What’s been seen: Back in the 1800s when Americans really took up birding as a pastime, gentlemen and ladies with the time and the desire recorded personal and detailed observations about birds in field notebooks that built up our modern-day knowledge of avian behaviors with fun and flowery prose. For some, that tradition continues. One…
What’s Been Seen: As expected, May was a whirlwind in Hull. It certainly ended on a down note for all of us, with heavy rain dampening everything for the final three days of the month. But migration happened, and in a big way for Hull. Fifty-five species of birds were reported from Straits Pond throughout…
The piping plover population on Nantasket Beach has doubled since last year, from six to 13 pairs, and the time seems right for the Plover Ambassadors – a volunteer group formed several years ago to protect and preserve these seasonal feathered residents – to reach out to fellow Hullonians and ask them to join their…
Water Wisdom A column by the Weir River Watershed Association ‘Going green’ can mean rethinking traditional summer yard care “In nature, nothing exists alone.” – Rachel Carson Area nurseries need police details to direct traffic, and no one can get the landscaping companies to call back – it’s spring on the South Shore. Visions of…
With the 2021 growing season underway, the Plant.Grow.Share. program is again asking for help in supplying our area food pantries with fresh produce. All community members – from green thumbs to first-time gardeners – are invited to participate by growing, then donating a portion of their harvest, to one of our area food pantries. “People…
Warm sand, cool waves, and some considerably rare seasonal visitors have recently been spotted on Nantasket Beach. The seasonal visitors are piping plovers, and, for the eighth year in a row, they have decided to make Nantasket Beach their temporary home. Similar to past years, Mass Audubon provides guidance and support in monitoring and protecting…
In the midst of a seemingly endless battle against midge infestations, Straits Pond Watershed Association President Tom Bell has announced that money has been set aside in the fiscal 2022 budget for the payment of a sediment survey in the area behind the Greek Orthodox Church. If approved as an ecological restoration project by the…
What’s been seen: The birds were on the move in April, as expected, despite our continued generally cold weather. We’ve seen pulses of species come through, larger than normal groups, traveling together, than we would normally see only individually or in pairs. Case in point: The 13 ruby-crowned kinglets seen at Fort Revere Park on…
What’s been seen: Sometimes it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Birders who are truly dedicated to their craft can research, study, prepare, plan, and act on a strategy to find a specific species, gauging seasonality, habitat, weather, and more. And then, something completely unexpected can happen. On…
What’s been seen: Birds are in abundance right now around Hull. From Straits Pond to Pemberton Point, onshore and off, there is just a lot to see. Looking offshore, it’s easy to imagine that Hull is surrounded by buffleheads. They can be seen from almost every vantage point, with more than 50 being seen on…