Monthly Archives: October 2015

Give a Hoot About Owls

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Lindall

Short-eared Owl, by John Sill.

Halloween is a fitting time for us to shine a spotlight on owls, birds of prey who are well-known for their nocturnal activities and haunting hooting. There are eight regularly occurring species of owl in Massachusetts and they are found in a variety of habitats, including your residential neighborhood!

Although they are quite common, owls can be very mysterious and little is known about their habitat needs or population dynamics. Unfortunately, data from our State of the Birds monitoring suggests that three species, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl and Barn Owl are declining in Massachusetts. These species require urgent conservation action and we need your help to fill knowledge gaps about their populations.

Our Owl Citizen Science project is helping to unravel the mystery of where owls occur; we have had more than 300 reports of areas where owls have been seen or heard. The majority of data have been on the location of breeding owls, and many people have even reported nests. While these data are valuable, we are also interested in information on wintering owl populations. This citizen science project runs year round so give a hoot about owls and report your sightings today!

We were lucky enough to have Barred Owls breed outside the Bird Conservation office at Mass Audubon Headquarters this spring. Photo by Marj Rines.

Managing Forests for Birds

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Lindall

Eastern Towhee, by John Sill.

On October 15th Joan Walsh and Jeff Ritterson joined their partners from MassWildlife, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Franklin Land Trust to present an integrated land management program to interested citizens in (gorgeous) Leyden, MA.

Leyden is one of the focal towns in our Foresters for the Birds program, and our staff spent the day introducing landowners to the thoughts behind the program, as well as introducing land management ideas to benefit grassland nesting birds.

Many thanks to Scott Sylvester, Consulting Forester, Drew Vitz, our State Ornithologist, as well as DCR Service Forester Alison Hunter Wright and Wendy Sweetser Ferris from Franklin Land Trust for making it a successful day. And thanks to Mother Nature for putting on her party dress, and making the leaf peepin’ nearly perfect.

Foresters and landowners learning about bird friendly management practices in Leyden, MA.

Fantastic fall colors, Leyden MA.

Fellow for Forest Birds Update

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Lindall

Mass Audubon’s Fellow For Forest Birds Jeffrey Ritterson.

Jeffrey Ritterson, our new Bird Conservation Fellow for Forest Birds has been very busy since starting in September. Jeff came to us having just completed his Masters at Umass and is now working to expand our Foresters for the Birds program to new parts of the state. During the past few weeks, he has been reaching out to landowners interested in improving bird habitat in their forests and conducting walks on properties with foresters to review management options.

Additionally, as Mass Audubon embarks on a partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to actively improve habitat for at risk forest species, he will be designing studies and monitoring protocols to assess the effectiveness of any actions. This will include studying the effects of creating early-successional forests – a rare habitat type in Massachusetts.

Grassland Management Workshop

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Lindall

Savannah Sparrow, by John Sill

Grassland birds are disappearing at an alarming rate and require urgent conservation action. Last Friday, Bird Conservation staff Dr Jon Atwood and Lindall Kidd presented at a grassland management workshop at Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary in Barnstable.

The grassland workshop — a collaboration between the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts and Mass Audubon — aimed to help land managers develop sustainable management practices and find creative ways to make safe environments for breeding birds.

Land managers and owners can make a real difference in protecting grassland species through a number of beneficial management practices. With over 25 Cape Cod land steward professionals in attendance, the workshop was a resounding success. Mass Audubon is considering co-hosting further workshops in the future, so keep an eye on Long Pasture Sanctuary’s news for announcements.

Participants exploring Long Pasture’s grasslands during the workshop.