Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 10 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
Environment
MOSQUITOES
Awaiting First Frost, and Meanwhile, Precautions
EEE is detected, but the risk of infection in humans is still low
PROVINCETOWN — Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was detected in a sample of mosquitoes taken here on Sept. 21. Like the August discovery of West Nile virus in Eastham mosquitoes, the […]
SURFWATCH
How Many Sharks Are Out There?
Study suggests that white sharks are recovering
Summer on Cape Cod has become synonymous with sharks. Spotter planes patrol the skies for dark shapes in the water. Signs at ocean beaches post warnings with menacing illustrations. News […]
THE TWITCHER
Fall Warblers Stop at Fort Hill on Their Journey South
Wearing their ‘comfortable’ plumage, they look nothing like they do in spring
This article was updated on Oct. 7, 2023. EASTHAM — When cold northern air pushes into New England in the fall, it carries with it waves of warblers. These tiny […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 3 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
TURTLES
Terrapin Protection Program Has a Record Year
More nests with smaller clutches of eggs suggest younger turtles are starting to thrive
WELLFLEET — “Team Turtle!” shouted Norma Ganderson as she pulled her car into the parking lot on the Lieutenant Island causeway.
DISASTER PREP
Risk of Wildfire Is Elevated on Outer Cape
Tending the forest understory could aid prevention efforts
WELLFLEET — Alfred Kraft lives on a long, narrow driveway at the end of Old Chequessett Neck Road in Wellfleet. On either side of his property, expanses of National Seashore […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 26 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
STORM CHASERS
Storm Offers Rare Encounters
Birders gather to see species blown ashore by Hurricane Lee
The night before Hurricane Lee tore through the coastal waters of Massachusetts, most Cape Codders were stocking up on food and hoping the storm wouldn’t hit too hard. Birders, meanwhile, […]
ON THE MARSH
Shorebirds Thrive Between the Tides
Birds making some of the longest migrations on the planet stop to feed on our flats
On Wellfleet’s saltwater marshes, at low tide, the grasses stand high over a vast, muddy plain. Six hours later, those same grasses are half-submerged, or standing on islands with deep […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 19 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
MOSQUITOES
West Nile Virus Makes Its Annual Appearance Here
Experts recommend removing standing water to control the disease
EASTHAM — West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne illness that appears on Cape Cod annually, has been detected in a sample of the insects in the Fort Hill area of Eastham. […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 12 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
RARA AVIS
This Week’s Bird Sightings
Confirmed bird sightings on the Outer Cape in the week preceding the Independent’s deadline on Tuesday, Sept. 5 included the following, based on a report prepared by Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet […]
COLD FEET
Wellfleet Backs Out of Dredging Mitigation Agreement
Select board plans to ask spring town meeting for $4.5 million for permit
WELLFLEET — The select board has backpedaled on its support for a plan that would have dedicated 28 acres in Blackfish Creek to oyster habitat restoration. The restoration was a […]
