, including a distinctive vertical patch at the base of the bill that helps to separate them from female Black and White-winged scoters. Juveniles resemble females but have whitish bellies. Surf Scoters are monotypic, having no recognized subspecies.

Surf Scoters breed on tundra lakes scattered from northwest Alaska across northern Canada, with the largest concentrations east of Hudson Bay. They don't breed until their second or third year, and young nonbreeding birds occasionally summer along the coasts of North America. Surf Scoters winter along the Pacific Coast from the Aleutian Islands south to Baja and northwestern Mexico, and in the east from Nova Scotia south to Florida and the Gulf Coast through East Texas. On the East Coast, most Surf Scoters congregate in staging areas along the Gulf of St. Lawrence from April to mid-May on their way to the breeding grounds. After breeding, males that bred in the east concentrate at staging sites on the coast of Labrador and the St. Lawrence Estuary to molt, where they are joined eventually by females and juveniles. Males, females, and juveniles migrate south at different times. In Massachusetts, Surf Scoters are considered uncommon to occasionally abundant winter residents, but are common spring and abundant fall migrants along the coast. They rarely occur inland. Most fall migration occurs in October, and spring migration takes place from April through early May.

Surf Scoters are monogamous and pairs may stay together for more than one breeding season. Pair formation takes place on the wintering grounds or at migration staging areas, so pairs are already formed when they arrive on their breeding grounds. Most courtship displays occur in the water or in the air. In one series of displays, the male swims back and forth, neck erect, and dips his bill in the water. In front of the female, the male may combine headshaking and breast-preening motions and utter a gurgling sound. In another display, the male tosses his head back and lifts his chest out of the water. In still another display, upon landing after a short flight, the male may lift his neck up and raise his wings to the vertical. Sometimes the male performs a more elaborate display where he raises his tail and turns his head while pressing his bill into his breast feathers. Females display by raising their head, sometimes with beak open, and giving rasping calls. Surf Scoters are generally silent, although in flight their wingbeats produce a whistling sound.

Surf Scoters can be aggressive during the breeding season. They often stretch their necks forward as a threat display. Both males and females will attack when an unpaired duck approaches their mate on their breeding lakes. Males sometimes fight over females and females will attack adults approaching their brood.

Surf Scoter nests are usually located on an island in a lake, where they tend to be well concealed under a conifer branch or a fallen tree. The female probably is responsible for making the nest bowl in the ground. The nest is lined with down and any vegetation that is available, such as moss, pine needles, or twigs. Only the female develops a brood patch and she alone broods the clutch of seven to eight creamy white eggs for about one month until hatching. The chicks are precocial and are covered with down and their eyes are open at hatching. The female leads the chicks to water, where they immediately can feed themselves. Females tend their own chicks, but in areas where breeding densities are high, brood creches may form containing 30 or more young. Males leave the nesting lakes after only a month and females eventually abandon the young before they can fly. The young birds can fly when they are about two months old and they move to staging and wintering areas in groups without adults.

Surf Scoters forage by diving, sometimes partially using their wings for "underwater flying." Or they may use only their feet for propulsion, either with wings folded or partly extended and used as rudders. When molting or wintering in salt water, Surf Scoters forage primarily on mollusks, including mussels and clams, and in spring migration may opportunistically also take herring eggs. At their freshwater breeding grounds they feed on a variety of invertebrates, mainly crustaceans and insects. One study of Surf Scoters wintering along the New Hampshire and Massachusetts coasts showed that they mostly preferred Arctic wedge clams, but also Atlantic razor clams and blue mussels.

Surf Scoters are preyed upon by a variety of animals. Loons will take ducklings; therefore, a female Surf Scoter will lead her brood to shallow water if a loon is about. Bald Eagles are also predators at molting and staging areas. Nest predators include foxes, mink, crows, and ravens. Weather in the far north sometimes also results in mortality during nesting. Surf Scoters are heavily hunted in some areas, are vulnerable to oil spills, and get caught in fish nets. Nonetheless the remoteness of their breeding areas gives hope that they will continue to grace our coastal waters.

William E. Davis, Jr.

Hot Birds: December 2018

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

A decade ago, Massachusetts had only one record of Pink-footed Goose, which was considered questionable with regards to origin. Now the state hosts multiple individuals just about every winter. Phil Brown found this winter’s first in Ipswich on November 8. Phil’s photo of the bird among Canada Geese is above.

A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, originally spotted in the southwesternmost corner of New Hampshire, flew across the state line to Salisbury Beach State Park where Marj Watson and Judy Parrot Willis were waiting. It stayed overnight to be admired by a gathering of birders the next morning. Around noon it flew across the mouth of the Merrimack River toward Plum Island but was never relocated. Sandy Selesky took the photo above.

Winter Birding on Cape Cod: Provincetown to the Orleans Rotary

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Be Prepared

The weather on Cape Cod can be unpredictable and unforgiving. Shifting winds and storms coming in off the Atlantic Ocean can turn a calm and mild day into one that is brisk, windy, and snowy. The wind chill factor, particularly from the northeast winds, generates bitter temperatures on the outer beaches. Dressing in layers is essential. A windbreaker or rain jacket can be extremely effective as an outer layer, and down or nanopuff jackets offer good insulation. Hats, scarves, balaclavas, gloves, long johns, warm socks, and even hand and foot warmers can make the difference on a frigid day between shivering and being comfortable and warm.

Pack a towel and a change of socks and shoes in case you get wet. Warm winter boots may make walking difficult on long hikes, but they are excellent footwear for sea watching sessions. Bring snacks and plenty of water, especially on long walks. Pack the car with more food and beverages than you think you'll need because it is often difficult or inconvenient to find a place to eat on the Outer Cape in winter.

A Note on Food and Facilities

Tourism is seasonal on Cape Cod. Many restaurants, shops, and public facilities close for the winter, so it's a good idea to call ahead. The restaurants listed below are open year-round as of 2018, but there's no guarantee in the future. In Provincetown, you will be able to find a place for lunch in town. Far Land Provisions stays open year-round. Napi's, which is open for lunch off-season only (it serves dinner year-round), provides a warm respite from the cold if you want to linger a bit.

Few restaurants are open for lunch along Route 6 between Provincetown and the Orleans Rotary. Box Lunch restaurants in Truro and North Eastham, Dunkin' in Wellfleet, and Savory & the Sweet Escape in Truro serve breakfast and lunch. The Hole in One/The Fairway Restaurant in North Eastham serves breakfast only. Savory, Dunkin' in Wellfleet, the Box Lunch and The Fairway have restrooms. The small Dunkin' in North Eastham does not have a restroom or a full menu. Cumberland Farms, a block away on Route 6, has coffee, snacks, and a restroom; it is open 24/7. You can find other reliably open restrooms at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham, Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (except from Christmas to January 3), the Provincelands Visitor Center near Race Point, Herring Cove Beach, and the MacMillan Wharf parking lot in Provincetown.

How to Use this Article

This article takes a sectional rather than a directional approach to birding the Outer Cape: locations that are in close proximity and make sense to visit together are consolidated into units. The amount of time one spends at each of these units will vary depending on location and the amount of daylight during short days of winter. Plan to explore two to four units on a typical day of winter birding. Or piece together a route based on the type of birds you want to find. A good seabird route starts as early as possible at Race Point, then heads to Herring Cove, Macmillan Wharf, Head of the Meadow, Coast Guard Beach in Truro, Longnook Overlook, Newcomb Hollow Beach, White Crest Beach, Maguire Landing at Lecount Hollow Beach, Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, and ends at First Encounter Beach. For a day of winter passerines, start early at High Toss, Bound Brook Island, and Old County roads while they are still quiet, then cross Route 6 to North and South Pamet roads; head east on Route 6 to Highland Light and Highlands Center, then drive back to Marconi Headquarters, Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, and end the day at Fort Hill.

To handle wintry winter, you can either brave the elements on long foot slogs, or bird from the car with coffee and a good lunch in hand. If the northeast wind is blowing your scope off the dunes on the Atlantic side, bird the bay side. Counterintuitive as it may seem, east-facing beaches are not worth birding during nor'easters. Stick to the bay during and after storms.

Common Eider. Photograph by Max McCarthy.

1. Race Point Beach, Herring Cove, and Macmillan Wharf

Perhaps the best-known seabirding location in Massachusetts, Race Point Beach in Provincetown earns its reputation with fantastic birding in the wintertime. Pretty much any winter bird that you want to see in the ocean can be encountered here: alcids, kittiwakes, gulls, gannets, loons, and grebes. This also seems to be the best location to find rarities like Glaucous Gull, Pacific Loon, King Eider, Dovekie, and Common and Thick-billed murre. Increasingly, shearwaters linger into early winter. Huge flocks of Snow Buntings and frequent sightings of one to three Snowy Owls provide an added bonus. Common Ravens have become regular here. In contrast to most other beaches along the National Seashore, the light is excellent early in the morning because it does not face east, and in winter the sun rises much more southerly than in the warmer months.

From the parking lot, it is approximately a two-mile walk to Race Point Light and the "rip," which can be brutal in soft sand and strong winds. Birding at Race Point can be great from start to finish, but the rip is well known for the most action, possibly due to the upwelling of food from the sharp change in water depth only a few hundred yards offshore. Iceland Gull, difficult to find elsewhere on the Cape, is practically the default gull here, Glaucous and Lesser Black-backed gulls are also likely, and Little Gull is possible. This is a great spot for alcid species, with Common Murre the specialty that is almost never seen anywhere else. The rip seems to be a favorite spot for Pacific Loons—occasionally, you can see two or three on a single outing. Northern Fulmar is possible, and Pomarine and Parasitic jaegers as well as Great, Sooty, and Manx shearwaters have been recorded into January in recent years. Rarities have included Ivory Gull (2010), Mew Gulls, King Eiders, Atlantic Puffins, and even Ancient Murrelet (1998). In the winter of 2016, a Yellow-billed Loon spent over a month here.

Walk past the rip and lighthouse to check Hatches Harbor. Red-breasted Mergansers, American Black Ducks, and Common Eider occupy the water here, and large numbers of gulls loaf on sandy outskirts of the harbor. Depending on how the topography of the sandbar has changed that season, it can be another mile walk to the entrance of Hatches Harbor.

Razorbills in flight. Photograph by Tom Murray.

For easier walking conditions, take the Hatches Harbor fire road out to the lighthouse. This alternative route over well-packed sand offers a variation in habitat as well. To get to the trailhead from Race Point Beach, take Race Point Road past the airport (be sure to check the feeders around the airport for any passerines that are fueling up), and turn right onto Province Lands Road toward Herring Cove. Look for a small parking lot one mile down the road on the right. This lot has only a few parking spaces so if you are with a large group, meet at the Race Point Beach parking lot and carpool.

The walk is scenic and slightly more sheltered, passing through dunes with short pitch pines and wild cranberry bogs, then over a dike along the marsh in Hatches Harbor, and ending with desolate sand barrens with minimal vegetation. It is a straight shot from the parking area to the end of the dike where the sand dunes begin. Here, the trail becomes less defined and requires a bit of forethought to avoid a lot of additional walking. It also floods at high tide, so it is advisable to travel here at low or half-tide and plan accordingly for the trip back. When you drop over the dunes, turn left where the path connects with the road to the Race Point Lighthouse. On the return trip, follow the marsh edge from the beach back to the dike road; it can be productive for raptors and for open country birds such as Horned Larks, Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings, and sparrows.

Herring Cove is on the opposite side of Hatches Harbor from Race Point Light. The parking area is close to the beach and is a good location in inclement weather, as you can scope the ocean near the car. This is a great spot for sea ducks, loons, and grebes. Numerous gulls roost along the beach and on sandbars at the mouth of Hatches Harbor; walk there from the parking lot to get closer views. Due to damage from winter storms, the parking lot may be partially or almost entirely closed. According to the Cape Cod National Seashore, it is scheduled to be moved back within the next few years.

MacMillan Wharf is perhaps the best location in Massachusetts for getting excellent views and photographs of seabirds. Park at the MacMillan Wharf lot and bird either of the two piers, the northern pier (on the left if you are facing the harbor) typically being the more productive. The wharf is home to every plumage of pigeon imaginable, and often a Cooper's Hawk takes advantage of the abundant food source. Scope the ledges of the Pilgrim Monument for a Peregrine Falcon if it isn't actively dive-bombing the pigeons. Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks are common, and grebes, loons, and alcids may be found. Notably, Dovekie is usually annual here. Scope the breakwater for Great Cormorants.

2. Pilgrim Lake, High Head, and Head of the Meadow Beach

Pilgrim Lake, or East Harbor as the Cape Cod National Seashore calls it, is a large salt lake that is fed by the waters of Cape Cod Bay through a small culvert at the east end. It was a functional harbor until the 1868 closure of the 1000-foot wide inlet at its northwestern end. Gradually the lagoon became stagnant, shifted to fresh water, and the native estuarine fauna was replaced by non-native and invasive species such as purple loosestrife and phragmites. In 2001, the culvert that fed into Cape Cod Bay was opened to allow water to flow into Pilgrim Lake, and its health has improved dramatically. Historically, Pilgrim Lake has been excellent for birding and is likely to become more productive with the reestablishment of saltmarsh and estuarine habitats. In winter, from either direction on Route 6 you can safely pull well off the road, as long as there is no snow on the ground, for good views of Pilgrim Lake. When the water is open, this is a good spot for ducks such as scaup, Bufflehead, and a few Common Mergansers. Iced over, the lake attracts gulls, including Lesser Black-Backed and Iceland gulls. Scope the surrounding marshes for Northern Harrier and along the back dunes for the occasional Snowy Owl.

Head west on Route 6, turn onto High Head Road, and stop at the extensive marshes on both sides of the road to look for wintering rails. Keep driving along the paved road and take the left fork—a pothole-pocked dirt road that is the continuation of High Head Road—to a small parking area. There are two spots here that can be good for rails and thicket birds. One is the marshy area at the start of the ORV sand road. The other is the shrubby marsh at the beginning of the bike trail. The long, soft sand road ends with a view of the ocean where you might see huge rafts of eiders, and the two-mile bike trail ends at Head of the Meadow Beach. However, once you pass the marshy areas, these walks tend to be longer than they are productive.

The part of High Head that is more frequently birded is the upper section. Instead of taking the dirt road, follow Cliff Road up the hill. From here, you can see the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod Bay, the parabolic sand dunes, and Pilgrim Lake (which you can scope). The upper area is good for thicket birds and flights of winter finches in irruptive years. High Head is the best place on the Outer Cape for Northern Shrike and Rough-legged Hawk in winter. Rarities have included Ash-throated Flycatcher and Townsend's Solitaire. This area still supports a population of ever-dwindling Northern Bobwhites, but good luck finding them in winter when the males are silent.

Drive to Head of the Meadow Beach, a truly scenic location. Dovekies bob on the rolling waves, disappearing between the troughs. Distant feeding frenzies of gulls, gannets, kittiwakes, alcids, and occasionally late shearwaters are common here. Flocks of loafing gulls often include uncommon species, with multiple records of Little Gull in recent years. This is another location where you can bird from right outside your car, a plus in inhospitable weather.

Figure 2. Highlands Center, Highland Light, Coast Guard Beach, and Longnook Overlook.

3. Highlands Center, Highland Light, Coast Guard Beach (Truro), and Longnook Overlook

Highlands Center can be good for songbirds in the winter. Take Highland Road east, turn right onto South Highland Road (passing Highland Links and Highland Light), turn left on Old Dewline Road, and park at the ball field. (See Figure 2. Highlands Center, Highland Light, Coast Guard Beach (Truro), and Longnook Overlook.) Formerly home to one of the country's first military radar facilities—the North Truro Air Force station—during the Cold War era, Highlands Center is now a science, education, and arts center; the Federal Aviation Administration operates a radar tracking station on part of the site. Walking around the area is an eerie experience, as many of the defunct, empty buildings remain, including several deteriorating houses of the military families who were stationed here. The old neighborhood, now overgrown with autumn olive, black locust, scrub oak, winged sumac, bayberry, and the ever-present pitch pine hosts winter passerines such as Yellow-rumped and Pine warblers and mixed flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers.

The Highlands Center trail begins at Snake Road near the ball field, wends through the woods—also good for winter songbirds—then up the hill, turns left onto a paved road, and follows Sea Cliff Way back to the ball field. [See National Park Service map: https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/upload/Highlandswoodswalk-2.pdf]

Drive back to the Highland Light complex, which features a museum, a golf course, and the lighthouse—all of which close for the winter. Also known as Cape Cod Light, it is the oldest and tallest lighthouse on the Cape. The original was built in 1797. The current lighthouse, built in 1857, was relocated 450 feet back from an eroding cliff in 1996. You can walk to the site of the old lighthouse and scope the ocean for seabirds. The golf course can be a good spot for raptors, late or early Killdeer, and finches in irruption years. [See Truro Highlands Historic District Map: http://cdn.cybergolf.com/images/1701/Truro-Highlands-Historic-District.pdf]

After exiting the Highland Light parking lot, turn right onto South Highland Road, which almost immediately becomes Coast Guard Road, and follow it to the end. This is Coast Guard Beach in Truro, not to be confused with Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. There are four or five spaces that face the ocean and you can bird from or near the car. Many of the pelagics that you'd find at Race Point are here. Gulls are plentiful, with the occasional Iceland or Glaucous gull. Small flocks of Bonaparte's and Black-legged Kittiwakes may fly by.

Another birding location for wet or frigid weather is the overlook at Longnook Beach. From Route 6, take Longnook Road to the beach parking lot, which is at the edge of an eroding dune. Here, you can scope the ocean from a good elevation. Bird from the parking lot or walk up the short path at the northeast corner of the lot for an excellent vantage point.

4. Gull Pond, Newcomb Hollow, White Crest Beach, and Maguire Landing (Lecount Hollow Beach)

Appropriately named, Gull Pond attracts myriad gulls in the winter that fly back and forth to Newcomb Hollow Beach. A short walk down the dune and along the beach leads to huge flocks of gulls. Many Lesser Black-Backed and Iceland gulls can be found as well as the occasional Glaucous Gull or kittiwake. This is a fantastic area for the birder who enjoys scanning large groups of birds for the occasional rarity. To reach these sites from Route 6, take Gull Pond Road. For Gull Pond, turn left onto Schoolhouse Hill Road, turn right at Gull Pond Landing, and park in the unpaved area. For Newcomb Hollow Beach, remain on Gull Pond road, turn left onto Gross Hill Road, turn left again to stay on Gross Hill Road/Ocean View Drive, and follow it to the beach.

White Crest Beach and Maguire Landing (Lecount Hollow Beach) are south of Newcomb Hollow Beach, just a short ride down Ocean View Drive. The parking areas are at elevation, providing good visibility of the ocean below. With the right setup in inhospitable weather, you don't need to leave the car to bird. Razorbills, gannets, Red-throated Loons and other seabirds are likely at all the ocean overlooks. At White Crest Beach, check the scrubby hollow in the overflow parking area across the road for winter-hardy passerines such as Yellow-rumped Warblers.

5. Wellfleet Harbor to South Truro Thickets

To reach Wellfleet Harbor from the south, turn left onto Main Street from Route 6 at the traffic light just beyond the Mobil station. In 0.25 mile, turn left onto East Commercial Street and follow it to the Wellfleet Town Pier. (See Figure 3. Wellfleet Harbor and South Truro thickets.) Inner Wellfleet Harbor hosts winter ducks, gull, and sometimes Dunlin at lower tides. Rarities include Lesser Black-backed Gull and once a Slaty-backed Gull. The harbor is sometimes a good spot for Barrow's Goldeneye. Following nor'easters, alcids also may seek shelter here. These and other birds, such as Red-throated Loon, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and Common Eider often can be seen and photographed at close range, much like at MacMillan Wharf.

Figure 3. Wellfleet Harbor and South Truro Thickets.

When it makes a 90-degree turn at the pier, Commercial Street becomes Kendrick Avenue, and then merges into Chequessett Neck Road, which takes you to a bridge of the same name over the Herring River. The dike on the Herring River was built to exclude mosquitos and increase agriculture in the early twentieth century, but succeeded mainly in seriously degrading the habitat, causing oxygen depletion, massive fish kills, and conversion from salt marsh to monoculture of invasive phragmites. Despite this, the river upstream of the dike hosts breeding birds such as Clapper Rail, Saltmarsh Sparrow, and even Least Bittern on occasion. Scan the harbor and river on either side of the bridge for ducks; the downstream side hosted Barrow's Goldeneye for several years in a row. After crossing Chequessett Neck bridge, turn right onto Griffin Island Road, which curves to the left to become Duck Harbor Road and leads to Duck Harbor Beach, a good spot for scanning Cape Cod Bay for large flocks of eiders, scoters, and mergansers, plus a few Horned Grebes.

For an ambitious hike out Great Island for shorebirds, sea ducks, marsh birds, and a chance of Snowy Owl, park in the National Seashore lot near the intersection, or in one of the two dirt lots on either side of the road just after the bridge. Be careful because super high tides sometimes flood the lower parking lot. The Great Island trail is a 3.9- to 8.8-mile round trip hike that takes roughly three to five hours depending on your route. In winter, it is essential to be mindful of the tides so that you don't get stranded out there when a high tide submerges the trail. Dress warmly and take plenty of water.

The back roads west of Route 6 in Wellfleet and South Truro, mainly Old County Road and associated side roads, feature some excellent thicket-birding opportunities that should not be missed, especially in winter. These thickets and adjacent wet areas provide abundant food for wintering birds, including warblers, Gray Catbirds, Eastern Towhees, Hermit Thrushes, and Winter Wrens. The best way to cover these thickets is to drive until you find a favorable habitat, then pull off the road in a safe place. Roving flocks of robins or roadside sparrows often help determine where to stop. For the birder out before sunrise or after sundown, it should be noted that these roads are particularly good for Northern Saw-whet Owls.

A series of roads that run north from downtown Wellfleet to "downtown" Truro includes Pole Dike Road, Bound Brook Island Road, and Old County Road. They all cross marshy tributaries of the Herring River and various wet thickets that can hold birds. Starting from downtown Wellfleet, follow West Main Street and Pole Dike Road to High Toss Road. Walk or drive carefully down High Toss Road as far as the small bridge over the Herring River, which is just a small stream at that point. This road has some nice cover and wet areas for birds, including a wet meadow and cattail marsh. Return to Pole Dike Road and turn left. Pole Dike eventually merges onto Bound Brook Island Road, which soon passes over a Herring River tributary. A quick left onto an old paved road will take you to the Atwood-Higgins house, a Cape Cod-style house built in 1730. The area has some decent thickets, and late-lingering phoebes seem to favor the old buildings.

After birding around the Atwood-Higgins house, you can continue west along the various dirt roads to bird more thickets ("Sooty" Fox Sparrow in January 2012) or return to Bound Brook Island Road and turn left, continuing up the road to a left fork that will take you onto Old County Road. Follow Old County Road and pay special attention to the hollows and thickets along the left. Upon seeing marsh on both sides of the road, bear left onto Mill Pond Road. Safely pull off the road near this fork to listen for rails. There is a parking area just beyond the pond, which can sometimes yield dabbling ducks and Hooded Mergansers. At the end of Mill Pond Road, turn left for a comfortable view of Pamet Harbor from the car. To return to Route 6 south, follow Depot Road to the end, and turn right. Alternatively, if you haven't had your fill of thicket birding, continue under Route 6 to explore North and South Pamet roads for more riparian thicket birds and views of the ocean from Ballston Beach at the end of the roads.

6. Marconi Beach, National Park Headquarters, and Marconi Station Site

Built on a high bluff, Guglielmo Marconi's transatlantic wireless station transmitted the first intercontinental wireless message between the United States and Europe in 1903. Less than 20 years later, the four wooden communication towers were demolished due to encroaching erosion. The sea has long since claimed the original site of the wireless towers. In 1974, farther back on the bluff, the Cape Cod National Seashore built an interpretive exhibit and scale model of the Marconi station under a structure that became a welcome shelter for birders scanning the ocean below. The dunes have been eroding at a rate of approximately three feet per year. In 2013, dangerously close to the edge of the eroding cliff, the structure was torn down.

View over tree line at Marconi Station Site. Photograph by author.

The Marconi Station area is still an excellent place for sea watching. The observation overlook provides a fantastic vista of the ocean and a scenic view over the pitch pine-dominated tree line to Cape Cod Bay. Scanning the ocean here will commonly yield loons, scoters, razorbills, and gannets.

From Marconi Beach Road, turn left onto Marconi Station Road and follow it to the end. Drive leisurely and watch for lingering and winter passerines. When road conditions are adverse, the road may be closed past the headquarters building.

On the way back from Marconi Station, stop at the Seashore headquarters and check the feeders, the parking lot, and any of the adjacent open pitch pine woods. This area can be good for Eastern Bluebirds and Pine, Palm, and Yellow-rumped warblers. Check for both kinglets and Orange-crowned and other warblers in the flocks. Clay-colored and even Grasshopper sparrows have been present here in winter, and, incredibly, three Mountain Bluebirds wintered here in 1995.

Marconi Beach Road, which leads to the beach, is gated and may be closed in inclement weather. In years when winter storms have eroded parts of the parking area or damaged the stairs, the road may remain closed all winter and spring until the Park Service restores safe access. When the gate is closed, the 1.5-mile hike to the beach is probably not worthwhile.

The Marconi Beach parking lot can be a good spot for bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Horned Larks, and finches. The top of the stairs that lead to the beach is the best vantage point for scoping the ocean. Although not as elevated as the observation platform at Marconi Station, it is a useful place to keep in mind if you spot an interesting bird south of the wireless station site and you'd like a better look. The stairs may be closed due to erosion or inclement weather; even when they remain open, use your judgment before heading down to the beach. Walking along the beach offers little birdlife, but it is a scenic and quiet stroll in either direction with a chance of finding some loafing gulls.

7. Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

One of the best and most beautiful birding spots on the Outer Cape in every season is Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. It has the longest species list of any eBird hotspot on Cape Cod—301 species as of October 2018. Include a visit on your way to or from Marconi or First Encounter beaches. Winter rarities here have included Lazuli Bunting, Golden Eagle, Hoary Redpoll, Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. A detailed article about birding Wellfleet Bay appears in Bird Observer Volume 4, Number 4, August 2016 and online at:

8. Great Pond, Herring Pond, and First Encounter Beach

You can reach Great Pond, Herring Pond, and First Encounter Beach by taking Samoset Road off Route 6 in Eastham. (See Figure 4. Great Pond, Herring Pond, and First Encounter Beach.) Start at Herring Pond because it tends to be the more productive of the two ponds with better variety, larger numbers, and more rarities. When you get to the four-way stop on Samoset, turn left onto Herring Brook Road and in less than 0.5 mile take a left into the narrow entrance to the Herring Pond parking lot. It's easy to miss; if you come to Crosby Village Road, you've gone too far and need to turn around.

Figure 4. Great Pond, Herring Pond and First Encounter Beach.

Herring Pond supports many species of dabbling and diving ducks. American Wigeon, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Mergansers, and Ruddy Ducks are regular. You may sometimes find Greater and Lesser scaup and Common and Red-breasted mergansers, and there's a chance for rarities such as Canvasback and Redhead. The pond seems to be a favored location for Eurasian Wigeon. Any rare dabblers that are wintering in the area, such as Northern Shoveler and Northern Pintail, can be found here, though ducks move between ponds during the day. American Coots, which are hard to find on Cape Cod, frequent Herring Pond (high count 250 in January 2013). Also look for Common Loons and Pied-billed Grebes.

If there are no Hooded Mergansers at Herring Pond, retrace your route back up Samoset and stop at Jemima Pond, the small pond on the right. You may find up to a couple dozen of Hoodies here.

Next, turn left onto Great Pond Road to access the eastern and more open side of Great Pond. Sometimes the pond is good for loons, Double-crested Cormorants, Pied-billed Grebes, and diving ducks, but other times it's quiet. This is a good place to try for the merganser sweep as all three can occur here in winter. There is always a gull flock in the center of the pond that you should check for interesting species.

You can bird the northwest side of Great Pond from Wiley Park, which is off Herring Brook Road. This side of the pond is more protected from the wind, and the ducks may differ. You will also find woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, and Red-breasted and White-breasted nuthatches when you walk to the pond from the Wiley Pond lot.

First Encounter Beach was named to commemorate the first contact between the Pilgrims and Native Americans of the Nauset tribe, but for birders it is a famous post-storm site. When the winds shift northwestward following a nor'easter, First Encounter provides some of the most exciting seabirding in the eastern United States. Huge flights of pelagics—many of them rare—that get blown into Cape Cod Bay during storms are funneled past this beach as they attempt to exit the bay. The first parking lot is a great spot to scan the bay (from the car in adverse weather). Higher tides are better – seabirds are quite distant when the tide is low.

Some eye-popping high counts include 1,100 Pomarine Jaegers (October 1991), 10,000 Red Phalaropes (December 1992), and 13,500 Razorbills (December 2012). Other alcids seen at First Encounter include flocks of Dovekie, Common and Thick-billed murres, and Atlantic Puffin (a high of 24 in November 2004). Also recorded on the same day in December 2012 were 6oo Black-legged Kittiwakes and 625 Northern Gannets. Cory's, Great, Sooty, and Manx shearwaters and Northern Fulmars get blown over here as well.

Drive down to the south lot, where you can walk a short trail that leads to the salt marsh and the inlet of Eastham's Herring River. On a falling tide, the sandbars here fill with gulls and winter shorebirds such as Sanderlings, Dunlin, and maybe a Black-bellied Plover. Several narrow footpaths traverse the sand between the parking lot and the beach. This is a good place for Horned Larks hunkering down on windy days; otherwise look for them flying around the marsh and dunes, occasionally with a Lapland Longspur among them. The marsh can be productive for geese, ducks, and harriers. Look for Peregrine Falcons near the beach and dunes and the beach, and Cooper's Hawks and Red-tails anywhere along the road.

9. Nauset Light Beach, Coast Guard Beach, and Fort Hill

Nauset Light Beach is worth a quick stop if you have extra time or you want to bird close to your car when the weather is inhospitable, but Coast Guard Beach is the main attraction. The seabirding is superior there because of the presence of an inlet to a major estuary, and Nauset Marsh attracts additional winter species.

Follow the signs to Coast Guard Beach from Route 6. In winter, you can park up at the main lot. Take either the short path north of the former Coast Guard station to an observation spot above the beach or walk down to the beach. Scan the ocean for sea ducks—Common Eider, all three scoters, and Red-breasted Mergansers—Common and Red-throated loons, Red-necked Grebes, Northern Gannets, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and lots of gulls. Alcids are less common here than at Race Point or the Truro and Wellfleet beaches, but you may find Razorbills. A short walk on the beach in either direction may yield a Snowy Owl atop one of the dunes.

When you've had your fill of seabirding, head to the Nauset Marsh overlook at the southern end of the parking lot and scan the marsh. Large numbers of Brant and Canada Geese inhabit the marsh, and Snow Goose has shown up in recent years. Dabbling ducks such as Gadwall, Mallard, Black Duck, and Green-winged Teal are common, with the occasional Northern Pintail. Divers such as Bufflehead and Hooded Mergansers are found in deeper water. Careful observation of the marsh may yield a bittern within or a harrier gliding above. Look for Snowy Owls in the dunes or sitting out on the marsh. Thickets below the parking lot invariably host Yellow-rumped Warblers and should be checked for less common passerines.

You can also view Nauset Marsh from the bike trail bridge, where you may spot late Greater Yellowlegs. White-rumped and Western sandpipers have turned up among the wintering Dunlin flock. Either walk down the paved bike trail or follow a short path through the woods at the southwest edge of the parking lot. This wooded trail can be productive for Hermit Thrush and other interesting wintering birds.

If you want stay outdoors longer, walk south along the beach and head around the spit for an amazingly scenic hike with chances for large numbers of loafing gulls and Horned Larks, Snow Buntings, Eastern Meadowlarks, and Snowy Owls in the dunes. Lapland Longspurs and ‘Ipswich' Savannah Sparrows are always possible. One of the state's first Slaty-backed Gulls was found at the tip in December 2007.

Nauset Marsh is flanked by Coast Guard Beach on one end and Fort Hill on the other; both are premier birding spots on the Outer Cape. The area surrounding Fort Hill was farmed for more than 200 years and is currently being managed as Cultural Grassland by the Cape Cod National Seashore. The birding from Fort Hill, like the view, is spectacular all year, especially when combined with the adjacent Red Maple Swamp Trail for added habitat and species diversity. [See map: http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/cape-cod-fort-hill-trail-map.gif]. It's worth spending two to three hours exploring these trails, but if you don't have time, birding the two parking lots will yield a decent number of species.

You can park at either the lower or upper lots, but the upper lot takes advantage of the panoramic views. Set up your scope and scan Town Cove and the channels of Nauset Marsh for ducks and wintering Sanderling and Dunlin on exposed mudflats or floating shellfish beds; Nauset Beach for distant Snowy Owls; the salt marsh for American Bitterns, Great Blue Herons, Northern Harriers, crows and gulls; and the upland fields for harriers, Cooper's and Red-tailed hawks, and Eastern Meadowlarks. Meadowlarks will use these fields as a wintering ground, flying out to feed in the adjacent salt marsh on low tides. Then put your scope back in the car and walk down the trail.

A small grove of trees and a shrubby thicket on the right hold common resident species such as Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Mockingbirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Song and Savannah sparrows, Northern Cardinals, and American Goldfinches, but you may find surprises such as Yellow-breasted Chat.

When you reach the huge rock, turn right and follow the spur trail along the southern edge of Nauset Marsh to a small cattail marsh, which is the most productive place for Yellow Rail, Marsh Wren, Sedge Wren (rare), and LeConte's, Saltmarsh, Nelson's (inland race and Acadian), and Seaside sparrows. The phragmites along the east side of the marsh are also good for many of the skulky marsh birds, especially American Bitterns, when high tides push them up the marsh.

Retrace your steps to the huge rock, and follow the Fort Hill trail to Skiff Hill and Indian Rock, watching for meadowlarks in the fields on the left and bitterns in the marsh on the right. At Indian Rock, follow the paved Red Maple Swamp trail north toward Hemenway Road, stopping at the overgrown overlooks for glimpses of winter ducks. A quick detour to Hemenway Landing, another scenic view, should be productive. Return to the Red Maple Swamp trail and follow the boardwalk through the swamp, where you may find flocks of robins, Cedar Waxwings, and Golden-crowned Kinglets, as well as Blue Jays, crows, Northern Flickers and other woodpeckers. By the end of 2018, the boardwalk spur may have reopened, but this was never a particularly birdy detour.

At the end of the boardwalk, the trail through the woods yields woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, and both nuthatches, and it is worth looking for Brown Creepers and wintering warblers. When you reach the field, turn right and head to the lower parking lot.

The thicket adjacent to the lower lot can be fantastic for winter specialties like Fox Sparrow and Yellow-breasted Chat. Winter rarities over the years have included Mountain Bluebird, Bell's Vireo at least twice, Lark Sparrows, Painted Bunting, Western Kingbirds, and Ash-throated Flycatchers. If you plan to spend only a short time at Fort Hill, this lot should not be missed.

You can return to your car by walking the road to the upper lot or taking the trail through the woods behind the Penniman House, where you may find robins, Eastern Bluebirds, Hermit Thrushes, Carolina Wrens, White-throated Sparrows, and Red-winged Blackbirds. The last part of the trail cuts across the field where, toward winter's end in March, you may see and hear American Woodcock displaying at dusk.

References

National Park Service. 2015. East Harbor Tidal Restoration Project. https://www.nps.gov/caco/learn/nature/east-harbor-tidal-restoration-project-page.htm. Accessed September 2018.
National Park Service. 2017. Highland Light Station. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/maritime/hig.htm. Accessed September 2018.
National Park Service. 2017. Exploring the Highlands Center. https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/exploring-the-highlands-center.htm. Accessed September 2018.
National Park Service. 2017. Coast Guard Beach – Eastham. https://www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/coast-guard-beach-eastham.htm. Accessed September 2018.
National Park Service. Fort Hill. 2017. https://www.nps.gov/caco/learn/historyculture/fort-hill.htm. Accessed September 2018.
"The Outer Cape: Changing Faster than Technology" Informational kiosk. National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore. Viewed September 3, 2018.
"‘Every day sees humanity more victorious in the struggle with space and time.' Guglielmo Marconi." Informational kiosk. National Park Service, Cape Cod National Seashore. Viewed September 3, 2018.
Salett, Marsha C and Mark Faherty. 2016. Birding Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Bird Observer 44 (4): 221-236.
Schwarzman, B. 2002. The Nature of Cape Cod. Lebanon, New Hampshire; University Press of New England.

Special Thanks

The author would like to thank David Clapp, Mark Faherty, Marsha Salett, and Wayne Petersen for their contributions of historical knowledge of the area to this article.

Nate Marchessault is an avid birder and wannabe naturalist from Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. When he's not soliciting people for Where to Go Birding articles for Bird Observer he usually can be found leisurely strolling outdoors enjoying the flora and fauna of Cape Cod and the surrounding area. He's an active member of South Shore Bird Club and enjoys leading walks with Buzzards Bay Coalition to educate and inspire those interested in birds and nature.

Birders and Hunters: Allies in Habitat Conservation

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Caren Cooper and a group of researchers from Cornell Lab of Ornithology set out to test the assumption that outdoor nature-based recreation, such as birding and hunting, was a predictor of positive conservation behaviors. Their study found that hunters and birders were four to five times more likely to engage in pro-conservation behaviors than non-recreationists, and that birders and hunters had a near equal engagement in pro-conservation behaviors. The pro-conservation behaviors included donating to local conservation efforts, enhancing wildlife habitat on public lands, participating in local environmental groups, and advocating politically for wildlife (Cooper et al. 2015 ).

While there are certainly differences between birders and hunters, it is their similarities as lovers of the natural world and their resolve to conserve and manage habitat that make them tremendous allies.

Most birders are familiar with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act but may not be aware that the history of early conservation legislation shows hunters, too, working with government to conserve our natural resources for future generations.

In 1934, the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Duck Stamp Act) became law. (Its name was officially changed to the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp in 1977.) The law requires that all waterfowl hunters over the age of 16 must purchase and display a migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp (Duck Stamp). Ninety-eight percent of the cost of the duck stamp goes directly to purchasing or leasing wetlands and other wildlife habitat for inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since the inception of the Duck Stamp Act, 800 million dollars has been used to protect more than 5.7 million acres of bird habitat.

As birders we should appreciate the foresight of our nation in enacting such an effective conservation law and for the hunters paying the fee. We, too, can join hunters in supporting this program by buying and displaying Duck Stamps. [See Paul Baicich's article, "Duck Stamp? Why Us?" (Bird Observer 2015).] Birders can buy federal duck stamps at post offices, national wildlife refuge offices and admission booths, or online from USPS or www.duckstamp.com>. In addition, birders can buy Duck Stamps and Duck Stamp holders/keychains from Brookline Bird club http://www.brooklinebirdclub.org/duck-stamps/> or from Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp http://www.friendsofthestamp.org/resources/products/>. For more information about the National Wildlife Refuge System, go to Fish & Wildlife < http://www.fws.gov/refuges/>. For information on the Stamp, go to the FWS Duck Stamp page < http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps/>.

In 1937, Congress, passed The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman Robertson Act). The key provisions of this act and its subsequent amendments are an 11% excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. The funds raised are granted to state fish and wildlife agencies for projects that restore, conserve, manage, and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitat.

Former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar wrote in the foreword to a US Fish and Wildlife publication celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act:

In the middle of the Great Depression in 1937, America faced an unprecedented environmental crisis. The Dust Bowl afflicted much of the nation's heartland. Unwise development ravaged millions of acres of wetlands and other vital wildlife habitat, and many species were near extinction. In response to this crisis, the nation's sportsmen successfully lobbied Congress to pass what is arguably the most effective conservation law in history -- the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act.

In effect, sportsmen selflessly convinced Congress to tax them to fund conservation. (Salazar 2012)

This highly effective law, in its first ten years, acquired roughly 900,000 acres of conserved land and remains a key source of revenue to conserve habitat today. Would birders follow the hunters example and advocate for an excise tax on binoculars, spotting scopes, and field guides to provide funds for habitat protection?

In Massachusetts, the state division of fisheries and wildlife describes its mission on its website: "MassWildlife is responsible for the conservation of freshwater fish and wildlife in the Commonwealth, including endangered plants and animals. MassWildlife restores, protects, and manages land for wildlife to thrive and for people to enjoy." .

MassWildlife has over 200,000 acres of permanently conserved land, including 160,000 acres in its Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system and, on a yearly basis, adds acreage to the WMAs. In 2017, over 4,000 acres were conserved by MassWildlife at a cost of $5,651,000 (mass.gov/service-details/masswildlife-land-acquisitions). These lands acquisitions are paid for by Wildland Stamp (hunter revenue) and open space bond funds (tax payer revenue). As stated on the MassWildlife website:

In the early 1990's, sportsmen and women (hunters and fishermen) realized that the cost of land was escalating. Through an organized effort, they passed legislation requiring the purchase of a Wildlands Conservation Stamp ($5) when buying a fishing, hunting, or trapping license. Revenue from the "Wildlands Stamp," as it is commonly called, goes to the Wildlands Fund, which pays for the cost of acquiring wildlife habitat. Lands purchased with this revenue are open to fishing, hunting, trapping, birding and other passive wildlife related recreation. (https://www.mass.gov/service-details/wildlands-fund)

Not only does MassWildlife manage its own lands for rare species, it also provides technical and financial assistance to aid in the habitat management of municipal and private conserved lands. In 2018, the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program made $300,000 available to aid private organizations and municipalities in managing conserved lands for our most imperiled species. In 2017, MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program made $500,000 available, including nearly $100,000 to aid Mass Audubon in managing young forests and shrubland in three sanctuaries ( and Jason Zimmer, personal communication 2018).

Through advocacy and action, birders and hunters can help MassWildlife acquire more lands:

Let the governor and the legislature know that land conservation is a top priority .
Purchase a fishing or hunting license.
Make a direct donation to the Wildlands Fund by sending a check payable to Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Wildlands Fund to MassWildlife, 251 Causeway St., Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114.

At the Federal level, there is an important conservation bill in Congress (as of this writing, October 2018)—the Recovering America's Wildlife Act (RAWA) that has bipartisan support. According to the National Wildlife Federation's website:

The Recovering America's Wildlife Act will redirect $1.3 billion of existing revenue annually to state-led wildlife conservation efforts, effectively allowing the states to more fully implement their State Wildlife Action Plans. This legislation follows the recommendation of a diverse group of energy, business, and conservation leaders. This group, known as the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America's Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources, determined that an annual investment of $1.3 billion in revenues from energy and mineral development on federal lands and waters could address the needs of thousands of species, preventing them from needing to be added to the Endangered Species Act. (https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Wildlife-Conservation/Policy/Recovering-Americas-Wildlife-Act8)

This bill provides a clear funding source for our nation's most imperiled species and is endorsed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society along with other conservation organizations. Andy McGlashen, a former editorial fellow with Audubon, wrote, "...at a time when the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and other landmark environmental laws are under attack, the deep bipartisan support for the RAWA is encouraging."( McGlashen 2018) In New England, RAWA has the support of Mass Audubon, Connecticut Audubon Society, New Hampshire Audubon, Audubon Society of Rhode Island, and Audubon Vermont.

Advocate for RAWA's passage by writing to United States senators and representatives and urging them to support the Recovering America's Wildlife Act.

The Massachusetts WMA system and the National Wildlife Refuge system provide a good foundation for an alliance of birders and hunters—working together—to conserve and manage land for wildlife to thrive and for people to enjoy. Here are some specific actions you can take to support their efforts:

Write to lawmakers to support of the National Wildlife Refuge System and MassWildlife's WMAs, and to pass legislation such as RAWA.
Report rare species. If you have information on the location of a rare species or a vernal pool and would like to help the Massachusetts NHESP keep its database current, submit your observations through https://www.mass.gov/how-to/report-rare-species-vernal-pool-observations>. The information on rare species will affect decisions in managing existing Wildlife Management Areas and could affect decisions to acquire new properties. For recording data on state-listed species, NHESP can use only the information submitted on the state forms; the state cannot use eBird data (Andrew Vitz, personal communication, 2018).
Build a love for the natural world in your local community. Lead a walk or organize a series of walks in your town to highlight local habitat gems and explain how they are important to wildlife. Initiate local programs that help people create backyards that are bird, amphibian, insect, and wildlife friendly. Collaborate with local garden clubs to get the word out.
Be active in your community in management of open space. Stand up for existing open space and make sure it does not get converted into the next school administration building or DPW garage.
Advocate for habitat management with users of WMAs. Often the early stages of a management project appear to be disruptive or even destructive. Clearing trees to build young forest, shrubland, or grassland habitat can look a lot like a construction site to the uneducated eye. Educating yourself and then explaining the value of the project to others will help MassWildlife.
Contribute on your state tax form. Look for line 33A on the Massachusetts state income tax form to contribute. Or tell your tax preparer that you want to donate to the Endangered Wildlife Conservation Fund. You can donate even if you are not owed a refund.

Through action and advocacy, hunters and birders can work together to conserve and manage land for wildlife.

Citations

https://www.audubon.org/news/plot-twist-congress-considering-law-could-protect-hundreds-more-birds accessed 10/5/2018
Baicich, Paul. 2015. Duck Stamp? Why Us? Bird Observer 43: 160–165.
Cooper, C., L. Larson, A. Dayer, R. Stedman & D. Decker. 2015. Are wildlife recreationists conservationists? Linking hunting, birdwatching, and pro-environmental behavior, The Journal of Wildlife Management. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.855
https://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp/history-of-the-federal-duck-stamp.php accessed 10/5/2018
Madison, M. 2012. The Beginning 75 Years Ago. Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. Washington D.C.: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service., 1–7.
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/division-of-fisheries-and-wildlife accessed 10/5/2018
https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-awards-wildlife-habitat-management-grants-to-local-projects accessed 10/1618
https://www.mass.gov/news/300000-available-for-habitat-management-grants accessed 10/1618
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/masswildlife-land-acquisitions accessed 10/16/2018
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/wildlands-fund accessed 10/5/2018
McGlashen,A. Plot Twist: Congress Is Considering a Law That Could Protect Hundreds More Birds. Audubon Online August 8, 2018
https://www.nwf.org/Our-Work/Wildlife-Conservation/Policy/Recovering-Americas-Wildlife-Act accessed 10/5/2018
Salazar, K. 2012. Forward. Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. Washington D.C.: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Forward p.iii.

Peter Jacobson was born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, and now lives in East Bridgewater. Pete is a member of South Shore Bird Club, which he represents at the Association of Massachusetts Bird Clubs.

Thornton Burgess, Dr. William Hornaday, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

In the preface of his 1913 book published by the New York Zoological Society (Charles Scribner's Sons), Our Vanishing Wild Life, Hornaday delivered a scorching indictment of America's "rage for wildlife slaughter," saying "We are weary of witnessing the greed, selfishness and cruelty of ‘civilized' man toward the wild creatures of the earth... It is time for a sweeping Reformation, and that is precisely what we now demand" (Hornaday, p. x). Hornaday biographer Greg Dehler says that Our Vanishing Wild Life offered the first comprehensive treatment of wildlife conservation as a separate topic and made use of charts, facts, graphs, and most importantly, photographs.

Hornaday's 411-page book laid out wildlife extinctions from the mid-1800s to early 1900s, species by species, state by state, and cause by cause (automatic and pump action guns, use of cars, market hunting, the millinery trade, and domestic cats among them), as well as anticipated extinctions. The demise of perhaps the best known migratory bird, the passenger pigeon, is described in ghastly detail, citing W.B. Mershon's The Passenger Pigeon: "In 1869, from the town of Hartford, Mich, three carloads of dead pigeons were shipped to market each day for forty days, making a total of 11,880,000 birds" (Hornaday, p. 11).

Hornaday quoted ornithologist Alexander Wilson in his book American Ornithology who stated that he had witnessed a column of passenger pigeons conservatively estimated to be a mile in width. Given the hours it took to pass him, Wilson estimated the flock contained 2,230,272,000 pigeons. "The fate of this species should be a lasting lesson to the world at large," Hornaday declared. "Any wild bird or mammal species can be exterminated by commercial interest in twenty years time or less" (Hornaday, p. 14).

Often accused of playing loose with his facts, Hornaday stated that the statistics in Our Vanishing Wild Life on extinct and threatened birds and mammals were obtained from 250 officials and observers in all 48 United States and Canada. In Idaho, for example, Dr. D. S. Moody noted that the Wood Duck, Long-billed Curlew, Whooping Crane, and American bison were extinct (Hornaday, p. 43). Hornaday reported the number of hunting licenses legally issued in 1911 in just 27 states was nearly 1,500,000 and the number of shotgun cartridges being produced annually by four major companies was 775 million.

"The cause of wildlife protection greatly needs three things," the conservationist had written in 1913, "Money, labor and publicity." Three years later he met a children's author who would provide him and other Migratory Bird Treaty proponents a massive platform for publicity and propaganda, an audience of readers that included hunters and conservationists, Americans and Canadians, farmers and businessmen, and best of all, generations of present and future voters—all accessible through the children's animal stories of Thornton Burgess.

Hornaday and Burgess meet

A journalist and Good Housekeeping editor, Burgess never expected to be a children's author. But after his first book, Old Mother West Wind, was published by Little, Brown & Company in 1910, other titles followed and soon attracted a voracious audience. Combining a strong writing background with his deep love of nature and conservation, Burgess created children's books, daily newspaper columns, and nature clubs that entrenched his values and wildlife characters in the hearts and homes of early 20th century readers throughout North America.

Burgess also founded a remarkable bird sanctuary program promoted through the popular People's Home Journal. It encouraged landowners to post property as bird sanctuaries that prohibited hunting and supported bird populations with housing and food. This grassroots wartime conservation effort disseminated vast amounts of information about the importance of birds to agriculture for insect control, among other things. Between 1917 and 1924, more than five million acres of private land throughout the U.S. and Canada were posted for protection and support of birds. The program was lauded by John Burroughs, William Finley, Herbert Hoover, and T.S. Palmer, Bureau of Biological Survey, and of course, William Hornaday.

Burgess lived in Springfield, Massachusetts, but often traveled to New York on business. Hoping to get an endorsement for his bird sanctuaries program, he paid an impromptu visit to Hornaday's office at the Zoological Society, but was swiftly dismissed by the busy administrator. Undeterred, Burgess wrote to Hornaday, describing the scope of his readership and conservation goals of his various nature clubs.

If Burgess was awed by Hornaday's reputation and status as a conservation lobbyist, Hornaday was equally impressed by the tremendous reach of Burgess' nature stories and their potential influence on environmental attitudes. He replied to Burgess in January 1916, saying:

I am delighted by the fact that you desire to enter into the very serious business of promoting the protection and increase of the wildlife of our country. Goodness knows, you are badly needed! You have it in your power to influence the minds of millions of children, saying nothing of grown-ups, and you can easily turn that into a valuable asset for the protection of birds and animals… As an educator, you have a larger audience than any other teacher of the young.

Following the January letter, Hornaday sent Burgess a warm, complimentary letter and an invitation to meet for lunch at the Zoological Park. That year, 1916, conservationists like Hornaday were working tirelessly to achieve passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty, so when Burgess asked how he could help with the effort, Hornaday had a ready answer:

I think that you can score a good point by describing "The Gauntlet of the Guns" that a wild duck runs when spring shooting is in vogue, all the way from the Gulf to Canada. ...At this very moment a lot of gunners in Illinois....are out in force, banging from shore to shore...killing ducks that are going north to breed. This warfare is being carried out contrary to the regulations of the federal migratory bird law, but as the gunners say, in accordance with the rotten laws of the state of Illinois which permits spring shooting when not otherwise prevented....I often wonder how a duck can get through alive, and how any duck could find feed and get a little rest on the journey without being killed. The picture of Mrs. Duck running the ‘Gauntlet of the Guns' rather appeals to my imagination. (Lowrance, p. 150)

It appealed to Burgess' imagination too. Between March and May of 1916, his syndicated columns about the conditions experienced by migrating birds ran daily in newspapers throughout North America, telling the heart-wrenching and desperate story of a migratory duck and her family fighting to survive. Burgess strategically used arguments of protectionists for game limits, hunting seasons, and fair hunting practices, as well as sympathetic appeal for the welfare of wildlife.

It is impossible, of course, to definitively measure the impact he had on public and political opinion, but no historian should overlook his influence as a naturalist. In the second decade of the 1900s, before radio and television became part of American life, reading Burgess newspaper columns was a daily ritual for hundreds of thousands of subscribers to scores of major North American newspapers. At its peak, his column was carried in 100 daily newspapers. If only 20 papers had 20,000 daily subscribers, to say nothing of newsstand sales, his column assuredly reached 400,000 households, not individuals, a day.

When the Kansas City Star announced membership to a Burgess "Bedtime Story Club" as an add-on feature for subscribers, they had 50,000 enrollees within three weeks. The New York Globe followed suite and enrolled 198,000 children. "This meant we had 198,000 children who cried for the Globe every night," wrote Jason Rogers in his 1918 book Newspaper Building. "We carried the idea to the extent of monster meetings of the Bedtime Story Club in the public parks, where we brought out 15,000 to 20,000 at a gathering" (cited in Lowrance, p. 134).

Starting in the spring of 1916, Burgess' stories about the conditions experienced by migrating birds ran daily for weeks throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Migratory Bird Treaty passed in August 1916, and in 1917 the stories were published as a collection titled The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack by Little, Brown & Company.

In a fascinating letter dated November 1, 1916, Hornaday thanked Burgess and offered a summary of the 1916 conservation efforts:

I rejoice when I reflect upon the amount of good work that your stories are accomplishing for the maintenance of the migratory bird law and the treaty. Like a great deal of my work and that of the Audubon Society and other organizations, your work has gone into the general fund of public sentiment for the protection of birds and the result was overwhelmingly manifested two months ago when we had a showdown in the United States Senate with the enemies of the migratory law. They put up a great fight. They spent a lot of money and a lot of effort in lobbying at Washington and in the public campaigns, but we smote them hip and thigh and gave them about the worst licking that any bunch of enemies of wildlife ever received. They were beaten in the Senate in their efforts to destroy the migratory bird law appropriations by a vote of a 50 to 8, which was a decrease of more than 50% from their previous showing of strength in that body.

Hornaday continued:

But the crowning triumph was the Senate's treatment of the international treaty with Canada for the protection of all the migratory birds north of Mexico, clear to the Arctic Ocean. The attitude of the Senate was of course clearly foreshadowed in the vote to sustain the migratory bird law; but even with all that we were not prepared for the lightning stroke of progress which sent the treaty triumphantly through the Senate in four days! Naturally we expected a fight that would be put up by the Missouri contingent; but we were informed by grapevine telephone that in the executive session of the Senate, when Sen. Reed of Missouri arose to make a great long speech of denunciation in his usual style, a southern Senator went over to him and twice over commanded him to ‘sit down and keep still' - which he finally did. The treaty was ratified by a practically unanimous vote and whether the federal law is sustained by the Supreme Court or not, the treaty will stand.

Hornaday was known to be lavish in criticism, not praise, so Burgess must have taken enormous pride when the conservationist added, "All this is the result of a joint effort in this field, and you can always have the satisfaction of knowing that you have contributed substantially to these grand results."

Four months later, he wrote Burgess again with congratulations that

You and your publishers have put Mrs. Quack into a book, and now I shall go again through the whole story of her eventful life. And at this point I wish particularly to thank you for your valuable services to the migratory birds in the production of this series of stores for your great multitude of readers...Wishing you long life and continuous activities in the good causes that you do well promote, Faithfully yours, W.T. Hornaday. (March 29, 1917)

The year after the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the deep-pocketed Permanent Wildlife Protection Fund, also headed by Hornaday, presented children's author and naturalist Thornton Burgess with a gold medal award, only their third. Previously the medal had honored the work of Margaret Sage and Aldo Leopold. It is worthwhile to note that Chan Robbins, veteran U.S. Fish and Wildlife ornithologist, was on the American team that negotiated expansion of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act with the Soviet Union in 1976. This provided protection for approximately 50 species—and Robbins, as well as David Brower, founder of the Sierra Club, and Bradford Washburn, former director of the Boston Museum of Science, credit Thornton Burgess with their early love of nature.

References

Burgess, Thornton W. 1917. The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack. Boston: Little, Brown & Company.
Hornaday, William T. 1913. Our Vanishing Wild Life. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Lowrance, Christie Palmer. 2013. Nature's Ambassador: the Legacy of Thornton W. Burgess. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing.

Christie Palmer Lowrance is the author of Nature's Ambassador: The Legacy of Thornton W. Burgess.

Twenty-second Report of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

ACCEPTED RECORDS

Ross's Goose (Anser rossii) [7 records accepted in this report, 29 total accepted records]

2017-134: 1 at Moors End Farm (restricted access); last sighting at Bartlett Fields, Nantucket, 12/8/2017 to 3/17/2018 [Richard Ouren*; J. Trimble (ph)].

2017-136: 1 at FARM Institute (mostly); Edgartown Golf Club, Dukes, 12/11/2017 to 1/13/2018 [Ken Magnuson (no eBird checklist); Marshall Iliff (ph)].

2017-137: 1 at Carson Beach and Moakley Park; Fenway area; etc., Suffolk, 12/24/2017 to 1/29/2018[Anne Winters*; Jason Pietrzak* (ph)].

2017-138: 2 at Siasconset Golf Course, Nantucket, 12/30/2017 to 1/13/2018 [Frank Gallo* (ph)].

2018-009: 1 at Upper Road, Deerfield, Franklin, 3/30/2018 [Robert Drumgool* (ph)].

2018-011: 1 at Agawam (Massachusetts state line); Longmeadow Flats, Hampden, 2/1/2018 to 2/11/2018 [Dorrie Holmes†* (ph)].

2018-012: 1 at East Hadley Road fields; Meadow Street fields, Hampshire, 2/23/2018 to 2/26/2018 [Larry Therrien* (ph)].

Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) [4, 17]

2017-097: 1 at Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin, 10/30/2017 [James Smith* (ph)].

2017-098: 1 at Granville Road, Westfield, Hampden, 11/1/2017 to 11/2/2017 [Griffin Richards* (ph)].

2017-099: 1 at Turners Falls Rod and Gun, Franklin, 11/5/2017 [Josh Layfield* (ph)].

2018-010: 1 at Berkley Bridge (Elm Street), Berkley; 392 Market Street, Swansea; Barney Avenue fields, Rehoboth, Bristol, 1/28/2018 to 2/26/2018 [Glenn d'Entremont*; Glen Chretien (ph), Liam Waters (ph), Jim Sweeney (ph)].

Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) [1, 16]

2017-100: 1 at Granville Road, Westfield, Hampden, 10/27/2017 to 1/1/2018 [Dorrie Holmes†* (ph)].

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) [1, 1]

2018-022: 1 at Osgood Road, Charlton, Worcester, 5/26/2018 to 6/24/2018 [David Lusignan†* (ph)].

Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) [1, 1 since 2017]

2018-028: 1 at Atwood Reservoir, Carver, Plymouth, 3/10/2018 to 3/31/2018 [Bill Zuzevich* (ph)].

Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) [3, 26]

2017-117: 1 at Pocksha Pond, Middleborough, Plymouth, 11/14/2017 to 11/24/2017 [Jim Sweeney* (ph)].

2017-127: 1 at Acushnet River Slocum Street bridge, Bristol, 1/1/2017 to 1/22/2017 [Dan Zimberlin* (ph)].

2017-135: 1 at Long Pond; Madaket area, Nantucket, 12/10/2017 to 4/23/2018 [Trish Pastuszak* (ph)].

Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) [1, 11]

2017-120: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 12/2/2017 to 12/5/2017 [Peter Flood* (ph)].

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) [1, 7]

2005-61: 1 at Indian Hill, West Tisbury, Dukes, 11/23/2005 [Marjorie Rogers*, Lanny McDowell (ph)].

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) [3, 36]

2016-040: 1 at Parkman Street, Westborough, Worcester, 10/7/2016 to 11/19/2016 [Sean Williams†* (ph)].

2016-049: 1 at Andover, Essex, 10/12/2016 to 11/2/2016 [Donna Cooper*].

2017-086: 1 at Main Street, Hingham, Plymouth, 10/2/2017 to 12/4/2017 [Sylvia Schuler*, Sue Finnegan† (ph)].

Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) [1, 7]

Calliope Hummingbird. October 26, 2018. Private residence, Harwich. Photograph by Sean Williams.

2016-035: 1 at Little Shaver Lane, Harwich, Barnstable, 10/25/2016 to 10/29/2016 [Doug Meyer*, Chris Meyer*, Sue Finnegan† (ph), Sean Williams (ph)].

Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) [4, 45]

1999-26: 1 at Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield, Plymouth, 11/1/1999 [Dan Furbish*].

2016-042: 1 at Fort Hill, Eastham, Barnstable, 10/29/2016 to 11/24/2016 [Chris Floyd*; J. Trimble (ph)].

2017-085: 1 at Fort Hill, Eastham, Barnstable, 12/7/2017 [Marshall Iliff†*, Van Remsen†*, Tim Spahr†*].

2018-003: 1, May 2018 [Maili Waters†*, Sean Williams†*]. This record pertains to a singing, potentially territorial individual and the observers elected to not disclose its exact location for now in order to assure it remains undisturbed.

Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)

2017-111: 1 at Martha's Vineyard, Dukes, 4/10/2017 to 4/15/2017 [Digg Caliri*; Bridget Dunnegan (ph)].

Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) [2, 14]

2018-023: 2 at Sandy Neck, Sandwich, Barnstable, 5/13/2018 [Nick Smith* (ph)].

2018-029: 2 at Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester, Essex, 5/9/2018 [Kimberly Smith* (ph)].

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) [1, 4]

2017-077: 1 at Gooseberry Neck, Westport, Bristol, 9/11/2017 to 9/12/2017 [Marshall Iliff†* (ph), Jonathan Eckerson (ph), Sean Williams† (ph)].

Ruff (Calidris pugnax) [1, 1 since 2017]

2018-013: 1 at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Chatham, Barnstable, 5/30/2018 [Maili Waters* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph)].

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) [1, 4]

2013-059: 1 at Parker River NWR—Bill Forward Pool, Essex, 8/11/2013 [Margo Goetschkes*; Mark Kosiewski (ph)].

Little Stint (Calidris minuta) [1, 7]

2017-081: 1 at Monomoy NWR, Chatham, Barnstable, 8/9/2017 to 8/21/2017 [Sue Finnegan†* (ph), John Pratt†* (ph)].

South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki)

2017-089: 2 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/22/2017 [Steve Arena* (ph)].

2017-106: 3 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/23/2017 [Peter Flood* (ph), Steven N. G. Howell* (ph), Blair Nikula* (ph), Amy O'Neill*, Jacob Socolar*, Liam Waters*, Maili Waters* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph)].

Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) [9, 26]

2015-064: max 2 at Quabbin Reservoir—Winsor Dam/Park Headquarters, Hampshire, 11/13/2015 to 11/15/2015 [Larry Therrien* (ph)].

2015-065: max 3 at Pilgrim Memorial State Park; Nelson Memorial Park, Plymouth, 11/13/2015 [Marshall Iliff* (ph)].

2015-066: 1 at Great Meadows NWR—Concord Unit, Concord, Middlesex, 11/13/2015 [William Martens* (ph)].

2015-067: 1 at Lynn Beach, Lynn, Essex, 11/14/2015 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph); John Keeley*].

2016-029: 1 at Plum Island, Essex, 7/8/2016 [Brian Harris* (ph)].

2016-040: 1 at Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Barnstable, 6/12/2016 to 6/25/2016 [Blair Nikula* (ph)].

2016-043: 1 at Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro, Barnstable, 12/4/2016 [Blair Nikula* (ph)].

2017-071: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/23/2017 [Sean Williams†*].

2017-121: 1 at Crane Beach, Ipswich, Essex, 7/25/2017 [Nathan Dubrow* (ph)].

Mew Gull (Larus canus) [7, 19]

2018-015: 1 at Siasconset Beach, Nantucket, Nantucket, 1/15/2018 [Trish Pastuszak*, Peter Trimble*, Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), Harvey Young*].

2018-016: 1 at Lynn Beach, Lynn, Essex, 1/20/2018 to 1/21/2018 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph), John Keeley*].

2018-017: 1 at Lynn Beach, Lynn, Essex, 2/18/2018 to 2/24/2018 [Dan Burton* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph)].

2018-018: 1 at Kings Beach, Lynn, Essex, 2/19/2018 [Peter Vale* (ph)].

2018-019: 1 at Musquashicut Pond, Scituate, Plymouth, 3/9/2018 [David Ludlow*, Christine Whitebread*, Elizabeth Vacchino* (ph) et al.].

2018-020: 2 at Sandy Beach, Cohasset, Norfolk, 4/15/2018 to 4/16/2018 [Vin Zollo* (ph), Marshall Iliff* (ph)].

2018-021: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 4/12/2018 to 4/26/2018 [Maili Waters* (ph), Will Sweet* (ph), Jacob Socolar*, Sean Williams* (ph)].

Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) [1, 7]

Slaty-backed Gull. February 19, 2018. Jodrey Fish Pier, Gloucester. Photograph by Suzanne Sullivan.

2018-001: 1 at Fresh Pond, Cambridge, and Jodrey State Fish Pier, Gloucester, Middlesex and Essex, 2/16/2018 (Middlesex) to 2/19/2018 (Essex) [Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), Sean Williams†* (ph)].

Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) [2, 10]

2016-032: 2 at Lieutenant Island, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 6/17/2016 [Maili Waters†* (ph)].

2016-039: max 2 at Plum Island, Essex, 6/11/2016 to 6/17/2016 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph); John Keeley*; Dan Prima (ph)].

Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) [2, 15]

2017-103: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 6/28/2017 [Christine and Steven Whitebread* (ph)].

2017-104: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/23/2017 [Peter Flood* (ph), Steven N. G. Howell* (ph), Blair Nikula* (ph), Amy O'Neill*, Jacob Socolar*, Liam Waters*, Maili Waters* (ph), Sean Williams* (ph)].

Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans) [1, 4]

2016-034: 1 at Marconi Beach, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 11/19/2016 [Luke Seitz* (ph), Marshall Iliff*, Peter Trimble*].

Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) [1, 4]

2016-038: 1 at 35 miles south of Nantucket, Nantucket, 8/19/2016 [Eric Savetsky* (ph)].

Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos) [1, 8]

2016-033: 1 at First Encounter Beach, Eastham, Barnstable, 10/10/2016 to 10/14/2016 [Blair Nikula* (ph), Mary Keleher (ph)].

Fea's Petrel (Pterodroma feae) [1, 2]

Fea's Petrel. July 18, 2015. Offshore Provincetown. Photograph by Scott Surner.

2015-068: 1 at offshore Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/18/2015 [Scott Surner* (ph), Blair Nikula*].

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) [1, 4]

2009-59: 1 at Duxbury Yacht Club Golf Course, Duxbury, Plymouth, 11/1/2009 [John Carnuccio* (ph)].

Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) [1, 2]

2017-084: 1 at Lecount Hollow Beach, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 9/26/2017 [Wild Care, Inc.†].

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) [3, 8]

2015-063: 1 at Herring Cove Beach to Marconi Wireless Station, Barnstable, 6/14/2015 to 11/15/2015 [Joseph Bourget*; P. Flood (ph); Scott Landry (ph); Stephen Brenner (ph)].

2017-109: 1 at Herring Cove Beach, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/14/2017 [B. Nikula* (ph)].

2017-110: 1 at Wood End Lighthouse, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/19/2017 [Esther Brady* (ph)].

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) [4, 27]

2016-041: 1 at The Oxbow, Northampton/Longmeadow Flats, Hampshire and Hampden, 9/15/2016 to 9/24/2016 [Dorrie Holmes (ph)].

2017-090: 1 at Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield, Plymouth, 11/18/2017 [Charlie Nims†*].

2017-128: 1 at Musquashicut Pond /Minot and The Glades, Scituate, Plymouth, 8/25/2017 [Friday Morning Birders*; Sally Avery (ph)].

2017-129: 1 at Black Point Pond, Chilmark, Dukes, 8/26/2017 to 9/28/2017 [Hepler*; Early*; Bob Shriber (ph)].

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) [3, 15]

2017-130: 1 at Swallow Cave, Nahant, Essex to Castle Island and Pleasure Bay area, Suffolk, 9/11/2017 to 11/7/2017 [Christian Bauta* (ph); Linda Pivacek*].

2017-131: 1 at Sandy Neck Beach to Scusset Beach State Reservation, Barnstable, 11/9/2017 to 11/14/2017 [Peter Crosson* (ph)].

2018-025: 1 at Manomet Point, Plymouth, Plymouth, 6/11/2018 [Ted Bradford* (ph), Sebastian Jones* (ph)].

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) [2, 8]

2017-101: 2 at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellfleet, and Forest Beach, Chatham, Barnstable, 7/28/2017 to 8/15/2017 [Jeannette Bragger*; Mark Faherty (ph)].

2017-102: 1 at The Oxbow, Hampshire, 10/23/2017 [Paul Dutil* (ph)].

White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) [1, 25]

2018-026: 1 to 2 at Ipswich, Essex, 4/18/2018 to 5/28/2018 [Margo Goetschkes* (ph), Dan Prima* (ph)].

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) [3, 18]

2016-037: 1 at Pilgrim Heights, Truro, and Hatches Harbor, Provincetown, Barnstable, 5/15/2016 [Peter Trimble*; Steve van der Veen* (ph)].

2016-038: 1 at Chenail's Farm, Williamstown, Berkshire, 5/29/2016 [John Manuel Morales* (ph); Manuel Morales*].

2018-014: 1 at Bearberry Hill, Truro, and Beech Forest, Provincetown, Barnstable, 5/25/2018 to 5/26/2018 [Blair Nikula* (ph), Peter Trimble*, Sean Williams†* (ph), Stefanie Paventy (ph)].

Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) [1, 5]

2015-069: 1 at Hixbridge Road, Westport, Bristol, 7/5/2015 [Robin Parsons* (ph)].

Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) [4, 26]

2017-113: 1 at Mack Park Community Garden, Salem, Essex, 10/23/2017 to 10/28/2017 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph)].

2017-114: 1 at High Head, Truro, Barnstable, 11/27/2017 to 12/3/2017 [Sue Finnegan* (ph)].

2017-115: 1 at Drumlin Farm, Lincoln, Middlesex, 11/26/2017 to 12/2/2017 [Pam Sowizral* (ph)].

2017-116: 1 at Great Neck Road, Wareham, Plymouth, 12/11/2017 [Nate Marchessault* (ph)].

Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) [1, 2]

2016-043: 1 at Ocean Avenue Beach, Hyannis Port, Barnstable, 10/23/2016 to 11/2/2016 [Carol Wrisley†* (ph)].

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)

2017-105: 1 at Highland Light, Truro, Barnstable, 10/17/2017 to 10/23/2017 [Maili Waters* (ph), Sean Williams†* (ph), Amy O'Neill*].

Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) [2, 10]

2018-027: 1 at East Sandwich Beach, Sandwich, Barnstable, 4/13/2018 [Williams Newstead* (ph)].

2016-037: 1 at Plum Island, Essex, 8/10/2016 [Multiple observers, Lee Weber (ph), Nancy Smith (ph)].

Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) [4, 6]

Hammond's Flycatcher. November 30, 2017. Tufts University, Medford. Photo by Nick Dorian.

1987-06: 1 at Service Drive, Wellesley, Norfolk, 12/19/1987 to 12/29/1987 [Kenneth Winkler*].

2016-044: 1 at the Middlesex Fells Reservation, Stoneham, Middlesex, 11/7/2016 to 11/13/2016 [Renee LaFontaine*].

2017-075: 1 at Hanscom Field, Bedford, Middlesex, 11/11/2017 [Jason Forbes†* (ph)].

2017-076: 1 at Tufts University, Medford, Middlesex, 11/29/2017 to 12/3/2017 [Nick Dorian†* (ph)].

Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) [1, 10]

2017-108: 1 at Wellfleet, Barnstable, 8/31/2017 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph)].

Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) [1, 2]

2017-072: 1 at Musquashicut Pond/Minot and the Glades, Scituate, Plymouth, 10/10/2017 [D. Peacock* (ph)].

Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii) [6, 11]

Bell's Vireo. October 9, 2015. Manomet, Inc. Photo by Evan Dalton.

2016-041: 1 at Manomet, Plymouth, Barnstable, 10/12/2016 to 11/23/2016 [Manomet* (ph)].

2016-042: 1 at Fort Hill, Eastham, Barnstable, 10/24/2016 to 10/28/2016 [Sean Williams†* (ph)].

2015-070: 1 at Fort Hill, Eastham, Barnstable, 10/30/2015 to 12/12/2015 [Sean Williams†* (ph)].

2015-071: 1 at William Forward Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Rowley, Essex, 9/19/2015 to 9/21/2015 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph)].

2015-072: 1 at Manomet, Plymouth, Plymouth, 10/9/2015 [Manomet* (ph)].

2017-082: 1 at Shipyard Farm, Fairhaven, Bristol, 11/28/2017 to 12/13/2017 [Jim Sweeney†* (ph)].

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons)

2017-118: 1 at Herring River thickets, Truro, Barnstable, 11/23/2017 [Maili Waters†* (ph), Liam Waters*, Amy O'Neill*].

2017-119: 1 at Woods Hole, Falmouth, Barnstable, 12/2/2017 to 12/3/2017 [Sean Williams†* (ph), Peter Trimble*].

Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) [1, 2]

2017-074: 1 at Chebacco Woods, Hamilton, Essex, 8/21/2017 [Davey Walters* (ph)].

Townsend's Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) [2, 22]

2016-047: 1 at Plum Island, Essex, 10/18/2016 [Robert Murphy* (ph)].

2017-132: 1 at Demarest Lloyd State Park, Dartmouth, Bristol, 11/12/2017 to 4/23/2018 [Glenn d'Entremont*; M. Kieron (ph)].

LeConte's Sparrow (Ammospiza leconteii) [2, 13]

2017-094: 1 at Bolton Flats WMA, Worcester, 10/16/2017 to 10/22/2017 [Simon Bunyard*; Rita Grossman (ph)].

2017-095: 1 at Peterson Farm, Falmouth, Barnstable, 10/22/2017 to 10/23/2017 [Michael Schachenbacher* (ph)].

Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) [2, 14]

1978-03: 1 at River Road, Acoaxet, Westport, Bristol, 12/17/1978 to 3/11/1979 [Robert D. Emerson, Dick Bowen (ph)].

2017-096: 1 at Minot and the Glades, Scituate, Plymouth, 9/16/2017 [Dennis Peacock* (ph)]

Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) [1, 4]

2016-048: 1 at Spring Lane, Hingham, Plymouth, 5/1/2016 to 5/6/2016 [Carter Harrison* (ph), Sean Williams† (ph, au, vi)].

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) [1, 1]

2017-088: 1 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 11/21/2017 to 11/23/2017 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph), Judd Nathan* (ph), Ann Gurka*].

Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullockii) [2, 10]

2008-48: 1 at Chestnut Hill Reservoir, Boston, Suffolk, 12/3/2008 [Marshall Iliff* (ph)].

2018-007: 1 at Willow Road, Nahant, Essex, 4/20/2018 to 4/21/2018 [Vi Patek*, Sean Williams† (ph)].

Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) [1, 2 since 2017]

2018-006: 1 at Washington Street, Gloucester, Essex, 5/19/2018 to 5/20/2018 [Brian Harris*, John Keeley (ph)].

Swainson's Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii) [1, 4]

Swainson's Warbler. May 6, 2018. Santuit Pond, Mashpee. Photo by Neil Hayward.

2018-004: 1 at Santuit Pond Preserve, Mashpee, Barnstable, 5/6/2018 [Peter Crosson* (ph, au), Maili Waters (vi)].

MacGillivray's Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) [3, 12]

2017-068: 1 at Dunback Meadow, Lexington, Middlesex, 9/17/2017 [Marj Rines*].

2017-069: 1 at Nauset Heights Road, Orleans, Barnstable, 9/18/2017 [Maili Waters†*, Sean Williams†* (ph)].

2017-070: 1 at Honey Pot Road, Hadley, Hampshire, 11/12/2017 to 11/17/2017 [Ted Gilliland* (ph)].

Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens) [5, 15]

2016-028: 1 at Gerry Road, Brookline, Suffolk, 11/19/2016 [Paul Peterson†*].

2016-030: 1 at Blacksmith Valley Road, Chilmark, Dukes, 10/8/2016 [Lanny McDowell* (ph), Bob Shriber* (ph)].

2017-092: 1 at Indian Hill Road, Chatham, Barnstable, 9/17/2017 [Amy Fulcher* (ph)].

2017-093: 1 at Monomoy NWR, Chatham, Barnstable, 10/11/2017 [James Junda (ph)].

2017-112: 1 at Lakeside Cemetery, Wakefield, Middlesex, 11/20/2017 to 12/6/2017 [David Williams* (ph), Bill Lee* (ph)].

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) [3, 13]

2017-087: 1 at Pond Plain Road, Westwood, Norfolk, 12/11/2017 to 12/15/2017 [Erik Nielsen* (ph)].

2017-107: 1 at 96 Chadwick Road, Bradford, Essex, 1/31/2017 to 4/29/2017 [W. Tatro; Kirk Elwell (ph)].

2017-122: 1 at Gary Avenue, Haverhill, Essex, 12/15/2017 to 12/27/2017 [Kathy Diamontopolous*; S. Mirick (ph)].

Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)

2018-002: 1 at Frost Road, Washington, Berkshire, 2/27/2018 to 4/2/2018 [Ed Neumuth†* (ph)].

Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) [1, 22]

2018-008: 1 at Pine Ridge Road, Cotuit, Barnstable, 4/18/2018 [Justin Spence* (ph)].

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

In both records, the observers did not rule out the similar African Collared Dove, which is kept commonly as a pet. Specifically, the MARC seeks reports of this species that highlight the extent of black on the outer vane of the outer tail feather, p6. In African Collared Dove, the black is even with the inner vane, and on the Eurasian Collared Dove, the black on the outer vane extends farther down the tail than on the inner vane.

2004-44: 1 at Hingham, Plymouth, 5/25/2004.

2013-60: 1 at Eastham, Barnstable, 5/17/2013 to 5/18/2013.

White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)

2018-024: 1 at Pochet Island, Orleans, Barnstable, 5/22/2018.

Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia)

2016-036: 1 at Plum Island, Newburyport, Essex, 9/11/2016. Photos from this report showed a Semipalmated Plover.

Long-billed Murrelet (Brachyramphus perdix)

2016-046: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 12/26/2016. This report was intriguing, but committee members felt that the description did not sufficiently rule out other alcid species.

Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

2016-031: 1 at Outermost Harbor Marine, Chatham, Barnstable, 8/31/2017. This report contained a blurry video that the committee agreed was either a Laughing or a Franklin's gull.

Mew Gull (Larus canus)

2017-080: 1 at Nahant Beach, Nahant, Essex, 10/27/2017.

California Gull (Larus californicus)

2017-067: 1 at Gooseberry Neck, Westport, Bristol, 8/31/2017. This report contained a detailed description that may have pertained to this species. However, the views were quite distant, and the committee could not be completely certain that other species, hybrids, or aberrant individuals were ruled out.

Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus)

2016-045: 1 at River Road, Westport, Bristol, 12/26/2016 to 12/31/2016. This report contained a long description of a gull seen at considerable distance, and the committee thought that tricky, aberrant individuals could not be ruled out with certainty.

Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris)

2017-063: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/23/2017. The committee acknowledges the formidable difficulty of the identification and separation of Sooty and Short-tailed shearwaters. Seemingly all useful traits for separation are variable and either overlapping or very close to overlapping, and these minor differences may converge further depending on head posture, angle, viewing conditions, and more. Many committee members felt that these variations and the moderately distant images made it impossible to judge if the birds definitely represented a Short-tailed Shearwater and ruled out Sooty Shearwater. The committee fully acknowledged the observer's expertise in separating the two species. Some characters mentioned appeared supportive of the identification including a noted apparent distinctive flight pattern that seem to differ from nearby Sootys. The record was not accepted, but all members agreed that further investigation was warranted. The committee agreed to seek out further expert opinions on this and other reports of this species with the intent of voting on this record again.

2017-064: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 9/24/2017.

2017-065: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 10/14/2017.

2017-066: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 8/17/2017.

Audubon's Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri)

2017-126: 1 at Gooseberry Neck, Westport, Bristol, 7/21/2017. This report contained a detailed written component. Members were uncertain if the written description ruled out Manx, especially since the bird was seen briefly and at a poor angle. Some members were confident in accepting the record because the observer is extremely experienced with the species. Others thought that the description fell short for accepting the first mainland record of Audubon's Shearwater in Massachusetts.

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

2014-072: 1 at Pine Hill Lane, Concord, Middlesex, 4/14/2014. The description was brief and members were not confident that other possibilities were considered fully.

Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

2016-039: 1 at Wachusett Mountain, Worcester, 9/20/2016. The written report detailed the situation surrounding the sighting, but there was little description of the bird itself and how other hawks were ruled out.

Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)

2017-083: 1 at Turkey Hill, Cohasset, Norfolk, 12/8/2017. The members were uncertain as to whether other Myiarchus could be ruled out from the photo and description, but acknowledged that other species would be unlikely.

Green-tailed Towhee (Pipilo chlorurus)

2015-062: 1 at Hatfield Dike, Hatfield, Hampshire, 10/27/2015.

Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis)

2017-091: 2 at Hardscrabble Road, Sterling, Worcester, 1/22/2018. Photos showed two Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Swainson's Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii)

2018-005: 1 at Sweet Alice Conservation Area, Amherst, Hampshire, 5/3/2018. The description supported Swainson's Warbler, although the bird's bizarre behavior noted by the observer left members uncomfortable to accept.

Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens)

2015-061: 1 at Hellcat, Parker River NWR, Essex, 5/7/2015.

2017-062: 1 at Jackson Point, Nantucket, Nantucket, 10/2/2017.

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana)

2017-073: 1 at Winthrop Greenway, Winthrop, Suffolk, 11/8/2017.

Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)

2017-078: 1 at Tuckernuck Island, Nantucket, Nantucket, 9/11/2017 to 9/12/2017.

2017-079: 1 at Squaw Rock, Squantum, Norfolk, 9/29/2017.

Photo Essay: Birds of the 22nd MARC

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Gray Kingbird. October 24, 2016. Ocean Avenue, Hyannisport. Photo by Ryan Schain.

Masked Booby. September 26, 2018. Wellfleet Harbor. Photograph by Wild Care, Inc.

Musings from the Blind Birder: Birds in Poetry

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The Oven Bird

There is a singer everyone has heard,
Loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird,
Who makes the solid tree trunks sound again.
He says that leaves are old and that for flowers
Mid-summer is to spring as one to ten.
He says the early petal-fall is past
When pear and cherry bloom went down in showers
On sunny days a moment overcast;
And comes that other fall we name the fall.
He says the highway dust is over all.
The bird would cease and be as other birds
But that he knows in singing not to sing.
The question that he frames in all but words
Is what to make of a diminished thing.

Although amazed by his memory, I was not surprised that Tim could inject such poetry into our mutual enjoyment of this bird. Timothy Steele is one of America's best contemporary poets, writing in meter and rhyme during an era of unstructured free verse. He has four volumes of poetry, two scholarly volumes on versification, and edited a volume of poems by J.V. Cunningham, with whom he studied at Brandeis University. He has also received numerous awards and fellowships.

Tim's recitation of the Frost poem piqued my curiosity about birds in poetry. It is not difficult to imagine the appeal of writing about birds, particularly for artists interested in the natural world. Think of the sheer beauty of many species, the soul-shaking music of the best songsters, the nearly unimaginable migrations across the continents, the familiar sights and sounds of our backyard avian friends, and the unfolding drama before our eyes of bird interactions or behaviors that fascinate us.

That fascination with birds finds its way into more than poetry and literature, indeed, into descriptive phrases familiar to many birders: a murder of crows, a murmuration of starlings, a parliament of owls, a convocation of eagles, a banditry of chickadees, a chain of bobolinks, a wisp of snipe, an unkindness of ravens, or a siege of herons.

And so when you start looking, there are birds in poems everywhere throughout the ages. In fact, Tim noted that other than perhaps love and autumn, birds may be the most frequent subject of poems. In this column, I select a few poems written by New England poets. Although Tim, who has lived most of his adult life in Los Angeles, considers himself a California poet, he grew up in Vermont and notes that his childhood years were among the most formative in becoming a poet.

The poems below are characterized by their short length, for their easy and skillful flow of meter and rhyme, their subtle nuances of meaning, or their creative and engaging descriptions of the bird. For me, Frost's "The Oven Bird" started rather folksy but turned to a darkened mood, reflecting perhaps on our diminishing capabilities as we age and the omnipresent reality of our ultimate demise. The Ovenbird, which sings longer into the summer than many Neotropical migrants, is the vehicle used by Frost to convey this world view. Frost seems to draw a parallel between the diminishing song of the ovenbird from spring to summer to fall and our diminished selves as we age. Even if we may not share his apparent pessimism about aging, we can appreciate the beautiful composition, flow, rhythm, and meaning of Frost's poem.

Not all poems with birds are melancholy or leave the reader to guess exactly what the poet was getting at. I love how a good poet explores through use of meter and rhyme, perhaps in ways that surprise even the poet, how to convey an observation or feeling. In that sense, I am drawn to poems in meter and rhyme for their beauty in words, memorable structure and organization, and often stunning creativity in exploring the subject of the poem. The next example, a poem written by Tim and contained in one of his books, Sapphics Against Anger and Other Poems (1986), made me smile, indeed, marvel at how wonderful the description of the bird was, and oh how so true.

Mockingbird

Erratically, tirelessly, in song,
He does his imitations all day long.
Appropriating every voice he hears,
Astonishingly shifting vocal gears,
He chirrups, trills, and whistles crazily,
Perched at the twiggy apex of his tree.

When argued with by smaller, lesser birds,
He raucously refutes them with their words;
When not receiving notice, as he should,
From earthbound members of the neighborhood,
He drops down onto chimney or garage,
Continuing his hectoring barrage.
One might object to his inflated noise,
The pertinacious manner he employs,

Except the sequences which he invents
Are borne of urgent pathos, in this sense:
For all his virtuosity of tone,
The singer has no note which is his own.

Similarly, Emily Dickinson's "I taste a liquor never brewed" contains descriptions colorful enough for the reader to identify the unnamed bird that is the speaker and subject of her musings, a hummingbird. Dickinson's punctuation was eccentric; scholars today still disagree about how to interpret and render it in printed form. The punctuation has been regularized here to make it easier to follow. Also, several slightly different versions of the poem exist; this version derives from Poems by Emily Dickinson (Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1890), the volume that, edited by her friends Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, first presented her work to a wide public.

I taste a liquor never brewed
From tankards scooped in pearl.
Not all the vats upon the Rhine
Yield such an alcohol!

Inebriate of air am I,
And debauchee of dew,
Reeling through endless summer days
From inns of molten blue.

When landlords turn the drunken bee
Out of the foxglove's door,
When butterflies renounce their drams,
I shall but drink the more!

Till seraphs swing their snowy hats
And saints to windows run
To see the little tippler
Leaning against the sun.

Our next poet, Richard Wilbur, was the second poet laureate of the United States and twice won the Pulitzer Prize for collections of poems (Things of This World, 1956, and New and Collected Poems, 1989). He related during a recorded reading of his poem, "A Barred Owl," "that a student once told her teacher that the poem started as a lullaby and ended as a nightmare." Wilbur chuckled at the memory, then noted that the poem reflected not only on the need for kindness to a child but also the need for poetry to embolden us to tell things as they are. Any birder will relate to Wilbur's explanation when reading his poem.

A Barred Owl

The warping night air having brought the boom
Of an owl's voice into her darkened room,
We tell the wakened child that all she heard
Was an odd question from a forest bird,
Asking of us, if rightly listened to,
"Who cooks for you?" and then "Who cooks for you?"

Words, which can make our terrors bravely clear,
Can also thus domesticate a fear,
And send a small child back to sleep at night
Not listening for the sound of stealthy flight
Or dreaming of a small thing in a claw
Borne up to some dark branch and eaten raw.

( "A Barred Owl" from MAYFLIES: New Poems and Translations by Richard Wilbur. Copyright © 2000 by Richard Wilbur. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.)

The poems selected here are but the tip of the iceberg for poems with birds as their subject. We all have our ways of enjoying birds, but one we might explore a bit more is through the eyes of poets who can so beautifully write about birds or use them metaphorically in describing other aspects of life. I attempted to compose a poem about a morning walk with Tim and my husband Bob this past spring on a forest trail near our Vermont home. What I learned was how adhering to the structure of meter and rhyme made me explore, from many different angles, how to convey what we heard and felt standing alone in a forest with beautiful singing birds. I was acutely aware of how happy I felt in the forest that morning, but also aware that soon and sadly, I would have to wait for another spring to hear the forest chorus that diminishes and largely disappears by mid to late summer. Trying to capture in a poem my feelings and thoughts during that walk was very challenging yet quite stimulating. The resulting poem is of an amateur quality, but as the title of one of my brother's books says (quoting from Robert Frost's poem "The Mountain"), "All the Fun's in How You Say a Thing."

The Forest Symphony

Below the canopy stream rays of light
As we take notice of song, not of flight.
The thrush, peewee, and wren each take their turn
In a symphony only they could learn.
Their melodic voices belie their size
And hold attention, as if for a prize.

In view, their muted looks would surely pale
When compared to the songs that never fail
To silence our fears and lift our spirits
With piercing, reverberating lyrics.

Though ephemeral in the sense of time,
The moment lingers, deep, full and sublime.

Soon, the forest will grow silent and be
Beyond the reach of those who cannot see.
But moments like these speak more to our core
And dwarf all else that may be in store.
With quiet contentment, we now disperse,
From those who touch us with glorious verse.

Good reading, and good birding.

Author's Note: I am deeply grateful to my brother, Timothy Steele, for inspiring me to write this column and for reviewing and providing excellent comments on an earlier draft. Thank you, Tim.

Martha Steele, a former editor of Bird Observer, has been progressively losing vision due to retinitis pigmentosa and is legally blind. Thanks to a cochlear implant, she is now learning to identify birds from their songs and calls. Martha lives with her husband, Bob Stymeist, in Arlington. Martha can be reached at marthajs@verizon.net.

Citations

Dickinson, Emily. 1890. Poems. Mabel Loomis Todd and T. W. Higginson, eds. Boston: Roberts.
Frost, Robert. 1916. Mountain Interval. New York: Henry Holt.
Steele, Timothy. 1986. Sapphics Against Anger and Other Poems. New York: Random House.
Wilbur, Richard. 2000. Mayflies: New Poems and Translations. New York: Harcourt Inc.

Gleanings: Who Knows Where the Crows Go?

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

When you visit a large crow roost in winter, you may consider where these noisy, gregarious birds come from. American Crows are partial migrants—some individuals in a population migrate and some are resident—so winter roosts are augmented by migrants from harsher climates. The phenomenon of partial migration is poorly understood, and some authors have suggested that it may be an intermediate stage in the evolution of complete migration.

Townsend et al. (2018) reported on a study of partial migration on American Crows from winter roosts in Davis, California (C. b. hesperis), and Utica, New York (C. b. brachyrhynchos). They captured crows and banded them with USGS bands and unique color bands. They collected blood samples for genetic analysis, tail feathers for isotopic analysis, and affixed satellite tags using backpack harnesses.

Using satellite telemetry data from 18 crows, the authors determined that 78% were migratory (8 of 11 on the West Coast and 6 of 7 on the East Coast). Resident birds did not stray more than 25 km from the center of their breeding territory during the year, while migratory birds traveled 177–1095 km from roosts to breeding territories. Migrants maintained the 25 km radius from the center of their breeding territory during the breeding season of late March or early April to September. Retention of satellite tags for up to 4 years in small numbers of resident and migrant birds showed high fidelity to breeding sites but less fidelity to wintering roosts, especially for long-range migrants. Using satellite telemetry is a gold standard in assessing movements of migratory birds, but it is expensive. Finding less expensive means of determining the migratory dynamics of birds was another goal of this project. Therefore, the authors also used isotopic analyses and genotyping to see if these measures could provide clear distinctions between migratory and resident crows.

Isotopic analyses measured the ratio of deuterium to hydrogen in samples from known migrant and resident birds. Since deuterium in precipitation decreases with increasing latitude, the level of deuterium in feathers grown on the breeding grounds has been used as an indicator of breeding latitude. As expected, deuterium levels from feather samples were generally negatively correlated with breeding latitude in this study. The authors found that the reliability of assigning birds to the migrant category was generally much better with longer-range migrants than with short-range migrants.

The authors also genotyped birds at 33 loci and tested if this technique could reliably determine known resident versus known migratory birds. Genetic analysis of migrant versus resident crow samples showed clear differentiation between these birds on the West Coast and a slightly lower differentiation for the East Coast birds. Again, long-range migrants were more distinct from resident birds than were short-range migrants.

Comparing the results from telemetry, isotope, and microsatellite tests suggests congruence between these methods, though estimates of the proportion of migratory birds in the winter roosts varied among methods: 73–86% migrant by telemetry, 48–66% by genetic, and 27–28% by isotopes. Migrants that traveled more than 3.5o N from roost to breeding sites were successfully classified using all three techniques. Use of the isotopic and genetic tests could provide means to gather more data on larger populations at considerably lower cost than the use of telemetry. And validation of this integrated approach would allow studies on other species that are too small for telemetry packs. This integrative approach provides a baseline for assessing population adaptations to changing climate, a pressing issue in ornithology.

Based on data from crows fitted with satellite telemetry packs, approximately 80% of crows in these roosts were migrants. If this proportion holds true for the Lawrence roost, perhaps as many as 13,000 of these birds are long-range migrants. It would be interesting to find out if smaller roosts contain a lower proportion of migrants, if crows move between local roosts, and what causes shifts in roost locations. Determining the migratory status of birds in urban crow roosts and the dynamics of these assemblies could be useful in studies of disease transmission, since crows can carry known human and wildlife pathogens, including West Nile virus.

David M. Larson, PhD, is the Science and Education Coordinator at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport, the Director of Mass Audubon's Birder's Certificate Program and the Certificate Program in Bird Ecology (a course for naturalist guides in Belize), a domestic and international tour leader, President of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, and a member of the editorial staff of Bird Observer.

References

Duxbury-Fox, D. 2018. A History of Winter Crow Roosts and a Visit to a Roost in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Bird Observer 46 (1): 22-31.
Townsend, A. K., B. Frett, A. McGarvey, and C. C. Taff. 2018. Where do winter crows go? Characterizing partial migration of American Crows with satellite telemetry, stable isotopes, and molecular markers. The Auk 135(4): 964-74.
Verbeek, N. A. and C. Caffrey. 2002. American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America, A. F. Poole and F. B. Gill, Eds. Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.647

About Books: Kids! Let’s Have Fun with Genes!

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Typically, birders don't give domestic birds a second look in life or in print. Why should they? You can't count them on your list. eBird won't list your sighting of a prized onagadori as "mega!" It is the hope of artist and science writer Katrina van Grouw that her new book, Unnatural Selection, will change that attitude, particularly if the reader is interested in Darwin, evolution, and genetics.

Van Grouw is best known for her previous book The Unfeathered Bird. This is a large format collection of her exquisite study drawings of different species of birds, their feathers, skeletons, and musculature. In The Unfeathered Bird, the text supports the drawings. In Unnatural Selection, another outstanding collection of drawings really supports a more thorough and involved text.

Unnatural Selection is a book that begins with the basics of Darwinian natural selection and how Darwin described its central role in evolution over hundreds or thousands of years. But the bulk of Unnatural Selection is about how enterprising humans for centuries before Darwin have learned to accelerate and control this natural process to produce domestic animals in a myriad of forms through selective breeding. Van Grouw became interested in domestic breeds after she met her husband who has spent his life breeding exhibition varieties of pigeons, chickens, gerbils, canaries, budgies, and Barbary doves. Throughout the text, Katrina van Grouw's significant other is referred to as simply "Husband" in the manner of "Cher" or "Prince." The more van Grouw learned about selective breeding, the more she realized that these historic fanciers, through trial and error, and by keeping careful track of their crosses, were really masters of genetics long before Bateson and Mendel.

How foolish I was not to take fanciers more seriously. Oblivious was I to the fact that many of these men (and women too), in their own way, know at least as much about birds as any museum ornithologist or field birder. In their highly skilled hands pigeons are but putty that can, within a few generations, be molded into any shape and remade in virtually any color. Fanciers can fast forward evolution. (p. xiii)

Darwin had a life-long interest in domestic animals and even wrote a book on the subject: The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. But Darwin's central belief was always "natura non facit saltum," "Nature does not make jumps." Therefore, to Darwin, what fanciers did was interesting but had little relationship to what happened in the wild. But this was a long time before we understood genetics on the biochemical level. "Darwin believed that single-step evolution like this would be impossible in wild animals." (p. 109)

Unnatural Selection looks at domestic birds such as chicken, duck, finch, and particularly pigeon breeds, as well as dog, sheep, cattle, and pig breeds and asks a basic question: How did they come to look like this? And more specifically: Why does that bulldog have such an enormous mouth? What do Runner Ducks stand so straight? Dip randomly into Unnatural Selection and you will find Van Grouw's writing is engaging, opinionated, chatty, and often humorous. She also tells some great stories along the way. Her chapter on mutations begins this way:

Mutation; mutant; monstrosity; monster; deformity; freak—you can almost hear the barrel organ and the booming voice lyrically cajoling passers-by to roll up and see the two-headed lamb or the bearded lady. The word conjures up images of mad scientists conducting illicit experiments; creatures with too many body parts, or body parts in the wrong places, pickled in jars. Even the X-Men, superheroes of Marvel Comics, are social pariahs. "Mutation" it turns out, is a dirty, politically incorrect, word. The sort of word to get doors slammed in your face. (p. 134)

To sketch the numerous large fine drawings for the book, she visited some rather arcane places to find type specimens. These include the Albert Heim Foundation for Canine Research in Berne, Switzerland, which has the largest collection of dog skulls in the world. Included in Unnatural Selection is a fine drawing of a big box chock full of dog skulls from that museum. This is classic van Grouw artwork: unique, beautiful, with a dash of the macabre, like a contemporary Andreas Vesalius. A turn-spit dog is not a breed, but any small, short-legged pooch that spent a hellish life trapped walking in a wheel which turned various meats on a spit over a fire. Van Grouw tracks down the last extant specimen of a turn-spit dog in a modest local museum in a small town in Wales. Van Grouw's drawing of the poorly mounted body of Whiskey, the last turn-spit dog, conveys all the tragedy of Whiskey's hellish life.

Unnatural Selection is divided into four general topics: "Origins," "Inheritance," "Variation," and "Selection." These are further broken down into chapters on a variety of subjects. Though van Grouw often deals with some technical terms and concepts, don't let that dissuade you from reading this book. She often uses her illustrations to help the reader understand these complex ideas. To discuss genetic variation in breeds of pigeons, she presents a tour-de-force two-page spread (pp. 50-–51) of skulls of different pigeon breeds. To the average reader this looks like a collection of dramatically different species of doves from around the world, yet these are all breeds derived from one species of domestic pigeon. The caption reads,

Skulls of domesticated pigeons, all sharing a common ancestry with the Rock Dove and showing the enormous diversity of possible forms. Despite the apparent intermediate stages, all these birds are contemporary and represent the tips of evolutionary branches. From appearance alone, assumptions about which branch sprang from which would be merely guesswork—especially as many breeds were created by crossing. (p. 49) Keep in mind that all this genetic variation was accomplished long before knowledge of modern genetics and gene splicing techniques utilizing CRISPR (clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats).

Unnatural Selection celebrates how humans figured out how to change a rock pigeon into dramatically different fancy breeds like the Scandaroon, Frillback, Mokees, or Norwich Cropper through crossbreeding. Learning the odd breed names is just part of the fun in this book. Sometimes it wasn't simply a matter of selective breeding, but taking advantage of a spontaneous mutation. That was the case of a breed of sheep with very short legs called Ancon, or "otter sheep." A farmer in Dover, Massachusetts, decided to keep and breed these natural anomalies so he could save money on fences. Born in the wild, this mutation would probably have had a short life span. But if that mutation appeals to humans, it just might become a breed. For van Grouw, each domestic breed is as precious and worth "saving" as a wild species, because it is all about the importance of genetic diversity.

This is why it's so important to preserve rare breeds of livestock—not only for their historical or cultural importance but because they represent irreplaceable richness in genetic diversity for the entire animal kingdom. (p. 159)

Sometimes, some of the most startling traits of a breed are affected by the environment, and this is exploited by the fancier, often to extremes. Onagadori roosters are a rare and prized breed from Japan that is known for extremely long rectrices. Since light can affect molt, these onagadori roosters lead a unique life.

A range of stimuli can initiate molt: changes in day length, sudden stress, diet, and most of all, sex. The most prized onagadori roosters therefore live an austere, monastic life. They're traditionally kept in tall enclosed towers called tombaku, where their exposure to light can be closely monitored. (p. 205)

Most often the changes wrought by selective breeding seem harmless, are visually interesting or fun, and don't do the animal in question any real harm. Think of all the dramatically different dog breeds. But there are other times when what the fancier creates can seem a bit Frankensteinian. The Bokhara trumpeter pigeon "…has fully formed, asymmetric quill feathers on its feet to rival the flight feathers of wings." (p.194). This breed of pigeon looks like it has two sets of wings, one pair where they ought to be and the other on its feet! If that isn't enough, its head is all but invisible inside a dense ball of feathers. It is selective breeding like this that has had some readers criticizing Unnatural Selection for not condemning selective breeding altogether. Katrina van Grouw responds, in part, this way:

There are of course ethical issues involved in pushing these boundaries to their full capacity, and equally there's a certain amount of moral outrage about selective breeding in general. Some would even label all domesticated animals as monsters. To say that it's not about right and wrong is not the same thing as saying that it's right. Nevertheless, my response to anyone complaining, "Look what humans have done to the Pekinese" is to reply, "Look what flowers have done to Sword-billed Hummingbirds! (p. 159)

Unnatural Selection covers a lot of ground in describing the wonders of selective breeding. It is a great overview of Darwin's ideas and a history of genetics and evolution. It is also a unique account of how humans have domesticated animals and then manipulated their charges genes solely for our benefit and delight. Add to this an abundance of van Grouw's stunning detailed drawings and it is easy to see why Unnatural Selection is one of the best science and art books of the year.

Artificial selection is an excellent analogy for natural selection, even more so than Darwin had realized. But the similarity is more than just metaphorical. There are not "domesticated animals", "wild animals", and "humans". There are only animals. There's not a "natural environment" and a "man-made environment"; there's just the environment. Artificial selection is not merely analogous with evolution. It is evolution. And the process of domestication is just one of countless adaptations to changing environments, irrespective of the existence of man. (p. 278)

LITERATURE CITED

The Unfeathered Bird. Katrina van Grouw. 2013. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication. Charles Darwin. 1868. London, Britain: John Murray.

Bird Sightings: July–August 2018

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

The high temperature in Boston for July was 98 degrees on July 3, beating the record of 96 degrees set back in 1953. There were seven days in July in which temperatures exceeded 90 degrees. The average temperature was 77 degrees, three degrees above normal. Rainfall totaled 4.55 inches, 1.12 inches above the average for July. The highest one-day rainfall total was 2.68 inches on July 17. There was a flash flood warning for parts of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island on July 6–7.

August recorded ten days of temperatures above 90 degrees. The highest temperature for Boston for the month was 98 degrees on August 29 and the average for the month was 77 degrees, five degrees above normal. Rainfall totaled 4.65 inches, 1.3 inches above normal. The weather made headline news in August when a tornado touched down in the towns of Dudley and Webster in Worcester County. Winds from the twister, clocking up to 110 mph, completely destroyed two buildings on Main Street in Webster. Other areas in central and eastern Massachusetts experienced torrential downpours with flash flooding.

R. Stymeist

Bygone Birds: Historical Highlights for July-August

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

20 YEARS AGO

July–August 1998

On August 2 a juvenile Black Vulture fledged from the Blue Hills in Milton. This represented the first confirmed breeding record anywhere in New England. A Purple Gallinule was on Nantucket from July 12–August 7. Chatham hosted a pair of American Avocets, as well as the Bar-tailed Godwit that had previously overwintered in Plymouth. Flycatchers stole the passerine show with a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on Martha's Vineyard and a juvenile Fork-tailed Flycatcher at Plum Island which stayed for over a month. A Northern Wheatear was found on Nantucket on August 30.

Best sighting: a Red-necked Stint in breeding plumage was at the end of Duxbury Beach, August 21–September 7. Shuttle buses to the site allowed many birders to enjoy this third record for the state.

40 YEARS AGO

July–August 1978

Monomoy hosted up to 150 Hudsonian Godwits during August, while 2,500 Red Knots were counted at Scituate on August 3. A Sandwich Tern was found at Tuckernuck Island on August 21. The peak of the Common Nighthawk flight was 1,180 birds over Wellesley on August 30. A Loggerhead Shrike was at Plum Island on August 19.

Best sighting: a Lewis's Woodpecker photographed in Lunenburg on May 26 represented the third record for the state.

At a Glance: December 2018

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Can you identify the bird in this photograph?

Identification will be discussed in next issue’s AT A GLANCE.

At a Glance: October 2018 Revealed

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Although upon first inspection the mystery image may appear daunting, a closer look clearly offers a useful clue—the bill. The bill of the featured species is obviously conical, thick at the base and pointed at the tip, hallmarks of a seed-eating species. If the mystery bird is only viewed in black and white, its identity is arguably more challenging than when viewed in color on the Bird Observer website. When seen in color, however, the overall back and rump of the bird are medium brown and the tail is tipped slightly in white—a feature notable on what appear to be at least the bird's left and right outer tail feathers. The combination of conical bill shape, medium brown coloration, and the suggestion of white on the tail all point to a sparrow or finch of some sort.

When the white-tipped tail feathers are viewed in the context of a black malar (jaw) stripe and a dark triangle under a short pale (white?) stripe below the eye on the mystery bird, the identification is unambiguous. The mystery bird is a Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus). The identity of this long-tailed, plain-breasted sparrow would be more obvious if the photo showed the bird's distinctive face pattern or unstreaked underparts with a dark central spot. The white tips to the tail feathers are unique and lacking in any other sparrow species likely to occur in Massachusetts. Although the Vesper Sparrow and the Dark-eyed Junco also have white in the tail, their outer tail feathers are completely white. A Lapland Longspur and an Eastern Towhee would also show white in the outer tail, however a Lapland Longspur would have a streaked back, and an Eastern Towhee would have a completely dark, unpatterned head.

The Lark Sparrow is an occasional and primarily coastal fall migrant, a scarce spring migrant, and a rare winter visitor in Massachusetts. David Larson photographed this Lark Sparrow at Parker River Refuge on Plum Island on September 9, 2017.

Wayne R. Petersen

Zaps: 46-6

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This daily activity continues until as late as April. In October, the overnight roosts may be only 500 crows. By the middle of January, the numbers may swell to more than 15,000 crows. Then the numbers dwindle again until, by spring, the crows have left.

In 2019, the Essex Art Center in Lawrence has planned a number of activities to celebrate this amazing phenomenon of nature. A first-time Crow art show, Celebrating a Winter Crow Roost, will open January 11 and run until early March. A number of local groups will host gatherings that include a gallery tour of the show, an informative talk, and a guided field walk to observe the crows.

The initial organizing groups include Mass Audubon, Groundwork Lawrence, Merrimack River Watershed Council, Merrimack Valley Bird Club, AVIS Land Trust, and many others. Additional events are in the early planning stages. Dana Duxbury-Fox, her husband Bob Fox, and Craig Gibson will also be organizing a number of guided walks. Please visit www.wintercrowroost.com for further updates.

Craig Gibson

Advertisers 46-6

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 00:00:00 GMT

In this issue: