Click here for everything you need to know and a complete guide to Gloucester’s 41st and fabulous Schooner Festival!
YOUR 41st ANNUAL SCHOONER FESTIVAL GUIDE HERE!
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Category Archives: Life at the Edge of the Sea
Thank You Montclair Film and The Nature Conservancy!
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
Outphloxed by Our Phlox!
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.
Oystercatchers!
As the Plover season is winding down, I am taking a little break today to share with you about a shorebird I have been documenting this past year.
Over the winter my daughter and I filmed Black Oystercatchers in Malibu, which are only found on the Pacific Coast.
Black Oystercatchers, Malibu
American Oystercatchers are the species that we see breeding and wintering along the Atlantic Coast and their range also includes both coasts of Central and South America, and Mexico.
American Oystercatchers
American and Black Oystercatchers have piercing red-rimmed yellow eyes and long three- to four-inch bills that are vivid reddish-orange bills. The bills are so super thick and strong that they are able to pry open bivalves. Oystercatchers also have adorable pink legs and funny black toenails that look more like they belong to a punk rocker. You won’t mistake these outsized and striking birds for your usual subtly hued and well-camouflaged diminutive shorebird.
I have been following three American Oystercatcher families. It’s been an incredible experience and I have learned so much about the life story of this dynamic bird. Just some of the highlights include observing what extraordinarily good parents are these shorebirds. Unlike Piping Plover chicks, which are precocial and can feed themselves within hours after hatching, Oystercatcher chicks are semi-precocial. Oystercatchers and Piping Plovers both hatch with their eyes mostly open and are covered with down. But unlike PiPls, Oystercatchers are wholly dependent on the parents for food for at least the first several months of the chick’s/fledgling’s life.
Oystercatcher parent delivering clam to chick
As the name implies, Oystercatchers eat oysters and also many types of bivalves, as well as other mollusks, crustaceans, worms, and other invertebrates that inhabit intertidal coastal zones. Mostly I observed the members of this little nesting colony eating clams and periwinkles.
When the tide is just right, the AMOY parents fly in and out of the nesting area non-stop delivering fresh caught mollusks to the very hungry chicks. Parents excise the soft fleshy meat from a bivalve in several ways. They insert their dagger like bill into a partially opened clam and quickly sever the abductor muscle. They also employ a hammering technique where they remove the mollusk (a mussel for example), from the water and position the shell just right. Once they have broken into the shell, they sever the abductor muscle.
When the chicks were very young, the parents sliced the clam into smaller bits to make it easier to swallow. Countless times I observed a chick drop its meal in the sand. The parent would then scoop up the clam bit, bring it down to the water’s edge, wash it off, and re-deliver to the waiting chick. I just thought this was so remarkable to see!
13 and 36 day old chicks letting Mom and Dad know they are hungry
Both Mom and Dad feed the chicks, at least equally, if not the male a bit more than half. As the chicks develop they eat larger and larger mollusks. It’s very funny to watch the chicks and fledglings nudge the parents to go clamming for them. They bump and rub the adult, nip its legs, and knock the parent of its perch. The adult mostly ignores the young bird until the tide is just right for foraging. The parents are very, very tolerant and I never once saw one become impatient with a youngster. When being pestered, the parent calmly shifts its position or walks away.
More to come about Oystercatchers including some footage. The story of the American Oystercatcher is one of conservation success in the making. Although these beautiful birds nest only as far north as the Boston Harbor Islands, including the rubble islands, I think it won’t be long before their range expands northward to include Cape Ann.
American Oystercatcher Range
Black Oystercatcher Range
Mystery Plover at Good Harbor Beach
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 –
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!
Montclair Film and The Nature Conservancy – The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay One Night Only!
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!
PSA: Dogs on Beaches
Why Can’t I Bring My Dog to the Beach?
According to the Gloucester City ordinance code, it is a $300.00 fine (doubled during the season) to bring a dog to Good Harbor Beach. For example, if you bring two dogs, that is 600. x 2 = $1200.
But stating the fines right off doesn’t explain why.
Health and Safety
Our beaches are wonderfully filled with beachgoers during the summer months. Can you imagine adding dogs, either on or off leash, to the mix? Dog ownership is at a record high, much greater than even a generation ago. In 2000 there were roughly 68 million pet dogs, today there are about 90 million dogs. What if everyone who owns a dog brought theirs to the beach?
Let’s face the facts, a great many dogs are not on voice command. We have dogs jumping on children, knocking over the young and old, biting people, and getting into dog fights and biting each other. That is not a safe scenario for any beachgoer.
But what if the law were changed to allow dogs on leash?
We would have half abiding by the leash law and half saying “I left my leash at home,” or “I thought it was okay to let my dog off leash after 5pm,” or “I thought it was okay before 8am,” etc. etc. How do we know this? Because we already hear these statements during the off leash/on leash days at Good Harbor Beach.
Pile of poop at the Good Harbor Beach snack bar area
Dog Poop is a consequential environmental issue. During the season when dogs are allowed on the beach we see the gamut of poop-maintenance behaviors. Most people clean up after their pet. However, many people bury the poop in the sand or leave their poop bags behind. When someone leaves their bag by the footbridge, then other dog owners take it as a sign as a place to deposit their bag. The pile of dog poop in a rainbow color of bags grows and grows. Do we want beachgoers stepping in sand covered poop or being confronted with piles of dog poop? There is no poop cleaning fairy. It is left to our awesome DPW or one of the very nice volunteers, like Chris Cefalo, his brother, and Michael Cook who regularly cleans GHB to remove garbage and also the bags of poop.
Good Harbor Beach footbridge
Keeping Dogs out of the Dunes During the Growing Season Helps Protect the Dune Ecosystem
If you regularly visit Good Harbor Beach during the off season, you can’t help but notice, the “Keep out of Dunes” signs are frequently ignored by pet owners. There are many who do respect this vital habitat, but also many who don’t. Dogs running and playing vigorously through the vegetation tears at the roots and weakens the plants. Vegetation holds the dune sand in place and without plants the dunes continually recede.
Over the past several years, you may also have noticed the vast improvement in the overall health of the dunes. There is a direct correlation to keeping the symbolically roped off areas up through out the summer season and into the fall because by preventing people and pets from recreating right up to the base of the dunes, it allows just that much more room for vegetation to take hold, and is one fantastic tool in the tool box against fighting erosion.
Dog going pooh within nesting area
Keeping Dogs off the Beach Helps Nesting Shorebirds Survive
Last, but not least, dogs on the beach are a well-known threat to shorebird nests and especially to young birds that can’t yet fly to escape danger.
How so you may wonder? “My dog is so sweet and would never harm a baby bird.”
When there are baby birds on the beach, the Plover parents do their absolute utmost best to keep the chicks safe. The parents exhibit all sorts of distraction behaviors including dragging and fluttering their wings on the ground to fake injury, thereby encouraging the predator to follow it and drawing the threat away from their most vulnerable chicks.
Plovers cannot tell the difference between a domestic dog, Fox, or Coyote. Dogs bound exuberantly on the beach through nesting areas and Coyotes and Fox dig in the sand for eggs and chicks. The ever vigilant Plover parent will leave the nest and fly at any creature Canid. Often, both parents will fly away from the nest in a sort of tag team distraction method. But while they are busy defending the chicks from a member of the dog family, that is the perfect time for a gull, crow, hawk, or falcon to swoop in and snatch the eggs or eat the baby chicks. Crows focus on eggs and gulls not only eat the eggs, they also eat chicks at every stage of development, even fledglings that have grown as large as the parent. Coyotes eat both eggs and chicks.
Especially during pupping season, Red Fox scavenge the beach looking for shorebird eggs, small mammals, and birds to feed their growing family. Plovers cannot distinguish the difference between a Coyote, Fox, or domestic dog.
Fierce Dad and FairFeathered Mom tag team distracting a Herring Gull
As I am writing this message, please know that we still have young birds at Good Harbor Beach that can’t yet fly well enough to escape predators. This is extremely late in the season and is due to the tremendous loss of nests during the May Nor-easter; losses all along the coast of Massachusetts. Many of the nesting birds eventually re-nested and we are seeing their offspring. Shorebird managers across Massachusetts are contending with taking care of these late flying chicks.
Here are on Cape Ann we are blessed with many beautiful alternative locations to walk our dogs, including Crab Beach (adjacent to the Boulevard), which is open year round to dogs and dog owners.
If you would like to see scenes of Plovers displaying their fascinating distraction techniques and learn more about predators on beaches, please watch our film The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay, which I created specifically for people to learn more about how we can all help protect shorebird wildlife and their habitats. Our documentary is streaming on the PBS Passport AP 24/7. Anyone can become a member of PBS Passport by donating to PBS. It’s so worthwhile, especially for young children with curious minds. What other streaming service can you get for $5.00 a month!!
As I first wrote, it is a $300.00 fine and doubled during the season to bring dogs to Good Harbor Beach, so please dog owners, for your sake, for the health of the beach ecosystem, and for the safety of growing shorebirds, please do not walk your dog at Good Harbor Beach or any beach where there is precious habitat and baby birds. Thank you!
The No Dogs from April 1st through September 30th signs are boldly displayed at every entryway to Good Harbor Beach
Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay at the New Hope Film Festival Monday!
I am very delighted to write that our Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay is screening on Monday, August 18th at 6:00pm. We are sharing the billing with another animal welfare documentary, The Ramba Effect, about an Asian Elephant and her 2,550 mile journey to her new home at an elephant sanctuary. If you are in the New Hope area and would like to see The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay and The Rhamba Effect, please go here: https://www.goelevent.com/NewHopeFilmFestival/e/AnimalWelfareDocumentaries
Massachusetts is Leading the Way in Piping Plover Recovery – Outstanding Coastal Waterbird Cooperators’ Meeting!
Carolyn Mostello, the Massachusetts Coastal Waterbird Biologist
Last week I has the opportunity to attend the Massachusetts Coastal Waterbird Cooperators’ Meeting. The meeting is held annually to bring together people and organizations that are involved with population monitoring and conservation efforts on behalf of coastal waterbirds.
Representatives from the seven Massachusetts coastal regions gather to share information, anecdotes, and data collected throughout the season. This year the meeting was held at Audubon’s stunning Barnstable Great Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary; hosted by Audubon staff and Carolyn Mostello, the Massachusetts Coastal Waterbird Biologist.
American Oystercatcher chicks
Threatened and endangered species such as Least Terns, Piping Plovers, Roseate Terns, and American Oystercatchers are given the greatest attention.
It’s fascinating to learn how we are all sharing similar experiences including egg predation by Crows, gulls, and Coyotes, disturbances of all shapes and kinds, low egg hatching, and storm washouts. Carolyn directs the event and she does an extraordinary job of weaving all the information together.
Reporting population numbers is followed by “Strange and Unusual,” a super fun section where field agents share funny/odd occurrences, photos, and videos. A special tribute was given to honor Shiloh Schulte, who perished in a tragic helicopter crash while studying shorebirds in Alaska. Shiloh Shulte was a beloved friend and mentor to shorebird conservationists every where and one of the coordinators for the American Oystercatcher Recovery Program. You can read more about Shiloh and his work HERE.
The afternoon programs are especially interesting with presenters sharing experiments, projects, and best practices, including two of special interest to our region; one on launching in-depth data collection on fireworks, and best practice for engaging with landowners. All the programs are wonderfully educational.
Handicapped Mom and Super Dad’s second attempt at nesting
Despite an extremely challenging year, largely due to the fact that most of the nests around the State were washed out in a late spring storm, perhaps the most outstanding take-away is that this year again, Massachusetts is at the leading edge edge of Piping Plover recovery. We should be super proud of our state. While many regions are seeing very little, none, or even worse, declining numbers, Massachusetts is leading the way in Piping Plover recovery!
Milkweed is the Bees Knees!
This vibrantly hued milkweed is most commonly known as Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, and Chiggerweed are a few of its other common names.
Butterflyweed blooms in a range of hot colors from buttery yellow to Spanish orange to fire orange red and is a welcome source of nectar for butterflies and bees.
MAX ALLEN Your 2025 Greasy Pole Saturday Champion!
Congratulations to Max Allen! Max also won last year’s Friday night competition. He is the third generation in his family to win the flag, following in the footsteps of his uncle and grandfather.
Happy Summer Solstice
Not the post I planned for this longest of days but it was just so beautiful watching three bucks foraging in the marsh this morning I had to share. Don’t you love their big brown soulful eyes and fuzzy antlers? Happy Solstice <3
Here is an image of one of them, no idea which, from the spring. Note the antler buds beginning to grow in.
WOW! So Much Great Stuff Happening at Cedar Rock Gardens!
Elise at Cedar Rock Gardens says, It’s Not Too Late to Plant — and HAVE WE GOT A SALE FOR YOU!
Rainy weekends and a chilly spring couldn’t stop us—and now it’s officially go-time in the garden.
It is not too late to plant – We have a sale for you and Lettuce!
Come Visit Us for a sale this week!— Bring a Box or Tray to shop.
To help you get growing and keep growing, we’re offering 30% off all seedlings in the nursery starting on Wednesday, June 18th until Sunday, June 22nd. Yes, all of them. As a little bonus, every purchase comes with a free lettuce plant, because you deserve something green, crunchy, and satisfying after this soggy spring.
Our business hours:
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday – 8 am to 4 pm
Thursday – 8 am to 5 pm
Friday – 8 am to 4 pm
Saturday – 8 am to 4 pm
Sunday – 9 am to 3 pm
Hello friends,
We know—this spring’s been a journey. Between the endless rainy weekends and a chill that just wouldn’t quit, it felt like summer might never show up. I was totally ahead of myself predicting a warm spring – so much for that! Now that the weather is finally good enough for tender edible crops to grow lets keep a close eye on pests and critters. The soil is finally warm, the skies are (mostly) clearing, and the gardens are ready to GROW.
If you’ve been waiting to plant, now is your moment.
It is not too late to get your veggie garden going! In fact, it’s a great time to plant seedlings—especially for all those warm-weather crops that will flourish this time of year.
And for all you clever succession planters, leafy greens like lettuce, kale, chard, and herbs are ready for another round. Keep those salads coming well into summer. Direct Seed bush and pole beans now along with radish, hakurei, baby bok choy, greens and arugula.
We’d love to see your faces back at the nursery. The nursery is bursting with life, lots of bastil, squash, cutting flowers, tomatoes and peppers!
Catch Us at the Gloucester Farmers Market!
Every Wednesday from 2:30–6:30pm, you’ll find us at The Backyard Growcery at Burnhams field. Starting this week!!
We’ll have fresh-picked produce from our fields and plenty of hardy seedlings to fill your garden gaps.
Come say hi, grab a bunch of something delicious, and let us hook you up with a lettuce pun or two (we can’t help ourselves).
🌈 Happy Pride Month 🌈
At Cedar Rock Gardens, we believe that love is good, communities, just like gardens, are better with a wild mix of colors and personalities, and every person deserves to grow and thrive exactly as they want to be. We stand proudly with our queer community—not just this month, but always.
Here’s to vibrant veggies, inclusive spaces, and the joy of growing something beautiful together. 💚💜💛
From the Field: June Journal
Why are we closed on Mondays and Tuesday?? First, it is to have a full day to spend with our small children and keep the work/life balance in tact during this especially busy time of year. We are a small business and we are a couple running a farm, a family, a crew and a life outside of work. We are on 7 days a week all day keeping thousands of plants and a couple small humans alive and in order to navigate this livelihood we chose to be closed to the public 2 days a week. Second because, as stated above, we are farming greenhouse and field crops all year and we need all hands on deck a few days a week to plant, weed, prune, harvest wash and pack – for those of you who have asked.
We’ve officially changed our greenhouses over from seedling production and packed all 12,000 square feet of our greenhouses with summer crop stars: tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, eggplant, basil, cucumbers, ginger, sweet potatoes and so many other warm-loving goodies.
Out in the fields, lettuce and greens are growing along beautifully. Bush beans are just about to get seeded, and both summer and winter squash are just about to go in the ground—and we are just about ready to tuck in our potatoes on July 2nd, right on schedule.
Why July 2nd? Because we’ve got beef with the Colorado potato beetle. These striped little tank-like pests emerge early in the season and love nothing more than feasting on tender potato foliage. By delaying planting until July, we dodge their peak egg-laying window—and still get a strong fall harvest without the beetle drama. Take that, nature’s tiny bulldozers.
Here are a few things I find myself repeating a lot at the nursery so I though I may share them here and hopefully give someone a tidbit that may help!
Pest Patrol + Growing Tips
Squash + Cucumber Success:
Use lightweight row cover early on to protect seedlings from bugs and cool nights. Remove the cover when the plants flower so they can be pollinated!
Mulch around the base with straw to deter squash bugs – or try the tip below from a neighbor!
Keep leaves dry by morning watering so they dry out over the day to discourage powdery mildew.
Harvest often and remove damaged or wilted fruit to keep plants productive.
And here’s a gem from our neighbor Newt: He cuts drinking straws into 3-inch segments, snips them open, and wraps them around the stems of his young cucurbits. It’s a surprisingly brilliant way to stop cutworms from snipping plants at the soil line—and may just discourage squash vine borers too. We raise a hoe to you, Newt.
Tomato TLC:
Prune lower leaves to improve airflow and reduce disease risk.
Mulch to retain moisture and prevent soil splash-up.
Tomatoes love heat—give them full sun and space to breathe.
Feed every couple weeks with a balanced organic fertilizer once they start fruiting.
Water consistently to prevent blossom end rot.
Pepper Wisdom:
Peppers want warmth—plant them in a sunny, wind-sheltered spot.
They’re slow to start but reward patience. Mulch them in, water evenly, and don’t overdo nitrogen (it’ll grow leaves, not fruit).
We won’t sugarcoat it: the political scene right now? A real mess. Between the corporate greenwashing, book bans, and folks who think “climate change” is just a suggestion—it’s enough to make you want to throw your phone into the compost pile.
But here’s the thing: planting seeds, supporting small farms, feeding your neighbors, and standing up for inclusion and sustainability? That’s hopeful. That’s powerful.
So let’s plant more. Grow more. Share more. Support with our dollars, our forks, and our hearts.
With muddy hands and a hope for sunshine,
— Elise and the Cedar Rock Gardens crew
Plover Lovers Update!
Dear PiPl Friends,
I am behind in providing updates and I apologize for that. Frankly, with the scale of all that is so very dark currently taking place in our country, I struggle with focusing on what is positive and good in the world of wildlife. Fortunately for them they know none of this. Happy news to share is that our Good Harbor Beach Plovers are recovered from the very late season nor’easter and are back on track with nesting activities. Not only Gloucester Plovers, but Plovers all around the region are regaining their bearings after the catastrophic loss of nests and habitat.
Plovers will re-nest (in other words, lay another clutch of eggs) as much as 3 to 4 times and in some extreme cases, have been known to re-nest 7 times. We always hope the first clutch is successful for several reasons. The earlier in the season the chicks hatch, the earlier they will fledge and be off the beaches. It is also very taxing on the female to lay additional eggs. Conservation biologists are very protective of breeding pairs, in a way even more so than chicks, because pairs that are known to breed are the birds that will carry on the species.
Wonderful news for our documentary The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay, which has been accepted to the New Hope Film Festival, a truly stellar festival founded by a gentleman Doug Whipple, with the intention of highlighting independent filmmakers. New Hope sounds like a fun boho arts community and I am looking forward to attending this festival. The dates are August 15-24th and as we get closer to the event, I’ll let you know more.
Rockport Middle Schoolers Cora and Juniper reached out to me for information about Piping Plovers for a project they were working on for their civics class. Don’t you love that Plovers are part of a civics discussion! I was delighted to help the girls with their project. They did an absolutely fantastic job and with permission, I am sharing the storyboard they put together for their presentation. Many thanks to Juniper and Cora for their interest in Plover conservation. I have been inspired by the two of them to create a shorter program for middle school kids as an hour long film presentation is suitable for high school, but the class periods are shorter in middle school from what I have learned.
My friend Jane in Nova Scotia shares an amazing ‘Plover Resiliency’ photo – the Plovers in her community are nesting at the TOP of the breakwater. The pair have found a tiny bit of grass and sand amidst the rocks. In case you were wondering, as was I, she reports that the tide never goes that high.
And my new Plover friend, Rhonda, in Ocean City, New Jersey, shares that their chicks have hatched and are doing well. Like Good Harbor Beach, the beach where their Plovers are nesting is also a highly trafficked location and has been consistently voted New Jersey’s most popular beach. Rhonda organized a screening of POMB with a virtual QandA at the Ocean City Public Library and the audience was so engaged. It was an utter joy to present to this very enthusiastic crowd. You can read more about the screening here: Ocean City Has Some Good Things to Say About The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay
That’s all the Plover news for now. Happy Sunday!
xxKim
Apple Filming at Widow’s Bay Island Today (aka Good Harbor Beach!)
Widow’s Bay Island – it sure sounds like a spooky and foreboding place!
Parked at the Good Harbor Beach lot is an assemblage of vintage cars as Apple TV + sets the stage for a new series, titled Widow’s Bay. Filming is planned to begin today. The series is starring one of our favorite actors, Matthew Rhys. While at my daughter’s in LA, we binged watched Perry Mason and it was truly gripping, with a stellar performance by Rhys.
“Matthew Rhys is heading to The Bay State and Pine Tree State for his next show! The Welsh actor is set to star in the new Apple TV+ series, ‘Widow’s Bay,’ which will begin filming in Massachusetts and Maine in May 2025. Katie Dippold will serve as the showrunner, with Hiro Murai directing the series. There has been no revelation about the rest of the cast so far.
‘Widow’s Bay’ takes place on a secluded New England island shrouded in mystery and plagued by an ominous curse — at least, that’s what its deeply superstitious residents believe. At the center of it all is Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), a pragmatic and no-nonsense single father who remains steadfast in his refusal to entertain such notions. Determined to transform the island into a sought-after destination, he envisions it as the next Nantucket. However, his unwavering ambition clashes with the townspeople’s persistent fears, forcing him to navigate the delicate balance between progress and the long-held superstitions threatening to hold Widow’s Bay in their grip.”
Common Eider Crèche
The ducklings just kept coming and coming! Moms, aunties, grandmoms, and sisters raise Common Eider ducklings in large communal nurseries called crèches. This crèche of Common Eiders was feeding at Good Harbor Beach on the abundant seaweed brought in by the recent nor’easter.
Common Eider male, duckling, and female
Hilary Frye, Extraordinary Duckling Rescuer! The Common Eider ducklings in the photos above are a pair that Hilary Frye and I rescued several years back. With soooo many ducklings in a crèche, it’s easy for ducklings to become separated from their family. But, as I learned from Hilary, the adults aren’t too fussy about taking in a few more!
Why Can’t I Fly My Drone Over Good Harbor Beach?
Fairly frequently when coming onto Good Harbor Beach to check on the Plovers, we find the birds off their nests and in utter panic. I have learned over time that there is only one reason why the birds along the one mile stretch of beach are frightened enough to leave their nests, in unison. Sure enough, in a moment or two, you hear the drone’s whirring motor first and then observe as it passes over the protected areas of the beach. Usually not one go around, but the operators make repeated passes over the birds. Whether zooming at top speed or hovering, the Plovers are terrified by these modern day avian predator-like cameras.
It is illegal and considered harassment under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to operate a drone over breeding areas. People are either unaware, feign ignorance, or even worse, are aware and simply don’t care. Countless times we have come onto our shifts to find all the birds in the area in complete meltdown mode. The birds think the drone is a predator that has come to eat their eggs, chicks, or themselves. There are even instances where a bird has flown after the drone and becomes injured. Today a man told me he was fully licensed to fly his drone over Good Harbor Beach. Drone operators need to understand that state, federal, and local ordinances supersede any licensing permit (see below for Good Harbor Beach regulations regarding drones).
There is accumulating evidence that the mere presence of drones causes direct harm to birds, not just during breeding season. The unfamiliarity and noise interrupts courtship, mating, and feeding. Entire tern and heron colonies have been abandoned due to drone disturbances.
Plover in crouched position, frightened by overhead drone, and off her nest
This past spring there was a political rally at Good Harbor Beach. We thought it tremendous that people were gathering in support of their views and the birds had absolutely no problem with the steady stream of people entering the beach from all directions. However, the representative’s organizers began preparing a sign that could be read only from an aerial pov, which meant they intended to fly a drone over the beach. We asked the organizers to please not fly the drone but they ignored our pleas and told us the drone was only going to fly over the water and the drone would only be on the beach for a few minutes. Of course we knew that would not be the case and sure enough the drone flew repeatedly over the dunes, disturbing every bird along the entire length of the beach. After fifteen minutes of sounding their alarm calls, all the birds on the beach flew off in unison. The drone was documented flying low over the beach for 45 minutes. Clearly, a beach with nesting birds is not the place to hold a rally if a drone is part of the equation, particularly when there are other locations as easily accessed.
Over millennia, nesting birds evolved with the constant threat of avian predators, including hawks, falcons, crows, gulls, and eagles. They have not adapted to understand that a drone is not a predator, no matter how much the drone operator protests that the birds are unbothered by the drone and have become used to its presence.
It is imperative for the safety of the birds that they have a healthy fear of drones. The last thing we want are nestlings thinking that hovering airborne shapes are nothing to be afraid of.
In our collective experiences monitoring the Plovers, we come across unethical behavior not only on the part of drone operators but also by fellow wildlife enthusiasts. We have seen photographers mashed up against the symbolically roped off areas, despite massively long telephoto lens, parking themselves for hours on end, and also following the birds relentlessly up and down the beach, despite the bird’s clear signals it is trying to get away and/or tend to its chicks. Early on in the pursuit of my dream to document wildlife, I was part of crowds that photographed owls. Observing how sensitive are owls, I no longer film owls in known locations. If I come across an owl or rare bird when out filming, I take a few photos and footage and go on my way. Crowds and hovering persons are also the reason why I no longer post specific locales and keep location information general.
To ethically document wildlife requires thought and is also a tremendous responsibility. We can all do our part to protect the beautiful creatures in our midst by being mindful and sensing their boundaries, especially, especially during the time of year when they are breeding.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information. I hope your question is answered, and why. Please share this post. Thank you 🙂
Nesting birds that are negatively impacted by drone operators include, but are not limited to, Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, American Oystercatchers, Least Terns, Little Blue Herons, and Piping Plovers
City of Gloucester Good Harbor Beach Regulations for Model Airplanes, Radio Controlled Aircraft, Drones
Good Harbor Beach Parking Lot
1. Permitted to fly only when beach parking lot is not in operation (no attendant on duty).
2. Restricted to times when pedestrian and vehicle traffic are at a minimum.
3. Not permitted before 8:30am.
4. Shall fly over the parking lot and marsh areas, not the road or beach.
5. Noise levels will be restricted to an acceptable level (non-flow thru, expansion chamber mufflers only).
6. Pilots shall fly in a safe and responsible manner at all times.
7. Pilots will be responsible and liable for their actions.
8. Pilots will abide by regulations in effect and maintain a safe environment.
9. Pilots will be considerate of wetlands and wildlife.
Sea Smoke Studio Grand Opening!
Please join artist Nancy LeGendre in celebrating the grand opening of her painting studio on Thursday, June 12th. We hope to see you there!
Screenshot
Featuring Sweet Warblers and The Bird Collision Prevention Alliance
Dear PiPl Friends,
This lovely little Yellowthroat accompanied me on a recent early morning walk, or rather, we were both headed in the same direction. The warbler foraged all along the way, snatching insects as he darted from branch to branch before descending to the ground, where he found a rotting log rife with bugs.
His official name is Common Yellowthroat, but I don’t see anything common about the striking feather pattern of this petite bandited warbler.
According to Cornell, Common Yellowthroats are “resident to long-distance migrant. Most populations migrate; some go short distances and others journey all the way from northern Canada to Central America. Some populations in the southern United States and Mexico stay in place year-round.”
Speaking of bird migration, I met in person a new friend this week, Jane Alexander. Not exactly a new friend as Jane and I have been corresponding for many months over email. She stopped by with her son, Tony Sherin, on their road trip northward. What a joy to meet this extraordinary woman and her son. Jane is not only a gifted actress of stage and screen, but a passionate conservationist. And she has been an ardent social activist her entire adult life (The Great White Hope, Testament, Eleanor and Franklin). Her son is a documentary filmmaker and editor (and also a fellow Fujifilm camera lover) so we had lots and lots to talk about. The time flew by and was much much too short.
Jane has been watching over Piping Plovers at her summer home for decades. She very kindly donated to our documentary The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay and I am so grateful for her generosity and for her true love of these valiant little birds. Amongst many of her projects, Jane has been involved in launching the Bird Collisions Prevention Alliance. Their brand new website is up and running with the tagline: More than 1 billion birds die in collisions with glass every year. The time to act is now! The website includes the reasons as to why birds hit glass, guidelines on solutions on how to help, and a call to action. Please visit the website to learn more more about how we can prevent a billion birds perishing every year.
Note the difference between the female and male Common Yellowthroat
Glossy Ibis Catches a Frog!
I was amazed to watch a Glossy Ibis capture a large Bullfrog and had just assumed they were foraging on insects and other small invertebrates when probing about in fields. Subsequently I have learned that they eat a remarkable variety of food including leeches, earthworms, marine worms, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, many species of beetles, soldierflies, crabs, shrimp, crayfish, mollusks, snails, fish, frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, snakes, lizards, and grains such as rice and sorghum.
HELP NEEDED – Homeowner Development Again Attempting to Ruin Atlantic Road: This time it’s a 1.5 MILE STRETCH
Help is needed opposing the NOI (Notice of Intent) to remove vegetation, build a parking lot, a walkway, and firepit on the ocean side of Atlantic Road.
WHEN: May7th, meeting begins at 5:30pm The Conservation Commission meeting is both live and in-person. Zoom: https://gloucester-ma-gov.zoom.us//88956014036 Or join by phone: 301 715 8592 or 312 626 6799 or 929 205 6099 Webinar ID: 889 5601 4036
Jayne Knot from Hydro Predictions writes, “The land where the work is proposed is in the FEMA VE Zone (high wave velocity), where we need substantial natural vegetation to protect the coastline and Atlantic Road rather than grass, plantings, a parking lot, and a fire pit. The NOI hearing will be held at the Conservation Commission’s May 7th meeting this week.” The hearing is under New Business: NOI 028-3056, which is later in the meeting.
Abutter Mark writes, “We need help from Save Salt Island Folks. Specifically, the people who are knowledgeable in coastal banks. The owner of this property wants to put a parking lot and firepit on the ocean side of Atlantic Rd. and ruin a 1.5 mile stretch of undeveloped coastline. They have filed an NOI and on the agenda for May 7th.
Link to city docs below. We sent a letter to Con Comm and hoping we can get others to do the same; staying focused on facts that are within ConComm’s scope.”
See below (googledrive link) the many thoughtful letters stating the reasons as to why people are so opposed to the development
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QpDxIM2rzyQ5Zk7vo90Fbspu4AGfLPqy
development
Black Scoter Washed Ashore
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
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
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 :)
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 –
