09/26/2026
A Nor’easter is coming. So what should you be watching for when it comes to wildlife?
After years of seeing the effects of fall storms firsthand, we’ve learned a few things about how local wildlife responds, and what you can do to help when the storm passes. Here’s what we'll be keeping an eye out for over the next couple of days...
Just like humans, wildlife do their best to shelter from the winds and rain, which can mean hunkering down in dense brush, finding safety in tree canopies, retreating to dens or nests, or, in the case of migrating pelagic birds, finding safe harbor close to shore.
A couple of factors that we expect to influence the impact of this storm:
We are just about in peak bird migration, which means on a given day, hundreds of thousands of birds are transiting over our part of the state on their way to their winter destinations. Birds are generally pretty good about predicting the weather, and most will either remove themselves from the path of the storm or find shelter early. However, if trees come down in your yard, please check knotholes, nests, and dense foliage before cutting the trees up to remove them. We have seen many an occasion where wildlife remain in the tree even after it comes down.
Additionally, seabirds often gather in large groups, called “rafts,” while staging for migration or while seeking shelter from rough seas. Strong winds from the Northeast, combined with the Cape’s unique geography, can push large numbers of birds up onto shore. The birds are often exhausted, and their waterproofing has often been degraded by sand and debris from fighting against inshore wave action. This means they also have the potential to be hypothermic. Many of them are also pretty terrible at walking on land (looking at you, Gannets, loons, murres, and dovekies), so they often end up stranded wherever they wash up. Some will try to fight the storm and may end up making emergency landings in odd places. It’s not unusual for seabirds to mistake backyards, parking lots, or dark-colored fields for open water in poor conditions.
If you see a seabird on the beach, or in your backyard for that matter, give us or your local animal control a call, as these birds often need to be assessed and regain their strength before heading back out into the wild.
We are not finished with baby season quite yet. Many of our local mammal species have had their litters of young, and they are well on their way to adulthood by late September. However, a few particularly ambitious species have second or third litters that will drag child rearing out until late fall and make them more likely to experience storm impacts. Squirrels (both gray and red) may still be nesting in trees, which leaves them vulnerable if trees or limbs come down. If you find a displaced squirrel, give us a call. We can help determine if it’s worth trying to re-nest or if it will require immediate care.
Our terrestrial overachievers - cottontails, opossums, chipmunks, and even late-season raccoons - can still be nursing this time of year. Intense rain that outpaces the rate of infiltration, as we’re expected to see into tomorrow evening, can wash out burrows and displace young families, leaving the young exposed to predators and the elements. If you find displaced raccoons, call immediately before intervention. If you find rabbits, opossums, chipmunks, or other non-rabies-vector species, placing them into a warm, dark, quiet box is the best thing to do and then seek resources for care!
