2010 Central Mass Birding Calendar
This calendar lists upcoming events such as bird trips, meetings, and special events such as breeding bird surveys, Christmas counts, etc. To contribute a listing, you can email to rsquimby@wpi.edu or call Rick Quimby at (508) 853-5021 and leave a message. This is not intended as a discussion forum for birding-related topics (MASSBIRD serves this function well), so please confine your submissions to the listing of events that will be of interest to Worcester County birders.
The previous year's listings are archived here.
Here are the current birding events listings in chronological order:
I am the director of the middle school Science Olympiad in Massachusetts. We are an organization that puts on a yearly science tournament at which students compete in activities from all areas of science. One of the events we are running this year is called "Ornithology." We are looking for someone qualified and interested to supervise this event at our tournament. The event supervisor would need to prepare event materials - typically a set of stations at which the students must identify and answer questions about birds. The supervisor also needs to be present on the day of the tournament to oversee the students and evaluate their performance. We are a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization, and you can find more information about the program as a whole at the national website: http://www.soinc.org. I would be happy to send more information or talk about the details of this event with anyone who might be interested in helping out. The tournament this year will be held on Saturday March 20, 2010 at Assumption College in Worcester. Thank you in advance for helping to offer this great opportunity to the students of Massachusetts. Brian K. Niece, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Chemistry Assumption College 500 Salisbury St. Worcester, MA 01609 508-767-7209 bniece@assumption.edu
To help residents of Greater Worcester educate themselves about this
invasive pest, Jennifer Forman Orth, Ph.D., an invasive species expert with
the
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resource, will be holding an Asian
Longhorned Beetle training session in Worcester February 24. Jennifer is
the Massachusetts coordinator for the Northeast Forest Pests Survey and
Outreach Project, a multi-state effort launched soon after August 2008, when
the Asian Longhorned Beetle ("ALB") was first identified in Worcester. The
goal of the project is to teach professionals and non professionals how to
identify signs of the ALB and the importance of reporting sightings to the
proper authorities.
Jennifer has taken her educational program statewide, wherever her skills
have been needed, including such locations as Boston, Fall River,
Springfield, Worcester, and Amherst, training hundreds of people and
providing them
with the tools to educate others about ALB. We are very fortunate to have
her return to Worcester and offer her expertise in an educational
presentation. The training session will be held Wednesday, February 24th at
1pm, at
the First Baptist Church, located at the intersection of Park Ave and
Salisbury St, next to Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The church is
handicapped accessible and there is parking on the premises. This session
includes
hands on training with beetle specimens and damaged wood. Attendees will
also
receive a pack of resource materials to assist them with identification of
ALB and ALB tree damage, a guide to host trees, and more. Following the
training, USDA staff will be on hand to answer questions about the ALB
Eradication Program. This presentation is free and open to the public.
Educators
and local government staff are encouraged to attend. ALB T-shirts will be
given to the first 50 registrants. Call 508-755-6143 to register.
Email: _Jennifer.Forman-Orth@state.ma.us_
It has now been more than a year since the Asian Longhorned Beetle was
first discovered in Worcester. We can all probably list a number of ways
that
this beetle has negatively impacted our lives. We know that the best way of
keeping the beetle from spreading further is to be vigilant about
reporting it when you see it, but how many of you out there reading this
actually
know how to recognize the beetle or the signs that it is damaging your
tree?
(submitted by Ginny Kingsbury, fide Alan Marble).
Inquiry welcomes photographer BRUCE deGRAAF. Bruce has been passionate about
the wildlife of New England for some time and has finally assembled some of
his finest shots in a book titled AVIAN AWAKENING : DISCOVERING THE BIRDS OF
NEW ENGLAND. This sumptuous volume traces Bruce's exploration of the world
of birds beginning in his backyard, then throughout central Massachusetts,
and ending up in such well-known avian hotspots as Plum Island and South
Beach. His work captures not only the beauty of birds but documents their
complex behaviors. This volume is self-published. To see some examples of
Bruce's work and preview the book, go to:
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1114804
To listen to this interview or download it to your I-Pod, go to:
http://wicn.org/audio/inquiry-bruce-degraaf
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Birding By Ear
3/24/2010 - 4/28/2010, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Fee: $30 Mass Audubon Adult Members, $42 Adult Non-members
Location: Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Road,
Worcester, MA. www.massaudubon.org.
Description: Get yourself ready for spring! Come and learn to recognize
and imitate a wide range of common bird calls. This fun series of
workshops ( 6 Wednesday evenings) will culminate with a recital at which
participants will perform for a select audience and demonstrate their
newfound skills. For more information and to register, call
508-753-6087. Sponsored by Mass Audubon at Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife
Sanctuary.
(submitted by Kristin Steinmetz).
Two events of possible interest to central mass birders, sponsored by
The Bird Store And More (Sturbridge, MA):
Woodcock Walk
Thursday, April 8, 2010
7:15pm
Town Beach on Lake Quacumquasit (142 Lake Rd Brookfield, MA)
We will listen and watch the American Woodcock do its spring mating display
at dusk, and identify some other birds as they come in to roost for the
night. Meet us at across from the town beach on lake Quacumquasit in
Brookfield at 7:15pm. GPS address should be 142 Lake road Brookfield. I will
go even in the rain but the Woodcocks will be almost impossible to see in
the rain, so play it by ear.
Wear tick spray and mud boots.
Please call us at 508 347-2473 or reply to this email to let us know you are
coming.
Local Bird Walk
Saturday, April 10, 2010
7:15 am. Rain or shine.
We will walk along the rail trail from 5 bridge road in Brimfield. We will
leave from the Bird Store at 7:15 am. so don't be late.
Wear tick spray
Please call us at 508 347-2473 or reply to this email to let us know you are
coming.
(submitted by Bill and Nancy Cormier).
Join us for a local Birdwalk on Saturday May 1, 2010. We will meet at The
Bird Store at 7:15am. Our destination is Opacum Woods in Sturbridge. We
will be checking out the trails and ponds on this property. Make sure to
bring tick spray.
Please reply by email to news@thebirdstoreandmore.com or call the store at
508 347-2473 if you plan on
joining us.
Any cancellations will be posted on the main page of the web site.
See you on Saturday!
(submitted by Bill and Nancy Cormier).
Here are the program details
for the free 7:00 pm presentation. (submitted by Alan Marble).
Our annual trip to Skinner mountain for spring migrants is scheduled for
this Saturday May 15th at 6:30am sharp. For those of you who have never been
to Skinner Mountain it is a fun trip with lots of birds. We plan to walk up
the auto road birding for spring migrants along the way, then we will hang
out on the mountain top for an hour or so then head back down. We will go
rain or shine wind or snow, don't laugh we have been caught in the snow
before so dress accordingly. Bring binoculars and good hiking shoes and plan
on walking up hill for about 2 miles then back down 2 miles.
We will meet at the base of the mountain at 6:15am and start the hike up the
mountain by 6:30 sharp.
Directions:
Skinner State Park is located in the western part of central Massachusetts
along route 47 in Hadley MA.
>From east or west: Mass Pike (Rte. I-90) to exit 5, Rte. 33 north to Rt 116
north to Rt 47 north approximately four miles. Park entrance is on right.
State Park Overview:
390-acre Skinner State Park on top of Mount Holyoke offers breathtaking
views of the Connecticut River Valley. The summit is accessible by road from
April through November, and by hiking trails year-round. The Summit House, a
popular mountaintop hotel in the 1800's, is open for tours and programs on
weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through Columbus Day, offering
historical displays and special events. The park is named after Joseph Allen
Skinner, a wealthy industrialist who donated the hotel and land to the state
in 1940.
There are 20 picnic sites on the grounds, many with fine views and charcoal
grills. Restrooms are available. Hawk watching is popular in spring and
fall. Hang-gliding is allowed by special permit. Paths from the Summit House
connect with marked trails that traverse the Holyoke Range. Fall foliage
viewing is popular in the park, and the masses of flowering mountain laurel
present a lovely spectacle in June. The park's Friends group offers hikes
throughout the year and hosts a sunset concert series inside the Summit
House each summer, and an annual Mountainfest in the fall. Wheelchair access
at the summit is difficult due to the steep terrain and the historic nature
of the Summit House. Please call the park for more details.
The mountain formed some 200 million years ago when lava flowed from the
valley floor, cooled and was upended. More recently, glaciers left their
signature, scouring the mountain's jagged edges smooth in some places,
exposing bedrock or leaving till, sand, clay or muck in others.
Please respond by e-mail to
The Bird Store And More
(submitted by Bill and Nancy Cormier).
Quabbin Hike
Saturday May 22, 2010
7:00am
We will be meeting at the Goodnough Dike entrance of the Quabbin off of
Route 9 in Ware at 7:00am on Saturday.
Turn into the entrance and park. Do not drive past the gate or we may miss
you.
Please reply by email to The Bird Store And More
(submitted by Bill and Nancy Cormier).
National Trails Day is June 5. The Army Corps generally holds a work
morning, 9-12 on that day for trail maintenance at Hodges Village. This
year the work will be to repair some washouts.
Participants will meet at the multiple use area entrance, which is a left
off Clara Barton Road immediately after crossing the river, towards Lane's
gravel pit. Work will be directed by Park Ranger Ken Hester.
You don't need to bring any tools. The Army Corps will serve pizza and soda
afterwards.
The Army Corps is very helpful to us. They waive permits for our events,
lend us tools, haul gravel, and help us in many other ways. We should do our
part by helping them maintain the trails that many of us enjoy.
If you are able to help out that day, it would be very much appreciated. You
can just show up, but it would be helpful if you could drop an email to John
Grenier (in care of me at ken.parker@charter.net)
so we'll have an idea of how many are coming.
Thank you.
(submitted by Ken Parker ["French River Connection"])
At the end of 2008, writer, historian and natural historian JOHN J. GALLUZZO
decided the best way to stay healthy was to walk at least 30 minutes every
day along the beaches, fields and forests of his native South Shore. So
every day in 2009, despite rain, snow, sunshine, heat, humidity, or
relentless onslaughts of biting insects, John hiked some his favorite parks,
beaches, salt marshes and sanctuaries from Hull to Plymouth. He kept an
entertaining and informative journal of his wanderings, now published in two
volumes: HALF AN HOUR A DAY ON FOOT: AN OBSESSIVE EXPLORATION OF THE NATURE
OF THE SOUTH SHORE OF BOSTON and the companion volume HALF AN HOUR A DAY ON
FOOT: STEPPING OUT OF BOUNDS. Tune in to Inquiry tonight for an intimate
look at some of the history and natural history of Massachusetts? South
Shore, learn about some of John?s favorite hikes and find out about the only
species of nesting bird in the state you have to use your sense of smell to
find.
Bonus" so far, John is the only Inquiry guest interviewed WHILE doing
breeding bird atlasing!
To listen to this interview or download it to your I-Pod, go to:
http://wicn.org/audio/inquiry-john-galluzzo-half-an-hour-a-day-on-foot
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
There will be a local birdwalk on Saturday 6/26/10. Meet at The Bird Store
and More at 7:30am. Location to be determined. We will be looking for
breeding birds.
You can reply by email to The Bird Store And More
(submitted by Bill and Nancy Cormier).
Inquiry welcomes back PETE DUNNE, prolific writer, natural historian,
hardcore birder, vice president of New Jersey Audubon Society and Director
of its Cape May Bird Observatory. Tonight Pete talks about his latest book
BAYSHORE SUMMER: FINDING EDEN IN A MOST UNLIKELY PLACE. This is a wonderful
paean to where Pete Dunne lives: the Delaware Bay section of New Jersey.
This little visited gem of saltmarsh; shoreline and pine barrens, contains a
wealth of wildlife as well as a group of people who are still living lives
dependent on the local environment. Tonight Pete talks about fishing for
Blue Crabs, haying saltmarsh grass, the legendary Jersey tomato, and the
predations of the fearsome Greenhead Fly. Tune in tonight for a rich
portrait of one of the least known areas of the east coast.
To listen to this interview on your PC or download to your I-Pod, go to:
http://wicn.org/audio/inquiry-pete-dunne-bayshore-summer
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 18:20:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: chris buelow
(submitted by Chris Buelow).
Natural historian, writer and radio commentator SY MONTGOMERY returns to
Inquiry to talk about her latest book BIRDOLOGY, a collection of pieces that
explore the fascinating lives of birds and our complex relationships to
these avian wonders. Tune in tonight to listen to Sy Montgomery explain why
chickens are so much more than merely walking drumsticks. In fact, they are
intelligent and even loving birds. Then, we talk about the tense drama of
trying to hand-raise two bumblebee-sized baby hummingbirds to their first
flight. Sy Montgomery is one of the great describers of the natural world,
so don't miss this show!
To listen to this interview on your PC or to download it, go to:
http://www.wicn.org/audio/inquiry-sy-montgomery-birdology
Mark Lynch
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
Sunday, August 29, 2010 at Fruitlands Museum, Harvard
1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Free and open to the public.
Join Massachusetts Important Bird Areas (IBA) Director Wayne R. Petersen in
the informative discussion about the Important Bird Areas Project.
IBA began in England as an effort to identify and conserve areas that are
vital to birds and other biodiversity. It expanded globally and was
initiated here in the U.S. by the Audubon Society in 2001. 79 IBAs have been
identified in the Commonwealth using the internationally established
criteria. IBA Director Wayne Petersen will present an overview of the IBA
program along with providing insight into recent changes in the status of
Massachusetts birds and the conservation issues facing our feathered
friends. Wayne was the senior field ornithologist at Mass Audubon for 15
years before becoming IBA Director in 2005. He is also an editor for North
American Birds magazine and recipient of the American Birding Association's
Ludlow Griscom Award for outstanding contributions in regional ornithology,
the highest honor of its kind in the United States.
Contact:
Rob Zeleniak
Advertising and Public Relations Representative
Atomic Design
P.O. Box 731
Boylston, Massachusetts
01505.0731
atomicdesign@charter.net
508.869.2062 (p, f)
508.450.1489 (c)
(submitted by Rob Zeleniak).
Do you want to attract birds to your yard but just don't know where to
start? Tune in to Inquiry tonight when we talk to returning guest BILL
THOMPSON III about his wonderful new book IDENTIFYING AND FEEDING BIRDS.
Tonight Bill talks about suet in the summer; whether birds can get dependent
on feeders, whether there is such a thing as a "squirrel proof" feeder and
what roadrunners eat in people's backyards in the southwest. Hey, he even
covers attracting vultures.
To listen to this interview on your PC or download to your I-Pod, go to:
http://wicn.org/audio/inquiry-bill-thompson-feeding-iii
Mark Lynch
(submitted by Mark Lynch).
BALD EAGLE TALK, NOVEMBER 6, WORCESTER--The bald eagle has made a dramatic
comeback, from the brink of extinction to being firmly reestablished in
Massachusetts and over its historic range. Bill Davis, MassWildlife Central
District Supervisor and his wife Diane Davis were instrumental in restoring
these beautiful birds to the Quabbin area. They will give a presentation at
MassAudubon's Broadmeadow Brook Sanctuary on 414 Massasoit Road at 7 PM.
Learn from the experts about the haunts and habits of our national bird and
its steady recovery over the past 30 years. Pre-registration is required and
a fee is charged. For more information call the Sanctuary office at
(508)753-6087 or pre-register online at:
www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Broad_Meadow/index.php
(submitted by Mark Lynch for BMB Sanctuary).
From the Worcester T&G
Tues Dec. 7, 2010
Mark Blazis Outdoors
http://telegram.com/article/20101207/COLUMN10/12070362
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Local falcons need help
If you're serious about Worcester County birds, you've probably observed
the nesting peregrine falcons that feed on our city's abundant pigeons.
Once nearly extinct, their populations have rebounded, adapting well to
urban habitats.
High buildings here replicate their normal cliff-like nest sites. I was
taken aback upon hearing from Mass Wildlife's Bill Davis that their lone
nest box in downtown Worcester was removed from its traditional location due
to "building maintenance issues". It would be a shame for our city to lose
these magnificent raptors that have become loyal breeders here.
Hopefully, local building managers with rooftop access, an environmental
conscience, and an interest in hosting the nest box will call Mass Wildlife
at (508) 835-3607. The nest box needs to be in place by January. Surely
Worcester business leaders will step forward to help save this rare species
from being a "maintenance issue" casualty.
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(quoted from T&G article referenced above).