William von Herff

Massachusetts

Staff Reporter at The Provincetown Independent

Journalist at Freelance

Birder-turned-science journalist in MIT's Graduate Program in Science Writing | #birdnamesforbirds

Articles

Nesting Instincts

1 week ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

Every day, before I head into work, I go to see what’s swimming around MacMillan Pier. In the winter, this mostly involves looking at ducks, checking on that one thick-billed murre, and keeping an eye out for Iceland gulls. Now, as these winter visitors begin to depart, they are being replaced by swarms of double-crested cormorants. There were just one or two each day in mid-March, but their numbers are quickly climbing. On March 20, there were 11 roosting on the breakwater.
State Bans All Large-Shark Fishing on Outer Cape

2 weeks ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

WELLFLEET — A group of fishermen using baited hooks delivered by drones to fish for sharks at LeCount Hollow Beach last September got into an altercation with surfers that led to Wellfleet police and Cape Cod National Seashore officers being called — but the fishermen were released without being charged.
Feds Reinstate Fired Seashore Employees — for Now - The Provincetown Independent

2 weeks ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

WELLFLEET — A court order has reinstated three full-time Cape Cod National Seashore employees who were terminated by the Park Service on Feb. 14. Their return to work, however, may be only temporary. The reasons are complicated and include an April 8 U.S. Supreme Court ruling favoring an appeal by the Trump administration’s Justice Dept. of a U.S. District Court decision.
Adding Sand Could Help Salt Marshes Recover

3 weeks ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

PROVINCETOWN — Across the Outer Cape, an ever-growing explosion in the Sesarma crab population is causing salt marshes to rapidly retreat — but a new study suggests that adding sand might be the key to their restoration. Sesarma crabs, also known as purple marsh crabs, are voracious grazers of saltmarsh grasses like the emerald-green Spartina that fills Provincetown’s West End marsh.
The State of the Birds on Cape Cod

3 weeks ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

WELLFLEET — A new report on research by leading bird conservation scientists, published by Cornell University, confirms that North American bird populations are continuing a steep decline. The North American Bird Conservation Initiative’s State of the Birds 2025 report, released on March 13, reinforces the conclusions of a 2019 study in Science that found there are 3 billion fewer North American birds than there were in 1970.
The American Woodcock’s Got the Moves

1 month ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

It was a still March evening, and I was watching the sunset along the Pilgrim Spring bike path in Truro. For what seemed like a long while, the marsh there was filled with singing birds using the last of the daylight to proclaim their territories and attract mates. Then, apart from the distant chirping of red-winged blackbirds and common grackles congregating at their roosts, all the birds had gone silent, when, right around sunset, a loud, nasal peent sliced through the quiet.
As Right Whales Shift, Cape Cod Remains Safe Haven for Now

1 month ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

[PROVINCETOWN — North Atlantic right whales, critically endangered with a population of only around 370, move widely around our ocean. They have traditionally ranged from below Cape Canaveral, Fla., where they calve in winter, to New England and into Canada following the summer food supply. But their distribution has been shifting as the location of plankton, their key food, is altered by climate change.
After 6-year Delay, Seashore Carries Out Prescribed Burn at Fort Hill

1 month ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

EASTHAM — On any other sunny spring day, Fort Hill would be dotted with hikers, dog-walkers, and nature lovers. But on March 12, the historic grassland that overlooks Nauset Marsh was instead populated by a crew of workers clad in flame-resistant gear and carrying drip torches and backpacks full of water. They were here to perform a 14-acre prescribed burn.
Josh Yeston Wants to Be Wellfleet’s Champion

1 month ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

WELLFLEET — When voters head to the polls on May 5 to fill two select board seats, they will find only two candidates on the ballot. Barbara Carboni, who has served on the select board since 2022, is running for re-election. Josh Yeston, an advertising executive who moved to Wellfleet two years ago, is the other candidate. Michael DeVasto announced on Feb. 18 that he was not running for re-election.
A Bird Symphony Begins

1 month ago | provincetownindependent.org | William von Herff

The sound echoes from the marshes behind my house every morning, starting in late February: konk-a-REEE. It’s an alarm clock of sorts — it signals the start of a new day and a new season. This is the song of the red-winged blackbird, an abundant summer marsh bird that leaves the Outer Cape in midwinter. They return in big numbers in February and stay well into the late fall.