|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Vol. 3, No. 3
Friday, May 17, 2002
[Home]
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
Welcome to the Dolan Pond News, an email publication of Friends of Dolan Pond, a local organization that promotes the protection and preservation of the Dolan Pond Conservation Area in West Newton, MA.
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
This Sunday morning at 8 AM will be a short hour long Bird Walk at Dolan Pond beginning near the Webster Park entrance. You are most welcome to come and scout the area for the residents and any passing migrants. Bring binoculars if you have them. No experience is necessary. Sunday morning is supposed to be sunny.
If you are interested in tree identification, you might want to take in a tree walk that same afternoon with Doug Dickson at the Newton Cemetery (Walnut Street) at 1 PM. Another nearby bird walk will be the following Sunday, May 26, 8:30 am at Flowed Meadow in Auburndale. Meet at the "Cove" parking lot on West Pine Street.
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
Earlier this week provided great weather for ducks (with all the rain). This has had the effect of making it harder to locate Mama Wood Duck and her ducklings. The high water has connected all the ponds and makes it easier for the ducks to get into less accessible locations in the back areas. These shallower, but still wet locations, may afford more protection from Snapping Turtles (which have been known to come up from below and grab ducklings). Wood Ducks are by nature somewhat shy. So keep an eye out for them. I would appreciate reports of any sightings, particularly the count of the chicks. In addition to the mother and ducklings, there was also a sighting this week of two male Wood Ducks and a different female. The male Wood Duck may be one of the prettiest birds that you will ever see. In addition, there has been a male Mallard which has been seen mostly at Dolan Pond.
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
This week is typically the peak of spring bird migration. Additional warblers this week included Black-throated Green warbler, Magnolia Warbler, and American Redstart. The resident Yellow Warblers and the Common Yellowthroat have been seen. The Yellowthroat has a distinctive "witchedy-witchedy-witchedy-witchedy-witch" call and is a small yellow bird with a raccoon-like black band around the eyes. It's more of a bush level warbler. The Yellow Warbler has a high pitched song with the cadence of "Sweet sweet a little more sweet". The male is a bright yellow with some brown streaking on the breast.
It has been wonderful to hear the call of the Wood Thrush echoing through the area this past week. This may be one of the most beautiful bird songs to be heard. The unusual thing about the song is that its actually two notes at the same time - bird harmony with itself! It's in the same Thrush family as the Robin but its breast is light with large dark specks.
This is the season for fledgling birds. Cats each year remove a tremendous number of songbirds each year. This is a good time of year to keep your cat in. By the way, note the large number of catbirds who make Dolan Pond their home. Listen for this gray bird's garrulous chatter and cat-like "meow" call.
If any of you (especially those with dogs) visit the Norumbega Conservation Area (off Comm Ave by the Commonwealth Vet), you may have noticed the ten bird houses placed around the periphery of the field. These are Bluebird houses placed there last fall as part of a Boy Scout (Troop 355) Eagle project by West Newton resident Isaac Carlen. No blue birds have checked in yet but Tree Swallows (dark blue backs with white fronts) have taken up residence in several of the boxes. I have heard a report of blue birds nesting at Brae Burn golf course and some seen recently at Nahanton Park.
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
As the season progresses, keep an eye on the flowers at Dolan Pond. Most of the yellow flowers in bloom right now are the 4 petaled Celandine (Chelidonium majus). Halfway down the path from Quinn Pond at one of the bog bridges on the right is a small cluster of Creeping Buttercup (note the splotchy leaves). And don't forget the Dandelions!
Another interesting thing to watch for in swampy areas are the ferns. It's nice to see them unwind each spring from their "fiddlehead" form into ferns. How many different types can you find?
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
Squish is the sound that your shoes make walking the paths of Dolan Pond Conservation area this past week. The recent heavy rains have raised the water table and made some of the paths rather soft especially from the Banana Pond Bridge over to Quinn Pond. The current situation points out how wonderful it will be to have the new boardwalk in place in that section. Over the years, the local schools (Franklin and Burr) have helped with chipping the paths. As can be seen, wood chips eventually turn back into soil and the soil spreads out and sinks into the swamp. As Martha Horn, Newton's environmental planner, has pointed out at some of the hearings on the path project, we were effectively slowly filling in the swamp. The new boardwalk, made of plastic lumber (made from recycled materials), will last indefinitely and be raised above the surface. It will allow the free flow of water underneath and be virtually maintenance free.
In observing Dolan Pond, I have been especially grateful for the stump observation path. While this will be replaced with a more formal observation deck in the near future, it has provided a useful means of seeing what's going on in Dolan Pond (especially in watching the Wood Ducks).
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
What is there to do on a Saturday night that's not too far away? The Newton Community Service Center is having a silent auction night ("Hands Across the Community - A night of Fun") in their auditorium on this Saturday evening, May 18, 2002, from 7 to 10 pm. There will be lots of goodies to munch on while you peruse the many fine auction offerings. NCSC is at 492 Waltham Street (it's an easy walk from the neighborhood). The $15 admission and your bids help to support the many fine programs for all ages that NCSC provides (www.ncscinc.com). There will be hearty hors d'oevres, desserts, beverages, raffles, and cash bar. There are several hundred items available up for bidding, ranging from gift certificates to many local stores, dinner at local restaurants (e.g. dinner for 2 at Lumiere's, or how about an outdoor courtyard dinner for 20 at Yerardi's Restaurant, sailboat and canoe rides, a Woodland Golf outing for 3 with caddie and lunch, yoga sessions, a weekend in the Berkshires, a Patriots commemorative football, clothing by Betsy Johnson, lawn fertilization, gift baskets, portrait sittings, and much, much more. If you are really curious, just stop in at the NCSC (a more complete list is posted just inside the door closest to CVS). You can reserve your tickets by calling 617-969-5906, x119 or just come on Saturday night. Help this organization that does so much for our community!
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
Friends of Dolan Pond is a loose organization that has a website, www.dolanpond.org and an email address, "info@dolapond.org". If you are interested in the organization, please contact Ted Kuklinski at 617-969-6222, write to Friends of Dolan Pond, 24 Henshaw Terrace, West Newton, MA 02465, or send email to info@dolanpond.org. If you wish to be removed from this list, simply reply to this email with the word remove in the subject or body of the reply.
This newsletter is primarily published and distributed by email. If you wish to receive the newsletter or request to discontinue receiving the newsletter by email, please contact us as above. It is also posted in paper form on clipboards at the major entrances to the area. If you have any information, material, photos, poems, writings, etc. concerning Dolan Pond that you would like to share, please send them along. Please forward the email version along to anyone you know who might be interested in receiving it or ask them to send us an email to join our subscription list. Hope to see you at Dolan Pond soon!
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
Contents | Dolan Pond News | Home
Hope to see you at Dolan Pond soon!