WELLFLEET – The Marconi area of the Cape Cod National Seashore is a well-known habitat for an almost legendary bird species, the Eastern Whip-poor-will.
This bird, covered in folk song lyrics and American legends, will also be the focus of a guided nighttime walk on Friday night, May 27th, from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in Wellfleet.
The soft whirring sound either beckons or scares those within earshot to step deeper into the night.
In fact, the creature is actually trying to draw in its own kind. The male Whip-poor-will repeats this sound for what seems like a small eternity during the species’s breeding season.
Later, after mating, the female whip-poor-will will lay her eggs in phase with the lunar cycle, so that her nestlings hatch under a full moon. This will allow her to more easily hunt for insects that she’ll feed to the little ones on the night of hatching.
Participants in the guided walk are encouraged to bring their own binoculars and to keep an eye out for saw-whet owls and woodcocks.
Registration is required, and can be made by calling (508) 394-2615.
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