On a recent afternoon, they strolled the gravel railroad bed with their dog, Susie. The Morgans list the many creatures they've seen and surprised in their walks. They regularly see goldfinches, cardinals, egrets, swans and geese. Looking over the granite railroad bridge, they have spied blue crabs scuttling on the rocky bottom of the tidal creek that flows to the harbor. Despite poor water quality, the pond remains a favorite spot for chicken necking, a popular method of catching blue crabs in the late summer.
People come on weekends and tie a piece of chicken to a string to attract the crabs.
Once the crab is munching on the chicken, they scoop the creature with a hand net. Crabs may be taken from these waters because people only eat the meat and not the intestines and stomach where bacteria concentrates. Any clams, oysters and other shellfish that are eaten whole could pose a serious health risk if eaten from the pond. It was laid out in a study released last year and funded by the Buzzards Bay Project, the federal Environmental Protection Agency program that focuses on improving water in the bay area. But it's up to town officials to provide funding for much of this plan.