WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.800 --> 00:00:07.000 It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZY, Boston's news radio home. 2 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:12.480 Emma, thanks very much as we begin another week of Nightside. 3 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:15.640 And was it cold this weekend? We'll talk about that 4 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:19.879 a little later on. We'll also talk about the federal 5 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:25.280 debt with Harvard University professor Jeff Myron. But first I 6 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:27.760 like to introduce myself. I'm Dan Ray. I'm the host 7 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:30.280 of Nightside and with us tonight, Rob Brooks. This being 8 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:34.920 the President's holiday. President's Day holiday used to be February 9 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.960 twelfth for Lincoln and February twenty second for Washington, and 10 00:00:38.039 --> 00:00:40.840 they have now made it the the what the third 11 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:44.960 Monday here February seventeenth, President's Day? With us, we have 12 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:49.200 a producer in Rob's stead, Dan Cantano. So that's the 13 00:00:49.240 --> 00:00:51.039 team tonight, and of course you're going to join the 14 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:54.359 team by joining us with phone calls, but only after 15 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.240 nine o'clock. We have four very interesting guests to talk 16 00:00:57.280 --> 00:01:01.039 about to talk with this first eight o'clock hour, and 17 00:01:01.079 --> 00:01:04.680 we're going to start off with a historian, J. L. Bell. 18 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.879 A good evening, mister Bell, how are you this evening? 19 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:09.120 Very well? 20 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:09.400 Thank you? 21 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:09.680 Dan? 22 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:14.280 Good you might I call you JL for short by all. 23 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:16.519 Means already can call it John Heyl. It's also for 24 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:18.560 telephone listeners. 25 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.640 All right, no problem me. The author of a book 26 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:24.280 called The Road to Conquer It How four Stolen Cannon 27 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:28.200 ignited the Revolutionary War, that was published in twenty sixteen 28 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:30.959 but is still available, And that's the subject of our 29 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:35.519 conversation tonight. Maybe what a lot of folks don't realize 30 00:01:35.719 --> 00:01:41.079 is that George Washington actually came to the Boston area, 31 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:44.319 and I guess had a home or a headquarters in 32 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:47.079 Cambridge that you know a lot more about than I 33 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:52.040 do for sure, in the summer of seventeen seventy five. 34 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.959 And you're going to do a lecture about this, I believe, 35 00:01:56.359 --> 00:01:58.400 which we'll talk about a little bit later on March 36 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:01.560 thirteenth in Cambridge. We got a little preview tonight from 37 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:06.280 my audience. So Washington was here. He was the commander 38 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:09.879 in chief of the Continental Army before the United States 39 00:02:10.039 --> 00:02:13.039 was the United States. Tell us about it, that's right. 40 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:16.199 He was chosen as the commander in chief, the General 41 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:20.479 Lisim Hope or General of all Generals to lead the 42 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:26.319 Continental Army as the Continental Congress took responsibility for the 43 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:30.919 army around Boston from the New England state, so at 44 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:36.599 osign colonies. At the time, it wasn't quite clear the 45 00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:40.280 colonies were still not fighting for independence that would come 46 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:43.680 in seventeen seventy six. But in seventeen seventy five they 47 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:47.159 were trying to push the British Army out of Boston 48 00:02:47.240 --> 00:02:51.560 and therefore out of Massachusetts after the Battle of Lexington 49 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:54.719 and conquered in April. George Washington shows up in July 50 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:57.840 and he has suddenly this responsibility for this army of 51 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:01.120 what he's been told, with twenty thousand men fighting against 52 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:02.759 the Royal British Army. 53 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:06.319 Now, where did they expect the Royal British Army to go? 54 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:08.719 I mean, they weren't going to go into the Atlantic Ocean. 55 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:12.240 Wasn't in effect the war really almost technically and away 56 00:03:12.280 --> 00:03:13.879 at that point the Revolutionary War. 57 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:18.960 Oh, definitely, the war had definitely started, and well, the 58 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:23.520 British Army was very strong that the British Navy was 59 00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:28.479 even stronger, and so they just wanted the soldiers and 60 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:30.719 any of their supporters to get on ships and leaves. 61 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.960 But it took nine months after George Washington arrived for 62 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:36.280 them actually to do that. 63 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.639 So Washington arrives in July of seventeen seventy five sort 64 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:45.080 of sets up shop in Cambridge. Is the facility, the 65 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:49.639 building where he used I guess as his mobile headquarters. 66 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:52.840 Is that still in existence today as it's been turned 67 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:54.840 into a museum. I'm unfamiliar with it. 68 00:03:55.560 --> 00:04:00.599 Yes, there are two houses in Cambridge that Washington used, 69 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:03.199 one immediately after your arrived, at the very beginning of 70 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:07.080 July July third. The second third is called the Wadsworth House, 71 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.599 and it is part of Harvard the buildings or that 72 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:13.759 define Harvard Yard. It's sort of built into the wall 73 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:17.519 around Harvard Yard now. And he was there formerly a 74 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:20.959 couple of weeks. That was the Harvard College President's house, 75 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:23.439 and it turned out to be too small and probably 76 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:26.759 too close to the men who were barracked in the 77 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:30.160 college dorms. So then he moved out about a mile 78 00:04:30.199 --> 00:04:33.519 away to a mansion that had been left behind by 79 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:37.439 a Loyalist family who had moved into Boston. And this 80 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:40.480 was a very large it was in fact the largest 81 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:45.439 estate in Cambridge based on property taxes. It's the home 82 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:48.920 of John and Elizabeth Vassal. They had moved out and 83 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:51.680 he moved in and he stayed there for nine months, 84 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:54.199 from the middle of July seventeen seventy five until the 85 00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:57.639 very beginning of April seventeen seventy six. So that was 86 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:03.879 where he stood. Later Martha joined him, and that's how 87 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:08.920 he also had his office or meeting rooms there, and 88 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.160 that's where he learned to be commander in chief. 89 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:17.279 And the decisive the decisive battle involved these four cannons, 90 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:23.240 which I believe from my history I recall, were they 91 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:27.920 not actually pulled down here from somewhere in Vermont to 92 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:29.279 Dorchester Heights. 93 00:05:29.879 --> 00:05:32.639 All right, we're talking about two sets of cannons here. 94 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:35.839 The cannons that I wrote about in my book were 95 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:39.199 cannons that were stolen out of armories in Boston back 96 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:43.839 in September seventeen seventy four under the British control and 97 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:47.399 moved out of town, smuggled out of town by the Patriots, 98 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:51.040 smuggled out all the way to Conquered where the British 99 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:53.879 found out about them and sent troops out. And that's 100 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:58.839 what happened in April seventeen seventy five. So the Patriots, 101 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:03.240 the provincials, had had some cannon, but they realized over 102 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:05.879 the course of seventeen thirty five they needed more, so 103 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:10.600 George Washington sent Henry Knox from his the headquarters in 104 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:15.199 Cambridge all the way up to late the forts along 105 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:19.800 Lake Champlain, Fort Tykwonderoga, Crown Point. Knox went up there, 106 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:23.959 collected more cannon, larger cannon, more than fifty cannon, and 107 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:28.360 moved them down from that area along the Hudson River 108 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:33.519 and then across the Berkshires across Massachusetts to augment what 109 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:38.040 was already around Boston. And that provided enough firepower to 110 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:39.839 make the British decide, you know, we don't have to 111 00:06:39.879 --> 00:06:41.519 stay here, we could go to Well. 112 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:44.399 The thing that was amazing about that is obviously you 113 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:46.879 think I have thought about it a lot, but I 114 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:49.959 want the audience. There were no trucks, there were no cars. 115 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:52.399 How did they move these cannons? What did they have 116 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:55.920 oxen or what sort of animals or was it just 117 00:06:56.040 --> 00:06:58.160 human hands that moved the cannons? 118 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:02.279 It was horses and UH and people, and it was 119 00:07:02.360 --> 00:07:06.040 also uh they benefited. We often talked about how awful 120 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:07.680 it must have been in the winter. Well, yes it 121 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:10.160 was pretty awful at times, but also they benefited from 122 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:14.959 winter because they could use say the frozen lakes and 123 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:18.959 move the cannon across the ice. They could use the 124 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:23.879 snow snowy roads as long as they weren't too hilly. Uh. 125 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:28.160 It was easier to move heavy things along uh, slippery 126 00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:32.519 roads than along you know, muddy roads. Uh so uh. 127 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:35.360 And it took h it took weeks and weeks for 128 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:37.839 Henry Knox to make that trip. It was one of 129 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:42.279 the big logistical operations of the first year of the war. 130 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:45.079 It's amazing to think how they even were able to 131 00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:49.079 do that, and then how they were what they how 132 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:52.199 they fed these these troops and these horses, I mean, 133 00:07:52.439 --> 00:07:55.120 and army moves on its stomach whether they're pulling cannons 134 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:58.680 or not. But when they're pulling cannons. Now, tell us 135 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:04.800 about I do want to mention your presentation at the 136 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:08.480 Washington's Headquarters, the National Historic Site in Cambridge, March thirteenth. 137 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:09.199 Tell us about that. 138 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:14.000 Well, the mansion that General Washington used for most of 139 00:08:14.040 --> 00:08:16.720 his time in Boston is called is now the Longfellow House, 140 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.319 Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site. It is part of the 141 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:23.000 National Park Service, which means it belongs to all of us. 142 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:28.360 And I am going to be speaking there around Evacuation Day, 143 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.160 which is the anniversary of the day that the British left. 144 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:34.639 But this one, the Thursday nearest is the March thirteenth, 145 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:36.679 And I'm going to be speaking about how the Continental 146 00:08:36.759 --> 00:08:40.600 Congress came to choose George Washington for this job, how 147 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:45.679 they chose this Fortythter, Virginia Planter as the man who 148 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:49.039 would lead the Continental army, almost all of which was 149 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:50.200 New Englanders. 150 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:52.919 Well, they made a great choice, that's for sure, as 151 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:56.879 history shows us. And maybe Providence had some and I'm 152 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:01.120 not talking about Rhode Island here. Providence, a term that 153 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.159 would have been used back then to refer to God Almighty, 154 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:08.240 might have had some influence it. So how can folks. 155 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:11.879 Is your event on the thirteenth open to the public? 156 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:15.639 Should they go to your website to sign up get tickets? 157 00:09:15.799 --> 00:09:16.480 Tell us about that. 158 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:21.639 You can go to the National Park Longfellow House, Washington's 159 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:26.120 headquarters National Historic Site website at NPS dot gov slash 160 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:30.080 long and look at it at the events and yes, 161 00:09:30.120 --> 00:09:32.039 it will be on March thirteenth. You can sign up. 162 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:35.000 It is free. It is going to be in the 163 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:39.240 historic carriage house on that on that estate. So there 164 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.919 is a limited number of seats, but we're also going 165 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:42.600 to be taping it. 166 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:45.559 Give us, give us one more time the website a 167 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:48.120 little more slowly so people can write it down. Is it? 168 00:09:48.759 --> 00:09:55.240 Did you say you? Dot? NPS dot gov slash long 169 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:58.559 l O NV for short for Longfellow. 170 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:03.799 Okay, NPS for National Park Service NPS dot gov slash 171 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:06.480 long J L. Bell. Thank you very much for your 172 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:09.039 time tonight. Fascinating story. I learned a lot. Thank you, 173 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:13.120 Thank you, Dan, talk to you again, Thank you very much. 174 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:15.039 When we get back, we're going to talk about something 175 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:17.879 a little different, a little bit more modern, but just 176 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:22.480 as I think inspiring, breathtaking, and that is the Arctic 177 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:26.399 snowy owls that have been spending some time here on 178 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:30.559 Duxbury Beach. We will talk with a specialist, a raptor 179 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:34.679 specialist from the Audubon Society, Norman Smith. Right after this break. 180 00:10:34.679 --> 00:10:36.759 My name is Dan Ray. This is Nightside. You're listening 181 00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:42.080 WBZ ten thirty am, Boston's news radio. We're at iHeartRadio station. 182 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:46.360 Now back to Dan Ray line from the Window World 183 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:49.600 night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio. 184 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:55.200 I'm delighted to welcome Norman Smith. Mister Smith is with 185 00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:59.840 the Massachusetts Automan Society. He's a raptor specialist. I'm gonna 186 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:04.000 talk talk about the Arctic snowy owl, mister Smith, Norman Smith, 187 00:11:04.039 --> 00:11:05.320 welcome to Nightside. How are you? 188 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:06.679 Thanks a lot? 189 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:11.799 Dan So a raptor specialist. I didn't even realize that 190 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:17.919 snowy owls were raptors. I assume because they have big fangs, claws, talons. 191 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:19.919 Is that is that what defines a raptor. 192 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:22.879 A raptor is a bird of prey, a bird that 193 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:26.200 feeds on something else. And there are a bunch of hawks, eagles, 194 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:28.759 and owls that make up the raptor group, and snowy 195 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:29.639 owls or one of them. 196 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:32.840 Well, I have seen a snowy owl and they are 197 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:36.240 with my own eyes, and they are an amazing species. 198 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:40.600 Tell us how many are there? How do they get here? 199 00:11:40.679 --> 00:11:43.480 Tell us the whole story they've been wintering or at 200 00:11:43.559 --> 00:11:45.480 least one? How many of that? And we got three 201 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:48.960 snowy owls that have come down. Is this a family 202 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.120 of some sort that have traveled three thousand miles to 203 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:54.639 get here? Tell us everything we can get in in 204 00:11:54.679 --> 00:11:56.679 a few minutes here because this is fascinating. 205 00:11:57.600 --> 00:11:59.759 Yeah, snowy owls are a bird that comes from the Arctic, 206 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:02.279 breed in the Arctic tundra, and they come down here 207 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:04.919 each winter, and the number of owls that comes down 208 00:12:05.080 --> 00:12:08.600 varies dramatically for me at a year, depending on different 209 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:11.840 parameters such as food supply. When it's very difficult in 210 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:14.159 the Arctic and there isn't much food, they move out, 211 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:16.840 or if it's a tremendous amount of food and there's 212 00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:19.360 a lot of breeding going on, there's many more owls 213 00:12:19.360 --> 00:12:21.879 that can travel further south. So we have owls that 214 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:24.799 show up in Massachusetts. They generally come here and show 215 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:28.519 up in November and stay till sometime in April, May, June, July. 216 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:32.120 And during twenty thirteen we actually had two snowy owls 217 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:34.600 that spent the year here, so it was the first 218 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:37.519 resident snowy owls we have. They come down from the 219 00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:40.559 Arctic and they love places like Logan Airport. And since 220 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:43.679 nineteen eighty one, I've been capturing snowy owls at Logan 221 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:46.120 Airport and then relocating them for the safety of the 222 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:48.519 owls and the plains, and I bring the birds down 223 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:51.799 at Duxbury Beach and this year I've actually captured thirteen 224 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:55.399 snowy owls so far, and they've been hanging around Duxbury. 225 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:58.279 Beach, Okay. So the question is I know the answer 226 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:01.559 is going to be very carefully, but it capture a snowy. 227 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:05.559 Owl, Well, we actually use what's called a bonet. It's 228 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:07.799 like a hoop type net, and then we take an 229 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:10.320 animal like a styling or a mouse and put in 230 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:12.639 a little wire cage to protect it in the middle 231 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:15.039 of this trap. And when the owl comes in, we 232 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:18.639 actually manually trigger the trap with a string and a 233 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:22.279 little fishing rod and we capture them, and then we 234 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:24.799 put a band on them and we track the birds. 235 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:28.039 We put satellite transmitters on these birds back in two 236 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:30.480 thousand for the first time. It was the first time 237 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:34.559 wintering snowy owls have I had transmitters. It was done 238 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:37.519 here in Massachusetts. We put them on and track these 239 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:40.279 owls back to the Arctic for the first time to 240 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:42.200 prove that these owls do make it back to the 241 00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:45.240 Arctic and they have viable breeders. We had one All 242 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:48.559 of that in nine months. Travel seven four hundred and 243 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:49.399 twenty six. 244 00:13:49.200 --> 00:13:52.720 Miles talk about frequent flyer miles, so so you get 245 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:56.000 a big trap, and I assume you have two porstions 246 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:57.879 of the trap, one portion of the trap that you 247 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.440 want the snowy owl to go in, and the other 248 00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:03.759 portion of the trap somewhat protected. Is what a mouse 249 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:05.559 or something something like that? 250 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:09.600 Yes, yet exactly in a little wire cage. And then 251 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:11.799 we trap them, you know, we capture them, and then 252 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:15.159 you know, band them, way them, collect blood samples, collect parasites, 253 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:16.559 and then you know, bring them down. 254 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:19.879 Let me ask you this, This is a dumb question. 255 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:21.480 But I get paid a lot of money. Not I 256 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:23.080 get paid a lot of money, get paid some money 257 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:26.080 to ask dumb questions. Do the mice ever have like 258 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:30.200 a heart attack when the owls to the age? They 259 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:31.759 do they realize they're protected? 260 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:32.759 No? 261 00:14:32.840 --> 00:14:35.200 I think they realized they're protected her. And not only that, 262 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:37.240 but it's ones that I've used on a regular basis. 263 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:39.159 So it's almost like they know the gig and how 264 00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:39.679 it works. 265 00:14:40.039 --> 00:14:42.639 Okay, Well, if they know the gig, I'm okay with that. Okay, 266 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:45.559 So now you got the snow How much is a 267 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:48.639 snowy owl away from I haven't got as close as 268 00:14:48.679 --> 00:14:51.000 you out of them, but they look like they're pretty hefty. 269 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:53.200 They're a good size bird. 270 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:55.600 They can be about thirty two inches long, and they 271 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:58.159 have about a six foot wingspan. And then the males 272 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:01.720 are smaller than the females, like all the females are 273 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:05.559 much larger. The males weigh about four pounds and the 274 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.360 females weigh about six pounds. 275 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:10.919 That's all. I guess. It's all feathers and stuff, So yeah, 276 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:15.039 I guess, but beautiful birds. Okay, so now you have 277 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.879 relocated you said thirteen of them already this year out 278 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:20.919 of Logan Airport. Why did they go to Logan Airport? 279 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:23.000 Did they think they're on the flight pattern or something? 280 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:27.279 Well, Logan airport. You know, I've captured over nine hundred 281 00:15:27.279 --> 00:15:30.399 snowy owls that I relocated from Logan Airport. I've asked 282 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:32.720 every single one and none have responded, so we really 283 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:35.559 don't know. But if you look at the airport, it 284 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:39.320 actually has a wide open tundra habitat, you know, wide 285 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:42.440 open grassland eighteen hundred acres that looks very much like 286 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:45.759 the Arctic tundra, and it's surrounded on three sides by water, 287 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:48.080 so there's lots of ducks and things to eat, so 288 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:50.720 there's lots of food and it looks more like home 289 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.159 to them than probably anyplace else around. 290 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:57.200 All Right, So you relo, how many snowy owls do 291 00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:01.600 you think are now hanging out in Massachusetts this month 292 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:04.559 of February. We're in the middle of winter. It feels 293 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:06.600 like the Arctic out there. I was out there today. 294 00:16:06.679 --> 00:16:08.399 I swear to God, I thought it was on the 295 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:12.399 wrong side of the Arctic circle. How many snowy owls 296 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.360 do we have hanging in our neighborhood? 297 00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:17.240 Well, we probably had somewhere in the vicinity of twenty 298 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:19.440 to twenty five snowy owls in the state. But one 299 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:21.840 of the issues that's taken place in the last two 300 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:25.519 weeks is bird flu has had a huge impact, especially 301 00:16:25.559 --> 00:16:29.480 on ducks and peace in southeastern Massachusetts. And because snowy 302 00:16:29.480 --> 00:16:32.559 owls eat a lot of waterfowl, they're very susceptible. And 303 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:35.840 I've already picked up six snowy owls that we're having 304 00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:37.799 tested right now to see if they died from the 305 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:41.440 bird flu. So fortunately some of these birds have succumbed 306 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.840 to this. This bird flu issue. It's something that started 307 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.200 back over in China and the first time it showed 308 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:49.639 up in New England was back in two thousand and two, 309 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:52.159 and during that year it showed up in the waterfowl 310 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:54.159 and one of the first birds again to get it 311 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:55.080 was snowy owls. 312 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:57.600 Unfortunately, I hate to say this, but it seems like whatever, 313 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:00.200 it always starts in China. So I mean, that's that's 314 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:04.720 that's a huge that's a huge issue. So so we've 315 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:07.559 lost some snowy owls this year. When will they start 316 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:11.000 to migrate back home, back north up to the Arctic circle. 317 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:13.359 Well, what the transmit is we put on the birds. 318 00:17:13.359 --> 00:17:15.759 We see the birds starting to leave the state sometime 319 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:20.359 usually in March or April, and by the end of 320 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:22.440 April they're usually on their way back. 321 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:24.480 To the Arctic to the breeding grounds. 322 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.480 Okay, so they hang through Saint Patrick's Day, which certainly 323 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:31.480 is a wonderful, you know, festivity that that everybody had 324 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:35.599 Saint Patrick's Day in Massachusetts. Everybody should experience it, and 325 00:17:35.680 --> 00:17:40.640 then they head back north. These are these are magnificent birds. 326 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:44.920 Where can people go in your opinion, if between now 327 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:48.119 and the middle of March they have the time, is 328 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:49.519 Duxbury Beach the place to be. 329 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:53.160 Well, Duxbury Beach is certainly a good location of CM 330 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:55.160 and one of the reasons we release them on Duxbury 331 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:58.000 Beach is because they have a presence of ranges there 332 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:01.119 that helped protect the owls and help you know, photographers 333 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:03.200 and birders get a chance to see these birds and 334 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:06.119 educate people about them. There's signage down there about snowy 335 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:08.480 owls and where they come from. You can also go 336 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:11.519 north on the north shore to a plumb Island or 337 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:13.839 a Tallberry beach. That's that's a good location. 338 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:15.160 And we thought that. 339 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.960 These birds might live to be ten to twelve years old. However, 340 00:18:18.319 --> 00:18:20.440 five years ago I caught a snowy owl that I 341 00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:24.000 banned twenty four years ago, so you know, these birds 342 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:26.160 can live to be at least twenty four and who 343 00:18:26.200 --> 00:18:28.000 knows how long they can live. The bird I caught 344 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:30.279 was a bird that you wonder how many times did 345 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.559 it come to Massachusetts during its lifetime. I doubt it 346 00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:35.400 was the two times I caught it when it was 347 00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:37.880 a young juvenile bird and when it was an adult. 348 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:41.359 So these birds, do you know, wander around and they're nomadic. 349 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:43.880 They traveled tremendous distances for sure. 350 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:46.480 Too bad you couldn't have checked their passport. You could 351 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:49.640 have figured it out, but Yeah. Look, I've really enjoyed 352 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:52.440 this conversation. I learned more from you about snowy owls 353 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:55.960 in about ten minutes than I ever imagined I would. 354 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:58.279 How can folks get more information? Got a website we 355 00:18:58.319 --> 00:18:59.160 can push people too. 356 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:02.599 Yeah, if you go to mass Autumn on dot org 357 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:04.960 and then click on snowy owls, we have a web 358 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:07.240 page that talks about the snowy owl project that we 359 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:10.240 have done. We started it back in nineteen eighty one 360 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:13.079 capturing birds at Logan Airport. We were the first ones 361 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.200 to actually capture and relocate birds at an airport rather 362 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:19.759 than shooting them. And we've actually helped set up parameters 363 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:22.640 so that other airports, you know, with the USDA, can 364 00:19:22.680 --> 00:19:25.640 actually capture and relocate these birds rather than shooting them 365 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:28.839 for the safety of the owls and the planes. You know, 366 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:30.039 we do this work. 367 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:34.599 Norman Smith, this was a great segment. I really appreciate 368 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:37.039 your time tonight, and I know my audience does as well. 369 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:38.519 Thank you so much, my friend. 370 00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:39.799 All Right, have a great day. 371 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:42.359 All right, we get back right after the news. At 372 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:43.680 the bottom of the hour, are going to be talking 373 00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:46.960 with chef Laura Klin. She's an instructor at the Cambridge 374 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:51.079 School of Culinary Arts and the owner of Well Seasoned Coaching, 375 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.240 not Well Seasoned Cooking, Well Seasoned Coaching. We'll explain it all. 376 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:58.079 Going to talk about the price of eggs, egg shortages, 377 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:02.480 and some egg substance that might help you in your kitchen. 378 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:05.279 Coming back on Night Side right after the break at 379 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:07.720 the bottom of the hour of the WBZ Now it's 380 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:10.880 eight thirty two. News went a little long with that segment, 381 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:12.279 but I enjoyed it. 382 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:20.319 Awaits Night Side with Dan Ray. I'MBZ Boston's news Radio. 383 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:25.200 Well Jonie's now is Chef Laura Kline. She's an instructor 384 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:27.599 of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and owner of 385 00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:34.039 Well Seasoned Coaching, not Well Seasoned Cooking. Welcome, Chef Clin. 386 00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:34.799 How are you tonight? 387 00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:37.079 I'm great. How are you doing, Dan? 388 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:39.480 I'm doing just great. Do you remember the faculty at 389 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:43.119 the Chef Coaching program the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at 390 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:47.359 Harvard Medical School. That sounds really interesting. Tell us about 391 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:50.359 Well Seasoned Coaching, and tell us about the Institute of 392 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:52.640 Lifestyle Medicine, and then we're going to talk about the 393 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:53.440 price of eggs. 394 00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:59.359 Okay, sounds good. Yeah. Through the Chef Coaching Program through 395 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:03.720 the Harvard School of Medicine, we teach allied health professionals 396 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:06.359 like physicians, mostly how to teach their patients how to 397 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:08.720 cook at home, because when you cook at home, you're 398 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:11.640 going to cook healthier than eating out. Just the fact 399 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.440 that you're cooking at home means that you're going to 400 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:15.880 eat healthier and cook healthier. 401 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:21.039