Category Archives: Beauty of Cape Ann

Two Wonderfully Unique and Enchanting Shorebirds in Our Midst – Northern Lapwing and Ruddy Turnstone

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Dear PiPl Friends,

Sunday morning when I set out to film it was only 7 degrees –  one minute filming followed by several back in my mittens. It’s just so hard to tear away with so many exquisite creatures in our midst!  Last week I wrote about the Common Goldeneye visiting our shores and the Killdeer that has been here all winter. They are mostly gorging on readily available food; the Goldeneye deep diving for pond vegetation and the Killdeer scouring the landscape for tiny mollusks and insects found in the seaweed. I was utterly delighted to come across another bird not usually seen at this time of year. We startled each other. I was looking for the Killdeer but first sighting was of a plumped-out, short-legged little shorebird, the Ruddy Turnstone.  He was at rest and as soon we noticed each other, he began foraging in the fashion for which turnstones are named, that of flipping over stones in search of food.

Ruddy Turnstones are great distance migrators, some traveling more than 6,500 miles between breeding and non-breeding grounds. Just as with Piping Plovers, males typically arrive first. They are very territorial at their nesting grounds. The females depart when the Turnstone chicks are only abut a week or so old, leaving the males alone to rear the chicks.

I wonder how long the Ruddy Turnstone will stay. I think his presence indicates the northward spring migration for birds traveling the greatest distance is underway. I didn’t recognize him at first because he was not in breeding plumage but his bright orange legs gave a good clue. The photo below, taken a few years ago, is what Rudy Turnstones look like when we see them towards the end of the summer on their southward migration.

Ruddy Turnstone, August 2019

The Northern Lapwing pictured below has been hanging out along the Rhode Island coast and the southern coast of Massachusetts. He is way, way off course. When I write off course, that is an understatement. Northern Lapwings are common throughout Eurosiberia and their southern range includes North Africa, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of China. But every few years we who live in southeastern Canada and New England are fortunate to see one.

Lapwings are most often seen foraging inland at agricultural fields. Luckily, the day I spotted the Lapwing, he was flying around and landing on rocks in the intertidal zone. He was a bit too far off for my cameras nonetheless, you can see how striking is his plumage and crest (the long wispy plumes protruding from the back of his head). Males reportedly have longer plumes than do females. When the sun hit his wings the iridescent colors shone beautifully. It was worth it standing in Arctic-like conditions to document this rare plover beauty.

Northern Lapwings are a species of plover and as with many species of plovers, their population is in decline.

Avian flu is taking a deadly toll in Massachusetts, mostly on the southern coast and Greater Boston area. For the most recent report from the State, go here: https://www.mass.gov/news/state-officials-provide-updated-guidance-on-suspected-avian-flu-cases-reported-across-massachusetts.

Link to form to report dead wild birds: https://www.mass.gov/forms/report-observations-of-dead-wild-birds

We have good news to share for our Plover documentary – we received the Gold Award at the Spotlight Documentary Film Festival! And our film recently aired to an enthusiastic audience at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia.

Stay well.

Warmest wishes,

xxKim

With deepest gratitude and appreciation to all who are contributing to The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. We could not continue to bring the story of these valiant little birds to film festivals and public television without your kind and generous help.  Thank you!

With gratitude to the following PiPl friends for their kind contributions – Jane Alexander (Nova Scotia), Cornelius Hauck (Cincinnati), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), New England BioLabs (Ipswich), Cape Ann Garden Club, Brace Cove Foundation (Gloucester), JH Foundation/Fifth Third Bank (Ohio), Janis and John Bell (Gloucester), Jennie Meyer (Gloucester), Alice and David Gardner (Beverly), JoeAnn Hart (Gloucester), Lauren Mercadante (New Hampshire), Kim Tieger (Manchester), Joanne Hurd (Gloucester), Holly Niperus (Phoenix), Bill Girolamo (Melrose), Claudia Bermudez (Gloucester), Paula and Alexa Niziak (Rockport), Todd Pover (Springfield), Cynthia Dunn (Gloucester), Nancy Mattern (Albuquerque), Marion Frost (Ipswich), Cecile Christianson (Peabody), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), Donna Poirier Connerty (Gloucester), Mary Rhinelander (Gloucester), Jane Hazzard (Georgetown), Duncan Holloman (Gloucester), Karen Blandino (Rockport), Duncan Todd (Lexington), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Amy Hauck-Kalti (Ohio), JoAnn Souza (Newburyport), Karen Thompson (San Francisco), Carolyn Mostello (Rhode Island), Susan Pollack (Gloucester), Peggy O’Malley (Gloucester), Hilda Santos (Gloucester), Maggie Debbie (Gloucester), Sandy Barry (Gloucester), The Massachusetts Daughters of the American Revolution, Mary Keys (Madeira, Ohio), Barbara Boudreau (Gloucester), Suki Augusti, Jonathan and Sally Golding (Gloucester), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Cecile Christensen (Peabody), Marty and Russ Coleman (Dallas, Texas), David Brooks (Troy, Michigan), Karen Maslow (Gloucester), Lisa Craig (Winchester), Menotomy Bird Club (Winchester), Lyda Kuth (Belmont), Kimberly Bouris (Gloucester), and my sweet husband Tom 🙂

 

Well Hello There Visiting Plover Outside-Your-Winter-Range!

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For well over a month a Killdeer has been residing on Cape Ann. I am sure he is the same one we daily observe as he has a tuft of feathers protruding from the back of his head.Seeing for the first time from a distance and because of the protuberance of feathers, I initially thought it was a Northern Lapwing (!) but soon realized it was a Killdeer. Other than the tuft of feathers, which he has had the entire time he has been here, the Killdeer appears to be healthy. I wonder if he was injured during migration and has decided to spend the winter here. Whatever the reason, he appears to be managing the frigid temps and finding plenty of sand flies in the seaweed and mini mollusks along the water’s edge.

Wolf Moon Over Lobster Trap Tree

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Gorgeous Moon set this morning! I almost missed it as I was planning to be back home at 7am sharp to make pancakes and my various lookout places were not aligned correctly. Luckily and just in the nick of time, I found a new spot 🙂 Tonight the full Wolf Moon Eats Mars and rises at 4:06pm. Happy Moon Viewing!

Holiday Shopping at Alexandra’s Bread!

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Are you looking for wonderfully whimsical (and also useful) last minute hostess gifts, stocking stuffers, handmade presents, and all around lovely and unique home goods?  You need go no further than Alexandra’s Bread. Located at  265 Main Street, Alexandra’s has extended Christmas hours as follows:

Sunday Noon to 3:00

Monday Noon to 4:00

Christmas Eve Day, Tuesday 8:30 to 2pm. Alexandra and John will be baking as well on Tuesday.

We Love shopping for baked goods and home goods at Alexandra’s. They are just the nicest family and there is always a steady stream of friendly customers, with lots of lively conversation. Jon and Alexandra have been huge supporters of our Cape Ann PLovers since they first arrived to Gloucester nine years ago. Support our local businesses and #shoplocal <3

Jon, Owen, and Alexandra

Our family has a cozy tradition of serving fondue on Christmas Eve and we always purchase the bread at Alexandra’s a few days ahead of time. Their homemade baguettes are the absolute perfect dipping bread. Awhile back we bought a second, vintage fondue pot (from Alexandra’s) and now we have two pots going, one with only cheeses and a second pot with cheese, artichokes hearts, and crabmeat (you could switch the crabmeat for lobster). In addition to the bread, we dip steamed asparagus tips along with broccoli and cauliflower florets. 

Winter Robins in the Neighborhood!

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We so look forward to the return each winter of flocks of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings. Currently on our shores we have a mixed flock traveling also with three beautiful Bluebirds and several juvenile Cedar Waxwings!

Juvenile Cedar Waxwing

The Robin photographed here reached on tiptoes to get at the crabapple tree fruit, brandished his wings while almost losing his balance, and then success 🙂 If you have planted your garden with any of the following, including hollies, winterberries, crabapples, Chokecherry, cedars or junipers, you will most definitely be graced with the beautiful winter Robins.

I wrote the following post 10 years ago and it is still very relevant to attracting Robins to your garden –

Birds of New England: The American Robin and Bird Food!

During the winter months Cape Ann often becomes home to large flocks of robins, and we have had the joy of hosting numerous numbers in our garden. I can’t help but notice their arrival. Their shadows descend, crisscrossing the window light, followed by a wild rumpus in the ‘Dragon Lady’ hollies. This pair of hollies is planted on opposing sides of the garden path, alongside my home office. I have learned to stealthily sneak up to a window, as any sudden activity inside startles birds that are investigating our garden, and they quickly disperse. Dining not only on berries of the ‘Dragon Ladies’, but also the ‘Blue Princess’ Meserve holly and winterberry bushes, I find dozens of noisy, hungry robins.

These winter nomads flock to trees and shrubs that hold their fruit through December, January, and February, feasting on red cedar, American holly, Meserve hollies, chokecherries, crabapples, and juniper. Robins traveling along the shores of Cape Ann also comb the shoreline for mollusks, and go belly-deep for fish fry. Depleting their food supply, they move onto the next location. Gardens rife with fruiting shrubs and trees make an ideal destination for our migrating friends.

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)

Habitat Gardening Tip:

The garden designed to attract nesting pairs of summer resident robins, as well as flocks of winter travelers, would be comprised of trees and shrubs for nest building, plants that bear fruit and berries that are edible during the summer and fall, and plants that bear fruits that persist through the winter months. Suburban gardens and agricultural areas provide the ideal habitat, with open fields and lawns for foraging insects as well as trees and hedgerows in which to build their nests.

The following plants, suggested with robins in mind, will also attract legions of songbirds and Lepidoptera. The list is comprised primarily of indigenous species with a few non-native, but not invasive, plants included.

Trees for nesting ~ American Holly (Ilex opaca), Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida).

Summer and autumn fruit bearing trees, shrubs and vines for robins ~ Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Blackberry (Rubus spp.), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Gray Dogwood (C. racemosa), Red-osier Dogwood (C. sericea), Silky Dogwood (C. amomum), Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Apple (Malus pumila), Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana), Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), Wild Grape (Vitis spp.).

Trees and shrubs with fruits persisting through winter ~ Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana), Crabapple (Malus spp.), Sargent’s Crabapple (Malus sargentii), American Holly (Ilex opaca), Meserve Hollies (Ilex x meserveae), Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Common Juniper (Juniperus communis), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina).

A second very thoughtful and super helpful article about safely viewing Snowy Owls in my inbox today, this from Mass Audubon –

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Snowy Owls Are Back in Massachusetts—Here’s What You Need to Know

Mass Audubon December 3, 2024

Every fall, usually in November, enchanted visitors make their way from the Arctic tundra to the (relatively) warmer lands in Massachusetts. With white feathers speckled grey and piercing yellow eyes, the return of Snowy Owls brings joy to birders, photographers, and Harry Potter fans alike. These majestic birds spend the winter in open spaces such as large salt marshes, agricultural fields, and even airports, before heading back to their northern breeding grounds around April.

While their arrival causes excitement among many, there are a few important things to keep in mind before searching them out.

Why Am I Hearing More About Snowy Owls Now?

Snowy Owls (or “snowies”) travel south every winter to hunt and feed in warmer weather, but the number that appear each season varies from year to year. An irruptive species, they respond to changes in the conditions of their home territory by moving elsewhere in search of food. Some of the factors that trigger irruptions include variations in their Arctic food supply, severe snow and ice cover in their usual wintering areas, or a superabundance of owls resulting from an exceptional nesting season.

Snowy Owl swooping on beach dune. Photo by Marilyn Blake

Snowy Owls Face Challenges

Most of the owls found in Massachusetts during the winter are young, inexperienced, and face many challenges. They must master hunting prey and evading predators; avoid being hit by vehicles or getting electrocuted; fend off disease and rodenticide poison; and deal with disruptions by people while roosting and hunting. While some challenges are beyond our control, individual actions can help minimize human disturbances.

Don’t Disturb the Snowies While Viewing Them

As a community of bird-lovers and conservationists, we can avoid making survival any more difficult for these spectacular raptors by giving them plenty of space.

Primarily nocturnal, Snowy Owls mostly roost (rest or sleep) during the daytime to conserve energy. Groups of observers can keep Snowy Owls from resting; birds are often forced to fly and relocate repeatedly if multiple photographers or birders approach them. To protect the Snowy Owls, give them the space they need to survive.

Distance is Key: When observing an owl, stay at least 50 yards (150 feet) away. That’s about half of a football field, or five school buses stacked end-to-end. Bring and utilize your binoculars or a zoom camera lens to keep your distance while viewing.
Manage Your Group: When viewing an owl with a group of people, view from one location and never surround or attempt to approach the owl to get a better view or photograph.
Watch for Behavioral Clues: If the bird becomes alert, extends its neck upright, and eyes become wide open, you have disturbed it and you should back off immediately.
By following these ethical birding and bird photography best practices, you can help ensure a successful breeding season for future generations.

How Mass Audubon is Helping Snowy Owls

Norman Smith Photo by John Cole

Logan Airport has the largest known concentration of Snowy Owls in the Northeast. The airport owls help by scaring away other birds that might endanger aircraft. Unfortunately, they are also large enough to pose a threat themselves. To protect both birds and jets, Mass Audubon’s Norman Smith has been safely capturing and relocating Snowy Owls since 1981. These re-releases allow our team to learn more about the birds’ health, flight patterns, and more. Learn more about the Snowy Owl Project

Explore Opportunities to View Snowy Owls Respectfully

Mass Audubon offers bird walks and Snowy Owl-focused programs, where our expert naturalists will lead the way in observing owls without disrupting their much-needed daytime rest.

Stop at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton for a guaranteed way to see two Snowy Owls up close without disturbing them. The owls in their exhibit cannot survive in the wild due to injuries and now serves as animal ambassadors.

Lobster Trap Christmas Tree Build Slideshow

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The Lobster Trap Christmas tree taking shape, from measuring and laying out the circumference, offloading traps from Makin Movers, to securing the traps while building round and round, level by level; it’s a fantastic day for the community. Thank you Lobster Trap Christmas Tree build Crew!

If you would like to join the team next year, please visit The Lobster Trap Tree website to sign up. There is also a portal to donate to help with recurring expenses such as lights, and information if you would like to become a sponsor.

The Crew: Top row left to right -Tyler Rogers, Emre Kayadibi, Peter Asaro, David Brooks, Jonathan Cooney, Andrew Nicastro, Shawn Henry, Jesse Dole, Oliver Brooks, and Daniel Brooks.

Bottom row left to right – Nichole Frontiero, Christian Maki, Nard Doyle, Steve Allwood, Pietro Cannavo, David DeAngelis, Jose Leland, Josh Oliver, and Steve Larkin

Not pictured are Bryanna Porter, David Pratt, Rob Moran, and Miriam Brooks

2024 Lobster Trap Christmas Tree Build Video, Save the Date Tree Lighting, and LTCT New Website!

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SAVE the DATE: The Lobster Trap Christmas Tree Lighting is December 14th, 4:30 to 5pm.

Check out the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree’s brand new website at thelobstertraptree.org. The website was a donation from, and built by, Andrew Nicastro of  the live stream and AV production company Streamography. 

On the new website you will find links to the buoy painting schedule at Art Haven, how to be a sponsor, how to join the team, and how to donate to help with annual recurring costs (lights!).

There is also a portal to submit your Lobster Trap Christmas Tree photos, new and vintage!

This is the second year in a row that the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree is located at Solomon Jacob’s Landing.

Video of the Lobster Trap Christmas Tree Build

Turkey Towns – A Conservation Success Story!

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Dear Friends,

I hope this Thanksgiving finds you well. Hopefully you have a joyful weekend ahead.

I was speaking over the phone with a dear friend who hasn’t visited New England in many years and misses it very much. I mentioned to her how the Wild Turkeys in our neighborhood look so comical when they take off to roost for the night onto tree branches.  She said wait, what, Turkeys in your neighborhood? I said yes, of course, they are everywhere, not remembering that when she lived here there was none. She has never seen a single Wild Turkey nonchalantly perusing a city street, let alone gobbling gangs.

Eastern Wild Turkeys were once widespread. An estimated 10 million Wild Turkeys roamed North America, from southern Canada, throughout the continental US to Mexico. As the nation became colonized, the settlers cut down forests as they went. New England was particularly hard hit. The birds lost not only their food supply of acorns and chestnuts, but also their protective cover. Turkeys became extirpated from Massachusetts (no longer living in the state); the last Massachusetts native Wild Turkey was killed in 1851.

As Turkeys became scarcer and scarcer nationwide, many states tried to reintroduce the birds to their historic habitats. According to Mass Wildlife, between 1911 and 1967, at least 9 unsuccessful attempts were made to restore Turkeys to Massachusetts. At first, they tried to release farm Turkeys, not wild ones, but those birds did not survive. “In 1937, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act, provided much-needed funding for wildlife studies and restoration. With the additional resources, wildlife management methods improved and new capture techniques provided a safe and effective means for live-capture of birds (Wild Turkeys) for translocating to new areas.”

Biologists like Jim Carodoza, who led the Turkey Game and Upland Game Project at Mass Wildlife during the 1970s, began to explore the idea of live-trapping Wild Turkeys from southwestern New York. They would sit in their trucks for hours waiting for the Wild Turkeys to follow a trail of cracked corn, oats, and wheat to an open pasture. Once a gaggle of 20 or so had gathered, the biologists fired an enormous 2600 square foot net to capture the Turkeys.

By the early 1970s, 37 Wild Turkeys had been live trapped in the Adirondacks and released in Berkshire County. By autumn of 1978, the Massachusetts Turkey population had grown to about 1,000 birds. Mass Wildlife biologists and volunteers began live-trapping Turkeys from the growing flocks, transporting them to other areas of the state with suitable habitat. A total of 26 releases of 561 birds made in 10 counties took place between 1979 and 1996.

In just over fifty years, the Turkey population of Massachusetts has grown from that first 37 introduced birds to an estimated 30,000 to 35,000 Turkeys!

Turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving although, according to the journals of Pilgrims, it was one of many game birds served that day.

Aren’t the young ones beautiful! Newly hatched baby Turkeys are called poults, juvenile males called jakes, and juvenile females, jennies.

Happy Thanksgiving and travel safely <3

xxKim

 

 

Our Beautifully Industrious Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Has Returned!

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Last spring I wrote about a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that stayed in our garden for over a month. We were fascinated watching her daily activities; so much so  that I was inspired to write a poem and Charlotte nicknamed her Miss Featherton. We are excited beyond measure to see the return of our beautiful YBSS. Just as she did in the spring, Miss Featherton perches in the Dragon Lady Holly throughout the day.  She cautiously guards, and continues to maintain, the sap wells that she so pertinaciously dug. The sap is not flowing as vigorously as during the spring months but there is enough for her to take in a bunch of licks and the wells continue to attract insects. This morning I filmed her snatching a Yellowjacket that had stopped by to investigate the sweet sap.

We read that YBSS drill holes in unhealthy trees and were concerned our tree may beginning to decline. No need to worry though as you can see in the film clip, the holly is absolutely loaded with plump cadmium red berries.

My Yellow-bellied Sapsucker poem –

Sap-licker

Startled songbird silently flings
from approaching steps.

Behavior not usually seen by the insouciant
feathered friends that call our garden home.

Why so timorous?

Neatly arranged squares and holes
riddle the bark of the Dragon Lady Holly.

The masterfully drilled, cambium pierced checkered grid is glistening
in the sun – with deep wells and narrow streamlets of sweetness.

A sap-lick!

I wait to see her, half hidden and as
quiet as the owl after a long night

Weary and bedraggled, the Sapsucker returns
An arduous migration, no doubt.

She pauses guardedly
No one must know of her creation
with its treasured life fluid seeping down branches.

Her soft yellow belly and stippled feather patterning
Mirrors the spotty bark.

Her camouflage is not blown. She dives in with tender gusto
Delicately excavating the holes with brush tongue.

Wind rustles through leaves and she flings off
Only to return again and again and again
To her life-giving channels of gold flowing through tree veins.

YBSS are the only woodpeckers that are completely migratory. They breed further north and west of eastern Massachusetts and spend the winter months in warmer climates; some females traveling as far south as Panama. I wonder if we will see the return of the male this fall as well. It was just a year ago in December that we had our first ever Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a male, and he was eating the fruits of the Pokeberry bush. It was also the first year with a Pokeberry. The plant is rather ungainly and I had some trepidation about allowing it to take hold but if a bit of awkwardness is the price to pay for a garden inviting Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, I’ll take it!

Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Pokeberry – note the male has a red chin as well as a red cap.

Timeline of Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Pokeberry –

Summer 2023 – Newly seeded Pokeberry bush grows six feet first summer (most likely the seed was deposited by a bird).

December 2023 – First ever male YBSS. Stays for several days eating Pokeberries.

March – May 2024 –  Female YBSS created striking grid pattern of sap wells on both the Holly and Magnolia trees, concentrating her efforts much more on the Holly. She spends many weeks drinking the sap, digging more wells, and eating insects attracted to the sap flows. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds discover the sap wells.

Summer 2024 – Ruby-throated Hummingbirds daily drink nectar from the small pinkish whiteish flowers of the Pokeweed.

October 2024 – Female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker returns, with daily visits into November. How long will she stay?

Grow native and they will come!

Beautiful Autumn

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Autumn scenes from around Cape Ann

 

 

Pocket-sized Ruby-crowned Kinglet

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Only weighing about as much as a quarter, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet’s tiny stature belies its vigorous foraging habits. The Kinglet flits and forages along the pond’s muddy edge, energetically snatching insects, all the the while flicking its tail. He leaps from stem to stem then takes off to hover mid-air, simultaneously pecking spiders from slender stalks.

The Kinglet’s ruby crown is well-hidden and mostly seen in spring during courtship display. RCKinglets are so incredibly fast; I was just hoping to capture some tiny bit of footage/documentation and was absolutely delighted when one flew to an adjacent bush only several feet away. He began floofing after his bath, with brilliant vermilion crown on full display.

We are at the tippy northern range of the Ruby-crowned Kinglets wintering grounds. Perhaps with the warming weather trend, we will see more and more.

For comparison sake, two years ago (November 2022), a flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets graced our eastern most shores, staying for about a week.

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak in the Hood!

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A very curious bird looking back at me! He emerged through the dense shrubby understory with breakfast in mouth. With a proportionately oversized beak, strong-white eye-stripe, and feathers that looked like half-female, half male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, I wasn’t sure what interesting creature was in our neighborhood this morning. Then he flashed his red under wings in take-off and I knew it was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak in some stage of development. This little guy is a male hatch year stopping over during his long migration south. Perhaps he will spend the winter in Cuba, or Panama, or even further south to Ecuador.

From Cornell – “Most Rose-breasted Grosbeaks fly across the Gulf of Mexico in a single night, although some migrate over land around the Gulf. Grosbeaks that winter in Panama and northern South America tend to be from eastern parts of the breeding range, while those wintering in Mexico and Central America tend to be from western parts.”

The second video is of a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak that stopped over at Niles Pond for a few days last spring.

Supermoon Sequence Descending Over Maritime Gloucester

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Perfect clear skies for Moon viewing this morning! Supermoon descending over Martime Gloucester.

Hunter’s Moon Gloucester October 17, 2024

 

Our Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay Boston Film Festival Premiere is Sold Out!

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My sincerest thanks to all who are planning to attend the premiere tonight. It’s my greatest hope that you enjoy and are inspired by our documentary. Thank you to Robin Dawson and the outstanding Boston Film Festival team and to Michelle Alekson and the equally outstanding Rockport Music crew. Thank you also to Gail McCarthy and Andrea Holbrook for the awesome press and to Dan Driscoll from CapeAnn MA and Rockport Stuff Facebook pages for helping to get the word out.

With love, gratitude, and the deepest appreciation for your support.

Thank you,

xoKim

The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay Easter Eggs

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There are a bunch of eggs in our Plover film. Not only Plover eggs, but Easter eggs. Some are more obvious than others. I hope you have fun finding them!

A characteristic behavior of many male Plovers when they first arrive to a potential breeding site is called “flight display.” The birds circle around and around a location, piping loudly. A male showing flight display behavior will do this for several days, and even longer. Hopefully, he will eventually attract the attention of a female. The above clip is an obvious Easter egg 🙂

Thank you to everyone who is planning to attend.  We are so very much looking forward to seeing you!

Check out this BRAND NEW and Utterly Charming, Fun, and Funny Trailer for The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay Premiere!

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We are sooo delighted with the trailer for the Boston Film Festival for our film’s premiere. Thank you Ava and the Boston Film Festival!

Trailer edited by Ava Boudreau, created for the Boston Film Festival 2024. To contact Ava through Instagram, please go to: @avaboo_writing.

Music: Happy Days by Simon Fowler from Upbeat

To reserve your ticket, got to https://rockportmusic.org/boston-film-festival/. 

We hope to see you there! <3

Shout Out to the Boston Film Festival Team!

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Thank you so much to the Boston Film Festival for this beautiful poster for our film premiere! With gratitude to Robin Dawson, the Boston Film Festival and Rockport Music.

Reserve your seats today! https://tickets.rockportmusic.org/9769/9770

Stunning Rare Massachusetts Butterfly – The Bronze Copper

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An utter joy this morning encountering the exquisite Bronze Copper butterfly, not often seen in Massachusetts (especially in Essex County). The butterfly is listed as endangered in New Jersey and a species of concern in Connecticut.

The Bronze Copper is larger than it’s much more commonly seen close relative, the American Copper, but still relatively small at only 1 and 1/4 to 1 and 7/8 in inches.

The male was drinking heartily from the Seaside Goldenrod. It’s caterpillar food plants are members of of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae), including curly dock (Rumex crispus).

Compare to the American Copper

 

 

Reminder to Reserve Tickets at the Shalin Liu for The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay Documentary Premiere!

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Dear Friends,

I hope you are enjoying these wonderfully warm last days of summer. I can see the critters sure are! Herons, butterflies, frogs, dragonflies, beavers, bees, hawks, Kingfishers, (even a Merlin!); our ponds, meadows, and shores are teeming with wildlife preparing for winter.

I have been super busy fundraising and organizing deliverables for festivals and apologize for not sharing some of the incredible stories taking place right here in our own backyards. As soon as I get further along in all, I’ll share the images and footage. Some of the most fascinating moments have been watching a beaver. I think I posted on my website a video of a beaver rubbing his belly. A few days later, I observed him/her as he exfoliated (for lack of a better word) his face. First he dove down and retrieved a water lily tuber, which is an especially favorite beaver food at this time of year. After eating half, he then used the tuber to scrub the left side of his face. I thought perhaps this was an anomaly. Five minutes later he dove down, retrieved a second tuber, agan eating half. Then he scrubbed the right side of his face with the tuber. It was charming and funny and amazing to see and to film. Coming soon 🙂

Please be sure to reserve your seats at the Shalin Liu for the premiere of our documentary, The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. Here is the link: https://rockportmusic.org/boston-film-festival/ It’s a truly heartwarming story and I think Massachusetts residents especially will be delighted with the film. Also, we are having a Q and A following the screening. Tickets are free but you do need to reserve in advance. That the tickets are free is a wonderfully generous gift to our community from the Boston Film Festival and Rockport Music. The 23rd is a Monday and 5:15pm is early enough in the evening for kids to see on a school night. Please bring your family and friends. We would love to see you there!

Warmest wishes,
xxKim

From teeny hatchlings to the miracle of fledging on crowded urban beaches, come celebrate the beautiful life story of the Piping Plover with us!

Beautiful Parade of Schooners! – new short film

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Gloucester’s magnificent 40th Annual Schooner Festival Parade of Sail

 

Canon in D major composed by Johann Pachelbel, performed by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Music from the Internet Archive of Royalty Free Music – Creative Commons – with attributes – non-commercial.

Scooners Isabella and Adventure

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Gloucester Schooner Challenge 2024

Schooner Adventure and the Schooner Isabella, built by Harold Burnham

Katy-did-did-did

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Love moments in the garden with Charlotte and her eagle eyes! The fabulously camouflaged  Fork-tailed Bush Katydid seen here was poised on a Common Milkweed leaf. Katydids mostly eat foliage, but they also eat dead bugs and insect eggs (was he planing on eating the freshly deposited Monarch eggs?).One quick, easy way to distinguish katydids from grasshoppers when out in a field is by looking at their antennae. A katydid’s antenna is super long and seemingly very delicate, sometimes as long, and possibly longer, than its body. Grasshoppers antennae are shorter and thicker.

Differentail Grasshopper

Fork-tailed Bush Katydid

Beaver Belly Rubbing!

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Why is this adorable Beaver rubbing his belly?

The Beaver is waterproofing its fur! At the base of the tail are both a pair of inverted castor sacs and a pair of anal glands. The Beaver uses its front feet to get oil from the anal glands and then rubs it all over his body. Beavers are constantly grooming and oiling their fur not only to waterproof, but also to remove debris. The sticky yellowish substance from the castor sacs is used for an entirely different purpose, to mark their territory and to identify each other.

PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL CATERPILLARS HATCHING!

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Our beautiful Mom Pipevine Swallowtail left several clutches of eggs and both hatched yesterday. They are so teeny tiny, but I think there are about 25 caterpillars in all.

She laid several additional clutches over a period of several days and these batches are way up in the treetops. Good thing our Pipevine plant is so vigorous, possibly about 15 feet high, with still plenty of growth left in it for the season.

The eggs were oviposited on August 13, emerging on the 20th – a one week gestation period.