Provincetown Harbor

A hundred years isn’t old when you’re talkin’ Pilgrims, but the 100th anniversary of Pilgrim Monument is a big deal. President Taft sailed the presidential yacht into Provincetown Harbor 100 years ago to give the keynote speech (pictured) at the dedication ceremony for this monument commemorating the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in the New World. The 252-foot monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the country. At 10 a.m. a parade heads down Commercial Street, the re-dedication ceremony is at 1 p.m. with a speech by Governor Patrick, and there’s a concert at 7:30 p.m. with fireworks at 9. ...

A hundred years isn’t old when you’re talkin’ Pilgrims, but the 100th anniversary of Pilgrim Monument is a big deal. President Taft sailed the presidential yacht into Provincetown Harbor 100 years ago to give the keynote speech (pictured) at the dedication ceremony for this monument commemorating the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in the New World. The 252-foot monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the country. At 10 a.m. a parade heads down Commercial Street, the re-dedication ceremony is at 1 p.m. with a speech by Governor Patrick, and there’s a concert at 7:30 p.m. with fireworks at 9. ...

PROVINCETOWN -- The Rhodes 19 knifed through the dark, unsettled waters of Provincetown Harbor, its hull finally level after a bracing 30-minute romp in a gusty north wind that had plunged the sailboat's lee precariously close to the roiling whitecaps. Noah Santos , 26, descendant of generations of sailing men and the owner of Flyer's Boat Rental, confidently hauled in the main sheet of the 19-foot sloop, allowing the 15-knot breeze to fill the large white triangle of her mainsail.

PROVINCETOWN -- The Rhodes 19 knifed through the dark, unsettled waters of Provincetown Harbor, its hull finally level after a bracing 30-minute romp in a gusty north wind that had plunged the sailboat's lee precariously close to the roiling whitecaps. Noah Santos , 26, descendant of generations of sailing men and the owner of Flyer's Boat Rental, confidently hauled in the main sheet of the 19-foot sloop, allowing the 15-knot breeze to fill the large white triangle of her mainsail.

PROVINCETOWN -- Say "wildlife" and "Provincetown" in the same sentence, and most of us who love this onetime fishing village at the tip of Cape Cod will think "night life. " After all, in addition to its beautiful beaches, lively arts scene, and increasingly sophisticated restaurants, Provincetown has distinguished itself from more staid Cape towns with its joyful gay-oriented evening entertainment. There's a different kind of wildlife in this little town, however, one that visitors are more likely to see in the clear Cape light.

Recent bird sightings on Cape Cod (as of Dec. 7) as reported to the Massachusetts Audubon Society. A scissor-tailed flycatcher was seen at the Comcast building on Locust Road in Orleans. Unseasonably warm weather resulted in an amazing variety of out-of-season and rare birds lingering into December. The brown booby continues in Provincetown Harbor and the ash-throated flycatcher continues at Fort Hill in Eastham, where 7 greater yellowlegs, 2 Baltimore orioles, an ovenbird, a yellow-breasted chat, and 4 Eastern meadowlarks were also seen this week.

Recent bird sightings on Cape Cod (as of Feb. 15) as reported to the Massachusetts Audubon Society. The lazuli bunting continues at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. A yellow-bellied sapsucker, 4 Northern bobwhites, a swamp sparrow, 7 field sparrows, and a winter wren were also seen at the sanctuary. Other rare birds that are wintering locally include a blue-winged teal and Northern shoveler on Mill Pond in Marstons Mills, long- and short-billed dowitchers plus 8 greater yellowlegs at West Harwich Conservation Area, a painted bunting and orange-crowned warbler on Shore Road in...

PROVINCETOWN -- Say "wildlife" and "Provincetown" in the same sentence, and most of us who love this onetime fishing village at the tip of Cape Cod will think "night life. " After all, in addition to its beautiful beaches, lively arts scene, and increasingly sophisticated restaurants, Provincetown has distinguished itself from more staid Cape towns with its joyful gay-oriented evening entertainment. There's a different kind of wildlife in this little town, however, one that visitors are more likely to see in the clear Cape light.