Cape Cod

Rescuers struggled in cold, windy weather and rough seas Friday to save dozens of dolphins off Cape Cod, where more than 50 of the animals have died in the last two days. White-striped dolphins began beaching themselves here Thursday morning. Many died of exposure, and others were euthanized.

Gloriae Dei Cantores, 37-strong and conducted by Elizabeth Patterson, visited Los Angeles on Wednesday night as part of a "North American Gateway Concert Tour." Performing in St. James Episcopal Church in the mid-Wilshire area, the professional a cappella chorus from Cape Cod sang a program of Gregorian chant and works by Palestrina, Josef Rheinberger, Rachmaninoff and Gerald Near with seamless ensemble, seductive phrasing and surprising dynamic range.

Cape Cod, one of North America's most popular resort areas, features charming fishing villages, beautiful seascapes, 275 miles of white-sand beaches and many miles of flat, paved cycling paths. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Massachusetts resort each year, and also its neighboring islands--Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. To avoid these large crowds, however, the ideal time to visit is spring and autumn. For next year, start planning now.

"A storm in the fall or winter is the time to visit it; a lighthouse or a fisherman's hut the true hotel. A man may stand there and put all America behind him." So read the last lines of Henry David Thoreau's "Cape Cod." The book, written in the 1850s, records the impressions that Thoreau gathered during three visits to what he called the "Great Beach"--in 1849, 1850 and 1855. His penetrating eye took in the landscape, its flora and fauna, as well as the scattered denizens of Cape Cod.

Federal officials are preparing to poison as many as 7,500 sea gulls at a Cape Cod wildlife refuge, prompting protests from residents and environmental groups who charge that officials should instead be protecting bird habitats now invaded by off-road vehicles. A last-minute bid by the Humane Society of the United States to halt the poisonings failed Thursday night when a federal judge denied the group's request for a temporary restraining order.

More than 500 abortion protesters jammed sidewalks outside a women's clinic, waved photos of dismembered fetuses, sang hymns and shouted Bible verses Saturday. Seventy-seven people were arrested. Also Saturday, anti-abortion activists staged a peaceful protest outside the National Organization for Women convention in Chicago. A demonstration on Cape Cod in Massachusetts resulted in 28 arrests.

Even if all bird songs sound like so much twitter, a trip to this area may make at least a temporary bird watcher out of you. From April to November, Cape Cod, that narrow forearm and fist curving into the Atlantic from Buzzard's Bay to Provincetown, resembles a major airport hub for migrating birds. The spring migration passes swiftly. By June, sea birds and shore birds have reached their northernmost breeding grounds on the Arctic tundra or the rocky shores of Maine and Newfoundland.

Yankee Tavern is known around Newport Beach as Hans Prager's other restaurant. The Ritz, Prager's better-known establishment, should feel flattered, because in many ways, this mock Cape Cod roadhouse is more appealing and easier to take than its more formal counterpart. It's casual enough to walk into on the spur of the moment, but the food is hearty and delicious enough to make any meal come across as a special occasion.

Cape Cod conjures up visions of wide sandy beaches and neat shingled cottages, scrub pine and blueberries, sailboats tacking in bays and channels warmed by the Gulf Stream. But sit for a time in one of the sandy crescent's traffic jams, or drive past one of the bustling construction projects along Old King's Highway, and suddenly the Cape is no different from anywhere else. Rapid development is threatening the idyllic rural seaside life style. Open space is vanishing.

At least three of the 50 pilot whales that died less than two weeks ago on Cape Cod beaches had also been involved in a mass stranding earlier in the month, and the discovery could provide fresh insight into whale behavior, scientists say. Another clue for marine biologists to ponder is that the beachings on Dec. 19 and one on Dec. 3 were preceded by nearly identical weather--raging winds, rain and high seas.