Keep Calm and Bird On: April 2022

Ginger Andrews • Mar 25, 2022
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”
-Edith Andrews

The arrivals and departures only increase as spring progresses. We continue to watch recently arrived American Oystercatchers, Ospreys and Piping Plover.

But it is still worth getting in those last looks at the winter sea ducks: Black, White-Winged and Surf Scoters, not to mention Bufflehead, Harlequin and Long-tailed Ducks. Long-tailed Ducks—some of us who are older remember them as “Oldsquaws”—are particularly of interest as their numbers have varied so much over time. The huge flocks of the mid-1980’s and early 2000’s have not been seen for the last few years. And as a pelagic species, spending much time out of sight of land, it is difficult for researchers to get an accurate sense of how many there are. We do know that the big flights of yore coincided with big concentrations of food, in the form of gaminid amphipods, on a shoal about 50 miles southeast of Nantucket. Almost 10% of the estimated world population passed by our shores, going by the north shore and Great Point in the morning, returning back along the south shore and Madaket in the afternoon, and cutting overland sometimes in the fog, yodeling their haunting calls as they flew over. We count them one by one just now, to find out how many are still around here.  

And for sheer enjoyment, listen for the eerie keening of Black Scoters, gathering in large rafts off Sconset to prepare for migration. Their voices were supposed to be part of the origin of that mythical beast, the Tuckernuck Yo-ho. And enjoy watching behaviors: many of the northern ducks are pairing up here or along the way. Watch for feisty courtship displays: head-bobbing, yodeling, bowing, synchronized swimming, and a lot of splashing.

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Keep Calm and Bird On: May 2024

08 May, 2024
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews

Shards

By Jascin N. Leonardo FInger • 06 May, 2024
I have written of my love for sea glass and pottery shards in the past and the recent replacement of the sewer and water lines on Vestal Street created a small shard collection over the last month. Since the work required the asphalt to be completely removed (all twelve inches of it!) and the road to be dug up multiple times as they worked to remove pipe, relay new pipe, hook up the water meters, and install drainage and manhole covers, this resulted in the earth in the street being tossed about quite a bit. And, with that, came the shards! Some of these likely came from the sewer line (yes, yuck) but others came from being simply in the dirt of the road – which was not paved until 1946/1948. Pieces were likely tossed out at times, made to act as filler in holes, or simply tossed. So I found all sorts of pieces I will keep here at the Mitchell House. They included: a lovely piece with a red floral, many pieces of plates, glass, the top of a late nineteenth or early twentieth century (medicine) bottle, glass shards, a flattened spoon, a brass knob (found by a neighbor) some nails, a spike, pieces of a larger container or two based on the size and curve and coloring of the shards, and possibly a Wampanoag stone tool. One person’s trash is another one’s treasures! JNLF

Is That A Wrap?

22 Apr, 2024
Yes. Well, almost. After about a month of working – and some living (staff and or neighbors) – on Vestal Street with all the sewer and water replacement work, the paving happened today (April 17, 2024). This is the first “layer” – a three-inch binder coat. In the fall, once time has passed, they will return for the final one inch of the finish layer. Some of the other things along Vestal Street will also be repaired and updated between now and the final coat – and a bit after that. But we are very happy, after all these years to have a modern system of piping – and all new drainage we never had before! While the curator in me loved the old clay pipes, they were riddled with roots from the trees, holes, and in some places, collapsed, and the twelve inches of asphalt had to go. Vestal Street was only paved in about 1946/1948 – and has not been paved in maybe twenty years so that is a lot of asphalt in about fifty years! And with climate change and the increase in how much rain we get in these heavy rain events, all that water rushed down Vestal Street with nowhere to go – except our cellars. I am sure the neighbors are happy too! A thank you to the Town of Nantucket’s Sewer Department, especially David Gray (who may regret giving me his cellphone number forever), N&M Excavating and Utilities (Dean, we appreciate you being so nice when we had too many questions), Victor-Brandon Corp for paving, and numerous others. We are looking forward to great flushing, powerful hose lines, and rainwater being whisked away via the new, never-before-had storm drains! JNLF And to all the N&M workers who wondered why I was constantly looking down as I walked along Vestal Street, you should see the trove of porcelain shards, glass, old nails, a bottle neck, 19 th century spoon, and even possibly a Wampanoag stone tool I found!
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