The BBC’s first scholarship winner, Aidan Pavao, recently returned from the Hog Island summer camp and sent along a brief report. Check out the scholarship page for more information about the program and how to contribute and expect to hear more from Aidan in the future.
My experience at Hog Island was undoubtedly a highlight of my summer. I had the opportunity and pleasure to meet some amazing people and pioneering ornithologists. The program taught me loads about research and studies on birds, including topics such as nesting programs, banding, audio and video recording, and study skin preparations. It brought me much closer than I expected to birds: I envisioned getting good looks at puffins, but my expectations were shattered when I found myself just feet from them in an observation blind. But far more important than getting good looks at birds was the immersive experience in which I lived with people who dedicate their whole lives to birds. Whether I gained knowledge from formal presentations or from conversation at the dinner table, the stories that these people offered were worth the entire week on their own.
Some of my pictures are posted here. I will try to go through them again and get some more uploaded soon.
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Upcoming Field Trips
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United StatesFruitlands Museum, Harvard
Harvard - Fruitlands Museum 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard, MA, United StatesCo-sponsored with Boxborough Birders. We will look for resident species including Indigo Bunting, Savannah Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Veery, Blue-headed Vireo, Wild Turkey, American Kestrel, and a variety of warblers. Expect to walk about two miles on trails through meadows and woods, with some steep sections. Prepare for ticks. We will bird at the [...]
Caratunk Wildlife Sanctuary
Seekonk - Caratunk Wildlife Sanctuary 301 Brown Avenue, Seekonk, MA, United StatesJust two miles from the Rhode Island border, Caratunk Wildlife Refuge in Seekonk, MA offers six miles of nature hiking trails through nearly 200 acres of fields, forests, streams and ponds. A Purple Martin colony can be observed nesting in the gourds in the main field. Trails are easy to moderate in difficulty. Expect 2.5 [...]
Belle Isle Marsh and Vicinity
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesLed by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile on flat, easy terrain, for migrating or resident songbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and marsh birds at this birding hotspot and state park. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks and mosquitoes. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with [...]
Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond
We will look for warblers, orioles, and other migratory birds in the Scarboro Pond section of Franklin Park. Beginners welcome and encouraged. Expect to walk up to two miles on paved paths. Co-sponsored with the Franklin Park Coalition, Franklin Park Tennis Association, and the Emerald Necklace Bird Club. Limited number of loaner binoculars available.