See this beautifully done new short film created by Cape Ann’s Lisa Smith and featuring marine biologist and habitat restoration expert Eric Hutchins in which they describe how the salt marsh at Wingaersheek was filled in. We learn what can be done to restore the estuary to vibrant thriving pools for fish, mudflats for clams, and a nursery for eels. Restoring the salt marsh will put Wingaersheek’s dune system back in equilibrium with nature and is our best defense against rising sea level.
“History will judge us by where we choose to stand right now, today. Future generations will ask: ‘What did we do when fellow human beings faced persecution? When our rights were being abridged? When our Constitution was under attack?’” Pritzker asked. “They’ll want to know whether we stood up or we stayed silent.”
Protestors form a human banner on Ocean Beach in San Francisco in support of California’s Proposition 50
You may have noticed an influx of sparrow-like birds foraging on the ground. They seem to be gathering along every lane and woodland edge. The Juncos blend in easily enough, until disturbed, and then all alight at once, softly twittering while heading for the nearest tree or bush.
Dark-eyed Juncos bear the nickname ‘Snowbird’ as they often signal the onset of the coming cold weather. The ones we are seeing in our neighborhoods at this time off year are feathered in lovely shades of charcoal gray to Mourning Dove brown, as you can see in the video and photos. This little flock was eating the tiniest seeds, grass seeds I think, and also foraging around the small cones of this very spectacular Red Spruce. I think of this native tree as spectacular, not only because of its majestic beauty, but because of the wonderful array of wildlife supported by its cones and resin.
Please write and let me know if you are seeing Dark-eyed Juncos in your area.
Sea Salps have returned. There is a bunch at Niles Beach currently. Write if you see them at your favorite beach.
Luminescent Sea Salps was filmed at night at a dock on Rocky Neck in the underwater lights of the FV Hot Tuna.
Sea salps are warm ocean water creatures, exploding in population during algae blooms. With beating heart, notochcord, and gills they are more closely evolutionarily linked to humans than to jellyfish. Sea salps are individual creatures that through asexual reproduction, can form linear chains up to fifteen feet long!
Salps are planktonic (free floating) members of the subphylum Tunicata. Tunicates get their name from the unique outer covering or “tunic,” which acts as an exoskeleton. The sea salp’s tunic is translucent and gelatinous; in some species it is tough and thick.
October’s Harvest Moon, the first of three 2025 Super Moons, descending over Gloucester City Hall, along with one of moonrise over Niles Pond.
Dear PiPl Friends,
I am delighted to share two good things. The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay has been accepted to the Brampton Canada International Film Festival, which is a relatively new festival based in Ontario, and we are having a film screening in December at the City Cinema, sponsored by the Island Nature Trust, which is located at Prince Edward Island. We love our neighbors to the north and I am deeply honored. Thank you BCIFF and Island Nature Trust. We are so very grateful for the opportunity to share our documentary with Canadians.
Recently I attended a great talk given by the entomologist and conservationist Doug Tallamy, which was sponsored by a fantastic local organization, 400 Trees Gloucester and hosted by the Annisquam Village Church. Please read more about local efforts to grow native here.
Winged wonders continue to migrate across our shores, with Little Blue Herons the most recently departed. I posted photos of LBHerons and Snowy Egrets, along with a short video of a dragonfly run-in with a Little Blue here.
Monarch Butterflies and native wildflower Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
We had another wave of migrating Super Monarchs, the third this season however, the wind conditions have kept the butterflies moving and that is why we are not seeing many in our gardens during this year’s migration. Continue to keep on the lookout. Goldenrods are winding down their blooming period but asters, especially New England Asters and Smooth Asters, are still flowering.
Please continue to share what creatures you are seeing in your neighborhoods. Thank you 🙂 This morning I saw a tiny little member of the weasel family, a Short-tailed Weasel, also called an Ermine or a Stout. She was only about six inches in length, with chocolate brown fur and a bright white belly. She was so fast and darted between rocks before I could take a photo, but we did have a few seconds of startled eye to eye contact. Just adorable!
Thinking about Jane Goodall – her beautiful, thoughtful spirit and the extraordinary gift she left, inspiring all to protect our planet.
xxKim
Gombe, Tanzania – Jane Goodall and infant chimpanzee reach out to touch each other’s hands. (National Geographic Creative/ Hugo Van Lawick)
Can you tell which photo is of a Little Blue Heron?
If you thought all three images are Little Blue Herons, you are correct!
Friends often tell me about the “egrets” they are seeing at our local ponds. You would think yes, a small white heron is a Snowy Egret but look more closely. Snowy Egrets and Little Blue Herons are about the same size but a quick way to differentiate the two is that Snowy Egrets sport unmistakeable bright cadmium yellow feet whereas the legs and feet of a first hatch year Little Blue Heron are an even yellowish-grayish-greenish. Snowy Egrets also have yellow lores at the base of their bills that the Little Blues lack (see gallery at the bottom of the page).
In the gallery at the top of the page, the white bird is a first hatch year Little Blue; the calico patterned bird is a second year Little Blue transitioning from white to blue plumage; and the last photo is the adult Little Blue Heron with its body feathers a beautiful deep slate blue and neck feathers a rich magenta. Although the adult plumages of both birds are entirely different, the two species are closely related members of the genus Egretta.
You can also tell the difference by how the herons forage. Little Blues when feeding at our local ponds hunt in a stealthy manner. They stride slowly through the mud and hold very still, then strike swiftly for the fish, frog, dragonfly, or other insect. Little Blue Herons have another method of foraging called “aerial hunting.” The LBH flies out over the water looking for frogs. It will hover briefly overhead before plunging into the water to grab its prey.
Snowy Egrets appear much more excited when hunting. They animatedly run back and forth, and with their bright yellow feet, stir up the sand and mud to flush out prey. This hunting strategy is called “foot stirring.”
Watch as the Little Blue Heron gets an easy meal when the dragonfly perches on its leg!
A gallery of Snowy Egrets to compare the differences.
What are Homegrown National Parks? HNP is an exciting movement that raises awareness and urgently inspires EVERYONE to address the biodiversity crisis. How can we as individuals and organizations do this? By adding native plants and removing invasives where we live, work, learn, pray, and play.
We all know that wildlife populations are crashing the world over. The statistics are staggering, with approximately one-third of our breeding birds lost since 1970, or about 3 billion birds, and 40 percent of our insects (bird food!) in the past 40 years. HNP is showing people how we can address this crisis, backyard by backyard.
Sunday evening, Doug Tallamy, the esteemed entomologist, author, and co-founder of Homegrown National Parks, presented “The Power of Plants.” The event was hosted by 400 Trees and the Annisquam Village Church, and was followed the next morning by an informal idea-sharing discussion at our newly renovated gorgeous library. The presentation was rich with imagery and case studies of what can be accomplished in our own backyards, from teeny urban lots to suburban homes to substantial acreage. The group discussion was especially thoughtful and interesting, providing a wonderful opportunity to meet people in our community with similar interests, missions, and goals, Many, many thanks to Peter Lawrence and Sara Remsen for organizing the Tallamy talk and discussion.
Visit the Homegrown National Parks website. It is overflowing with super helpful information to get you started on your native plants journey. You can also listen to several of his excellent talks right there on the website. I have been teaching people how to grow pollinator gardens and documenting the wildlife supported by native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ground covers for over twenty years now. Not a day goes by where I don’t observe and learn some new, vital and fascinating information about the beautiful ecosystems created in a native plant’s habitat. When you plant native they will come!
1. Plant Native
2. Remove Invasives
3. Get on the Map
Images courtesy Doug Tallamy “The Power of Plants”
Identify the most productive plants. How to find native plants keystone species –
Native Plant Finder from the National Wildlife Federation: go to the following website and type in your zip code for an extensive list of highly valuable native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and ground covers specifically beneficial to wildlife in your region. https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/
I was listening to Doug’s talk via Zoom in my office, which is also Charlotte’s art room. Charlotte is illustrating a book she is working on, all about the history of Gloucester’s monsters. It’s very imaginative and even includes mini side bars of illustrations of the eggs unique to each monster, along with the monster’s baby pictures (Nessie is well-represented). She was also enjoying glancing over at all the fascinating caterpillar images in Doug’s slideshow, when she overheard the expression ‘keystone species.’ She commented, “just like oysters are a keystone species for the ocean.” We had been to the Seacoast Science Center a week earlier where she had learned about the importance of keystone species in an ecosystem. I just thought how wonderful for her to connect the two and how much like mental sponges are these beautiful curious-minded children of the up and coming generation. I surely never learned at eight years old what a keystone species is, but how easy it was for her to understand the concept. If for no other reason, our beautiful children, and our children’s children, are why we simply can not leave to them a barren, diversity-less world.
Dear Friends,
The much needed rainy weather is giving me time to catch up with you. During this past month the days have been lovely and the early mornings filled with documenting the beautiful migration occurring along our shores. We have had two waves of migrating Monarchs, one very modest at the beginning of September and one recent, quite robust movement, when a large population flew in off the water. The Monarchs didn’t stay though despite that the meadows are rife with Seaside Goldenrod in full glorious bloom. Wind conditions were just right to carry them further along and they only stopped briefly to nectar before attempting to fly over the bay toward Westport.
Autumn Meadowhawk
Saturday was spectacular weather for observing migrating creatures. Warblers were out in full force, which usually means a Merlin is not too far away. Sure enough, he/she was perched at the tip of a tall dead tree, intently scoping out its next meal. That same morning, an American Pipit was spotted wagging its tail feathers while foraging atop a pile of seaweed. A large mixed flock of Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, and Sanderlings were devouring the invertebrates in the surf and seaweed and were joined by three Yellowlegs. An abundance of Autumn Meadowhawk Dragonflies were mating during the warmth of mid-day and I filmed a dragonfly landing on a Little Blue Heron’s leg. Not a good place to perch as it instantly became a heron snack. That beautiful day ended with a last sighting of the Whimbrel pair while three American Oystercatchers flew overhead.
The following morning I eagerly returned to find only our ubiquitous Song Sparrows and Catbirds. It’s interesting and mysterious how migration patterns unfold. There is still a bounty of nectar-rich wildflowers, ripe berries, and fruit for more traveling warblers and what nots. I imagine additional waves of winged wonders will be passing through. Please write and let me know what you are seeing in your neighborhood. I have posted several posts, and more posts are planned, featuring these beautiful creatures so please check in with my website for all the photos and short videos, more than I can send in emails.
Two events/activities for local friends that you may be interested in – Saturday, the 27th, from 2 to 4pm, historian Maria Millefoglie will be at the stunning newly renovated Sawyer Free Library to discuss some little known history about Gloucester, which she uncovered when working on a project for Gloucester’s 400th anniversary celebration. “Branded: Enemy Aliens in Gloucester” chronicles the discrimination towards Italian Americans during WWII. And through the weekend, my friend Paul’s sunflower and dahlia fields are still open. His farm is wonderfully family friendly with adorable pet-able bunnies and goats and you can also pick your own flowers.
Have a lovely week and please again let me know what creatures you are seeing in your neighborhoods. Thank you 🙂
xxKim
P.S. Please keep in mind Lights out for Birds! during these weeks of peak migration. Thank you again <3
We see Yellowlegs at our local waterways during both the spring and summer migration. Yellowlegs are fairly easy to identify when foraging, with their purposeful gait and bright yellow legs however, are these Greater or Lesser Yellowlegs? I think Greater because I heard their penetrating call from overhead but if you know differently, please write 🙂
Lucky us that Charlotte and I were able to spend the day together on primary election day, Tuesday. When asked what she wanted to do she instantly said the Seacoast Science Center, and to visit the bunnies and pick flowers for her Mom’s birthday at my friend Paul Wegzyn’s sunflower farm, Felix’s Family Farm.
As always the Seacoast Science Center was super interesting and educational with its touch tanks, displays about local marine habitats, and highly knowledgeable staff of young biologists. The highlights were seahorse feeding time and when Raspberry, the endangered Box Turtle, was brought out of his pen to sun himself outdoors. The five seahorses currently at the aquarium are Lined Seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) and they can be found all along the Atlantic coast, from Nova Scotia to Uruguay. They are considered a slow moving fish and that is one of the reasons why seahorses are endangered. Because they are relatively easy to catch, Lined Seahorses are also easily exploited for ornamental display, the aquarium trade, and Chinese medicine.
Paul Wegzyn, Sr. and son Paul Wegzyn Felix’s Family Farm
In these last lingering days of summer and first days of autumn, don’t miss taking your family to Paul’s flower fields. The sunflowers currently blooming are a gorgeous fresh new batch and his exquisite dahlia fields are at peak. As you can see in the photos, for Charlotte, the highlight of the day is bunnies. You can never get too much bunny love and all of Paul’s rabbits are sweet, friendly, and wonderfully pet-able. The favorite of the favorites is Ryan the Rabbit, a breed called a Mini Rex, and he is the softest, sweetest creature you can imagine. He was wholly engaged with Charlotte and she was wondering if it is because of her flowered dress.
Felix’s Family Farm is located at 20 Lowes Lane, Ipswich, and is open everyday for the next two weeks, until September 28th however, as we get closer to October, be sure to call for hours (978-229-1071).
What a delight to spy this adorable baby Wild Turkey in mid-September. Based on its size, I think it is only about three weeks old, which is very late in the season for poults.
At one point the hen and poult were separated and they were softly vocalizing back and forth to each other. The poult then flew into a low lying tree branch. Poults learn to fly early on in life to keep safe from predators.
Wild Turkey poults eat a wide variety of insects and gradually begin to include nuts, seeds, and berries. Watch how the hen is teaching the poult how to forage. I think the poult is taking an insect from the hen’s beak but I can’t tell for sure if it is berry or bug.
Wild Turkey Mom looking for her poult
The great North to Central to South American magnificent southward migration of wildlife is fully underway. These beautiful creatures do not see borders, religion, nor ethnicities and bind us together in myriad meaningful ways. As birds are taking to the skies by the hundreds of thousands, we are seeing the beginnings of the Monarch migration as well. During these first weeks of September local meadows and gardens are graced with newly emerged Monarchs. At this time of year, these recently eclosed butterflies are nicknamed the “Super” Monarchs.
You can see the above Monarch has just emerged from his chrysalis as his wing cells are still a bit crumpled.
A tell tale sign of a male Super Monarch, also called a Methuselah Monarch, is that they are not at all interested in finding a mate. A male Monarch that is not migrating stops only briefly to nectar. For the most part he ceaselessly patrols the milkweed looking for a female and chases away any other winged pollinator. He has evolved with the main objective of reproducing; whereas a Methuselah Monarch takes its time sucking up nectar and is very tolerant of other butterflies it encounters.
Methuselah Monarchs emerge in a state of sexual immaturity, called diapause. They evolved to drink lots and lots of nectar to build their fat reserves for the long journey south and to sustain them through the winter. This super generation of Monarchs are oftentimes larger but will lose some of their body weight by the time they reach the trans-Mexican volcanic forests
The Monarchs rest through the winter, then will break diapause next spring when they begin their journey north.
To help all of our winged friends during the spectacular southward migration please remember Lights Out for Birds
To learn more about the magnificent Monarch migration see our documentary Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly streaming on PBS Passport. To arrange a screening and QandA for your organization, please contact me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com or leave a comment in the comment section.
I hope you enjoy these last glowing days of summer,
xxKim
Female (left) and male Monarch Butterflies, Stone Harbor Point NJ
Wanting to know more about Mackerel fishing in Gloucester because of the striking new public art mural created by Josh Falk, these bits of info, and painting by the Luminism master Fitz Henry Lane, came right up in my search –
Mackerel Fishing Expanded on Georges Bank
“Prior to 1820, mackerel were primarily used for bait, when Gloucester’s catch rarely exceeded 100,000 pounds or 500 barrels. With the introduction of salt mackerel, this fishery quickly expanded up and down the East Coast. In 1822, the Gloucester fleet found large schools of mackerel on Georges Bank, to the east and south of Cape Cod. This summer fishery landed 1.3 million pounds in 1821 and 6.8 million pounds in 1828. By the 1860s, the annual Gloucester catch was more than 30 million pounds. But mackerel could also prove elusive, with dramatic shifts in fish landings from year to year. For example, the enormous schools that predictably migrated each spring from off the Carolinas would nearly disappear in the 1830s, only to suddenly reappear by the early 1840s. Gloucester fishermen pursued mackerel up and down the Eastern seaboard and as far north as the Gulf of St. Lawrence.”
“At the Fishing Grounds” 1851 by Fitz Henry Lane
“This is one of a very few paintings by Lane that depict vessels at work on the fishing grounds. It was initially presumed to illustrate hand-lining for cod, but in fact shows schooners jigging for mackerel. Close inspection will show the fish to have mackerel stripes and the schooners are fitted with chum (bait) boxes on their sides from which the bait is scattered in a way called “tolling.”
In spring, mackerel form large schools off the mid-Atlantic coast and migrate northward with small groups going off to their local spawning grounds as the main school heads northward. When Georges Bank is reached, the school pauses to take advantage of this rich feeding ground; it thereafter breaks up into regional schools which swim off to smaller grounds in Cape Cod Bay, the Gulf of Maine, Canadian coastal waters, and particularly the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The significance of this scene is that it shows the last great gathering of mackerel schooners before the fleet breaks up to follow the smaller schools to their spawning grounds. The 1850s marked a peak period in this fishery when the catching of mackerel by hooks was to give way to capture using the purse seine and subsequent rises and falls in the fortunes of this fishery.”
–Erik Ronnberg, Cape Ann Museum
Mackerel fishing today in Gloucester – Atlantic Mackerel fishing varies moderately throughout the year. High season is May to September. Low season is January to March and November to December. There is no closed season.
Mackerel image courtesy wik commons media
Love Gloucester’s newest public art, brought to you by artist Josh Falk and Awesome Gloucester –
Sal Zerilli writes, “Awesome Gloucester trustees proudly present the latest addition to our maritime mural series: The Holy Mackerel Mural!
Milestone moment: With this award, Awesome Gloucester has now distributed $218,000 in community support!
The project: Created by local artist Josh Falk! A companion to our beloved “Sacred Cod” mural, honoring the fish that have profoundly shaped Gloucester as America’s oldest seaport. This new piece will grace Americold’s prominent Rogers Street wall – one of our city’s most visible and iconic locations.
Community collaboration: Americold has been generous and truly community-oriented throughout this partnership. Additional support comes from the Rotary Club of Gloucester and Institution for Savings. Our dedicated trustees Rick Doucette, Stefan Edick, Bonnie Fendrock, Shawn Henry, Julie La Fontaine, Sue Salem, and Sal Zerilli made additional personal contributions to make this vision reality.
The impact: Our 9th mural continues Gloucester’s tradition of accessible public art that celebrates our maritime heritage and enriches daily life for residents and visitors alike.
Learn more about this outstanding project:
http://www.awesomefoundation.org/…/363927-the-holy…
Congratulations to all our community partners making public art possible”
Happy Bday to our 45-day-old Piping Plover fledgling! He/she is the last of the Good Harbor Beach flyers. The photo/video was taken on Thursday when the little one was 42 days, or six weeks old. This is the age when we typically see them head out for their southbound migration. He’s still here as of Saturday but we are hoping to not see him any day now 🙂
I am very sorry to share that the rescue Plover did not survive. Tufts wrote that the chick had multiple chronic healed fractures and that the wing was held in a permanently drooped position. He would never be able to fly. I was at first feeling extremely low about this but both our partners at Audubon and Lis from DCR wrote that if left on the beach its demise would have been very traumatic and, if not eaten by a predator, would slowly starve to death.
Thank you so very much to everyone who wrote with well-wishes for the injured Plover.
A special Waves of Impact event is happening right now at Good Harbor Beach. They were setting up for the day when I was there earlier this morning with Liv to check on Plovers. When I drove past just now the beach is full of families having a wonderful time and learning how to surf!
Waves of Impact is a surf camp, with branches in California, Texas, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Their mission statement reads, “Waves of Impact is dedicated to providing access to the healing and therapeutic power of the ocean to individuals with exceptional challenges. Our mission is to foster growth, self-esteem, and wellness through adaptive surfing. We strive to create an inclusive and safe space for our participants, and to provide the highest quality of surf and ocean-based therapy to those in need.”
Gloucester lifeguard volunteers John Dalone, Kansas Ricci-Munn, and Charlotte Morris
Every year volunteers are needed on the beach and to help with the kids in the water. I’d love to learn more about the camp and help next year. Read more about Waves of Impact here.
Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality
Paul Wegzyn and his family have created a most magical family friendly farm event. The theme this season is LOVE and beautiful quotes are placed throughout the fields.
Every season Paul develops new and wonderful experiences for people and this year is no exception. If you do, as do we, have a bunny- and goat-loving youngster in your family, they will be utterly delighted with the very pet-able, softest bunnies and sweetest goats around!
He has created a lovely butterfly garden with Mexican Sunflowers, Zinnias, and Cleome and you can PYO all the flowers on the farm, including Paul’s beautiful dahlias.
A new crop of lavender is almost ready to pick as is a freshly opening field of orange sunflowers with dark centers, which I can not wait to see.
Felix’s Family Farm is open everyday from now until about the third week in September, or as long as the flowers last.
20 Lowes Lane, Ipswich, MA
978-229-1071
The following is a list of even more activities Felix’s Family Farm has to offer. To learn more, please go here.
On a mini neighborhood nature walk this morning with Liv and Charlotte we happened upon the evocative Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), not a plant often seen growing on the side of the road. Ghost Pipe prefers rich woodsy conditions and can even grow in almost complete darkness. The diminutive wildflower is only about four to six inches tall. The flowers, stems, and leaves of the Ghost Pipe are white, occasionally flushed pink or may have black flecks on the leaves as in the photo below. The bell-shaped flowers remind me of blueberry flowers and the plant was once considered a member of the Ericaceae , or Blueberry Family. Ghost Pipe typically blooms June through September.
How does the Ghost Pipe grow without the green pigment chlorophyll? Chlorophyll harnesses the suns energy to produce carbohydrates (food) for the plant; the process known as photosynthesis. Instead, Ghost Pipes sap nutrients from tree roots through an intermediate source, myccorhizal fungi. 
You can read more about Ghost Pipes here –
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/mycotrophic/monotropa_uniflora.shtml
https://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/oct2002.html
One of our favorite poet’s, Emily Dickinson, favorite flowers
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.
From wiki – Andrew and Rosalie was built in 1930 by the United Sail Loft Company in Gloucester, for Patrick Murphy, a local fishing master, and was named for his children. The ship was used in fishing operations by his family until 1941, when it was sold to the Empire Fish Company, who renamed her American Eagle. They converted her for use as a trawler, a role she served, mainly under the ownership of the Piscitello brothers, until 1983.
She was purchased in 1984 by John Foss, who had recently restored the Lewis R. French (also a National Historic Landmark), and was restored at the North End Shipyard at Rockland, Maine. Foss rebuilt her for the cruise ship trade, and she now spends summers cruising Penobscot Bay in Maine on 3-7 day cruises, though she generally takes one longer cruise per year to places like Grand Manan Island in Canada. She is one of the few schooners in Maine that go on longer cruises, and one of the few that go offshore looking for whales. She also generally returns to Gloucester every year.
Click the image to enlarge.
Many, many thanks to Debbi Bernstein from Montclair Film, Mary Conti from The Claridge Theatre, and The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey for a fantastic screening and QandA of The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. We had a full house and a very engaged audience with many thoughtful questions. Thank you so much to everyone that attended!
I especially enjoyed sharing the Qand A panel with Damon Noe, who is the Critical Lands Manager at the Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. He has been working on the restoration of South Cape May Meadows, an area on the New Jersey coastline that was destroyed by storms in the 1990s. Least Terns, Piping Plovers, and American Oystercatchers breed at South Cape May Meadows. New Jersey Coastal land managers are dealing with all the same issues that we are struggling with along the Massachusetts coastline, including predation, flooding, and nest wash outs. I loved learning about the innovative methods they are trying and I think we too on Cape Ann can benefit from trying their very successful experiments.
Photos courtesy Montclair Film and The Claridge
Look how lovey our patch of Summer Phlox has grown. I wish I could say it was my genius garden design skills but alas, this is all nature’s doing!
Where this border is growing I originally had only planted the mildew resistant and pure white Phlox paniculata ‘David.’ Some distance away, we planted the striking P. paniculata ‘Bright Eyes,’ a light pink with deep magenta centers and adjacent to ‘Bright Eyes,’ a pretty lavender called ‘Franz Shubert. ‘
Several years have gone by and we now have a patch of volunteers blooming in beautiful shades of pink, lavender, and magenta. I think this may have happened because the plants have cross-pollinated and are allowed to reseed. We don’t deadhead and don’t mulch and that encourages little seedlings to take hold and spread far and wide in our garden.
Phlox paniculata is native to the eastern US and grows in a range of conditions. The location in our garden where it is thriving is partially shaded by the Magnolia grandiflora. This beautiful, beautiful wildflower is also wonderfully fragrant, with a heady floral scent especially potent in the early morning and late in the day. I have on occasion seen Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails drinking nectar from the blossoms but mostly the blooms are especially attractive to Bumblebees.
Pollen-dusted Bumblebee
Did I mention that P. paniculata blooms for many weeks??
Plant this native beauty. I promise, you will be delighted for many years to come.
The morning after the first super high tide at Good Harbor Beach we were surprised and delighted to see a third Plover had joined our Fierce Dad and his almost-fledged chick. We found the three on the narrowest strip of beach that had not been impacted by the hurricane tide. They have been seen together ever since!
Mystery/Butterball left, Fierce Dad right
30 day old Piping Plover chick
I think my daughter may have solved the Mystery and we believe this Plover could be what would now be the 54-day-old fledgling we were calling Butterball. He appears to be a similar stage of development and it makes sense; after Butterball’s Dad departed, Butterball attempted to forage alongside Fierce Dad’s chick several weeks back, but FDad would have none of it and was in maximum defensive mode for his little one at that time. Now that his chick is older and more independent perhaps he feels it’s safe to socialize with other Plovers; although at one point FDad planted himself firmly between his chick and Mystery.
Below are photos of 40 to 42 day old Plovers from years past and they are the only photos I can locate at the moment of Plovers past 36 days. Our Mystery Plover looks to be at least as old as the Plovers in the photos
This last photo is of HipHop, Super Dad, and HipHop’s 46-day-old sibling. Although the sibling is out of focus, you can see its feather patterning is similar to the Mystery Plover. This was such a sweet sibling; he stayed with HipHop until he could fly. You may recall HipHop who was developmentally challenged. The first year Mom returned to Good Harbor Beach missing a foot, one of her chicks sustained a hip injury.He was nicknamed HipHop for his hopping gait and it took him many, many weeks to catch up to his siblings. Both Super Dad and this one sibling gave HipHop lots of snuggles and stayed with him well beyond the time frame in which they would typically migrate.
For my New Jersey Friends and Family – Montclair Film and The Nature Conservancy of NJ are hosting a special screening of The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay on Tuesday, August 26th at 7pm. QandA with me to follow. To purchase tickets, please go here: https://theclairidge.org/events/the-piping-plovers-of-moonlight-bay/
I hope you can come!
