Category Archives: Essex County

Cape Ann YMCA Presents Holiday Delights at the Annisquam Village Hall: The Cape Ann Tradition Returns!

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The Cape Ann YMCA presents Holiday Delights on December 13 at 7pm; December 14 at 2pm and December 15 at 2pm at the Annisquam Village Hall, 34 Leonard Street, Gloucester, MA. Set in Gloucester, Holiday Delights is a festive mix of stories, songs and dance celebrating the special traditions of other cultures and families as seen through a young child’s magical journey on Christmas Eve to discover what is really important during the holiday season. A Cape Ann holiday tradition, Holiday Delights is conceived and directed by Gloucester native, award winning professional actress and Harvard University graduate Heidi Dallin, the YMCA of the North Shore Theatre Specialist. Since the production’s premiere in 2007 over 750 young people from Cape Ann and beyond have appeared in Holiday Delights through the years. “It is so exciting each year to see these wonderful young actors tell the story of Holiday Delights! I am so fortunate to work with all of them! They are all working so hard and now they are part of this Cape Ann tradition entering its 14th year! ” says Holiday Delights creator and director Heidi Dallin. “This year 10-year-old Carolyn Andrews plays Mistletoe, Mrs. Claus’ Elf Assistant”, continues Dallin, ” Young Carolyn is excited to play the coveted role especially since her big sister Malia played the role in 2016. Malia is now a freshman at BU School for the Arts studying Acting. Holiday Delights is a family tradition on Cape Ann!”

The 2024 edition of Holiday Delights features the journey of a young girl who discovers the spirit and the joys of the holiday season as she faces the unhappy prospect of leaving her beloved hometown of Gloucester and moving with her family to a new home in Michigan. Her special Christmas Eve journey helps her to realize and appreciate the importance of her family and friends as well as her own special holiday traditions. During her Christmas Eve travels with Mrs. Claus and the elves, she celebrates Hanukkah, travels back in time to turn of the century Gloucester to see her Italian-Irish ancestors celebrate the holidays, and meets famous characters including The Crachit Family from Charles Dickens’ holiday masterpiece, A Christmas Carol and The March Sisters from Louisa MayAlcott’s heartwarming classic novel, Little Women.

The 2024 production has a cast of over 35 actors age 5 to 15 from through out the North Shore including Gloucester, Rockport, Beverly, and Essex. Holiday Delights 2024 features Gloucester’s Brae Gavin as Mrs. Claus and Gloucester’s Aubrey Hamm as the young girl she takes on the life changing Christmas Eve journey. Gloucester’s Carolyn Andrews and Beverly’s Evie Swallom are Mistletoe and Peppermint, Mrs. Claus’ loyal elf assistants. Beverly’s Madelyn Swallom and Gloucester’s Lillian Jamieson are also featured in the production as the supervisors of Santa ‘s Workshop.

The Holiday Delights production staff includes: Music Director: Anthony Prestigiovanni; Set, Costume and Prop Design: Sarah Vandewalle and Lia Sophia Numerosi; Stage Manager: Jenny Hersey and Production Assistants: Sophia Drost, Naia Gibson, Harry Larabell, Damian Etna, Kit Carpenter, Claire Dullea and Merina Earle. Holiday Delights Performances are December 13 at 7pm; December 14 at 2pm and December 15 at 2pm at the Annisquam Village Hall, 34 Leonard Street, Gloucester, MA. For tickets call the Cape Ann YMCA at 978-283-0470 or go to HolidayDelightsTickets

 

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

Lobster Trap Christmas Tree Build Crew!

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Incredible Crew! I think this is the biggest tree yet. From early morning til after sunset, this crew worked throughout the day to build The World’s Best Lobster Trap Tree!! 

Love everyone’s big smiles, a joy to photograph. Lots more photos coming <3

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

OWLS NEED SPACE – BRAND NEW SIGNS!!

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We can thank Lis Kernan, Sean Riley, and the super caring and dedicated team of wildlife biologists at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for the fantastic new signage at north of Boston beaches. They saw a need and without hesitation, immediately erected the informational signs. Great Job everyone! Thank you, and the owls thank you, too!!

A recently arrived Snowy Owls was killed in traffic last weekend. When you have a moment please read or listen to this very well-written and clearly stated article “Our Obsession with Owls is Threatening Them,” by Tina Morris.

Note that the following three Cornell range maps of the three owls that people are hounding the most illustrates that they all breed in areas much further north, represented by orange. The population of these three species is thought to be declining in the Northeast (that’s us!). Blue denotes the owl’s non-breeding winter range. They are here to rest and find food. They are not here for our personal entertainment. Please don’t be one of the persons alerting people to the presence of owls on social media platforms, clicking likes for their posts, or park yourself with one of these Threatened and Vulnerable Species owls all the day long.  Take a few photos and please, move on. Thank you!

Snowy Owl Range Map  – Considered Vulnerable – population decreasing.

Short-eared Owl Range Map – Threatened or Endangered in seven northeastern U .S.states.

Long-eared Owl Range Map – Since 1970,  population has declined by 91 percent in North America.  

Hello Rainbow Wood Duck!

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Feeling thankful that our Charlotte got to see this male Wood Duck on a sunny morning. And, that he was swimming towards us, not away, as Wood Ducks are want to do. She dubbed him Rainbow Boy.

Wood Ducks are named as such because they are one of the very few ducks that perch and nest in trees. Unlike most ducks, Wood Ducks have sharp claws that allows them to perch.

Wood Ducks are another conservation success story; a direct result of the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty  Act of 1918. By protecting woodland and marsh habitat, enforcing hunting regulations, and erecting nesting boxes, Wood Duck populations have rebounded. Another reason why the population is growing is because of the return of the North American Beaver. Beavers create the ideal forested wetland habitat for Wood Ducks!

You really need to see iridescence in strong sunlight, otherwise the creature’s features just look muddy.

For comparison sake, in the above photo, the female is in the foreground and the male in the background.  The male Wood Duck in this photo is in ‘eclipse,’ or mid-molt.

Thank you Beavers!

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

 

 

Keeping Your Youngster Engaged During the Strike

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Although Charlotte deeply misses her classmates and wonderful teachers, we’re all juggling our schedules like crazy to keep it positive and enjoying the extra family time. We’re so grateful for swimming at the Cape Ann Y and Heidi Dallin’s Holiday Delights rehearsals. Two of the local and very affordable activities we have loved doing this past week are a trip to the Peabody Essex Museum and Mass Audubon’s Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Narwal Exhibit, often described as ‘Unicorns of the Sea,’ was Charlotte’s favorite at the PEM, along with the The Dotty Brown Art and Nature Center. The cost of admission at the Peabody Essex Museum is $25 for adults, while kids through age 16 are free! Parking at the garage adjacent to the Museum was only $3. and there are no crowds in Salem at this time of year.

The Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary is free if an Audubon member, if not, the fees are $7 for adults, and $4 for kids and seniors. We loved the walk through the north field, where we met a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a branch overhanging the trail. He/she appeared tame and was oblivious to humans, even a very large group of noisy kids. So fun for Charlotte to get a super up-close look. Walking around the pond, we were greeted by Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Tufted Titmice that eat directly from an outstretched hand. Be sure to bring your own supply of bird food and warn your youngster of the songbird’s sharp little clawed toes that can be very prickly to a child. We were astonished to see a Beaver lodge built right up and over the boards of the wooden walkway. You have to tip toe around the edge so as not to fall into the pond or damage the lodge. Truly amazing to see!

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!

American Golden Plover #ploverjoyed!

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The American Golden Plover is a beautiful and uncommon visitor to our shores. The adults travel a spectacularly long distance, on average 20,000 miles each year. This one is really practically a baby, only several months old. She migrated from Arctic breeding grounds, stopping to rest and forage on Cape Ann for four days before resuming her journey to southern South America. While the Plover is sleeping in the sun, in the last clip you can see her golden spangled feathers.

I was reminded of this recording of ‘Simple Gifts,’ made by our daughter Liv and dear friend Kathleen Adams, by a posting of Yo Yo Ma’s “calming music.” 

Liv Hauck, vocals; Kathleen Adams, pipe organ. Recorded on the Jeremy Adams organ at the Annisquam Village Church.

“Simple Gifts” is an American Shaker dance song written in 1848 by Elder Joseph Brackett. The song has been widely adapted. Perhaps the best known example is “Lord of the Dance.”

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free

‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain’d,

To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.

American Golden Plover range map, courtesy Cornell

Orange = breeding range

Yellow = migration

Blue = wintering range

Beautiful Autumn

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Autumn scenes from around Cape Ann

 

 

Super Update on Banded Peregrine Falcon

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Over the weekend, I wrote to our Massachusetts State Ornithologist, Andrew Vitz, about the banded Peregrine Gloucester that I had seen running on the beach. Andrew wrote back right away with lots of terrific information. The beautiful loping falcon is referred to as PEFA 71/CD. She was banded as an adult female after being rehabbed at Tufts Wildlife Clinic. She was released in May 2023 in Hingham. PEFA 71/CD was re-sighted on November 2023, in Hull.

Andrew ccd Dr. Maureen Murray, who is the Director of the Tufts Wildlife Clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Maureen wrote back that she and her team are delighted to know that one of their former patients is doing well and provided even more details.  “A Peregrine Falcon was brought to Tufts Wildlife Clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University by Hingham Animal Control back in March 2023 with a fracture of the right ulna. The injury was bandaged and the falcon responded well to treatment. Eventually the bird was moved to a small outdoor enclosure to begin strengthening the wing. By late April, the falcon was showing good flight in the smaller enclosure, and the bird was moved to a larger flight cage for final flight reconditioning. The falcon was released in Hingham on May 8, 2023.”

We are so grateful for the expert care given to local wildlife by the caring staff at Tufts Wildlife Clinic and Massachusetts Wildlife rehabbers, including our own Jodi at Cape Ann Wildlife Inc.Wondering where a falcon’s ulna is located, a quick Google search came up with the diagram of a Peregrine Falcon’s wing structure. You can see from the short video of Miss PEFA 71/CD that her wings are working perfectly!

 

Peregrine Falcon Running on the Beach

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Peregrine Falcons may be the fastest animals on Earth, attaining speeds of 250 miles per hour, but they sure do have a goofy hop-along bow-legged manner of running! Perhaps because of  their enormous talons.

 

I believe the banding code  on this bird is black over green which means the falcon was banded in the Eastern US. The black band I think says 71, the green band, CD.


Banded Peregrine Falcon, Essex County

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.

 

I Choose Love

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Choose Kindness. Choose Integrity. Choose Peace. The Planet. Inclusion. Dignity. Compassion. Respect. Honesty. Peace. Truth. Humanity. Science. Diversity. Reproductive Freedom. Equality.

I choose LoveMute Swan and Cygnet

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.

Vote for Migrants of All the World’s Living Species

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Working with all nations on solving the deepening threats from global warming, vote for long migrations through many seas. Your vote counts for clean water, land, and air –  and remaining in the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement.

Watch the clip on Vimeo for more information about Humpback Mama Dross and her 2023 baby.

From the Atlantic Whales website –

Ecological Importance of Humpbacks

Humpbacks have been likened to the canary in the coal mine – they are important indicators of oceanic health. Their ease of study, relative to other whales, makes them one of the best global indicator species for following the health of our oceans. If our blue planet cannot support humpbacks, then the humans who have depended on the oceans since they spread out from Africa millions of years ago will also be in trouble.

Don’t you love the scientific name of Humpbacks, Megaptera novaeangliae, which means long-winged New Englander? The “long wings” of the humpback are its pectoral fins. They are the longest in the world and can measure over 4 meters (12 feet) in length.

Vote for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds!

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Your Vote matters to the tiniest among us!

Note those teeny weeny toes 🙂

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

 

Luminism

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I just wanted to add to the many photos already posted- and write I think that it’s an extraordinary accomplishment by artists John Falk and Dana Woulfe in capturing Fitz Henry Lane’s beautiful luminous style of painting in this large scale mural. Gloucester’s newest mural commissioned by Awesome Gloucester is located at Harbor loop.

Sculpture of the artist Fitz Henry lane by Alfred Duca, installed 1998 

CALLING ALL GARDENERS – MONARCHS NEED OUR HELP!

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Please don’t tidy up your garden just yet. The Monarch migration is really lagging compared to other years. The weather has not been cooperating and they have been waiting for the winds to shift from the northwest. Finally, it happened and yesterday and we saw our first signs of the migration with several small passels. The issues are that because the migration is later than normal and because of the drought, many wildflowers have passed peak. In other words, the Monarch migration is out of sync with the blooming time of the most nectar-rich native wildflowers.

Monarchs and Seaside Goldenrods back in September

How can gardeners help? If we must tidy up, please at least wait until the end of the October. Leave your sunflowers, asters, goldenrods, dahlias, verbenas, cosmos, Mexican sunflowers, zinnias, butterfly bushes, and Montauk Daisies in place. Even if they appear a bit unruly, in many instances, the butterflies are still able to extract some nectar.

Monarchs migrating in October need our garden stalwarts, such as Zinnias

Tracking the migration overnight roost population numbers from Journey North, you can see that by October 10th, 2024, so far, the Atlantic Flyway population is way, way down.

The northwest winds are predicted for the next several days. Please write and share any Monarch sightings. Thank you!

Monarch and Mexican Sunflowers – safe travels Monarca!

ECO FILM AWARD! Thank you BFF and Supporters!

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Dear PiPl Friends,

I hope you are enjoying these fleeting days of mild weather. Our local and migrating wildlife surely are! As many of you are aware, while developing the Piping Plover film, I have been filming the third documentary in the trilogy (loosely referred to as The Pond Film). Filming is taking place at area freshwater locations; ponds and marshes of every kind at a multiple of Massachusetts sites. Yesterday I was back at Niles Pond and saw a first at the Pond, a migrating Bobolink! He/she surfaced for a brief moment while foraging in the reeds, long enough to capture a few seconds of footage. During the spring and summer, we can see Bobolinks at a number of Greenbelt properties that manage their sites for grassland nesting birds. Bobolinks are one of the longest distance migrating songbirds, traveling about 12,000 miles every year. When migrating, they are usually seen in flocks and hope this lone Bobolink finds his way.

I want to again thank all who attended our premiere at the Boston Film Festival, and to everyone who couldn’t come but have championed the Plovers along the way. If you receive these email updates, you have been a supporter in one way or another and we are so grateful for your help. I am honored to share that we received the Eco Film Award from the Boston Film Festival! We are so appreciative of the tremendous gift provided by Robin Dawson and the BFF team for filmmakers to share their stories with the public. The Boston Film Festival is a stellar organization, in every way, and we are so proud to have been a part of the 40th annual festival. Congratulations to all the films and filmmakers for your beautifully crafted outstanding films!

We had a fantastic houseful and I was beyond delighted that the audience saw both the humor and the vulnerability of our tiny feathered shorebird neighbors. Thank you also to Michelle Akelson and her fantastic team at Rockport Music for sharing the stunning Shalin Liu. And a very special shoutout to Cape Ann’s incredibly dedicated Piping Plover Ambassadors, and an extra, extra shoutout to the Ambassadors who were at the Shalin Liu lending a hand. Thank you Deborah Brown, Jennie Meyer, Jill Ortiz, Paula Niziak, Barbara Boudreau, Kim Bouris, and Sandy Barry.

More good news to share for the film. We have been accepted to two festivals in Ontario, one headquartered in Toronto, and the other Brooklin. I have also applied to several additional festivals in eastern Canada as Plovers breed along the coasts of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, PEIsland, New Brunswick, the Magdalen Islands of Quebec, and on both the US and Canadian sides of the Great Lakes. I was so hoping there would be interest in our documentary from our PiPl Friends in Canada and there very definitely is!

We are currently raising funds to bring The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay to public television. If you know of an individual, organization, business, or foundation that may have a particular interest in Massachusetts, wildlife, birds, conservation, eco/environmental films, and would like to be an underwriter, please let me know. In our funding presentation deck, we provide a great deal of information showing how it works and the extensive benefits to the underwriter.

And please write and let me know of any interesting and unusual wildlife sightings you encounter during this beautiful fall migration.

Happy Sunday!
Warmest wishes,
Kim

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!

DANGEROUS WRECKED BOAT RECOVERY AT BASS ROCKS

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Roiling waves and the King Tide at 2:15 today made the wrecked boat recovery all that much more dangerous and difficult. So very sorry to see this happen.