Mass Audubon Blogs

Small but mighty, kinglets are barely bigger than hummingbirds, weighing less than half an ounce, and yet they are still capable of surviving in remarkably cold environments, in some regions overwintering in places where nighttime temperatures can fall below 0°F. Their preference for the upper canopy of thick stands of tall conifers, especially spruce and […]

The Northern Saw-whet Owl is an small, elusive creature. It clocks in at no more than 4 ounces and is about the size of a robin, but is still a fearsome hunter of small mammals (and occasionally small birds). Nocturnal and secretive, it is rare to spot one in the wild, but ongoing banding and […]

A sampling of news from Mass Audubon’s weekly advocacy updates – sign up here Actions You Can Take Help keep up the pressure to get state climate legislation passed into law this session – ask your legislators to keep pushing for progress on emission reduction targets, equitable decision-making, and natural climate solutions. Methane is more than 80 […]

Barn Swallows nesting at the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge have had a successful season in 2020 in the Fort River Boat House. The full final report is available here. Season Summary We estimate that 30 – 38 pairs of Barn Swallows nested in the Fort River Boat House in 2020. Of […]

In 2000, Joan Wattman was interested in purchasing a Plainfield property.  It had a wonderful farmhouse, almost 200 acres of woods and fields, and abutted hundreds of acres of preserved land including Mass Audubon’s West Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. Ed Kohn, a conservation planner, moved to Plainfield in 1983 and was instrumental in helping Mass Audubon […]

You’re invited to a Do-It-Yourself Grand Re-opening of the Indian Brook Trail reroute which was recently completed on a beautiful, gentle slope above the vernal pool. The change moves the trail out of wetland habitat – disruptive for wildlife, muddy and uncomfortable for visitors – to a terrific viewpoint of the Indian Brook marsh. To […]

Like Tusken Raiders on Tatooine, befuddled by sandstorms, masked and wrapped in layers of protective clothing, envious of the moisture farmers drinking blue milk in their droid-maintained compounds, we croak out our dismay at this enduring drought! Rain is predicted for Monday night and Tuesday, but with so few growing days left in the season, […]

Now that the days are becoming shorter and nighttime temperatures are beginning to drop, Wellfleet Bay’s resident box turtles are preparing for brumation, the reptile version of hibernation. Unlike a woodchuck or a bear, turtles do not fatten up and snooze the winter away in a cozy den. In fact, it’s almost the opposite! Last […]

At 7:30 AM this past Wednesday, our group of birders gathered in the Hellcat parking lot in dense fog with Dave Weaver co-leading with me. We were joined by David O’Neill, Mass Audubon’s new president! He was giddy that he was able to escape the confinement of his temporary residence, off of Zoom meetings, and […]

Blue vervain  (Verbena hastata) On walks last week I observed two of my favorite flowers, both having blue flowers. Though fairly common in this area, they are less showy and can easily be overlooked among grasses and taller plants that dominate in late summer. Blue vervain commonly occurs in wet meadows, wet river bottomlands, and stream […]