Boston Flora

Tag: Athol Bird and Nature Club

  • Saturday, October 21, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Tree ID Using Bark and Habitat Clues

    Join naturalist Nancy Goodman and take a close look at trees and other botanical wonders we encounter at Northfield Mountain. Have you ever looked at a tree in winter and wondered what it might be? For more than half the year, bark provides the best clue to tree identification. We will be keying out some of the trees to see what we can learn. Become familiar with the characteristic bark of different trees in different habitats and at different stages of growth, as well as identification from leaves and other clues. Bring binoculars, water, lunch, sturdy walking shoes and the book Bark by Michael Wojtech, if you have a copy. This program is co-sponsored with the Athol Bird and Nature Club and will take place at Northfield’s scenic Riverview area along the Connecticut River. This special location has an especially rich variety of tree species. Meet in the Riverview parking area at 10 or at the Northfield Mountain Visitors Center in Northfield at 9:45 a.m. for a short walk to Riverview. For ages 16 and older. FREE , but pre-register by calling 800-859-2960.

  • Saturday, June 25, 9:00 pm – late night – 6th Annual Moth Ball

    Join Athol Bird and Nature Club president Dave Small and naturalist Lula Field at Dave and Shelley’s house, 1542 Pleasant St., Athol, to search for Lunas, underwings, silkmoths and other night flying insects, on Saturday, June 25 from 9 pm on. Participants are invited to bring their tents, snacks to share and favorite moth baits. (Don’t know what those are? You’ll find out!) Info: Dave Small, 978-413-1772 or Dave@dhsmall.net. Image of underwing from www.featuredcreature.com.

  • Saturday, November 28, 8:00 am – Late Fall Migrants at Plum Island

    Joan and Larry Duprey will be leading this Athol Bird & Nature Club trip to one of the best birding spots in the Eastern United States, Plum Island. Migrating waterfowl and seabirds should be present in good numbers and anything can show up on the island. Meet at the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street, Athol at 8:00 am on Saturday, November 28. Those members to our East who may wish to meet in Amesbury call Larry and Joan for details. Info: Joan or Larry Duprey, 978-249-4964. Image from www.brooklinebirdclub.org.

  • Saturdays, October 3 and October 10, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm – Celebrate Royalston 250th

    As part of the town of Royalston’s 250th celebration, the Royalston Open Space and Recreation Committee and the Athol Bird and Nature Club are cosponsoring Saturday walks this fall to five outdoor gems, each from 10 a.m. to noon. The first walk is to the top of Mount Tully along part of the Tully Trail on October 3, led by Carl Kamp, past president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club and an avid naturalist and photographer. Meet at the Tully Lake Campground parking lot on Doane Hill Rd. Next, explore a section of the New England Trail (formerly called the M&M Trail) on October 10, led by Paul Montero, Royalston’s representative to the NET. A professional land surveyor, Montero will also demonstrate compass use. Meet at the Royalston Falls trailhead on Rte. 32 (Newton Cemetery). Other dates and venues will be announced. All the walks are weather permitting. If in doubt, call Paul Montero at 978-249-5879 by 9 a.m. on any walk morning. Royalston Falls is pictured below.

  • Saturday, September 12, 9:30 am – 12:00 noon – Introduction to Local Ferns

    On Saturday, September 12 at 9:30 am, join Randy Stone, retired DCR Forester, for a brief introduction to fern identification at the Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street in Athol, before heading out for a walk in North Quabbin to ID ferns in the field. Questions: Dave Small, 978-413-1772 or Dave@dhsmall.net. Free – if weather is questionable please call at least an hour before the scheduled meeting.  Image from www.quabbinphotogroup.org.

  • Saturday, June 20, 9:00 pm – late night – 5th Annual Moth Ball

    Join Athol Bird and Nature Club president Dave Small and naturalist Lula Field at Dave and Shelley’s house, 1542 Pleasant St., Athol, on Saturday, June 20 at 9 pm to search for Lunas, underwings, silkmoths and other night flying insects. Participants are invited to bring their tents, snacks to share and favorite moth baits. (Don’t know what those are? You’ll find out!) Info: Dave Small, 978-413-1772 or Dave@dhsmall.net. Crecopia moth picture courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation.

  • Saturdays, May 30 and June 6, 8:00 am – 11:00 am – Birding and Habitat Restoration Field Trips

    Join Mount Grace and the Athol Bird and Nature Club in celebrating this year’s international migratory bird day theme “restore habitat restore birds”. We will discover birds in a variety of habitats including beaver meadows and spruce swamps and learn about a new habitat restoration project that is about to take place. Both events are for all ages, no experience necessary. We will have a small selection of binoculars and field guides for people to use. Bring sturdy hiking shoes, insect repellent, binoculars, bird books etc. Participants must be able to walk on uneven terrain. On Saturday, May 30, the area to be visited is the Arthur Iversen Conservation Area on Gale Road in Warwick. Meet at the trailhead on the east side of Gale Rd. or, to carpool, meet at the Millers River Environmental Center at 7:30am at 100 Main St, Athol, MA 01331. On June 6, the focus will be the Fox Valley Conservation Area, pictured below. Meet at the Fox Valley trailhead parking lot on the north side of Lincoln Rd. (160 Lincoln Rd, Phillipston, MA) For more information visit www.atholbirdclub.org.

  • Wednesday, April 8, 7:00 pm – Big Chicken Run

    The Big Chicken Run is one of many nicknames for a “journey in search of as many members of prairie-dwelling grouse as can realistically be fitted into a single trip.” Otherwise known as the Grouse Grand Slam, the trip Scott Surner, President of the Hampshire Bird Club, will be describing generally takes about ten days, much of it spent quartering the windswept prairies in Colorado and Kansas for Greater and Lesser Prairie Chickens, Greater and Gunnison’s Sage Grouse, and Sharp-tailed Grouse. These are all lekking species, meaning that males display in mysteriously well-defined areas, where their (often bizarre) displays are perused by visiting females. The trips involve grueling travel itineraries and a lot of huddling in blinds near the leks in the predawn. A trip to make (or break) friendships. Scott Surner is a founding member of the Hampshire Bird Club and has had more terms as president than the Bush and Clinton families combined, (though the math may need to be re-checked in 2016.) He has led wonderful trips both locally and across the country for HBC and is the current teacher of the annual Hitchcock Birding Class, which brings many new people to birding every year. The talk takes place Wednesday, April 8, beginning at 7 pm at the Athol Bird and Nature Club, Millers River Environmental Center, 100 Main Street in Athol. Photo by B.E. Goodwin.

  • Saturday, August 23, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Late Summer Dragonflies

    Join Athol Bird and Nature Club president Dave Small at the Millers River Environmental Center (100 Main St., Athol) on Saturday, August 23 at 1 pm, and then head out to search local waters for American Rubyspot, Zebra and Arrow Clubtails and whatever else we can find. Participants should bring lunch, insect net, and a sense of adventure; be prepared for wet feet. Children welcome. Severe weather cancels. Info: Dave Small, 978-413-1772 or Dave@dhsmall.net. Image of arrow clubtail from www.giffbeaton.com.

  • Friday, July 11, 8:00 pm – 11:30 pm – Moth Night at Northfield Mountain Reservation

    Enjoy an evening learning about and observing moths and other night flying insects at Northfield Mountain Reservation with a team from the Athol Bird and Nature Club including naturalists: Dave Small, Lula Field, Betsy Higgins, and Sue Cloutier. They will share their knowledge and enthusiasm for these amazing animals, beginning indoors with an introduction to moths, followed by an evening of looking at moth attracting lights and baited trees. Popular interest in moths is rapidly growing. With over 10,000 species in North America alone, moths offer endless options for study, education, photography and fun. Their diversity is astounding with a range of colors and patterns, shapes and sizes. Don’t miss this evening discovering the intriguing world of moth baits, lights and flying nocturnal insects. Bring your point and shoot digital (or other) camera and flashlight. This free program is co-sponsored with the Athol Bird and Nature Club. For all ages (children must be accompanied by adult) Pre-register by calling 800-859-2960 free and open to all.