As part of its stewardship mission, the Warren Land Conservation Trust is involved with several projects at its Jacob’s Point site designed to improve bird habitat.
Ospreys
Several years ago the Trust supported the building of an osprey platform in the Jacob’s Point marsh. A sign on the East Bay Bike Path erected by the Trust provides information and directs walkers and bikers to observe this platform which has attracted a pair of osprey year after year. More information about these remarkable birds is available on the Rhode Island Osprey Monitoring Program website created by the Audubon Society of RI and the All About Birds guide to ospreys. The photograph above, by former WLCT board member and professional nature photographer, Butch Lombardi, shows the osprey family at Jacob’s Point marsh.
Purple Martins
More recently, with support from the Warren Conservation Commission, the Trust put up a high-tech array to house another species that is losing natural habitat, the Purple Martin. This set of plastic gourds is visible from the East Bay Bike Path, near the walking path down to Jacob’s Point beach. In its initial year, 2017, it attracted four pairs who successfully fledged numerous chicks. More information about these birds is available on the Purple Martin Conservation Association web site. The photograph above, by Butch Lombardi, shows the Purple Martins using the new nesting array at Jacob’s Point.
Saltmarsh Sparrows
The WLCT has approved a five-year project, started in 2017, to investigate and document the presence of the Saltmarsh Sparrow at Jacob’s Point. This research was inspired by the recent discovery of these globally-threatened birds at Jacob’s Point and is being conducted by a group of citizen scientists. Go to Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative for details. Also you can Read more about it here (A PDF document will open).
The Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative has provided information on its plans for the next three years of its five year project at Jacob’s Point. Click on the link below to see it.
Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative 2019 Plan
Hope is the Thing with Feathers, a story about Salt Marsh Sparrow survival at Jacob’s Point
Click on the next link to see the 2017-2018 Breeding Year Summary:
For more general information on Saltmarsh Sparrows visit the All About Birds page on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s web site.
Database of Birds Identified at Jacob’s Point
The following is a link to the list of 143 (!) species of birds that have been identified at Jacob’s Point as prepared by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird program:
Checklist for Jacob’s Point Saltmarsh
In addition, here is the eBird link to photos of most of the species that have been reported at JP. Cursor over the photo to identify the bird and the photographer:
Thanks to Deidre Robinson of the Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative for providing this information.