EASTHAM — Sometimes, when a bird arrives at Wild Care, the wildlife rehabilitation center here, Executive Director Stephanie Ellis knows instantly what it is suffering from. She recalls when a […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Dispatch From the World Series of Birding
In New Jersey, watching and listening to win — or not
“Competitive birding” sounds like an oxymoron. People think of birding as a deeply personal hobby. It’s supposed to be about one’s connection with nature and desire to know one’s place […]
FISHERIES
Fishermen Join Fight for Herring Trawler Rules
Push to save river herring may help protect the oceangoing species
The marine ecosystem around Cape Cod is built on the backs of Atlantic herring. These baitfish school in massive numbers, providing food for marine mammals, seabirds, and large fish like […]
HABITATS
A ‘Cape Cod Lawn’ Can Be a Haven for Turtles
Invite nesting by keeping a scrubby yard with sandy patches, not a swath of green
When people design a back yard suitable for wildlife, they tend to create places that are appealing to birds and butterflies. That makes sense, because these animals are appealing visitors […]
FIBER ART
Monique Aimee’s Study of Slowness
The Somerville-based illustrator stitches a show of her own
If you’ve spent enough time driving around Massachusetts, you’ve probably seen road signs that say a neighborhood is “Thickly Settled.” It’s an exclusively New England expression, and though the signs […]
ENVIRONMENT
U.S. Proposes 8 Wind Energy Areas in Gulf of Maine
Local fishermen’s alliance will question effects of offshore turbines
The U.S. Dept. of the Interior announced last week the proposed auction of eight offshore wind lease areas in the Gulf of Maine. The areas selected by the department’s Bureau […]
MORNING FLIGHT
The Magic of Peak Migration
Over the next two weeks, millions of birds will be coming our way
As I sit down to write about the birds I’ve seen recently — classic summer birds like barn swallows and Baltimore orioles, the first yellow warblers, and common terns are […]
BLOODSUCKERS
Winter Floods Set the Stage for More Mosquitoes
Flood waters abate and larvicide is sprayed, but a lot depends on the weather
WELLFLEET — Barton Morris stands in the Duck Harbor parking lot and surveys the floodplain to the north. It’s a cool April day, and it’s been about two weeks since […]
BUGS
Southern Pine Beetles Arrive on the Outer Cape
Warmer winters bring bark eaters to devour — or maybe just thin — our woods
The forests of the Outer Cape have undergone major changes throughout their history, affected by big forces, from fires to farming to 20th-century development. The next wave of change, however, […]
FLOW STATE
Gardens That Make Runoff a Resource
How fanya chini and Hügelkultur inform Peter Jensen’s Cape Cod permagardens
ORLEANS — Agroecologist Peter Jensen placed a hose along the road above the Church of the Holy Spirit and turned it on. The water flowed into a dirty channel between […]
MORNING FLIGHT
Hang a Feeder for an Extraordinary Bird
Helicoptering, speed sipping, cold sleeping, and other evolutionary marvels of the hummingbird
In the couple of seconds it takes you to read these first few words, a ruby-throated hummingbird will flap its wings approximately 110 times. Its heart will beat 42 times. […]
FISHERIES RULES
State Commission Agrees to Ban Spring Horseshoe Crab Harvest
New restrictions during egg-laying season could help recovery of endangered shorebirds
WELLFLEET — Every spring, horseshoe crabs arrive on the sheltered beaches of Cape Cod, crawling up onto the shore to lay their eggs in the sand. For years, during this […]
FIRE PREVENTION
Arborist Incident Response Team Takes on ‘Hazard Trees’
Fire management goal is to create defensible spaces around historic structures
EASTHAM — Most mornings, the grounds of the Penniman House at Fort Hill are a peaceful setting for birds, squirrels, and the occasional tourist. But on the morning of April […]
MORNING FLIGHT
The Sora on the Roof
And other rare birds that turn up when you least expect them
PROVINCETOWN — It’s hard to predict when you might find a rare bird. You might try after a hurricane, a good night of migration, or some other event that seems […]
WHALE WATCH
Ship Speed Limit Sparks Local Economy Worries
Aimed at protecting right whales, changes could hit ferries and tourism
PROVINCETOWN — This year has proved especially lethal for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, with the discovery on March 30 of a dead female marking the fifth mortality […]
