After hosting seven socially distanced bird walks (where we chat and share photos while birding on our own), 16 of us took the opportunity (thanks to Zoom) to sit together, share some migration experiences and just catch up on life during the COVID pandemic.
Almost everyone had a story to tell, especially about Mass Audubon’s May 15-16 Bird-at-home-a-thon (BAT). To prevent the spread of COVID-19, birders were asked to only walk or bike to find birds for this contest. Many of us enjoyed these new rules and were happy to take a break from dashing about in cars. While we missed the group effort, we discovered new patches, visited neglected reserves, and enjoyed spending a stretch of time outdoors.
Wayne walked to Old Quarry Way in Hingham, and suddenly sensed a presence behind him. Turning around, he came face-to-face with a Gray Fox. Nate jumped on his bike and logged 35 miles, encountering cool habitat and birds along the way. On Cape Cod, Mary Jo found Bay-breasted and Canada Warblers near her home and wondered why she hadn’t visited that spot more often. Plymouth County has so many good birding spots that it’s difficult to hit them all during BAT. This year, Kathy made it to a neglected yet choice spot-- Bear Cove Park in Hingham-- and found a stunning array of warblers! Christine and Steven seemed to walk non-stop for 24 hours and collected 97 species in the process! Pete proudly stuck to his yard and saw many species of warblers, beefing up his prior tally of one migrant warbler species in proximity to his house. Keelin’s biking and walking efforts resulted in a close-up encounter with a Hooded Warbler. Luck (or is it skill?!) was on Lisa’s side when she flushed two Ruffed Grouse in South Plymouth close to her home.
We hit the migration jackpot on May 3 and 16 when a variety of warblers appeared, as did colorful Orioles and those confusing but entertaining Empidonax flycatchers. Good numbers of Lincoln’s and White-Crowned Sparrows were also reported.
Several non-BAT adventures included Sally’s first Clapper Rail find and recording, Paul’s singing Blue Grosbeak and Eastern Bluebirds at the Crane Wildlife Management Area, Brian’s unexpected but welcome Tricolored Heron at Ellisville Harbor State Park, Connor’s “rainy day rarity” Long-billed Dowitcher and Kim and Mike being charged by two frisky Fishers at Cornell Reserve in Dartmouth.
The group also discussed the challenging topic of inclusion, equity, race and class in the birding and conservation community. This came up as a result of an unpleasant incident that occurred recently in New York City’s Central Park Ramble that involved a local (New York) birder. A link to the story was posted on SSBC’s Google Chat by one of our members and prompted some discussion.
We agreed to consider reaching out to several local conservation groups (Mass Audubon and its Boston Nature Center, Buzzards Bay Coalition, Wildlands Trust (especially Brockton office) to learn about their efforts to promote inclusion and to see if SSBC members could help to introduce youth to birding and our natural reserves (how to use binoculars, co-host a bird walk, participate in school visits, etc). Two other groups were mentioned, the Feminist Bird Club, whose mission is to “be an inclusive birdwatching club….” and the Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp, profiled in the No. 1, 2020 edition of Massachusetts Wildlife. These groups may offer partnering or learning opportunities as well. Nate suggested that those who have expressed exceptional passion and enthusiasm regarding the subject (Connor, Lisa, Pete) could consider forming a SSBC sub-group to pursue this issue and that he and Kim, who live closer to Buzzards Bay Coalition, could possibly approach that group.
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