BIRD ALERT – APRIL IS FOR THE BIRDS – ON THE SOUTH COAST

With the return of spring, we will welcome flocks of migratory and summer-resident birds to the South Coast. It is a time to celebrate our birds, and that is just what is here proposed.

Throughout April there will be an exhibit at the Westport Free Public Library of paintings by two artists who love to paint birds. Barry Van Dusen, an illustrator of many bird books, will display ten paintings from his recent book,  Finding Sanctuary, which combines art and text to tell stories about all the Mass Audubon’s Sanctuaries. Pamela Lowell will have a collection of illustrations from her brand-new book, My Summer with Osprey, which shares from-the-heart experiences of observing Osprey, our local iconic bird species, in the Westport River in recent years.

In addition to these two month-long exhibits, there will be presentations on four Thursday evenings in April, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, at the Westport Public Library. The first, on April 4th, will have three presenters:

• David Cole will discuss two very important local birders of a century ago: Smith Owen Dexter and Basil Douglas Hall.
• Stephen Reinert will use sources dating back to 1925, including his 2001 book, The Birds of Allens Pond, to track and predict population changes of salt-marsh specialist bird species—including the American Black Duck, Willet, Clapper Rail, Saltmarsh Sparrow and Seaside Sparrow—from a century in the past to the near future.
• Jamie Bogart will talk about gaining recognition of the local Important Bird Area and on-going long-term bird surveys at the Lloyd Center.

The two local birders of the past – Smith Dexter and Basil Hall – were Protestant Ministers, close friends, and neighbors at Westport Point (1910-1936), and they had important influences on the American birding community that have been largely unappreciated.

Smith Dexter’s parishioners in Concord, MA, included neighbor, William Brewster, a leading ornithologist and President of Mass Audubon for its first 17 years. Dexter edited Brewster’s last two books: Concord River and October Farm. The actual October Farm was given to Mass Audubon in 2018 and is a new jewel in its sanctuary system. Smith Dexter bought a house at Westport Point in 1910 and began compiling two notebooks: The Birds of Westport, that ultimately contained entries for 214 species either seen by him or reported to him by local birders including Basil D. Hall, Arthur C. Bent, Wm. Head, and others.

Basil Hall from earliest childhood spent his summers at his family’s new home on Eldridge Heights at Westport Point. He became an enthusiastic naturalist first compiling bird notes and drawings at age 15. He went birding frequently with Rev. Dexter, “Uncle Smith,” and recorded nearly one-fourth of the entries in Vol II of Dexter’s The Birds of Westport.

Basil Hall was appointed pastor at churches in the Bronx and Brooklyn, 1914-1926, where he organized Boy Scout Troops. From his Bronx Troop emerged, in 1924, nine eager young birders who formed the Bronx Country Bird Club. They were later joined by a 10th newcomer, Roger Tory Peterson, who, along with several other members, went on to become leading ornithologists across the country.

The second Thursday presentation on April 11th, will consist of three local success stories:

• Alan Poole, world-renowned Osprey expert, will reminisce about his nearly half-century of monitoring the Osprey population of the Westport River and Allens Pond, and coaching generations of apprentices. Alan Poole’s most recent book, Ospreys: The Revival of a Global Raptor, will be available for purchase.
• Local nature writer and author, Fred Thurber, will report on the resurgence of the Bobolink population at the Allens Pond Grasslands.
• Gina Purtell, Sanctuary Director at Allens Pond for many years, will discuss the recovery of various shorebird species in our area in recent years.

On April 18th, Barry Van Dusen will share his experiences during two years of visiting all the Mass Audubon Sanctuaries and painting the images that captured his attention. His book, Finding Sanctuary: An Artist Explores the Nature of Mass Audubon, will be available for purchase, and prints of some of his paintings will be on display in the Manton Room of the Westport Public Library.

On April 25th, Pamela Lowell, local artist and health professional, will share the background of her brand new book: My Summer with Ospreys: A Therapist’s Journey Toward Hope, Community, and Healing our Planet. Her paintings will be on display and her book will be available for purchase.

The organizations that are sponsoring these programs include: The Westport Cultural Council, The Westport Free Public Library, Westport Art Group, Westport Historical Society, Westport Land Conservation Trust, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Paskamansett Bird Club, and the Lloyd Center for the Environment. Some of these groups are organizing additional activities during April, building on the theme of April Is for the Birds. Check out their websites.