Category Archives: Beauty by the Sea

Woodchuck Chunkola Chowing Down

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What fun for Charlotte and I to catch a glimpse of this very plump Woodchuck emerging from a woodland edge.

Also known as Groundhogs, Whistle Pigs, and Land Beavers, Woodchucks are fattening up for their winter hibernation. At this time of year they are bodacious eaters and may even double in weight. Come the end of October or beginning of November, Woodchucks will enter their expertly dug burrow. Deep enough that their winter home is below the frost-line, the burrow is a series of side passages and chambers that also includes a separate toilet area. The burrow usually has at least two entrances and may meander for up to 50 feet.

Groundhogs are one of the few mammals that enter true hibernation. How does a mammal survive 4 to 5 months underground we wondered?  The Goundhog’s breathing slows from about 16 breaths per minute to as few as two and its heart rate slows from about 80 beats per minute to five. The slowed metabolism allows the Woodchuck to conserve its energy and it will only lose about one fourth of its body weight.

Included in the short is a cute back side shot because he’s sooooo wide. At this time of year, a male can weigh 14 pounds or more!

 

September Nor’easter Gloucester

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Scenes from Bass Rocks, Good Harbor Beach, and Eastern Point. This was today, Saturday, at high tide. Lots of people out and about taking in the dramatic wave action. It’s a an entirely different experience filming a nor’easter with wildflowers in the foreground and 60 degree temperatures. We haven’t seen the worst of the storm yet but at mid-day the GHB footbridge was still intact and the waves weren’t splashing over Nautilus and Atlantic Roads. Let’s hope for the best and hope too that in the places that are much harder hit everyone is keeping safe.

Bad Hair Day

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Brought to you by the mighty Great Blue Heron

Flying Hearts Over Gloucester <3

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It was so captivating to see this beautiful heart cloud in the sky that I stopped driving immediately, practically in the middle of the road, to snap some photos.  The heart didn’t seem as though it was moving too fast so I raced down to the harbor to capture a few more.  Contrails appeared and if I had photoshop skills, I might have tried to draw an arrowhead for Cupid 🙂

I can’t decide which flying heart I like best, so here’s a bunch, in the order that it was dissipating <3

And they’re off! Lone Gull 10K Race from Good Harbor Beach

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Running for a Cause – 100 percent (all proceeds) of the Lone Gull 10K go to support The Children’s Center for Communication / Beverly School for the Deaf (CCCBSD) — providing specialized education and support that enables deaf and disabled individuals to reach their full potential.

When you run the Lone Gull, you’re helping fund the programs, therapies, and specialized education that change lives across the North Shore and beyond.

Lone Gull 10k race course

We startled each other!

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Looking for butterflies and found this beauty, too.

Great Blue heron lift-off

 

Catching up!

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Dear Friends,

I hope you had a lovely end of summer and Labor Day. I feel so very grateful to have our home here in Gloucester, a home where our family wants to gather to share wonderful dinners, fun times, and explore all the beauty Cape Ann has to offer. We’re lucky that I love to cook, our son loves to cook, and husband Tom likes to grill, so there is no shortage of happy meals here. If I had to choose, September and the first half of October I think have to be the most exquisite time of year on Cape Ann, and this first week of September has proven to be true.

So much to catch up with. I want to first share about an outstanding organization, the American Oystercatcher Working Group, which is a co-operative network of biologists, researchers, and resource managers that is dedicated to the conservation of American Oystercatchers. Members work across the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the US, the Caribbean, and parts of Central and South America. The thing is, anyone can join!

American Oystercatcher and 14 day old chick

I was recently contacted by Debra Reynolds, who is on the AMOY Working Group steering and leadership committee. She requested to share my short film about AMOY on their website. Here is the link: Award Winning Filmmaker Kim Smith Delights in American Oystercatchers. You can also find a fantastically detailed species account from Birds of World on their website here.

Methuselah Monarch

I don’t recall if I sent this link for a most impressive insect spotted while filming pond stories, Ammophila nigricans, a species of thread-waisted wasps. Their common name describes them to a tee! I am seeing many more butterflies this summer than in the previous several summers, including just this past week, a Orange Sulphur, Common Wood Nymph, and a first for me, a Yellowjacket attacking a butterfly. Yesterday Charlotte and I saw our first Methuselah Monarch of the season, one of the super generation of Monarchs migrating to Mexico. We have had so many Monarchs on our Common Milkweed, lots of good rainfall, warm days, and no super storms. I hope this all portends of a strong migration along the Atlantic. We can Hope!

Those green eyes and pink legs! Orange Sulphur

Every Labor Day weekend, Gloucester also celebrates Schooner Festival and this year was the 42nd! Here is a link to a time lapse video of the beautiful, beautiful Parade of Sail.

Friends have recently written requesting how to subscribe to my blog, where I can share more photos and videos than in emails. I’ve posted instructions here in case you’d like to subscribe. Please let me know if you encounter any problems.

I hope you enjoy these last few weeks of summer.
Warmest wishes,
xxKim

How to Subscribe to Kim Smith Films – Kim Smith Designs

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Hello Friends,

Recently, a number of readers have written requesting information on how to sign up for either my blog or newsletter. Thank you for that and I so appreciate your interest!

To subscribe to my blog at Kim Smith Designs: Click on the image in the heading or this link and it will take you to the home page. In the lower right hand corner is a Subscribe link. If that does not work, please let me know.

To receive my newsletter via email, please send me an email request at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com.  You will receive an email confirmation from me but it will be through my gmail account and the newsletters also come through gmail. I don’t post my gmail account information here because of nefarious types.

More photos and videos are posted on my website’s blog page than the newsletter because I don’t want to jam up friend’s emails. But I usually provide a link from the newsletter to the blog in case you’d like to see more. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

Please feel free to email or to leave a comment in the comment section if you encounter any problems.

Thank you again for your interest. I look forward to hearing from you 🙂

xxKim

Congratulations to Mass Maritime’s Ernestina Morrissey, and Schooners Malabar X and Phra Luang – Gloucester Schooner Festival complete list of winners

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Congratulations to the 42nd Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival race winners!

Mayor’s Race and Esperanto’s Cup for schooners in the large category

1st place: Ernestina Morrissey

2nd place: Adventure

3rd place: Tabor Boy

Ned Cameron Cup for schooners in the medium category

1st place:  Malabar X

2nd place: Adirondack III

3rd place: Alert

Betty Ramsey Award for schooners in the small division

1st place: Phra Luang

2nd place: Green Dragon

3rd place: Eileen Marie

Ernestina Morrissey docked at I4-C2 Saturday morning

Snapshots from Sunday’s  Parade of Sail

Simply Glorious Parade of Sail feat. Schooner Thomas E. Lannon

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Schooners, schooners, schooners! Strong winds and gorgeous clouds made for one of the most exquisite Parades of Sail ever. The Lannon is the first schooner in the short film and you can watch the crew hoisting her sails at about twenty seconds in. Many of the schooners did not have their sails up in the inner harbor, I imagine because of the wind and risk of running into one of the smaller vessels. The wind also made for some camera shake but it was unavoidable. 

Happy Sailing  <3

Music: “This is the Day” by The The

List of schooners participating in the 42nd Annual Schooner Festival 2026

Large Schooners 80′ of more length of deck: Adventure, American Eagle, Denis Sullivan, Ernestina Morrissey, Harvey Gamage, Tabor Boy

Medium Schooners 45′ – 79′ length on deck: Adirondack III, Alert, Ardelle, Malabar X, Spirit, Thomas E. Lannon, Tyrone, When and If

Small Schooners less than 45′ on deck: Bald Eagle, Blackbird, Eileen Marie, Elizabeth, Phraluang, Green Dragon, Isabella, Lewis H. Story, Redbird, Strombus

Impressive Thread-waisted Wasp

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While finding wildflowers and discovering new (to me) pollinators to feature in my Pond film, this most elegant looking thread-waisted wasp caught my attention. She was spotted foraging in the Joe-pye.

Ammophila nigicans is one of 69 species of thread-waisted wasps known in North and Central America. She is a large wasp, up to 1.5 inches, and is a velvety gun-metal blue black with a reddish orange band across the abdomen. All thread-waisted wasps feature a very narrow waist, called a petiole, which is actually part of the abdomen. It’s interesting to think about because all bodily functions must go through that very narrow petiole.

Ammophila wasps are also called “sand wasps” which derives from the Greek for “sand lover.” To feed its young, a female first digs a hole in sand or clay. Once the single-cell nest is excavated she sets off to find a large caterpillar. The female paralyzes the caterpillar with her stinger then drags the caterpillar to the excavated hole. She lays an egg in the nest and buries caterpillar and egg together. The developing larvae will have all the food it needs to grow into a robust wasp. The caterpillar overwinters underground, emerging the following year. You can see A. nigircans on the wing in Massachusetts from mid-June through September.

The thread-waisted wasp is a solitary wasp, as opposed to the social family of wasps. Social wasps are what we typically associate with when thinking about wasps. Social wasps include Yellowjackets, Paper Wasps, and  Bald-faced Hornets and they share the characteristic of building papery nests that they will defend very aggressively. Solitary wasps are just that and considered relatively benign. They only sting if you pick one up and handle it or step on one.

A note about Joe-pye –

Joe-pye (Eupatoriums) must have the sweetest nectar. I find so many species of insects attracted to the clusters of of tiny florets. After many wildflowers and garden favorites have finished blooming for the summer, Joe-pye begins its flowering period and often finishes up right around the time New England Asters and Seaside Goldenrod begin blooming. The broad flower heads also act as a refueling station for Monarch Butterflies. We’ll find hummingbirds, native bees, and myriad species of butterflies, including Tiger Swallowtails, drinking nectar from the florets. Additionally, scientists have identified over 32 species of Lepidoptera that use Joe-pye as a host plant for their caterpillars.

Beyond providing nectar and food for wildlife, Joe-pye is essential to protecting water quality at ponds, streams, and wetlands. The plant’s deep roots help to reduce erosion and flooding  by stabilizing the soil. The roots also act as a natural filter by absorbing excess storm water run-off and fertilizers. Although Joe-pye is typically found growing in wetlands, it does well in average garden soil, too.

 

 

2026 Gloucester Schooner Fest Schedule of Events!

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To view the complete event program including lots of great information and history about the Schooner Festival, along with a complete list of participating schooners see the complete program guide here. 

From the 2025 Parade of Sail feat. the American Eagle – At about 2 minutes you can see the American Eagle crew hoisting her sails. The American Eagle was the last fishing schooner built in Gloucester. She launched on June 2nd, 1930 and was powered by both sail and engine. She now makes her home in Rockland, Maine, under the stewardship of Captain Tyler King, a Gloucester native.

Thursday – Community Day 

10:00 am – 4:00 pm Maritime Gloucester Museum & Exhibits Open

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Schooner Challenge, Gloucester Harbor – Join our local Schooner Captains as they participate in a friendly competition putting their seamanship to the test over an “obstacle” course. Passengers will be given their own set of tasks to win the coveted Rum Bottle Award. Visiting schooners already arrived will join the event. The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners. Ticketed passengers and crew will be invited to a post challenge awards party.

Friday – Greet the Fleet Day

All Day Arrival of Participating Vessels 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Maritime Gloucester Museums & Exhibits Open 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Public Sails 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm

“Greet the Fleet” Sail 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Chamber of Commerce Block Party

Saturday – Maritime Heritage Day

8:30 am – 6:00 pm Public Sails

10:00 am International Dory Races Learn more at: internationaldories.com

10:00 am – 4:00 pm Maritime Gloucester – Heritage Day Museum and Exhibits Open, Schooner Deck Tours Free to the public: schooner deck tours, music, food, crafts for all ages, skills demonstrations, community vendors, & family activities. $25 hourly schooner sails on Schooner Ardelle!

12:00 pm – 4:00 pm Schooner Viewing & Deck Tours Schooner Floats – I4C2, 65 Rogers St *Ocean Alliance – 32 Horton St, Rocky Neck Thanks to generous support from our sponsors, we are again able to provide a visitor-based dockside experience that puts the public on schooners for deck tours. This is a free option for the public, but donations are always appreciated.

6:30 pm – 10:30 pm Fireworks Sails Witnessing the fireworks over historic Gloucester Harbor is a magnificent sight. Seeing it above you from the deck of a schooner is a breathtaking experience you do not want to miss. These sell out quickly, so don’t delay. Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Boat Parade of Lights This annual event showcases a parade of local private boats and begins at dusk in the Annisquam River.

9:15 pm Fireworks Display over the Harbor Time is approximate

Sunday – Race Day!

10:00 am – 11:30 am Parade of Schooners – Schooners proceed from the Inner Harbor, past the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard and Stage Fort Park, to the race starting area off Eastern Point. Various non-profit and business organizations offer Parade of Schooners or Race viewing opportunities

10:00 am – 4:00 pm Maritime Gloucester Museum & Exhibits Open

10:30 am – 2:00 pm Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light From St. Anthony’s Church, Farrington Ave to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of Charge courtesy of the Cape Ann Transportation Authority

1:00 pm Schooner Races

The start of Mayor’s Races for Esperanto Cup & the Columbia Trophy Off Eastern Point. The race course is decided the morning of the race by the Schooner Festival Committee at

August Update

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Good Sunday morning Friends,

I hope you are having a lovely summer. Unlike the rest of the country, we in the northeast are experiencing cooler temperatures and I am taking advantage of these cloudy days to write and to get caught up. This is a glorious time of year to capture wildlife and wildlife habitat for my pond film and also, I have been getting some beautiful captures for the Saint Peter’s film.

The link is for a short film that I have been slowly working on (what’s new about me being slow with my film projects!) about the wonderfully quirky and charismatic American Oystercatcher, which is making a comeback. I am planning to add narration at some point but in the meantime here is the link: American Oystercatcher. To learn more about American Oystercatcher conservation and to read about a number of other uplifting stories, I highly recommend the latest book by Scott Weidensaul, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet. Scott is an extraordinary conservationist and you can learn more about him and his many fields of interest here on Scott’s website. He’s also very generous with his time. When I was working on the Snowy Owl Film Project, Scott was very kind in providing advice on the text.

My family is here for the next two weeks but I am going to try to find the time to provide an end of the season GHB PiPl recap and post some fun pond videos including one about butterfly butt bubbles, heron “bait fishing,” and a fascinatingly dramatic looking wasp (she’s also harmless).

Relishing this last week of August and I hope you are, too!
Warmest wishes,
xxKim

 

 

Gloucester GHS Graduate Henry Hardy Tagging Oystercatchers in NYC!

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Snapshots of Henry Hardy tagging American Oystercatcher chicks in his role as conservation biologist for the Rockaway Beach Endangered Species Nesting Area (RBESNA) with NYC Parks. His job entails coordinating a team that monitors Piping Plovers, American Oystercatchers, Black Skimmers, and terns.

Thank you to Henry (and his Mom Alexandra, from Alexandra’s Bread) for sharing <3

See new short film here:

New Short Film – American Oystercatcher – A Conservation Success Story!

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Life story of the wonderfully quirky American Oystercatcher and their remarkable comeback!

To learn more about American Oystercatcher conservation visit the American Oystercatcher Working Group’s website here.

And to read a great book about AMOY conservation and also a number of other uplifting conservation stories, I highly recommend the latest book by Scott Weidensaul, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet. Scott is an extraordinary conservationist and you can learn more about him and his many fields of interest here on Scott’s website. He’s also very generous with his time. When I was working on the Snowy Owl Film Project, Scott was very kind in providing advice on the text.

 

A Summer of Monarchs!

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Have you noticed so many more Monarchs this summer than in a very many previous years? Not just Monarchs, but the Ladies, both Painted and American, Tiger Swallowtails, Pearl Crescents, and Summer Azures, too? Our milkweed and zinnia patch has half a dozen Monarchs daily and at every pond that I am filming at for my Pond film, winged beauties grace the water’s edge, sipping nectar from wildflowers growing along the banks of the ponds.

The past few years I had gotten away from raising butterflies but this year Charlotte really wanted to. So we brought indoors a few eggs, which quickly blossomed into a dozen and a half caterpillars as I had forgotten to check for eggs tucked into the buds on the sprigs of milkweed. Each time we cut fresh milkweed to feed the caterpillars, we discovered more eggs. Note- You have to separate out the leaves with eggs and teenies so that the caterpillars that are older do not inadvertently devour them.

Newly eclosed Monarchs

We were hoping to have a butterfly release day with Charlotte’s friends but the last two batches have emerged so early in the morning that they are ready to fly before breakfast. All in all, including the five remaining chrysalides, we have had fifty or so Monarchs emerge from eggs and caterpillars in our garden.

I think perhaps hot weather spells interspersed with some good amounts of rainfall have awakened our local butterfly populations, and steady winds coming from the west are moving traveling Monarchs in our direction.

Notice below that included in the captions along with the names of the butterflies are the wildflowers that are providing loads of nectar and they are all wonderfully garden worthy plants. #plantandtheywillcome!

Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) and American Lady Butterfly

The tiny Summer Azure butterfly with a mere 7/8 inch wingspan, drinking nectar from Joe-pye

Monarchs and Ironweed

Monarch and Joe-pye

 

American Lady and Joe-pye

Pearl Crescents

 

Bobcats on Cape Ann!

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You may have a neighbor who has seen one or you may have been fortunate enough to see your self, but I think it’s super exciting that there have been numerable reports and sightings  of Bobcats in neighborhoods we don’t usually see them perusing. Friends are having face to face encounters in Manchester, Essex, and the back shore of both Rockport and Gloucester. My friend Karen took these snapshots through her screen door at 9:30 in the morning several days ago.

Do Bobcats eat pets?  Bobcats are carnivorous and will eat freely roaming cats and small dogs however, their preferred food is rabbits, rabbits, and more rabbits. They also eat mice, squirrels, skunks, opossums, muskrats, birds, and snakes. Occasionally they will take down a deer but that may be because the animal is sick, injured, very old, or very young.

Bobcats are common in the central and western part of the state and they are expanding their range through the northeast and southeast. You can easily recognize them as they are typically twice as big as a housecat and have a shortened, or bobbed, tail.

Please write if you see a Bobcat in your neighborhood and share photos and videos if you would like. Thank you!

You can read more about Bobcats in Massachusetts here Learn About Bobcats https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-bobcats

All photos courtesy Karen Thompson

Piping Plover Event at the Rockport Public Library!

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Dear Friends,

I hope you will join me Saturday, August 1st, at 11am, at the Rockport Public Library for a public screening of The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. Following the screening, we’ll have a Q and A and an update about our local Plover populations. Link to register: https://rockportlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/the-piping-plovers-of-moonlight-bay-film-screening-with-live-q-a/

Here on Cape Ann we can be proud of the excellent work we as a community have accomplished. However, as our local Plovers are once again caught in political crosshairs and being bandied about on social media, I urge anyone who would like to learn more about these vulnerable birds that nest on our Cape Ann beaches to please join us. I created the documentary to help people better understand the life story of the Plovers and why working together to safeguard their nesting habitat is a good thing. So whether you already love Piping Plovers, or take issue with, please come!

 

And, I just discovered buried in my office a box of Plover Lover tees. We will have those available as well!

North Shore Lion’s Mane Jellyfish Alert!

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From Revere to beaches all along the north of Boston coast, Lion’s Mane Jellyfish are turning up in great swaths. Not just north of Boston beaches but the South Shore and Cape and Islands, too. We have been seeing some good sized ones, but this morning’s Lion’s Mane takes the cake and was approximately two feet in diameter. It was glowing fiery orange in the morning sun and that color is what tells you it is a Lion’s Mane. Lion’s Mane Jellyfish are the largest in the world and can grow up to three feet in diameter, with mane-like tentacles that can surpass 100 feet long.Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

In Massachusetts we are most likely to see two types of jellyfish. Moon Jellies, which are saucer shaped and cloudyish transparent white, are virtually harmless. Their tentacles are too weak to penetrate human skin.

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish are found in a wide range of sizes in Massachusetts waters and dead or alive, their stinging tentacles can be very painful.They are not poisonous but the sting of a Lion”s Mane can cause a severe allergic reaction. Tell your kids not to touch the dead ones washed up on the beach and keep on the lookout when swimming.

If stung and any tentacles remain on the skin, remove with tweezers, not your bare hands. Flush immediately in seawater and then rinse with white vinegar. Shower in hot water, or even better, soak in the tub with hot water.  If experiencing an allergic reaction such as dizziness, trouble breathing, headache, nausea, fever, or fainting, call your physician.

When my friend Chris Cefalo finds a Lion’s Mane on the beach, he encircles it to help warn folks to keep away. 

The Very Best Milkweeds for New England Gardens! #plantandtheywillcome

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Dear Friends,

Why we LOVE milkweed!

Over the past few days we have seen more Monarchs in our garden than in the previous several years combined. One particularly feisty Mama  has laid claim to the patch of orange Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa). We usually only see this bossy territorial behavior with males. She however flies at any one or thing that approaches. She spends half her time drinking nectar from the A. tuberosa, then flits over to the patch of Common Milkweed (A. syriaca) to deposit a batch of eggs. She has quite possibly done this routine 100 times.

From a visit several weeks ago by a different female Monarch, we have a minimum of 15 caterpillars on the Common Milkweed, all very teeny weeny. Let’s hope the spiders don’t devour them!

Milkweeds are not only the larval host (caterpillar food plant) for Monarch Butterflies, they also provide a rich source of nectar for myriad other pollinators including bees, hover flies, many species of Lepidoptera, and hummingbirds.

Monarch ovipositing egg on Common Milkweed

The very best native (native to the Northeast) milkweeds for our New England gardens, in order of productivity:

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Aptly named because it is the milkweed we see growing everywhere, from dunes to meadows, backyards to parklands, and even the cracks of sidewalks. It spreads greatly and if you plant, know you are giving that plot of land forever to the milkweed. Common Milkweed has the most wonderful honey hay scent and is especially potent in the evening. At this time of year when lying in bed at night I love how the dreamy scent comes wafting through the open windows.

What is meant by “productive” is that from studies comparing which species of milkweed produces the greatest amount of caterpillars, Common is first, followed by Marsh Milkweed.

Common Milkweed

Marsh Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

What Marsh Milkweed lacks in fragrance, it surely makes up for with its deep rosey pink florets. And it is much better behaved, growing in clumps rather than spreading vigorously. Don’t worry about planting in a marsh or wetlands, Marsh Milkweed grows beautifully in average garden soil There is also a pretty white cultivar named ‘Ice Ballet.’

Marsh Milkweed

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

The most brightly colored of our New England natives, Asclepias tuberosa flowers in shades of tangerine, yellow, and reddish orange. Whereas Common and Marsh are somewhat shade tolerant, A. tuberosa needs a sunny spot with well draining soil.

Butterflyweed

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Although native I have never seen a caterpillar on the Whorled Milkweed in our garden, and only very seldomly, a Monarch drinking nectar. The leaves are delicate and finely pointed as you can see from the photo below. Our little patch is growing in full sun and the plant only spreads mildly, not invasively.

Whorled Milkweed

To learn more about milkweed and the life story of the Monarch Butterfly, see our film on PBS at Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly

Please write and let me know of your Monarch sightings. Thank you!
Happy July!
xxKim

Save the Date! Saturday August 1st for The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay Film Screening

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On Saturday, August 1st, I will be presenting a film screening of The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay, followed by a QandA, at the beautiful Rockport Public Library. With many thanks to Osha Rose for organizing this screening!

For more information and if you would like to register, please go here

The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay.

Discover how we can all become stewards of these pocket-sized, threatened shorebirds.

The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay is a one-hour nature documentary that tells the life story of these captivating and endangered birds. The film features a pair of courageous Plovers and the adventures of their blended brood of chicks. Raising tiny, marshmallow-sized baby birds on a crowded urban beach is a perilous occupation and the family overcomes many life-threatening obstacles.

Piping Plovers are a bellwether species that speaks to how successfully wildlife and people interact with one another, especially in light of the growing threat of habitat loss. These remarkably resilient birds are well adapted to life on the beach however, without adequate protective measures, Piping Plovers will fail in the face of pressure created by people and predators.

We are inspired by the beauty of the Plover’s life story and also highly aware of the formidable challenges these valiant little birds face at every stage of life.

 

The Beautiful Fiesta

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Sorting through photos and footage from the 99th Saint Peter’s Fiesta and I can’t help but think – Beautiful Fiesta, Beautiful Community.

Buona Festa <3 See you at the 100th!

Why the Homeowners in Newbury Have it all Wrong!

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The homeowners are not being asked to remove the flags because of some anti-American, unpatriotic agenda. In 2009, the residents received many thousands of dollars in federal assistance as part of a replenishment project to save their homes from coastal erosion. At that time, the town and property owners entered an agreement to manage the beach to protect endangered shorebirds.

The agreement is still in place. The reason flags, or any aerial display, are disallowed in shorebird habitat is because the nesting adult birds perceive the flags as an avian predator. The parents will leave the nest to protect the chicks from flags, drones, kites, or whatever the aerial threat. When the Plover parents are away from their eggs, nestlings, and chicks is when the little ones are the most vulnerable to actual avian predators such as gulls and Crows. Because the agreement is in place, the flags, or placing any flag in protected shorebird habitat, is in violation of state and federal law.

Love this image of the visual history of the flag found from the Encyclopedia Britannica

 

Beautiful Strawberry Moon Over Gloucester

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Last night’s full Strawberry Moon, at Brace Cove.

#18 Chris Dailey Honored at the 5K

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Many people were wearing Chris Dailey t-shirts at the 5K. The shirts were designed to honor beloved community member Chris Dailey