A group of early risers joined Massachusetts Audubon’s Jeff Collins at Beals Preserve on May 18, 2013, to learn about birds in the Southborough area. In comparison to previous walks, we saw fewer species because a spring weather pattern shifted migration to this Midwest this  year. Nevertheless, a variety of species were observed including a Chimney Swift, American Goldfinch, American Robin, Baltimore Oriole, Barn Swallow, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Bobolink, Common Grackle, Common Yellowthroat, Comorant, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Catbird, Great Blue Heron, Great Crested Flycatcher, Green Heron, House sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Red-tailed hawk, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Tree Swallow, and a Yellow Warbler. A  Black-capped Chickadee, Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula Warbler, Overnbird, and Yellow Warbler were heard, but not seen.

The 2013 annual meeting SOLF on May 7 featured a presentation on co-existing with coyotes by John Maguranis, the Animal Control Officer for the Town of Belmont, and the Massachusetts representative to Project Coyote.

The meeting also featured the presentation of the annual Elaine Beals Conservation Award to Southborough resident Rhonda Russian for her 22 years of service on the Southborough Conservation Commission and her work as an attorney for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Rhonda  also received a proclamation of appreciation  from the Massachusetts House of Representatives presented by State Representative Carolyn Dykema. The Elaine Beals  Award is presented annually by SOLF  to a person who has worked to help protect the environment in Southborough. Rhonda is shown receiving the award from Elaine Beals, and with State Representative Carolyn Dykema and SOLF President Sally Watters.

Two members of the Board of Trustees were also recognized for their service to SOLF. Outgoing president Sally Watters was presented a drawing from Beals Preserve, and three books were presented to the Southborough Library in honor of long-time trustee Betty Meyer, who is retiring from the board this year.  Congratulations to all.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Earth Day Clean Up and the Beals Preserve Invasive Plant attack today. Thanks to your efforts the area along Rte 85 from Templman Woods down to Richards Rd. looks much nicer. Let’s hope our attack on invasive plants at Beals Preserve will help stop their spread.

Animal tracking expert David Brown led a group at Beals Preserve to identify animal tracks in the snow. Evidence was found of coyotes, cottontail rabbits, gray squirrels, raccoon, mink,fishers, and other animals. The pictures below show David Brown and the group participants.

David Brown has shared with us his  The Companion Guide to Trackards for North American Mammals has just been released for sale by the publisher. The 245-page guide interprets illustrations on the Trackards while providing additional illustrations and detailed information on track and scat morphology, trails, behavior and habitat. Each species-chapter also provides comparisons with the similar sign of other species and shows how to tell them apart. The two publications were designed as a single integrated system for successful identification of wildlife evidence found in the field.

Visit David Brown’s website: http://www.dbwildlife.com

Thank you to all who stopped by to visit our booth and buy note cards on Heritage Day, October 8. If you joined our email list, watch for an announcement of a walk at Beals Preserve in the next few weeks. If you are not on our email list and would like to receive emails of upcoming event and activities, go to our Contact page and send us an email requesting that you name be put on our list.

On July 15, 2012,  Steve Moore, president of the Mass Buttefly Club and Barbara Volkle led a walk to observe the myriad butterflies at Beals Preserve.

June 12, 2012

Edible plant expert Russ Cohen led a tour of the edible plants found on Beals Preserve

Whitney Beals led a walking history tour of Beals Preserve on June 10, 2012. Whit talked about the history of the Beals Preserve property from the time that his family moved to Southboro in 1950, the dairy herd that used to graze there, the ice pond, the MDC police, and other memories about how the land was used as well as how much the property has changed.

Big Night for Salamanders

On March 21, 2012, SOLF presented Award winning author Sarah Marwil Lamstein with a moving story of a boy takeing charge to help his beloved salamanders. Evan can hardly wait for Big Night. During the first warm night rain of spring, Big Night spotted salamanders by the hundreds crawl out of the woods and down to a natural pool across the road. There they will breed and lay their eggs. How can Evan and his parents help these delicate creatures cross the road in safety? Evan has the solution.

Carol Benioff’s colorful and animated illustrations transport the reader into Evan’s world, where a child can do small yet wonderful things to help other creatures.