General | Mass Audubon – Your Great Outdoors

After the global success of its inaugural year, #BlackBirdersWeek returns Sunday, May 30 through Saturday, June 5, 2021!

Organized by Black AF in STEM, a collective of unapologetically Black scientists studying topics in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, this year’s event will showcase the many unique ways Black people connect in the outdoors.

The week’s lineup includes nationwide birding events, live-streamed panel discussions, and daily interactive themes, some of which are produced in partnership with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Collective, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and more.

Black Birder's Week 2021 Schedule Overview — Image © Black AF in STEM, artwork by Sheridan Alford

Be sure to check out the schedule of events for Black Birders Week 2021 on their website, and follow @BlackAFinSTEM on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates about daily activities and entry links for a daily giveaway!

Black Birders Week at Mass Audubon

In addition to spreading the word about Black Birders Week and the official lineup of events, Mass Audubon is also offering the following free events to celebrate locally.

Virtual Conversation with Dr. J. Drew Lanham

The On Belonging In Outdoor Spaces speaker series concludes on Wednesday, June 2 with a talk featuring Dr. J. Drew Lanham on “Coloring the Conservation Conversation,” moderated by Mass Audubon’s president David O’Neill. Dr. Lanham will discuss what it means to embrace the full breadth of his African-American heritage and his deep kinship to nature and adoration of birds. He will also examine how conservation must be a rigorous science and evocative art, inviting diversity and race to play active roles in celebrating our natural world.

Bird Walks

Join local naturalist John Green for a Black Birders Week bird walk at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton/Northampton on Thursday, June 3, to explore the birds of Arcadia at the end of the busy spring migration season.

The Boston Nature Center and our partners at the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition are sponsoring three Black Birders Week bird walks and a family program from Wednesday, June 2 to Saturday, June 5. Observe birds in a unique urban habitat and practice finding and identifying birds through field marks, sounds, and behaviors. Birders of all levels will enjoy these guided walks.

Virtual Storytelling Event

On Saturday, June 5, professional storyteller Ben Cunningham will share bird and wildlife folktales and stories from around the world in a free, virtual storytelling program, followed by a 15-minute Q&A with the performer. This event is free to register, but we ask that you consider making a donation to our partner Outdoor Afro, an organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature.

Great Horned Owls are one of the earliest birds to breed in Massachusetts, with courtship beginning as early as December. They are not cavity nesters, but use old Red-tailed Hawk or Great Blue Heron nests, often at the top of dead tree snags. With a little luck, you may be able to spot the still-downy heads of fledglings sticking up over the edges of these large nests.

Around six weeks of age, baby Great Horned Owls begin to venture out of the nest onto nearby branches, a behavior called (appropriately) “branching.” Because their wings are not yet fully developed, they use their talons to grip branches and move around.

After another week or so, their wings and confidence have strengthened enough to try out a few awkward test flights, but they usually bungle it more often than they succeed in the beginning. This can lead to some comical situations with confused, panicky youngsters finding themselves hanging upside down from tree branches or even on the ground, sharply clacking their bills and wearing a bewildered expression. Appearances to the contrary, they are perfectly fine and will return to the safety of their nests after a brief period of recovery.

So if you come across a fluffy fledgling looking a bit disgruntled on the ground, there’s no need to worry—the parents are almost certainly nearby keeping a watchful, stoic eye while their little ones blunder their way through adolescence. Keep a respectful distance to ensure you don’t inadvertently cause them further stress, and enjoy a quiet chuckle of commiseration—after all, who hasn’t been through an awkward growth spurt or two?

Enjoy these five photos of Great Horned Owlets from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest. The 2021 contest will be opening in early June, so get your cameras ready and get outdoors!