Hello everyone!
Thanks for reading the February 4 EwA highlights.
📸 Cool bird observations have featured prominently in our highlights throughout the winter, and this week is no different. To start us off, we have this beautiful Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii), photographed by Kate E. in the Powderhouse/Ball Square area of Somerville. I appreciate that the first user to identify this as a Cooper’s hawk was very clear about their reasoning, including the skull structure that gives this bird an “angry” look. Click through to the observation to see the full explanation.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Kate Estrop · Somerville, MA · Jan. 30, 2023)
Next, we have one of my favorite local birds to observe: a pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), photographed by Joe. I love to watch these birds as they forage - they can have a charming way of seeming like they’re both searching and problem-solving at the same time as they work to extract insects from a tree.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Joe MacIndewar · Stoneham, MA · Jan. 29, 2023)
EwA’s biodiversity projects had a three-way tie for most-observed species this week. The pine tube moth (Argyrotaenia pinatubana), milk-white toothed polypore (Irpex lacteus) and orange jelly spot (Dacrymyces chrysospermus) were all observed three times. Claire took this pretty observation of a milk-white toothed polypore on Monday.
EwA iNaturalist Record (© Claire O’Neill · Medford, MA · Jan. 30, 2023)
📊 Thanks to everyone for your great biodiversity records this past week, totaling 119 observations of 80 distinct species. If you’re curious about the records from this week that have been validated by the iNat community so far, you can find them » here.
🏆 Running tally: To date, we have recorded 134,596 observations of 9,069 distinct species! Check out our EwA umbrella project, see the details per site/observer, and more » here.
📅 EwA Upcoming Public Events
Ewa Field Events » Check the EwA Winter [ Event details and registration » ] Don’t miss some great opportunities to follow the rhythm of the season in our local habitats and in the local wildlife! Space is limited for all our field events. Wildlife ethics is important to us and we seek to avoid putting the pressure on natural habitats which large gatherings unavoidably do. We are asking our audience to register-and-commit (or cancel when you know you can’t come) to avoid no-shows.
EwA Fieldwork (and Resources)
Peak schedule: Winter is still a great time to join our monitoring programs. Check EwA’s Volunteer Program Calendar 📅 to know when things happen. And if a session is of interest to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to get the rendezvous location.
📅 EwA Sites Map | 🌱 Site Protocols and Guides · Field Rosters · Field Notes » All here! | ℹ️ More about EwA’s Citizen Science Program » Here
❓ Do you have any questions? Don’t be shy. Just email me or reply to this thread.
That’s all for this week—hope you have a good one!
-Mike