Return of the
Inspiring Osprey

Every year, I await the sighting of my first Osprey hovering over the water, preparing to dive for a fish, marking the end of the depths of the New England winter. Seemingly in concert with the vernal equinox during the third week of March, Ospreys return from their South American wintering grounds, a migration of over 3,000 miles to the marshes and kettle ponds of Cape Cod. I imagine what a shock it must be to leave the tropical wetlands of Brazil and Venezuela for the dreary rains and biting winds of our shores along the North Atlantic.

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Box Turtle 
Sightings Welcome

As the weather warms, you may see an Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) on your local travels and walks. Learning about the locations of local sightings helps HCT understand box turtle presence relative to conservation lands and potential areas to preserve.   

If you come across a box turtle, HCT asks for a few photos of the turtle, time and date, address/location where found, direction the turtle was traveling in, and description of the habitat.  

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Volunteers Find Success
in Songbird Citizen Science

As Cape Codders, we know the truth in Twain’s words and are experts at riding the meteorological roller coaster that is spring on this ocean-cradled spit of land.

No matter how unpredictable our weather might be though, spring arrives with unmitigated certainty upon the wings of the native birds that winter here alongside the many migrants who make their ways to our shores from far-flung corners of the globe.

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Mysterious Atlantic 
White Cedar Swamps

An Atlantic white cedar swamp is a mysterious place of mossy hummocks rambling around the roots of dignified spires stretching skyward. If you’re unfamiliar with these fascinating wetland communities, picture towering cedars casting deep shade on the boggy, tumbled terra firma below.

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