A Post of the Celebratory Sort

We celebrated all kinds of milestones this week! 
My boss earned her PhD last month and we were (very generously) invited to the party. 

The new generation of shorebird girls met decades worth of previous "shorebird girls" at the party. It was really fun to see people who had been in our shoes look at us with eyes full of memories. They had lived at Hoft Farm, monitored the same beaches, and a lot of them ended up staying on the island for one reason or another! My boss came here when she was about my age as a shorebird monitor and is now the director of a non-profit on the island. You never know where your life will lead you.

The party was fabulous; it was an outside affair surrounded by luscious green grass and perfectly coordinated wine and cheese. This Saturday was exactly like a May night on the Vineyard should be with wooden shingles, black shutters, and striped shirts.

My boss put radiocollars on skunks as part of her PhD so my other boss made this perfect cake. 

Emily and I went out to a fantastic meal at Offshore Ale. This fish literally fell apart when I touched it with my fork. However, I think Emily's dish won- lobster mac and cheese. I know what I'll be ordering on my next trip to Offshore.

Here is my other boss- we had another big week of birding. We put up our first exclosure- a type of fencing with a net roof that is constructed around a nest. This is a means of protecting the eggs and future chicks from predators. It has to be done precisely and quickly to minimize bird disturbance. 

The holes are big enough for the little plovers to get in and out, but not big enough for any predators to get in.

 

We celebrated all three shorebird girls having nests laid! These are tempura vegetable "birds nests" (seriously their name) that I scored from Trader Joe's on the mainland. 

Another good week in the books - and the last one as a house of 4! We received three new roommates this weekend, so we almost doubled in size. Wish me luck.