Take 5: Time to Nest

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Hillary T.

This is the time of year birds are busy preparing for nesting season. Nests take all shapes and sizes and incorporate different materials from big sticks (ospreys and herons) to dead grass, twigs, and fibers (robins, orioles, and warblers).

A number of bird species nest on balconies and building ledges or in the nooks and crannies of houses (even hanging plants!). In some cases, usually involving non-native birds, nests can pose challenges. More often, though, nests can be a wonderful source of enjoyment. Enjoy five photos from our Photo Contest and do share your own nest stories in the comments or on Facebook.

Yellow Warbler © Jaye Bliss

Osprey © David Ennis

Great Blue Herons © Carol Pike

Robin’s nest © Paula Tervo

Jeff Martineau

Baltimore Oriole © Jeff Martineau

The 2016 Photo Contest will launch in June. Stay tuned for details!

Good and Bad News on the Pipeline Front

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Mass Audubon

This week one of the major proposed natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts suspended its work. Kinder Morgan’s Northeast Energy Direct (NED) pipeline is halting development as it has been unable to find enough major customers to merit moving forward with the project. Fierce opposition by Mass Audubon, community activists, and politicians compounded their challenges.

While this is great news, there is more work to be done defending open space and important conservation land from other pipelines. Several other projects are still in the works including the Kinder Morgan Tennessee Gas Pipeline Connecticut Expansion and Spectra Energy’s Access Northeast project.

The decision by Kinder Morgan to halt NED may actually help these other pipeline projects that we actively oppose. As the Boston Globe reports:

“…the decision could provide a big boost to the other large pipeline construction project proposed for New England, Spectra Energy Partners’ Access Northeast, which has the financial backing of utilities Eversource Energy and National Grid.”

Learn more about our advocacy against new pipelines, along with our position statement on the major proposed projects.