Discover, through informative text and 120 vivid images, the interrelationships between commercial fishing, expanding gray seal populations, and great white sharks along the beaches of Cape Cod and the northeast coast. This Gray Curtain has come about as a result of geologic and environmental changes, as well as animal migrations and population increases that have impacted the area. There are great transformations taking place in the region, and both fishermen and scientists have played a role in these dynamic coastal changes, though they don't always agree on why the changes have occurred. In the minds of many commercial fishermen, the return of the now-protected gray seal has played a major part, causing a new charismatic, apex predator to enter the picture: the Great White Shark. This enlightening and colorful book brings together the main factors that have created the phenomenon of The Gray Curtain.

Over 140 beautifully rendered color illustrations of common Cape Cod birds with species accounts that include locations where they may be found by birders. The informative text provides helpful advice on the best bird watching techniques and six field trips focusing on different environments and the species that populate them. These field trip locations include "Woodland in Spring and Summer," "Waterfowl of Freshwater Lakes and Ponds," "Common Birds of the Salt Marsh," "Shorebirds of the Tidal Flats in Late Summer, Fall and Winter Migrants on Salt Water," and "Oceanic Birds." While addressing the needs of beginning bird watchers, adults and children alike, there is useful information on locations and logistics that any bird lover may use. This simple-to-use field guide is an invaluable resource for birding on Cape Cod.

Fascinating color photos let you see whales in their natural habitat. Learn about their behavior, external anatomy, and physical features. Discussed in the text are the Humpback, Minke, Finback, and the rarely seen Right whales, baleen whales that eat by taking in thousands of gallons of water and schools of fish or plankton and filtering the water through the baleen. Discover their behaviors, including breaching, lob tailing, and flipper slapping. This book is a fascinating look at the largest mammals to roam the Earth today.

Nesting along the sandy fringe of the North American coast from Maine to Florida, terns are graceful symbols of our coastal beaches, yet they lead fragile and frantic lives. Join educator, storyteller, and photographer Peter Trull as he describes the physical and behavioral differences among the four types of terns that nest in the Cape Cod area, their migratory habits and predators, and why they are called birds of paradox. Both a photographic journey and an ornithological diary, Trull describes his ten-plus years watching, recording, and photographing these birds from Massachusetts to the coast of Guyana. More than 100 photographs depict day-to-day life and never-before-seen behaviors from inside the dynamic, noisy nesting colonies. This engaging book offers momentary glimpses into the complexities of these erratic, agile seabirds-seemingly carefree but always on the hunt-and their struggle to survive.

From winter's dormant woodlands and barren beaches, to the whales and waterbirds of high summer, this book explores Cape Cod's animals and plants through a year of dormancy, rebirth, and migration. In more than 150 photographs with captions, field biologist Peter Trull describes the cape's intricate ecosystems and reveals how the seasons come together. In spring he observes spotted salamanders mating after the March full moon, and in summer he watches bluebirds feed their young. In autumn he looks for the colorful caterpillar of the monarch butterfly on wild milkweed, and in winter he focuses on the many species of arriving birds that gather along pond edges. The result is an intimate, often-exhilarating tale of Cape Cod and its seasons.