Get to know the wildlife and habitat at Manomet’s campus

Shorebirds also use Manomet’s shores as an important stopover site during migration. The confluence of cold and warm ocean currents as well as freshwater runoff from the land make the beaches of Cape Cod Bay a rich source for marine invertebrates. On the beach below Manomet’s banding lab and headquarters, arctic breeding Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) feast on nereid worms to fuel their next long fall migration flight to the Caribbean and northern S. America for our winter. Several years ago, former Manomet scientist Dr. Betsy Mallory and interns gridded the beach and discovered that adult plovers maintained defended individual feeding territories in the best locations. In contrast, immature plovers foraged together in the less productive regions of the beach.

Vernal Pools

Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands created by melting snow and early spring rain and provide critical habitat for many amphibians and invertebrates. Because they completely dry up, they are free of fish.

Several species depend upon these predator-free zones to breed, including Wood Frogs. Wood frogs mate and lay their eggs in late winter (sometimes when there is still ice in the pool!) During this time, you can hear the male’s song, which sounds a little like a duck quacking. Eggs are laid close to the water’s surface and often grow green algae on them. The algae help oxygenate the eggs!

There are also plenty of birds to look out for around these temporary wetlands throughout the seasons:

Green Heron: While some heron species forage in the open, the small Green Heron is a bird of shady wetlands. A pair often breeds in the wooded edges of Manomet’s bogs, placing a flimsy stick nest at the crown of an understory tree.

Common Grackle: Some of the key field marks that distinguish this large blackbird from the Red-winged Blackbird are its golden eye and the long, sail-shaped tail of the males. Look for it poking along the wetland edge for frogs and invertebrates, often in groups.

White-throated Sparrow: These attractive winter resident sparrows are drawn to the food resources and sheltering vegetation that vernal pools provide. Their distinctive song “Oh Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody,” sung in a minor key, can be heard all winter long. Many White-throated Sparrows banded at Manomet return each winter, showing a high level of wintering site fidelity.

Near Manomet’s vernal pools, you’ll also come across various plant species, including:

Red Maple: A dominant tree in a variety of wetlands, the Red Maple leaf has three distinct points, which helps distinguish it from the Sugar Maple and Norway Maple, which have five points.

Highbush Blueberry: These shrubs are very important to wildlife: their berries are relished by songbirds, game birds, and small mammals, while deer and rabbits eat the twigs and foliage. Their nectar-rich flowers attract pollinators in spring.

We look forward to welcoming you to our campus this summer! To stay in the loop with news about our campus and interpretative trail, please sign up here.