Category Archives: Birds

Huge Shout Out to the Gloucester High School Gender Equity in STEM Club!!

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Early this week I had the absolute joy of presenting The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay to the Gender Equity in STEM Club at GHS. The students were amazing! The film is an hour long and despite the fact that the program was held after school and after a long day of classes and activities, they were fully engaged and asked many astute questions during the QandA following the screening.  Student advisors to the Club, GHS biology teacher Eric Leigh and coordinator Roseann Vidal are a pleasure to work with. Thank you to the students and advisors for making the screening of The PPOMB a very rewarding experience for this filmmaker!

With deep gratitude to Applied Materials, who, along with the Gloucester Educational Foundation, supports the Gender Equity in STEM Club. The presentation of The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay was also funded by a generous grant from Applied Materials.

To learn more about the Gender Equity in STEM Club, read the following article by Gloucester High student, Ruby McElhenny.

The Gender Equity in STEM Club: Why it matters

Happy Mom’s Day!

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms, Aunties, Grandmoms, Sisters, Friends, and Dads who are Mom’s, too. Thank you for being you <3 Wishing you joy and happiness on this sunniest of Mother’s Day. xoKim

Our Good Harbor Beach footless Super Mom

One of ten clutches of eggs that Super Mom has laid at GHB since she and her mate first arrived in 2016.

In 2021, Super Mom’s right foot became very tightly wound with seaweed and fishing line. The following year, she returned to Good Harbor Beach footless. Yet despite that, her handicap does not prevent her from doing all the usual things Plovers do daily.

Piping Plovers, and many species of shorebirds, have a foot tamping technique, where they rapidly shake their feet in the sand to stir up invertebrates. Also called foot trembling, the action brings invertebrates to the surface where the Plover sees and catches the prey. Watch how Super Mom expertly forages for tiny mollusks and in this case, appears not hindered by her missing foot. Not all is great for our footless Mom, though. Occasionally I see her legs become very tired and she does a series of spazzy movements across the sand, as though she is having some sort of leg cramping going on.

The first clip is in slow motion so that you can see the technique; the second clip is in real time.

 

Black Scoter Washed Ashore

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Black Scoter resting at GHB

A seaduck we don’t often see on shore. I believe he is a juvenile male. He came in with a storm and I think just needed to rest and recharge before heading back into the rough surf.

Darling Dunlins

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We see Dunlins in late summer and fall as the birds are heading south for the winter. They often travel in great flocks however, last October, a singleton was migrating along with an American Golden Plover and the two spent a few days at Brace Cove.

They are rather plain looking in feathers shaded sandy gray and taupe.

Dunlin in October

What a treat to see a northward bound Dunlin that is transitioning to its striking breeding plumage. I almost didn’t recognize the fellow in his fancier feathers!  

Dunlin at Eastern Point in mid-April

Dunlin range map

Love is in the Air

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There are currently so many creatures migrating through our region that it is challenging to keep up with all. In addition to the beautiful northward migrating shorebirds and songbirds, our resident wildlife are setting up house, and also mating like crazy! On Friday I took the entire day off to film and was delighted that in the span of an hour, a pair of Killdeers mated several times, and at every Osprey nest that I like to check in on, pairs were mating, also repeatedly!Great Egret with it’s distinctive green eye feathers, only seen during mating season

Killdeers mating

Male Osprey swooping in to mate

Male and female White-tailed Deer. Look closely and you can see the male’s budding antlers.

Mom and Dad PiPl mating

Plover nest scrapes

Female Red-winged Blackbird building her nest in the reeds.

Male Red-winged Blackbird

 

 

Thoughts About Leaf Blowers and How We Can Possibly Find a Solution Working Together :)

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Whether or not to ban gas-powered leaf blowers sure is creating a maelstrom of divisiveness in our communities. Everyone who has an opinion feels strongly, very strongly, that their viewpoint is the correct pov. Let’s think of the pros and cons and perhaps there is a solution. If I missed a pro or con, please feel free to write so we can include your point of view.

PROS of Gas Powered Leaf Blowers

Landscapers and homeowners appreciate the lower cost associated with gas-powered leaf blowers.

GPs are more powerful than electric, saving time and money.

Many landscapers and homeowners already own gas powered blowers.

CONS of Gas Powered Leaf Blowers

Gas powered leaf blowers are very loud particularly when multiple blowers are in use simultaneously.  The noise pollution is disruptive and unpleasant to neighbors.

GP blowers emit a strong odor of gas fumes, harmful to the environment and to the person operating the leaf blower.

Some observations – our home is located in a middle class neighborhood where leaf blowing does not occur regularly, if at all, whether gas or electric. I do however have clients in more affluent neighborhoods where the use of leaf blowers is much more prevalent. People are correct, the noise level is extremely loud. A crew of men, typically Latino, will disembark from company pick-up trucks, with gas powered blowers strapped to their backs and ear phones snugly wrapped over their ears. The crew of half dozen or so will spend a good part of an hour blowing the leaves off a driveway that won’t even be driven on again until the summer resident homeowner returns the following year. Not only does it seem like an utter waste of time, it concerns me that the employees are breathing the fumes. This is also the same crew that I see spraying pesticides around the base of the homeowner’s foundations, also not wearing protective covering. I am wondering if protective masks and clothing can be provided to the employees that are required to use gas-powered leaf blowers and pesticides.

Do homeowners need half a dozen men blowing leaves off driveways and the street in front of their homes? Perhaps with less demand for an immaculate leaf-be-gone landscape, one gentleman wearing a mask, as opposed to six maskless men, could do the work. If a homeowner is having considerable work done and a leaf blower is needed to assist in clean-up, that seems to me like a reasonable use. Or if a pathway is covered with wet leaves creating an unsafe situation for an elderly person, that too seems like a reasonable use.

In my own landscape design firm, I encourage clients and friends not to remove leaves and the expired stalks of flowering plants. To my way of thinking, leaves on lawns and in flower beds is a beautiful thing! Not only are the decaying leaves providing a protective layer and adding nutrients to the soil, leaves also provide habitat for all manner of insects. I think at this point in our shared awareness about the environment, we all understand that insect populations the world over have plummeted.  We homeowners and landscapers can help insect populations by leaving leaf litter in our gardens. The most delightful benefit of a garden that supports insects, is that the insects attract a host of beautiful songbirds that in turn conveniently eat the insects <3

For the benefit of insects, especially native bees, we also do not cut down the expired stalks of flowers until the end of April. In the late summer and early fall, native bees and other insects burrow into the stalks. When we do eventually cut down the stalks, we leave them in a pile for several weeks before discarding, hoping our little pollinator friends have wiggled out of their winter home.

Perhaps if we can change people’s mindsets about what constitutes a healthy landscape, the fashion of blowing leaves will become mush less problematic.

The song of a Carolina Wren chortling from a treetop has to be one of the sweetest songs you can imagine hearing in you garden. They love to rumple about in the leaf litter, foraging for insects. Insects are an important part of a songbird’s diet, especially during the breeding season when the females are producing eggs.

Carolina Wren nest with eggs tucked under our porch eaves – 

Later in the season, a Carolina Wren fledgling is perched on the back fence. She was made fat and healthy from a diet rich in your average garden variety insects – 

 

Golden-crowned Kinglet Alert!

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When the tiniest of songbirds with the fanciest of names flits alongside on your walk, you may be lucky enough to catch a photo. Well-camouflaged in their generally olive plumage, they elusively dart about the wooded edge of the path but flashes of their little golden crown gives them away.

Kinglets, both the Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned are migrating through eastern Massachusetts. They are laser focused on insect meals and are often found along shrubby woodland pond banks where there is typically no shortage of bite-sized-for-kinglets arthropods.

For previous posts about kinglets, see the following –

Invasion of the Golden-crowned Kinglets

Pocket-sized Ruby-crowned Kinglet

King Eider Mussel Diver!

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The grand, and rarely seen on Cape Ann, King Eider, has been spotted for several weeks foraging in Essex alongside a raft of Common Eiders. It was too windy for my camera to capture a beautiful still close-up, but here you can see him diving for mussels at Conomo Point. The more typically seen male Common Eider, behind the King Eider in the footage, is also foraging for mussels.  Amazingly, eiders swallow mussels whole! They have super strong gizzards that can digest the mussels, shell and all.

 

Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay to Air in LA on Tuesday April 15th at 8pm

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See what Los Angeles PBS has to say about our film!

The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay airs Tuesday, April 15 at 8 PM

“Against the ever-changing tides of the Atlantic, a tiny but mighty family fights for survival. The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay follows a devoted pair of these rare shorebirds as they raise their marshmallow-sized chicks on a bustling urban beach. Every day is a test of their resilience—avoiding predators, braving unpredictable weather, and navigating a world where humans and wildlife collide. Will their fragile brood make it to adulthood?

This heartwarming and visually stunning special takes you inside the incredible journey of one of nature’s most determined parents. Witness breathtaking moments of survival and the deep bonds that keep these feathered families together. A story of hope, adaptation, and the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

Tune in for an unforgettable look at one of nature’s most compelling underdog stories. Sometimes, the smallest creatures have the most powerful stories to tell.”

California Friends, please check listings as The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay is airing at your local stations – KCET, KOCE, KVCR, KPJK, KQED, KQEH, KRCB, and KVPT.

California Friends, please check listings as The Piping Plovers of Moonlight bay is airing at the following California stations – KCET, KOCE, KVCR, KPJK, KQED, KQEH, KRCB, and KVPT.

Return of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker(s)!

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For well over a year, our garden has been graced with the fascinating Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The visits began with a male eating Pokeberries in December of 2023 and have continued intermittently through today.

A female was here for a day last week however, we have had so many Cedar Waxwings in the Dragon Lady Holly, they may have frightened her off. For the past three days, a male YBSS has been industriously revitalizing the sap wells created by the female last year. He is also meowing!! That’s right, the appropriately named bird for a cartoon (or a proper insult), makes a crinkly mewing sound!

Listen for the mews-

 

Photos to Help ID Male, Female, or Juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Male YBSS – Red cap and red throat

Female YBSS – note that she does not have a red throat

Juvenile YBSS -softly mottled brown

Male Sapsucker in the rain yesterday

 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Timeline

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 Dragon Lady Holly and Magnolia soulangeana 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 -November 2024 – Female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker returns. She is drinking nectar and eating insects attracted to the sap wells every day, through November 17th.

November 12, 2024 – Both a juvenile and female at the DLHolly saplicks.

March 26, 2025 – female YBSS at the Holly tree. Flock of Cedar Waxwings may have frightened her off.

April 3rd, 4th, and 5th – Male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drumming and drilling at the Dragon Lady Holly, crabapple, and Magnolia soulangeana. Mewing frequently.

The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay Now Airing Nationwide on PBS!

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Hello PiPl Friends!

Checkout this lovely graphic created for us at American Public Television for our release on PBS!  Beginning today, April 1st, The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay is airing on public television. Please check your local listings for times.

As a Passports member, you can stream the film at anytime. We find our family’s membership to PBS invaluable; the programming is stellar and costs a fraction of any other streaming service, just $5.00 per month. We are members of New Hampshire PBS, which is also one of the 290 stations nationwide airing The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. Here is the link on how to join: https://nhpbs.org/watchmore/ 

 

American Kestrel Beauty!

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Raptors are on the move, including the exquisite American Kestrel. I typically find these pint-sized falcons perched on sparse trees above low growing vegetation, scanning the landscape for their next meal. Kestrels eat a wide variety of invertebrates – mostly grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas, dragonflies, scorpions, spiders, butterflies, and moths. They also eat voles, mice, shrews, bats, small songbirds, snakes, and lizards.

From a distance, this male Kestrel I thought was at first a Mourning Dove, though possibly not. I took several snapshots before realizing my exposure setting was still set for filming creatures in dark foliage. He flew away as I was adjusting the exposure. The photo is very overexposed, nonetheless, I like how brilliant his feather patterning and colors show in the image.

Tip – The American Kestrel is the smallest and most common falcon found in North America however, the population has declined by 50 percent. The primary reasons are loss of habitat and pesticides. You can help these North American beauties by leaving dead trees standing where ever possible. Kestrels nest in natural tree cavities and nests excavated by other tree cavity nesters. They will also nest in manmade nest boxes designed for Screech Owls!

American Kestrel Male

 

Plover Love Story for the Ages #ploverjoyed

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Dear Friends,

We have wonderful news to share. Our Gloucester Plovers are returning! Not only that, but the original pair that have been nesting at GHB since 2016 were the first to arrive. Both Mom and Dad appeared on the very same day, March 19th, the earliest date ever.  At this time of year, my husband and I check the beach daily so that we can track from year to year when Plovers begin arriving. Last year I believe it was March 25th.

Super Dad and Handicapped Mom, March 19, 2025

A Plover love story for the ages is how my friend Todd describes it when Plover pairs nest together for many years. These two sweet Plovers must be at a minimum of 11 years old because Plovers don’t begin breeding until they are at least one year old. Eleven years is quite a ripe old age for Plovers as most live on average only five years. We wait with a combination of fear and excitement each spring, hoping and praying our Plover family makes it through another winter, especially now that Mom’s right foot is missing. She lost her foot several years ago after nylon fishing line and seaweed became tightly wound around her lower leg.

When you think about it, we have been through so much with this little Mom and Dad. The first several years especially were extremely challenging. Beachgoers did not yet understand how to help protect the birds and pets had the run of the beach. In fact, conditions were so bad on the beach that in 2018 Mom and Dad decided ‘enough with dog disturbances,’ and the safest place to nest was the GHB parking lot. Because of this, Massachusetts State and US Federal wildlife officials became heavily involved with helping to protect Gloucester Plovers and the local government began to take Plover protections more seriously. Little by little, things began to change for the better.

I remember our tender little handicapped Plover, nicknamed HipHop for his gimpy walk. It was Mom’s first season breeding without her right foot and she was extremely clumsy when transitioning to get in and out of the nest and when she was snuggling the chicks. I think she must have injured HipHop somehow because his injury manifested itself when he was about ten days old. Mother and chick were quite the pair with their hip hopping gaits. We thought HipHop would never grow to the size of his siblings and wondered if he would ever be able to fly. Mom departed early as is not unusual for females to begin migrating before their mates. Our Super Dad stayed with HipHop for many weeks after and throughout the entire summer. Both departed around the beginning of September, but not until HipHop was flying just as well as his siblings.

Dean Horne, Brian Watson, John Trupiano, and Adam Kelley installing Piping Plover protections

Thank you to the Gloucester DPW crew for installing the symbolic ropes and Plover signs. We appreciate everything the DPW does to keep Plovers safe and our local beaches looking beautiful!

If you happen to see Plovers on the beach, please give them lots and lots of space. Know that they are weary from the long migration and need to rest and refuel before ‘setting up house.’

Piping Plovers are returning to beaches all along the Atlantic Coast. The addendum to this note is for several new Plover friends from beaches in Maine and New Jersey who have written to ask how they can better help their community’s Plover families successfully fledge chicks.

Happy Spring from Ploverville!

Warmest wishes,

Kim

Actions that communities and beachgoers can take early in the season to help Plovers successfully breed include the following. I can not stress ‘early in the season’ enough. The earlier the Plovers nest without disturbances, the earlier they will begin laying eggs, and the earlier the chicks will fledge and begin migrating.

1) Disallow all pets on the beach, ideally beginning March 15th, April 1st at the latest.

2) Install symbolic roping around known Plover nesting areas by March 15th.

3) Install informational signage on beaches where Plovers nest by March 15th.

4) Do not permit off-road vehicles on beaches where shorebirds are nesting.

5) Do not rake the beach. Beach raking destroys a vital food source and machines can scoop up and kill chicks that can’t yet fly out of the way of danger.

6) Respect symbolically roped off areas. Do not play ball close to the roping. It is against state and federal law to run into the nesting area to retrieve a ball or for any other reason. Do not allow pets to run through the roped off areas and do not cross the roped off areas to take shortcuts through the dunes.

Thank You Plover Friends!

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Thank you to all who attended our documentary screening of The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay on Sunday afternoon. We had a terrific group of attendees, both very generous and wonderfully engaged in the Qand A following the screening. I loved discussing Plovers and filmmaking with our guests and appreciate so much everyone who took the time out of their busy schedules to come and support the film.

Many, many thanks to Sarah, MAGMA’s founder and director, for hosting the event. In addition to offering a range of youth and adult dance classes, MAGMA provides an exceptional space for the community. Sarah hosts a range of events including films, dance performances, and local musicians, from punk bands, to string quartets! See MAGMA’s upcoming events here.

A very special shout out to Piping Plover Ambassadors Jonathan and Sally for their continued support and kind generosity. They provided all the beverages, Jonathan made an excellent bartender, and they both made everyone feel very welcome.

Male and female Piping Plover

National Learn About Butterflies Day

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In recent years, March 14th has been designated National Learn About Butterflies Day. Butterfly populations, as are many species of insects, plummeting around the globe. Climate change, loss of habitat, and the use of pesticides are at the top of the list as to why we are losing our insects.

What can we do as individuals, and collectively with like-minded friends? I have been writing about the plight of butterflies for nearly 30 years and at the risk of sounding repetitive, the following are easy to follow guidelines:

Refrain from Using ALL Pesticides and Herbicides. 

Do Not Spring Into Spring Cleaning!

For the sake of all pollinators, and many songbirds, do not do a spring garden clean up too early. When is a good time? Wait until your grass is growing tall and needs to be mowed and ideally, apple and pear trees in your area have finished blooming. You can also clean-up some spots and leave others unkempt for an even later season clean-up.

Grow Native and Not Invasively

Plant native species of trees, shrubs, vines, wildflowers, and ground covers. Only plant non-native species (such as tulips and zinnias for example) that do not spread outside the area in which you wish them to grow.

American Copper, Bee, and native aster

Provide Continuous Blooms from Early Spring Through November 1st

Create a landscape that provides nourishment for pollinators and songbirds, from the earliest days of spring though the last hard frost. Include colorful nectar plants and equally as important, grow native larval host plants for butterfly caterpillars.

Although these lovely pink Korean Daisies are not native, they are not invasive and bloom until the first hard frost. They are especially welcome to late migrating scragglers such as the Monarch pictured here.

Plant in Clumps and Drifts  Whenever Possible.

Butterflies and bees love to drink nectar at a buffet where they can flit easily from one floret to the next. Allow perennials to spread into drifts and clumps. Panicle-shaped flower heads (think goldenrods) and aster-type flowers, with their ray flowers conveniently arrayed around a center disk of florets, provide a convenient landing pad onto which butterflies can land while they are sipping nectar.

Monarchs and Seaside Goldenrod

Plant and They Will Come!

 

 

Piping Plover Film Screening and Fundraiser!

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Dear PiPl Friends,

Please join us Sunday afternoon, March 23rd, at 4pm, for a film screening and fundraiser for The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. MAGMA Director Sarah Slifer Swift has very generously donated her lovely and spacious dance/event studio for our screening. A QandA with me will follow.  We’ll talk about the film, community outreach plans for the upcoming Plover season, conservation status, and any other relevant topics you would like to discuss.

We’ll have refreshments, too. MAGMA is located at 11 Pleasant Street, Suite 64, in Gloucester, with elevator handicap accessibility.

To purchase tickets, please go here: https://magma.center/event/film-fundraiser/

I hope to see you there!

Warmest wishes,

Kim

See one of our latest 30 second promos –

 

Happy almost-Spring

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Dear PiPl Friends,

At last, spring-like temperatures! It won’t be long before the crocus are peeking through (and for some friends, you may already have seen signs of life in your gardens). I think we could all use a breath of fresh air.

Lots to share – we are extremely occupied getting the files ready for our American Public Television debut, which takes place on April 1st, to coincide with PBS Earth Day month-long programming. I am overjoyed to write that The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay will be airing on over 289 stations, representing 85.5 percent of the US TVviewing audience, including 9 of the top 10 stations, and 21 of the top 25 markets (the major urban areas). And we were accepted to the Santa Monica Film Festival! Which is also a lovely segue to sharing about my recent trip to Los Angeles to visit our daughter. I arrived at her home with the flu, left with a virus, as did she have an entirely different virus, nonetheless, it did not stop us from adventuring all along the Central Coast. My daughter had planned a wonderful itinerary for our visit (she travels around the world through her work and could be a travel guide if she wanted!) and she took me to all her favorite wildlife hotspots, which are also some of the most staggeringly beautiful places along the Pacific Coast.

From Malibu to Ragged Point, we filmed and photographed many species of wildlife that are considered conservation success stories, along with species continuing to struggle against habitat loss and a warming climate. Some highlights of which I will be sharing their stories include Snowy Plovers, Sea Lions, Elephant Seals, and Sea Otter Moms and pups (THE most adorable). We saw many splendid bird species, some that we see on the East Coast, and many only found on the West. It was so interesting to compare Snowy Plovers to Piping Plovers, her garden’s Allen’s Hummingbirds to our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Black Oystercatchers to American Oystercatchers, and Black Phoebes to Eastern Phoebes, to mention just a few. We visited bays and estuaries and along the way found heron rookeries, a Surf Scoter up close and actually in the surf (not far off as they are typically seen here in the East) and even met Malibu Lagoon’s resident Osprey.

Snowy Plover

Sadly, the Monarch Reserve at Pismo Beach was abysmal. The winter of 2024-2025 has been the second lowest count on record of the Pacific Monarchs however, I was very disappointed to see that there were absolutely no nectar plants blooming at the Reserve for the few Monarchs that were there. The butterflies were flying around, clearly looking for nectar. We did see about a dozen Monarchs further north at the Ragged Point Inn and Resort, but then again, the proprietors had taken the time and forethought to plant many nectar-rich flowering plants that were inviting to both the Monarchs and to the hummingbirds.

A reminder that our film screening and Q and A fundraiser is the afternoon of March 23rd at 4pm at Sarah Slifer Swift’s lovely MAGMA dance studio. As soon as I finish organizing the files to send to APT, I’ll send an evite postcard with information on how to purchase tickets. Thank you to all who are planning to come. I think it is going to be a wonderfully fun afternoon and I am looking forward to seeing everyone and talking about all things Plover!

Happy Spring <3
xxKim

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 🙂

 

TWO MORE DEAD SNOWY OWLS

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Two more dead Snowies. I hope so much it is not bird flu however that is only one of a number of reasons why Snowies are struggling to survive in our region.  As quoted in the article by RI Department of Environmental Management “LaCross said the owls face new challenges when they journey south. Human disturbance, different predators, and lack of habitat are all contributing factors hampering the chances of survival for Snowy Owls in our area.”

We can add rodenticide. Testing was not done on the Rhode Island Owl, but the Duxbury bird was swabbed.

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.

Date with an American Tree Sparrow!

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My first encounter with the sweet little American Tree Sparrow, but perhaps not; I may have been looking right at one all along and thought it was a Song Sparrow or any one of a number of little brown songbirds. Now that I know what to look for, most notably its beautiful rusty brown cap and that the bottom half of its beak is yellow, it may be easier to notice.

Several were foraging alongside a mixed flock of songbirds. They were feeding on the ground but at the tiniest disturbance, flew into the camouflage provided by neighboring trees. As territorial as was the Dark-eyed Junco, the Tree Sparrows behaved just as badly to one of its own kind.
American Tree Sparrow range map, courtesy Cornell

PLover and Monarch News, Full Wolf Moon, and Barred Owl in the Snow

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Dear PiPl Friends,

I hope you are doing well. We are keeping our family and friends in our hearts as they struggle to return to a normal way of life after the tragic LA firestorms. I hope the winds die down soon so recovery can begin in earnest. Our daughter shares that she and her boyfriend are bringing supplies to firehouse donation centers and she is keeping her hummingbird feeders well-filled as there are more birds than ever in her garden.

Thursday night I am giving a screening and Q and A of our Monarch film, Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly for the Carlisle Conservation Foundation at the Gleason Public Library. We have super good news to share regarding the Monarch film – the contract has been renewed with American Public Television, which means our documentary will be airing on PBS for another three years! We will have two nature documentaries simultaneously airing on public television 🙂 Our film about the magnificent migrating Monarchs provides a wealth of information not only about the life story of the butterfly, but also suggestions on what to plant to support the Monarchs throughout their time spent in their northern breeding range.

We had a beautiful snowfall this past weekend. Snow storms and snowfalls have become so few and far between over the past few years in our area that I hopped in my car before sunrise and headed north to film what I could, hopefully before the snow stopped. There was hardly a soul about. A wonderful variety of songbirds was foraging in the falling snow and also a very hungry Barred Owl was zooming from tree to tree surrounding an adjacent field. I pulled myself away before she caught her prey because I didn’t want to have any part in preventing her from capturing her breakfast. Fortuitously, the very next day, a friend shared a post on how to tell the difference between a male and female Barred Owl. You can read the post here. I concluded the BO flying to and from her tree perches was a female. It was magical watching her in the falling snow. Link to video of her flying –https://vimeo.com/1047197766 or you can watch it on Facebook or Instagram.

The deadline is fast approaching for underwriting opportunities for our documentary, The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. We need to have all the names of underwriters in by January 20th to fulfill our contract with American Public Television. If you would like to join our underwriting pod with a contribution to our film and have your name or your organization’s name included in our underwriting credit pod please email me asap. An example of an underwriting pod  – This film was brought to you by the Apple Tree Foundation, The Shorebird Conservation Fund, Lark and Phoenix Bird, …, and viewers like you (these are just sample names). Please note that every time the film airs and streams on PBS over the next three years, possibly six years, the name of your organization will be acknowledged. Of course, we gratefully accept all contributions to our documentary at any time, but if you would like to be recognized in this way, please let me know.

Common Grackle Eating Plover eggs

I can’t believe that in only two short months Plovers and shorebirds will be returning to our beaches. Please contact me if you would like to join our Plover Ambassador team. Research from scientists in the Michigan Great Lakes region made Plover news this past week. Common Grackles were documented foraging on Piping Plover eggs. This is very noteworthy but not too surprising to our Cape Ann Plover Ambassadors as we have seen our Plovers defending their nests from Grackles. There is a very large roost of Common Grackles on Nautilus Road, opposite Good Harbor Beach. The Plovers distract the Grackles with their broken wing display and tag-team attack behavior. We wondered, were the Grackles posing a real threat or did the Plovers behave this way because Common Crows and Grackles look somewhat similar? Crows notoriously eat Plover eggs at every stage of development, from newly laid to near hatch date. We now know definitively the answer as to why our Good Harbor Beach Plovers are on high alert around Grackles!

Stay safe and warm and cozy,

xxKim

Snow Bunting Toes!

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A favorite winter visitor to our shores is the wonderfully engaging Snow Bunting. Whether foraging on snow covered scapes or on windswept sand, they appear at first to the untrained eye to be convivial. Don’t let their social foraging habits fool. Snow Buntings spend a great deal of energy tussling amongst themselves for seeds, even snatching food from another’s beak. I have taken a number of images and much footage of little Snow Bunting fights and am looking forward to making a video of this behavior. In the meantime here is a short video taken on a super windy morning. Notice all the seaweed flies in the photo below. The tide was extremely high that day forcing all the flies to move out and up from the seaweed and onto higher ground, making for a very easily accessed breakfast.

Snow Buntings are Arctic specialist. They are ground dwellers with toes well adapted to snow and ice, which I think makes their toes also especially well-suited for running and hopping in the sand, along rocky shores, and in piles of seaweed. Their toes look like snowshoes as they bound about finding seeds buried in snowdrifts. When they are here in our region, I see them mostly feeding on  insects found in seaweed and the intertidal zone, along with a variety of wildflower seeds.

“The snow bunting is the most northerly passerine bird in the world. It breeds in a circumpolar range, south to Scotland and Iceland, and it is a common breeder in suitable habitats in northern Scandinavia, Greenland, Svalbard, arctic parts of Russia and the northerly parts of North America.” However, the species is in significant decline in North America  with reasons ranging from habitat redistribution to the heavy use of pesticides in croplands where the birds feed heavily during the winter months.

A snowy morning flock of Snow Buntings from a year ago January

Rarely Seen in the Northeast: The Wonderfully Acrobatic Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

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The very special Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was at Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for several weeks before departing. For we in the northeast it was a rare beauty treat to see this exquisite little bird as she twisted and turned on a dime, snatching up insects before returning to her perch to devour. I filmed her late one afternoon eating loads of bittersweet twining through tree branches but couldn’t find much information about Scissor-tail berry eating. They mostly feed on insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, wasps, bees, flies, caterpillars, spiders, and Lepidoptera. Berries are typically only eaten in winter. The Ipswich S-tF appeared to be dining  very well, fattening up before (hopefully) resuming migration.

A collective sigh of relief was felt by all when she departed as she was so very far, far away from her breeding and wintering grounds. She needs to be in warmer climes.

The photos in the gallery above are not mine but were gathered from wikicommons media. They are included to show the beautiful salmon pink underwing patches and how long is the bifurcated tail of the Flycatcher. An adult’s tail may reach 9 inches!

The closely related Eastern Kingbird feeding its young a damselfly

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are closely related to the Eastern Kingbird and Eastern Phoebe, which are much more common in our region. According to several websites, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are reportedly tolerant of people, which appeared to be the case at the Audbon sanctuary.

As we can see on the range map from Cornell, the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher breeds mostly in in the southern Great Plains and south Texas, wintering over in southern Mexico and Central America. The Scissor-tailed is the Oklahoma state bird and are not rare in their usual territory. There was one in Truro a few years back (2017) and they are known to occasionally wander far afield. S-tF reportedly make spectacular flocks of 100 or more birds as they gather for their southward migration.