The Paskamansett Bird Club’s next meeting will be at 7:30 pm on Wed., 1/11, at the Community Hall of Friends Meeting, 739 Horseneck Rd., So. Dartmouth. John Galluzzo will speak about the birds of Stellwagen Bank.
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is most widely known for its whales. Each year Northern Humpbacks make the long journey from the Caribbean to Massachusetts’ coastal waters to feed on the rich resources pushed to the surface in the vicinity of the bank. But whales are not the only wildlife seeking out this food: seabirds of many species also come to the area to feed, making the sanctuary a vibrant, active location in both the air and the water.
The Stellwagen Sanctuary Seabirds Stewards team, birders trained to census the avian life from NOAA’s research vessel Auk, have been gathering organized data on the birds of Stellwagen for a decade, and have the trends to show for it. John Galluzzo, author, historian and naturalist, is a member of the “S4” team and the maritime heritage chair for the Stellwagen Bank National Advisory Committee. On January 11, he’ll reveal the latest results from the seabird census efforts, detailing the expected — and unexpected — sights out on the high seas.
John is a grant writer for the South Shore YMCA and the author of more than 35 books about the history and nature of the northeast. He writes several weekly and monthly newspaper and magazine columns, serves on several boards and committees, and recently received the Thomas and Phyllis Tag Fellowship from the United States Lighthouse Society to research the crossroads of ornithology and lighthouse history.
The meeting is free, open to the public, and accessible.
Click here to download the entire 1/5/17 issue: 01-05-17 Plunge
