Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner

Peter Kaestner in his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World – A Special Event Sponsored by the Nuttall Ornithological Club

Peter Kaestner after seeing his 10,000th world bird species in the Philippines.

The Nuttall Ornithological Club, the oldest ornithological club in America, founded in 1873 by Willliam Brewster in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is delighted to invite BBC members to a special meeting, “Peter Kaestner and his Search for 10,000 Species of Birds in the World.” The event will take place May 14 at 7 p.m. in the Talanian Hall of the Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston located at 145 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA. The event is free, but registration is requested.

Peter grew up with a strong interest in birds, attended Cornell University, spent two years in Zaire with the Peace Corps, and then became a career diplomat, being assigned to 20 different countries where he got to see a great many birds. He will share with us his adventures, special birds, and his unique perspective on conserving birds around the world.

Registration URL: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/rmqftmg

Parking is very limited. Attendees should plan to carpool. Otherwise, if you can walk, take the T to Harvard Square and walk along Brattle Street. There is a small parking lot at the Church, and limited parking will be allowed (by special permit) on the streets surrounding the Church’s property (Sparkes, Brattle, Riedesal, and Brewster Avenue). Hope to see you there!

Orange-tufted Spiderhunter – the 10,000th bird!
Nuttall Club special event with Peter Kaestner2024-04-16T22:02:48-04:00

Camp Edwards Grassland Bird Tours

The Massachusetts Army National Guard’s Natural Resource Program is hosting grassland bird tours in May on Camp Edwards. This is an unusual opportunity for avid birders, naturalists and photographers to walk through the Camp Edwards grasslands on a guide-led tour.

There are several hundred acres of grassland managed on Camp Edwards at Joint Base Cape Cod. This thriving habitat, a rarity in the rest of Massachusetts, is home to a variety of grassland bird species including four state-listed species: Upland Sandpiper, Northern Harrier, Grasshopper Sparrow and the Eastern Meadowlark.

Tours will be held on May 18, May 19, May 25, and May 26 from 6-8am. Each is limited to 20 participants and filled on a first come, first served basis. To register for a tour, please email emily.d.kelly2.nfg@army.mil with your name, phone number, and desired tour date. See below flyer for more details.

Camp Edwards Grassland Bird Tours2024-04-16T11:49:15-04:00

BBC daily field trips to Mount Auburn are back!

It’s that time of year again! The Brookline Bird Club will be leading daily birding trips through Mount Auburn Cemetery, an oasis for migrating birds, this spring from Wednesday April 17th through Sunday May 26th 2024.

All trips begin at the cemetery’s main entrance gate (580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge). Please visit our trips calendar or blue book for timing and trip leaders, which vary by day. The cemetery is easily accessible by MBTA and you can visit the Mount Auburn website for more information.

Please be respectful of the cemetery and its visitors, as this is an active cemetery. We can’t wait to see what this spring migration brings.

BBC daily field trips to Mount Auburn are back!2024-04-14T23:42:21-04:00

BBC Spring 2024 Bulletin

The Brookline Bird Club’s Spring 2024 Bulletin, also known as our “blue book”, has arrived in member mailboxes!

The spring blue book contains a wealth of information for BBC members, including upcoming meetings and our field trip programming from April 1st-June 30th. Trip descriptions include icons highlighting two new BBC series, Birding Boston and BBC Conservation, as well as noteworthy trip characteristics (e.g., Limited Mobility, Birding 101).

With over 150 birding trips this spring, we have something for everyone to enjoy. See our bulletin or online calendar for individual trip details. We look forward to birding with you soon!

BBC Spring 2024 Bulletin2024-04-02T13:03:42-04:00

Summer 2024 pelagics: register today!

Our 2024 overnight pelagic trips are now open for registration!

This August, the Brookline Bird Club will be running two back-to-back trips on Saturday-Sunday August 24-25 and then Monday-Tuesday August 26-27. If you have the flexibility to sign up for the weekday August 26-27 trip, please do. The second of the back-to-back trips should have the advantage of advance scouting from the first trip. Please see below for a brief trip description and sign-up links.

Overnight Pelagic Trips from Hyannis, MA to Hydrographer Canyon Area
Join the BBC on the Helen H out of Hyannis, MA to search for pelagic birds on an overnight trip to the Hydrographer Canyon area.  We expect to reach warm Gulf Stream influenced waters far offshore to see shearwaters, storm-petrels, jaegers and more!  Possible targets include White-faced Storm-petrels, Band-rump Storm-petrel, and Audubon’s Shearwater.  A fabulous chance to spend some time at sea looking for seabirds.

Timing: Depart at 6:00am Day 1, return 5:00pm Day 2
Cost: BBC Members: $340.00. Non-members: $380.00.
Capacity: 50 participants each trip [note, the August 24-25th trip is currently 60% full as the BBC is honoring a credit carryover from last year’s cancelled pelagic]. We maintain a waitlist if interest exceeds capacity.

Aug. 24-25 trip registration: BBC Overnight Pelagic Trip from Hyannis MA to Hydrographer Canyon Area (Aug 24-25, 2024)
Aug. 26-27 trip registration: BBC Overnight Pelagic Trip from Hyannis MA to Hydrographer Canyon Area (Aug 26-27, 2024)

White-faced Storm-petrel. Photo credit Tom Johnson.
Summer 2024 pelagics: register today!2024-03-27T13:05:31-04:00

Avian Flu: BBC webinar recording & resources

Avian Flu: BBC webinar recording & resources

On March 19th 2024, the Brookline Bird Club hosted a webinar on avian flu by presenter Dr. Wendy Puryear from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Dr. Puryear studies how viruses are maintained, spread, and evolve in wild animals, and her current research focus is on Influenza, including the recent High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI).

A recording of this educational webinar can be found below, along with key resources, for those who were unable to join this event live. Explore to learn more about Avian Flu, why it is devastating birds, and what birders can do to help.

Webinar recording:

HPAI Avian Flu, from the Global Scene to Local View
play-sharp-fill

HPAI Avian Flu, from the Global Scene to Local View

What birders can do to help – reporting resources:
– Reporting a dead bird to the state of MA (if you find sick or dead seabirds, or 5+ wild birds of other species at a single location)
– Reporting a dead bird to the Community Science & Marine Health working group of the Atlantic Marine Bird Cooperative (if you find dead marine and coastal birds)
– Contact the lab at wendy.puryear@tufts.edu

Note: Avoid handling any dead birds or birds showing signs of illness. If an individual must handle birds, please wear nitrile or latex gloves, eye protection, and an N95 face mask.

Avian Flu: BBC webinar recording & resources2024-03-21T23:16:26-04:00

Mark your calendar: BBC Annual Members meeting April 19th

Calling all Brookline Bird Club members! Please join us for our Annual Members Meeting on Friday, April 19, 2024 from 7pm-9pm, with a social hour beginning at 6:30pm. This meeting will be hybrid: hosted at the Harvard University Geologic Hall (24 Oxford Street, Cambridge) as well as via Zoom for those unable to attend live.

We will be presenting, for your vote, the slate of BBC Officers and Directors, additional business items, and club updates. After the business portion of our evening, event speaker Deborah Cramer will give a presentation on her fascinating work with Red Knots, “Exciting Connections between the Lives of Migrating Shorebirds, Horseshoe Crabs, and Us”.

For more event details, and to register for the Zoom if you are unable to join us live, please visit the annual meeting event page. If you are not a member today but would like to become one, please complete an annual membership form. We look forward to seeing BBC members on April 19th!


Event speaker and author Deborah Cramer. Photo credit Jean Iron

Mark your calendar: BBC Annual Members meeting April 19th2024-03-15T21:50:30-04:00

Free Webinar: The Lawrence Crow Roost

January 17, 2024 / 7:00PM-8:30PM

Lawrence is well known for its winter crow roost, with thousands of birds pouring in from every direction. Join us at this webinar where Dana Duxbury-Fox and Bob Fox talk about their experiences in Lawrence and about their research into roosting crows.

Register for the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tqC42oFlTiK7WqK66KeUgA

Free Webinar: The Lawrence Crow Roost2024-02-14T18:50:25-05:00

Announcing the BBC 2024 Young Birder’s Scholarship

The BBC is pleased to announce that we will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The 2024 scholarships will cover the full cost ($1690) of the Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens program at National Audubon’s Hog Island camp on June 19-24, 2024. The cost includes housing, boat travel, and all meals. Scholarship recipients will be responsible for transportation costs to and from the camp.

Applicants must be New England residents, ages 14-17 as of June 1, 2024, and must submit a written application and two letters of reference. Preference will be given to applicants with individual or family BBC memberships. To be considered a member, an applicant may join the club at the time of application. All our previous scholarship recipients have had tremendous adventures at Hog Island. “I thoroughly enjoyed my week on Hog Island,” wrote 2022 recipient Johnny Owens in a thank-you note, “from learning about tracking bird migration, to landing on Eastern Egg Rock and seeing the large colony of nesting seabirds, to meeting the researchers who work on Eastern Egg Rock. It was so amazing to have the chance to meet highly influential researchers and conservationists, and to see the successfully restored puffin colony on Eastern Egg Rock up close. I loved spending time with birders my own age with whom I could relate. . . I am immensely thankful for this incredible opportunity.”

All completed applications and references must be received by the BBC scholarship committee by Monday, April 1, 2024. Selection and notification of recipients will be completed by April 25, 2024. You can click on these links to read the application instructions and download an application form:

2024 Bill Drummond Young Birders Scholarships Application Instructions

2024 Bill Drummond Young Birders Scholarships Application Form

Scholarships are supported through the generous donations of BBC members. To donate, you can designate an amount on the “BBC Young Birder’s Scholarship” line on the back page of the club bulletin when you renew your membership or, especially for life members, at any other time you might wish to donate. You can donate online by clicking the Join link on the BBC home page and entering an amount in the box for “Additional Donation to the Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarship.” The BBC thanks members in advance for their donations.

Announcing the BBC 2024 Young Birder’s Scholarship2024-02-14T18:50:26-05:00

December 2, 2023 BBC Pelagic Registration

Cost: $100 per person for BBC members/$120 per person for nonmembers (payment link will appear after you submit this form).

**IMPORTANT: EACH PERSON IN YOUR PARTY MUST SUBMIT THIS REGISTRATION FORM SEPARATELY**

***If you registered for the 11/18 trip and asked us to carry over your registration please DO NOT fill out this form. Your spot is already reserved.***

When/where: Saturday, December 2, 2023 pelagic trip on the Helen H leaves from Hyannis, Massachusetts at 7:00 a.m. We plan to return to Hyannis around 4:00 p.m.

Cancellations: Due to weather conditions, the captain of the Helen H sometimes cancels the trip if the sea conditions are too rough. We will keep you informed as soon as we know about the status of the trip. The captain will typically make a decision about weather once the marine forecast becomes available – Tuesday/Wednesday before the trip, but it can be cancelled even later than that.

If you can’t make the trip, please let us know. If there is someone on the waiting list who can take your place, we can issue you a refund, but otherwise you will be charged.

What should I bring: Since the weather varies greatly from trip to trip, bring an assortment of rain and warm clothes; sunglasses, sunscreen, and hat; water and snacks; anti-nausea pills; and cameras and binoculars.

The boat: The Helen H, a 100 foot aluminum deep sea fishing boat powered by a fast 2700 Horsepower engine, is a Coast Guard approved deep sea fishing boat. The cabin has several fixed tables and benches, while the deck and sides have many long benches. Between the bow, deck and sides, there are many places to view birds. There are two toilets on the boat.

The birds: Every trip is different, and early December can offer a range of species. Often there are spectacular congregations of sea ducks in Nantucket Sound – tens of thousands are possible. It is a real wildlife spectacle. Winter gulls may be around (Iceland, Glaucous, Lesser Black-backed, Black-legged Kittiwake), as may Northern Gannets and Northern Fulmar. As we get to the Nantucket Shoals, a shallow, sandy-bottomed area southeast of Nantucket, there should be lingering shearwaters (Manx, Great, Cory’s, Sooty) and storm-petrels (Wilson’s and Leach’s) with the possibility of jaegers (Parasitic, Pomerine) or even a skua. Alcids are tough but possible, depending on the year. There are opportunities to see a number of other sea creatures as well – whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, Mola-mola, Tuna, and Portuguese Man o’ War.

**If you run into any issues or have any questions please email bbcpelagics@gmail.com and we will be able to assist you!**

December 2, 2023 BBC Pelagic Registration2024-02-14T18:50:26-05:00
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