The date of July 17, 1918 was marked in the calendar of Bostonians as the fifth anniversary of the Brookline Bird Club. There was a birthday party at “Lake Walden” to celebrate the event, and attendees were encouraged to “Take Luncheon”!
Sadly, the BBC’s birthday party ended up not being the major news from that year. As we now take action to protect ourselves from Covid–19, there are many reminders in our current news of the pandemic that started in 1918. But it was also an interesting time for our fledgling bird club. The BBC has a rich archive of club records, much of which was recently scanned into electronic format. If you’re stuck inside, want to see what life was like for the club over 100 years ago, take a look at the club bulletins (blue book) from 1918. (Click on the image to the right.)
Highlights include a lecture given on March 25, 1918 by the State Ornithologist, Edward Howe Forbush, which was illustrated with “colored lantern slides”. Like most club meetings, this was held in the public library in Brookline. And who wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall of the meeting later that year, on December 3, when Dr. Eugene W. Afford gave “whistling imitations of Notes and Songs of our Common Birds”.
Perhaps surprisingly, there were no trips to Mt Auburn Cemetery in 1918, a staple of our modern spring schedule. According to club historian John Nelson, Mt Auburn doesn’t appear in his archival notes until after the war, when a Chuck-will’s-widow was recorded on a club trip there in 1952.
On a larger scale, 1918 was important for conservation as the year of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Signed by the United States (under the presidency of Woodrow Wilson) and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada), the law prohibited (with some exceptions granted by federal permit) the hunting and killing of birds. We are indebted to that act for the rich avifauna that we can still enjoy today.
Stay healthy during this time. And, if you’re interested, do to take a minute to read through the archive from 1918 to see where the club was leading walks, and how much a return on the trolley would have cost you to get there.
Click on the image above to view the 1918 club bulletin.
Habitat Gardening for Birds with Master Gardener Catherine Carney-Feldman
Sunday, August 25, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield All species on our planet need habitat—a place to call home. Habitats provide shelter from the weather and predators, a place to raise young, [...]
Upcoming: Extreme Pelagic Trip Aboard the Helen H.
Saturday–Sunday, September 21–22 6:00 a.m. Saturday–6:00 p.m. Sunday From Hyannis to Hydrographer Canyon area with expert guides. Birds expected: White-Faced Storm Petrels, several species of shearwaters, jaegers, gannets, gulls, terns, and several species of marine [...]
2019-20 FEDERAL DUCK STAMPS ON SALE NOW!
The BBC is again selling the Federal Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp. We are doing this in support of the National Wildlife Refuge System and to support conservation of federal lands. Ninety-eight cents of every [...]
Upcoming Workshop: Shorebirds with Wayne Petersen
Wednesday, July 31, 6:30–8:45 p.m. in Woburn, MA Limited to 100 participants With their diverse adaptations, varied habitats, marvelous migrations, and often confusing plumages, shorebirds are a perennial favorite among birders in New England. More [...]
Mount Auburn brings out the Birders
Huge numbers of birders on the BBC trip at Mount Auburn Cemetery recently. There are trips every day until the latter part of May.
Noah Strycker: Birding Without Borders and his World Big Year
200 enthusiastic birders attended Noah Strycker's talk at our April 11th annual general meeting at Harvard University's Geological Lecture Hall in Cambridge. Following refreshments, membership sign-ups and renewals, and palpable energy building as our northeast [...]
Habitat Gardening for Birds with Master Gardener Catherine Carney-Feldman
Sunday, August 25, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield All species on our planet need habitat—a place to call home. Habitats provide shelter from the weather and predators, a place to raise young, [...]
Upcoming: Extreme Pelagic Trip Aboard the Helen H.
Saturday–Sunday, September 21–22 6:00 a.m. Saturday–6:00 p.m. Sunday From Hyannis to Hydrographer Canyon area with expert guides. Birds expected: White-Faced Storm Petrels, several species of shearwaters, jaegers, gannets, gulls, terns, and several species of marine [...]
2019-20 FEDERAL DUCK STAMPS ON SALE NOW!
The BBC is again selling the Federal Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp. We are doing this in support of the National Wildlife Refuge System and to support conservation of federal lands. Ninety-eight cents of every [...]
Upcoming Workshop: Shorebirds with Wayne Petersen
Wednesday, July 31, 6:30–8:45 p.m. in Woburn, MA Limited to 100 participants With their diverse adaptations, varied habitats, marvelous migrations, and often confusing plumages, shorebirds are a perennial favorite among birders in New England. More [...]
Mount Auburn brings out the Birders
Huge numbers of birders on the BBC trip at Mount Auburn Cemetery recently. There are trips every day until the latter part of May.
Noah Strycker: Birding Without Borders and his World Big Year
200 enthusiastic birders attended Noah Strycker's talk at our April 11th annual general meeting at Harvard University's Geological Lecture Hall in Cambridge. Following refreshments, membership sign-ups and renewals, and palpable energy building as our northeast [...]
Habitat Gardening for Birds with Master Gardener Catherine Carney-Feldman
Sunday, August 25, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield All species on our planet need habitat—a place to call home. Habitats provide shelter from the weather and predators, a place to raise young, [...]
Upcoming: Extreme Pelagic Trip Aboard the Helen H.
Saturday–Sunday, September 21–22 6:00 a.m. Saturday–6:00 p.m. Sunday From Hyannis to Hydrographer Canyon area with expert guides. Birds expected: White-Faced Storm Petrels, several species of shearwaters, jaegers, gannets, gulls, terns, and several species of marine [...]
2019-20 FEDERAL DUCK STAMPS ON SALE NOW!
The BBC is again selling the Federal Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp. We are doing this in support of the National Wildlife Refuge System and to support conservation of federal lands. Ninety-eight cents of every [...]
Upcoming Workshop: Shorebirds with Wayne Petersen
Wednesday, July 31, 6:30–8:45 p.m. in Woburn, MA Limited to 100 participants With their diverse adaptations, varied habitats, marvelous migrations, and often confusing plumages, shorebirds are a perennial favorite among birders in New England. More [...]
Mount Auburn brings out the Birders
Huge numbers of birders on the BBC trip at Mount Auburn Cemetery recently. There are trips every day until the latter part of May.
Noah Strycker: Birding Without Borders and his World Big Year
200 enthusiastic birders attended Noah Strycker's talk at our April 11th annual general meeting at Harvard University's Geological Lecture Hall in Cambridge. Following refreshments, membership sign-ups and renewals, and palpable energy building as our northeast [...]
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Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
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Fall migrants at Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park
Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park 23 Coniston Rd, Roslindale, MA, United StatesA small but mighty urban wild that offers a variety of habitat. Expect to see a variety of woodpeckers, resident birds, warblers, and other migratory species, as well as a surprise or two. The path is flat with a mix of gravel and dirt surfaces with newly added boardwalks on the wetter sections. Boots are [...]
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Fresh Pond, Cambridge (rescheduled to Sept. 27)
Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United StatesThis walk has been rescheduled to September 27 which will be the 113th anniversary of the first-ever Brookline Bird Club bird walk on September 27th 1913 which was also at Fresh Pond.
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Rock Meadow, Belmont
Belmont - Rock Meadow 300 Mill St, Belmont, MA, United StatesCome join us for a walk at scenic Rock Meadow and Beaver Brook North, home of open fields, wetlands, ample woods and edge habitat, and public gardens which attract a wide variety of migrating song birds. Hiking is relatively easy, and should be a bit under two miles total at most, if we venture further [...]
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Fresh Pond, Cambridge – 113th anniversary of the first-ever Brookline Bird Club bird walk
Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United StatesA two mile walk on (mostly) paved paths around the pond. In addition to the “usual suspects”, we are likely to see some of the fall warblers, plus possibly a few of the Weird Ducks that have started to arrive. New Members especially invited to this pleasant walk! This walk is taking place on the [...]
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Arlington Reservoir
Lexington - Arlington Reservoir 210 Lowell Street, Arlington, MA, United StatesIn the fall water levels are lowered creating good conditions for ducks and shorebirds. We will also visit the adjacent Lexington community farm. Birds are found feasting on the remains of the crops planted there. We will walk about a mile on wide paths and some uneven ground (possibly muddy). Note that the reservoir area [...]