Wellfleet Bay Natural History Notes

Help Your Friends Discover the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

While it may seem hard to believe, there are some people out there who have never heard of  Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary or Mass Audubon. And we aim to change that with a FREE “Discovery Day” scheduled for Saturday, June 5 from 10 am – 3 pm at the sanctuary. This event, fun for all ages, will feature guided walks in search of coastal wildlife, live animal demonstrations, garden tours, a craft table for children, and more.

And there is no better time to visit Cape Cod and the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. In early June, nature is busy with migrating birds, spawning horseshoe crabs, nesting turtles, and blooming flowers. You never know what you’ll discover when you head outdoors and explore the beautiful coastal habitats of the sanctuary. 

All of the activities are free and there is no charge for admission! Wellfleet Bay’s Discovery Day is one of seven Discovery Days hosted at Mass Audubon sanctuaries across the state courtesy of our sponsor The Environmental Insurance Agency.

So spread the word and invite your neighbors and friends to celebrate the season and discover Wellfleet Bay and the wonders of nature!

Melissa Lowe
Education Coordinator

Ed. Note: It's easy to spread the word! Just select the green Share It icon below, select the email option, and email to one or more of your friends and neighbors.

Ospreys

A tasty inflight meal! An Osprey snags some fast food from Oyster Pond in Falmouth. Springtime means ospreys have returned in full force to their nests all over Cape Cod.  Massachusetts Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay is now tracking more than 200 active nests of breeding pairs of osprey all over the Cape. The fish-eating birds of prey are best known for their spectacular hunting style: They dive headfirst into lakes, rivers, and bays after hovering above the water’s surface to target their prey, which they then take to a nearby nest or perch to eat.

What makes the ospreys unique compared with other birds of prey is their amazing dexterity and cleverness when it comes to their feeding strategy. With its streamlined feathered frame it hovers over the water from an amazing altitude of 50 to 200 feet, and then dives to catch its prey. A reversible front toe and barbs, called spicules, on the bottom of its feet make it easy for the osprey to hold onto a slippery meal. It positions the fish, pointing headfirst, in its talons in order to remain aerodynamic while flying back to the nest. With a diet consisting mostly of live fish, these avian acrobats are indicators of good water quality and minimal pollution in lakes, tidal streams, and oceans.  For more information please click here to go to a Mass Audubon site that provides more details on the Cape Cod Osprey Project details, or feel free to contact Mark Faherty at 508-349-2615 or Ian Ives at 508-362-7475.

For those with an interest, don’t miss the free lecture, "The Lives of Ospreys—A Satellite's View," cosponsored by Mass Audubon's Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary and the Westport River Watershed Alliance, will be offered at the Westport Public Library tonight Thursday, May 6, at 7 pm. Presenter Rob Bierregaard, a research biologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has studied osprey migration since 2000 and deployed over 30 transmitters on birds in southeastern Massachusetts. He will share findings from his research using satellite telemetry that reveals the route of ospreys' annual round-trip migration between their breeding territories in this region and their wintering grounds in South America.

Enjoy!

Craig Gibson
Woods Hole