Sending best, best wishes to Aimee and David Brooks on the birth of their beautiful baby girl Naia Rumi Brooks. David and Aimee could not be present at the Lobster Trap Tree lighting with new baby born the night before, but we all want to thank David, Shawn Henry, the extraordinary Lobster Trap Tree building crew, Art Haven’s Traci Thayne Corbett and the sweetest buoy painters for their glorious gift to Gloucester.
Wishing the Brooks Family a lifetime of love, happiness, and joy.
We are very surprised and delighted to share that The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay received the top award at the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival! The screening event takes place in Delaware sometime in June and and we’ll let you know more as do we know more. This past week we also received the Outstanding Excellence Award for a Wildlife/Nature Documentary at the Women’s International Film Festival – a two award week! I don’t think that will ever happen again. Thank you once again to all our supporters. We would not be this far along in production without your kind and generous help.
We so look forward to the return each winter of flocks of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings. Currently on our shores we have a mixed flock traveling also with three beautiful Bluebirds and several juvenile Cedar Waxwings!
Juvenile Cedar Waxwing
The Robin photographed here reached on tiptoes to get at the crabapple tree fruit, brandished his wings while almost losing his balance, and then success 🙂 If you have planted your garden with any of the following, including hollies, winterberries, crabapples, Chokecherry, cedars or junipers, you will most definitely be graced with the beautiful winter Robins.
I wrote the following post 10 years ago and it is still very relevant to attracting Robins to your garden –
During the winter months Cape Ann often becomes home to large flocks of robins, and we have had the joy of hosting numerous numbers in our garden. I can’t help but notice their arrival. Their shadows descend, crisscrossing the window light, followed by a wild rumpus in the ‘Dragon Lady’ hollies. This pair of hollies is planted on opposing sides of the garden path, alongside my home office. I have learned to stealthily sneak up to a window, as any sudden activity inside startles birds that are investigating our garden, and they quickly disperse. Dining not only on berries of the ‘Dragon Ladies’, but also the ‘Blue Princess’ Meserve holly and winterberry bushes, I find dozens of noisy, hungry robins.
These winter nomads flock to trees and shrubs that hold their fruit through December, January, and February, feasting on red cedar, American holly, Meserve hollies, chokecherries, crabapples, and juniper. Robins traveling along the shores of Cape Ann also comb the shoreline for mollusks, and go belly-deep for fish fry. Depleting their food supply, they move onto the next location. Gardens rife with fruiting shrubs and trees make an ideal destination for our migrating friends.
Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Habitat Gardening Tip:
The garden designed to attract nesting pairs of summer resident robins, as well as flocks of winter travelers, would be comprised of trees and shrubs for nest building, plants that bear fruit and berries that are edible during the summer and fall, and plants that bear fruits that persist through the winter months. Suburban gardens and agricultural areas provide the ideal habitat, with open fields and lawns for foraging insects as well as trees and hedgerows in which to build their nests.
The following plants, suggested with robins in mind, will also attract legions of songbirds and Lepidoptera. The list is comprised primarily of indigenous species with a few non-native, but not invasive, plants included.
Trees for nesting ~ American Holly (Ilex opaca), Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida).
Summer and autumn fruit bearing trees, shrubs and vines for robins ~ Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Blackberry (Rubus spp.), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Gray Dogwood (C. racemosa), Red-osier Dogwood (C. sericea), Silky Dogwood (C. amomum), Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Apple (Malus pumila), Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana), Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), Wild Grape (Vitis spp.).
Trees and shrubs with fruits persisting through winter ~ Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana), Crabapple (Malus spp.), Sargent’s Crabapple (Malus sargentii), American Holly (Ilex opaca), Meserve Hollies (Ilex x meserveae), Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Common Juniper (Juniperus communis), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra), Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina).
Snowy Owls Are Back in Massachusetts—Here’s What You Need to Know
Mass Audubon December 3, 2024
Every fall, usually in November, enchanted visitors make their way from the Arctic tundra to the (relatively) warmer lands in Massachusetts. With white feathers speckled grey and piercing yellow eyes, the return of Snowy Owls brings joy to birders, photographers, and Harry Potter fans alike. These majestic birds spend the winter in open spaces such as large salt marshes, agricultural fields, and even airports, before heading back to their northern breeding grounds around April.
While their arrival causes excitement among many, there are a few important things to keep in mind before searching them out.
Why Am I Hearing More About Snowy Owls Now?
Snowy Owls (or “snowies”) travel south every winter to hunt and feed in warmer weather, but the number that appear each season varies from year to year. An irruptive species, they respond to changes in the conditions of their home territory by moving elsewhere in search of food. Some of the factors that trigger irruptions include variations in their Arctic food supply, severe snow and ice cover in their usual wintering areas, or a superabundance of owls resulting from an exceptional nesting season.
Snowy Owl swooping on beach dune. Photo by Marilyn Blake
Snowy Owls Face Challenges
Most of the owls found in Massachusetts during the winter are young, inexperienced, and face many challenges. They must master hunting prey and evading predators; avoid being hit by vehicles or getting electrocuted; fend off disease and rodenticide poison; and deal with disruptions by people while roosting and hunting. While some challenges are beyond our control, individual actions can help minimize human disturbances.
Don’t Disturb the Snowies While Viewing Them
As a community of bird-lovers and conservationists, we can avoid making survival any more difficult for these spectacular raptors by giving them plenty of space.
Primarily nocturnal, Snowy Owls mostly roost (rest or sleep) during the daytime to conserve energy. Groups of observers can keep Snowy Owls from resting; birds are often forced to fly and relocate repeatedly if multiple photographers or birders approach them. To protect the Snowy Owls, give them the space they need to survive.
Distance is Key: When observing an owl, stay at least 50 yards (150 feet) away. That’s about half of a football field, or five school buses stacked end-to-end. Bring and utilize your binoculars or a zoom camera lens to keep your distance while viewing.
Manage Your Group: When viewing an owl with a group of people, view from one location and never surround or attempt to approach the owl to get a better view or photograph.
Watch for Behavioral Clues: If the bird becomes alert, extends its neck upright, and eyes become wide open, you have disturbed it and you should back off immediately.
By following these ethical birding and bird photography best practices, you can help ensure a successful breeding season for future generations.
How Mass Audubon is Helping Snowy Owls
Norman Smith Photo by John Cole
Logan Airport has the largest known concentration of Snowy Owls in the Northeast. The airport owls help by scaring away other birds that might endanger aircraft. Unfortunately, they are also large enough to pose a threat themselves. To protect both birds and jets, Mass Audubon’s Norman Smith has been safely capturing and relocating Snowy Owls since 1981. These re-releases allow our team to learn more about the birds’ health, flight patterns, and more. Learn more about the Snowy Owl Project
Explore Opportunities to View Snowy Owls Respectfully
Mass Audubon offers bird walks and Snowy Owl-focused programs, where our expert naturalists will lead the way in observing owls without disrupting their much-needed daytime rest.
Stop at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton for a guaranteed way to see two Snowy Owls up close without disturbing them. The owls in their exhibit cannot survive in the wild due to injuries and now serves as animal ambassadors.
Fantastic article about viewing owls safely in today’s Gloucester Daily Times –
By Dave Rogers, with contributions from Ethan Forman
The recent return of snowy owls to the region has rekindled a longstanding debate whether birders and photographers get too close to comfort for the birds of prey.
It has also prompted the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to issue a cautionary statement after one was spotted recently on a refuge beach.
“Promoting ethical wildlife watching behavior is critical to our mission at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge,” the statement reads. “We appreciate the many people who have reached out recently for tips on engaging in ethical wildlife observation, as well as how to talk with their friends, family, and other visitors when they witness unsafe behaviors.”
The refuge also offered a series of tips including staying at least 100 yards away from the birds and other wildlife. If an animal reacts to a person’s presence, he or she is too close.
Photos Courtesy DCR
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
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
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
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
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.
Dear PiPl Friends,
In thinking about Thanksgiving, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your generous contributions and tremendous help in our efforts to bring our documentary to public television. We still have aways to go, but are making good headway in the fundraising department. Your gifts have been tremendously impactful and we could not have gotten this close without your help.
After my last post about the continued harassment and heartbreaking death of one of the recently arrived Snowy Owls, I wanted to share with you a much more joyful story for Thanksgiving, a story about a very inspiring person and her gift to our Plover documentary.
Through a mutual friend, Scott Hecker, I have met the actress and wildlife conservationist Jane Alexander. Many of our PiPl friends in Massachusetts will recognize Scott’s name. He has been a resolute force in Atlantic shorebird conservation for decades. Scott led Mass Audubon’s Piping Plover recovery efforts, resulting in the threatened species’ state population increasing from 126 pairs in 1987 to 530 pairs by 2002. He subsequently served as Director of National Audubon’s Coastal Bird Conservation program and currently works with the International Conservation Fund of Canada to manage and develop the organization’s shorebird conservation efforts.
Jane Alexander is the multi-talented Emmy and Tony award winning stage and film actress, producer, and director who you may recall, starred with James Earl Jones in the groundbreaking film, The Great White Hope, political thrillers such as All the President’s Men, and many, many other plays and films that have captured the zeitgeist of our times. She also served as chairwoman for the National Endowment for the Arts under President Clinton.
In addition to her wide-ranging theatrical accomplishments, Jane is also a dedicated conservationist and champion of creatures great and small, and their habitats. She uses her powerful voice to write beautifully thoughtful stories about wildlife. I have loved reading her most recent book, Wild Things Wild Places, Adventurous Tales of Wildlife and Conservation on Planet Earth and think you will love it, too. One of the main themes of the book is documenting the work that field biologists are doing within communities to save the species where the species they are studying lives. She writes about biologists who are helping people understand what they have in their own backyards and to feel pride in their beautiful place, recognizing there is no conservation without inclusion.
Jane is also a Piping Plover guardian at her home in Nova Scotia! She has been monitoring Piping Plovers in Shelburne County for close to 25 years. Jane spoke about her responsibilities in an Audubon article “Bird Talk with Jane Alexander,” “I go out two times a week to check on the nests that we know of on the beaches in the southwest area here in Nova Scotia. If there are people with dogs off the leash, I speak to them. I make sure the signs are still up, and if it’s a beautiful, sunny day and there are many people on the beach, I talk to them about the birds. Lots of people are doing this all over the Maritimes during the nesting season, which began about a month ago and will go rarely past the second week of July.”
In addition to the many conservation organizations she works with, Jane has been deeply involved with the Indianapolis Zoological Society for a number of years. She is an honorary chair and jurist for the Indianapolis Prize, which was explained to me as something akin to the Nobel prize for conservationists. It is the world’s largest individual award given for animal conservation and brings attention to the achievements of Earths greatest conservationists.
As a thank you gift for Jane’s invaluable guidance to the deliberation committee, she was given a $5,000 honorarium. Jane in turn has directed her honorarium to our documentary, The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. Jane’s honorarium will go towards our fundraising efforts to bring the film to public television.
Thank you to Jane Alexander and the Indianapolis Zoological Society. Words cannot express how very deeply touched I am by this incredibly generous gift.
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you my dear friends for your continued support of The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay.
Warmest wishes,
xxKim
With gratitude to the following PiPl friends for their kind contributions – Jane Alexander (Nova Scotia) Lauren Mercadante (New Hampshire), Cornelius Hauck (Cincinnati), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), Cape Ann Garden Club, Brace Cove Foundation (Gloucester), JH Foundation/Fifth Third Bank (Ohio), Janis and John Bell (Gloucester), Jennie Meyer (Gloucester), Alice and David Gardner (Beverly), JoeAnn Hart (Gloucester), Kim Tieger (Manchester), Joanne Hurd (Gloucester), Holly Niperus (Phoenix), Bill Girolamo (Melrose), Claudia Bermudez (Gloucester), Paula and Alexa Niziak (Rockport), Todd Pover (Springfield), Cynthia Dunn (Gloucester), Nancy Mattern (Albuquerque), Marion Frost (Ipswich), Cecile Christianson (Peabody), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), Donna Poirier Connerty (Gloucester), Mary Rhinelander (Gloucester), Jane Hazzard (Georgetown), Duncan Holloman (Gloucester), Karen Blandino (Rockport), Duncan Todd (Lexington), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Amy Hauck-Kalti (Ohio), JoAnn Souza (Newburyport), Karen Thompson (San Francisco), Carolyn Mostello (Rhode Island), Susan Pollack (Gloucester), Peggy O’Malley (Gloucester), Hilda Santos (Gloucester), Maggie Debbie (Gloucester), Sandy Barry (Gloucester), The Massachusetts Daughters of the American Revolution, Mary Keys (Madeira, Ohio), Barbara Boudreau (Gloucester), Suki Augusti, Jonathan and Sally Golding (Gloucester), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Cecile Christensen (Peabody), Marty and Russ Coleman (Dallas, Texas), David Brooks (Troy, Michigan), Karen Maslow (Gloucester), Lisa Craig (Winchester), Menotomy Bird Club (Winchester), Lyda Kuth (Belmont), and my sweet husband Tom 🙂
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!
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
Dear Friends,
So sorry this post is a bit of a downer, but I am still reeling from the Snowy Owl harassment that I witnessed last weekend, along with a number of photographer’s reactions to the relatively benign post encouraging people to practice ethical owl photography. Name calling, denying the incidents actually happened, and accusations that i am trying to create a firestorm on social media are just some of the tactics used to shift the focus.
Denying that Snowy Owls are struggling displays a deep lack of empathy for the Owls. One photographer commented that Snowy Owls are “just like any other wildlife; if you are harassing them, they will just fly off.” That is precisely the point! Snowies are not just like most other wildlife species. If you repeatedly harass one to the point of flying off, eventually they will not have the strength to hunt and will die of starvation. Snowy Owls are not accustomed to finding cover in trees. They are here because our windswept dunes and rocky coastline remind them of their Arctic habitat. They are also hungry! It is thought that when there is a shortage of their favored Arctic food, Lemmings, the adults expand their territory, pushing younger birds southward in search of food.
The Snowies are being harassed, without a doubt, as evidenced by the many daytime flying and wide-eyed shots being posted on social media. The morning I went looking for Snow Buntings and came across the 30 plus observers with their cameras all aimed across the river, one of the photographers explained to me that they were waiting for the owl to cross back over as it had already been flushed several times back and forth across the river.
Because of the popularity of owls on social media platforms, within several days of the Snowies arrival, there were photographers from all around New England forming large groups. An Owl that can hear a Lemming under cover of deep snow is fully aware of the large groups of people it is surrounded by.
Hunting a Snowy that had flushed moments earlier. Please keep out of sand dunes!
We have all made mistakes and errors in judgement when observing wildlife. Hopefully, we learn and grow and become better stewards of all living creatures. In the past, I have loved filming Snowy Owls and we were extremely fortunate one winter six or seven years ago that a Snowy spent the season several blocks from our home. But their popularity has grown so. Sadly, we see the same people year after year, when you would think that at this point, they would know better. I am asking fellow photographers to be part of the solution and not the problem.
Standing on one side of the river looking across, you could clearly see some photographers poised a respectful distance however, half were not. The bird was surrounded on three sides by people taking photos. After I posted the first ‘Loving’ Snowy Owls to Death, I was vehemently told it was not photographers, but a dog off leash. Perhaps there was a dog off leash. I did not see a dog but you can see from the photo that a dog would only have been the tipping point in a morning of harassment. I don’t personally care about the name calling directed toward me and have learned it comes with the territory. I do care deeply though about Snowies and their ability to survive when they are here in our region. This is their winter home as much as it is ours!
If you click on the photo to embiggen, you can see exactly what is the issue.
Massachusetts DCR, US Fish and Wildlife, and Mass Audubon have been made aware of the intense recent harassment and are working together to strengthen owl viewing protocols and will be policing sanctuaries.
As a viewer on social media platforms, please do not press the like button or share posts about Snowy Owls. Perhaps if the perpetrators don’t have an audience, they’ll move on to other subjects.
If you are the Admin on a social media platform, please consider not posting photos of owls.
Do not throw objects at the owl to make it fly.
Because of concerns about harassment, drones are prohibited at wildlife refuges.
Please, keep out of the dunes and stay on the trails. Tracking a Snowy through the dunes is not only a form of harassment, foot traffic damages the dune ecosystem.
If in a sanctuary or reserve and you come across a group of photographers photographing a Snowy, think about NOT stopping.
And please, if you are one of the photographers who sits there hour upon hour waiting for the Snowy to move, please don’t be that person. Take some photos and Move On. Give someone else a chance to take a few snapshots and they in turn will hopefully move on.
As human stewards of these magnificent creatures, we are responsible for putting their needs ahead of our own desire to see them or photograph them up close. When you are out and about and happen to see a Snowy, take a few photos, and move on. The owls are completely and fully aware of your presence. Parking yourself for any length of time brings attention to the bird and will surely draw a crowd.
If you are able to capture a few photos, please, please please do not post them on Facebook and other social media platforms until the Owl has departed the vicinity. I have learned the hard way. For example, with other birds that are vulnerable to disturbance, nesting Piping Plovers for instance, I wait until the birds are fledged before sharing photos or footage of the chicks.
Most importantly, give them lots and lots of space, standing a minimum distance of 200 feet away.
A few more tips –
Stay low and hide behind a shrub, tree, or car if possible.
Move slowly, and if with a friend, speak softly.
Again, please don’t park yourself for hours near a Snowy. Take a few photos and MOVE ON.
And, of course, never use rat poison (rodenticides).
Lots of great films for the young, and the young at heart, as well as a hands-on animation workshop for all.
Several highlights: On Friday night, November 22, we are screening STAND UP & SHOUT, a great doc about an organization that works with students at a high school in Philadelphia and teaches them how to write and perform their own songs. The film runs for one hour and immediately following that, we will have a special performance by a group of students from ZUMIX – a program that does the same thing with students from the Boston area! They are going to talk about their organization and perform a few songs for our audience.
We also have an excellent film called Robin and the Hoods playing on Saturday evening at 7pm that is appropriate for all ages. Either would be a great way to spend an evening!
We’ll be assembling everyone’s order during the day Monday, then opening pick-ups on Tuesday 11/26, between 10 aM and 6 PM
Order Here
Now is the time to take advantage of bulk produce pricing to stock up for the holiday or for some general enjoyment.
We will be adding more produce and variety as it becomes available each week.
This week we have bulk item available in our online store at discounted prices such as squash, potatoes and carrots. Take advantage now for a fulfilling fall of delicious cooking.
We also have some scrumptious offerings from our friends Stacey and Alex at Iron Ox Farm, Sophie and Noah at Alprilla Farm, Luke and Catarina at Brookford Farm, Emma at Milkyway Apothecary and Matt at Underground Mushroom Company. – find them on our website and pick everything up at Cedar Rock on Tuesday.
Below is a flyer for a pop up market that Iron Ox Farm is hosting this Saturday. We will be attending among many other terrific vendors. 10 AM to 1 PM This Saturday. It will be a whole lot of fun!
After this pick up we will be taking a few weeks off online ordering to let the produce grow back. The greenhouses are filled with produce growing away so look forward to more deep winter greens, carrots and other goodies in December through March. Wishing you all a very happy fall and holiday season!
All the best from your farmers,
Elise, Tucker and the Cedar Rock crew.
The Produce page is open. We are accepting orders until 7PM on Sunday. Orders must be picked up on Tuesday 11/20 between 10AM and 6PM.
We are open for produce orders to be placed online and picked up curbside (Farm side). https://cedarrockgardens.com/fresh-produce
Come to the farm, drive past the first parking lot on the left up over the little hill and take a quick right toward the barns. Pull right up to the red barn to pick up your produce. The road winds left around the big brown barn so you can access the produce pick up “Drive thru” Style!
We will be opening our website for produce orders throughout the season and will alert you to such in these emails. We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Joy!
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!
A beautiful Snowy Owl arrives after an arduous journey from Arctic lands. The creature wants nothing more than to rest and to hunt. Within a day of its arrival, photos and video of the Owl are slathered all over Facebook and the bird’s location is revealed. The following morning, the Snowy returns to his perch along the river’s mouth, but now there are 30 plus humans staring him down. The Owl, who would much rather stay at rest, finds the audience disconcerting and flies across the river to the opposite side. Soon enough, the gathering of humans has tracked him down, this time surrounding the Owl. Some humans move in even closer, much, much too close, causing the bird to flush yet again. This time he flies deeper into the dunes. The pursuit does not end. The humans are hot on his trail.
How does this end for the Snowy? I do not know. I was hoping to find Snow Buntings and seals this morning but had to leave as I did not want to stay to watch the hunt of the Snowy Owl .
There were very few Snowy Owls in Massachusetts last year and I believe there will be much pent up desire to view them this year. Additionally, I think people have developed ‘Owl Fever;’ they just can’t leave these beautiful creatures alone. Perhaps if people understood their needs they would less selfishly pursue the Owls.
A Snowy at rest along the water’s edge or in the dunes is just that, resting. The Owl needs to sleep and to conserve its energy for hunting and to keep warm. Snowy Owls are unique in that they are more acclimated to hunting during daylight hours than other owl species. They hatched and matured in regions where there has been continuous daylight for much of their young lives. That being said, they occasionally hunt during the day, but are mostly crepuscular and nocturnal, hunting at dawn, dusk, and during the night. Gatherings of humans have been known to park themselves for hours upon hours, waiting for the Owl to take off for its early evening hunt.
Human caused disturbance is not the only reason Snowies are struggling to survive. Like all raptors, they can become deathly ill from the widespread use of rodenticide. I am reminded of the story of the amazing Snowy Owl, Seabrook, who was rescued from death’s door by the photographer Jonathan Herrick and On the Wing wildlife rehabilitators. Seabrook was found by Jonathan as he lay dying on the beach, unable to fly from the rodenticide poison coursing through his body.
As human stewards of these magnificent creatures, we are responsible for putting their needs ahead of our own desire to see them or photograph them up close. When you are out and about and happen to see a Snowy, take a few photos, and move on. The owls are completely and fully aware of your presence. Parking yourself for any length of time brings attention to the bird and will surely draw a crowd.
If you are able to capture a few photos, please, please please do not post them on Facebook and other social media platforms until the Owl has departed the vicinity. I have learned the hard way. For example, with other birds that are vulnerable to disturbance, nesting Piping Plovers for instance, I wait until the birds are fledged before sharing photos or footage of the chicks.
Most importantly, give them lots and lots of space, standing a minimum distance of 200 feet away.
A few more tips –
Stay low and hide behind a shrub, tree, or car if possible.
Move slowly, and if with a friend, speak softly.
Again, please don’t park yourself for hours near a Snowy. Take a few photos and MOVE ON.
And, of course, never use rat poison (rodenticides).
On the Wing wildlife rehabilitator Jane Kelly and USFWS biologist Bri Benvenuti set Seabrook off on his flight for freedom.
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.
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?
Produce Ordering!
Our website is open for ordering farm fresh produce. Orders must be in by Tuesday at noon.
Please pick up your produce on Wednesday between 2PM and 6:30PM in the big red barn at Cedar Rock Gardens.
We will be adding more produce and variety as it becomes available each week.
This week offers lots of greens and roots including some pretty spectacular looking spinach from the greenhouse. Check out our website for a full list of whats available now!
We also have some great products from our friends including backed goods and jam and soup from With Flour in Her Hair, Tea blends from Milkyway Apothecary and microgreens from Wildly Rooted. We have delicious veggies from Iron Ox farm and Alprilla Farm to fill in the gaps of anything we do not grow!
We will be offering a bulk price discount on all produce for the week of Thanksgiving – that pick up will be on a Monday – stay tuned for that email.
We will be at Iron Ox Farm on Saturday November 23rd selling lots of greenhouse greens, potatoes, carrots and amazing bunched chard. See the flyer below for a list of all the other vendors – it promises to be a very fun day!
Dear PiPl Friends,
Beautiful words of wisdom to keep in mind, from Emily Dickinson –
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all
Two hopeful good news ‘things with feathers’ happenings to share – The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay was awarded the Best Feature Documentary at the Queen City Film Festival. I am looking forward to sharing the news with my father- and sister-in-law, and my husband’s entire family because they all live in, or come from, Cincinnati!
Even though we gave the location of the film a fictional name, Moonlight Bay, the locations look a great deal like north of Boston/Atlantic coast beaches. One of my greatest hopes for our Plover documentary is that it would have universal appeal, that people of all ages from regions across the country would find the film interesting. We are overjoyed audiences are finding it so!
The very day the news of the award came to my inbox, a story about Piping Plover chicks at the Cincinnati Zoo did as well. Three chick were hand-reared at the zoo this past summer. Due to nest abandonment, each summer a portion of Piping Plover eggs are rescued from their natural habitat. Zookeepers from around the country work to hatch and rear the chicks in a project created by the Detroit Zoo. Volunteers monitor wild nests closely and if they find eggs in need of attention, they collect and deliver the eggs to the hand-rearing facility. This season, a total of 22 chicks were hatched out. The three hand-reared chicks at the Cincinnati Zoo were successfully returned to the wild.
The Atlantic Coast Piping Plovers are on the threatened species list however, the Great Lakes Plovers are at even greater risk. Great Lakes Plovers are listed as endangered. When the Great Lakes Plovers were given the ESA listing in 1984, there were only 12 Great Lakes pairs remaining. 2024 was a record year for GLPlover, with 78 pairs successfully fledging 122 wild chicks.
We are making headway in our grant writing and fundraising efforts and I hope to have some good news to share with you soon. In the meantime, I would like to thank once again all our friends who have donated so generously. Without your kind help, we would not be nearly as far along in production and in film festival submissions. Thank you.
With gratitude to the following PiPl friends for their kind contributions – Lauren Mercadante (New Hampshire), Jane Alexander (New York), Cornelius Hauck (Cincinnati), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), Cape Ann Garden Club, Brace Cove Foundation (Gloucester), JH Foundation/Fifth Third Bank (Ohio), Janis and John Bell (Gloucester), Jennie Meyer (Gloucester), Alice and David Gardner (Beverly), JoeAnn Hart (Gloucester), Kim Tieger (Manchester), Joanne Hurd (Gloucester), Holly Niperus (Phoenix), Bill Girolamo (Melrose), Claudia Bermudez (Gloucester), Paula and Alexa Niziak (Rockport), Todd Pover (Springfield), Cynthia Dunn (Gloucester), Nancy Mattern (Albuquerque), Marion Frost (Ipswich), Cecile Christianson (Peabody), Sally Jackson (Gloucester), Donna Poirier Connerty (Gloucester), Mary Rhinelander (Gloucester), Jane Hazzard (Georgetown), Duncan Holloman (Gloucester), Karen Blandino (Rockport), Duncan Todd (Lexington), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Amy Hauck-Kalti (Ohio), JoAnn Souza (Newburyport), Karen Thompson (San Francisco), Carolyn Mostello (Rhode Island), Susan Pollack (Gloucester), Peggy O’Malley (Gloucester), Hilda Santos (Gloucester), Maggie Debbie (Gloucester), Sandy Barry (Gloucester), The Massachusetts Daughters of the American Revolution, Mary Keys (Madeira, Ohio), Barbara Boudreau (Gloucester), Suki Augusti (Rockport), Jonathan and Sally Golding (Gloucester), Sue Winslow (Gloucester), Cecile Christensen (Peabody), Marty and Russ Coleman (Dallas), David Brooks (Troy, Michigan), Karen Maslow (Gloucester), Lisa Craig (Winchester), Menotomy Bird Club (Winchester), Lyda Kuth (Belmont), and, my as always, wonderfully supportive husband, Tom <3
Thank you Vice President Harris – you are flawless.
I am taking her words to heart –
“Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.
I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case.
But here’s the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars.
The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service. And may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.
I thank you all, may God bless you and may God bless the United States of America. I thank you all.”
Full transcript of Vice President Kamala Harris concession speech
“Good afternoon. Thank you all, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Let me say, I love you back. My heart is full today. My heart is full today.
Full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve. The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright. As long as we never give up, and as long as we keep fighting.
To my beloved Doug and our family, I love you so very much. To President Biden and Doctor Biden, thank you for your faith and support. To Governor Walz and the Walz family, I know your service to our nation will continue. And to my extraordinary team, to the volunteers who gave so much of themselves, to the poll workers and the local election officials, I thank you, I thank you all.I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it. Over the 107 days of this campaign, we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love of country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future. And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us.
Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. But we must accept the results of this election.
Earlier today, I spoke with president-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.
A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. That principle, as much as any other, distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. And anyone who seeks the public trust must honor it.
At the same time, in our nation, we owe loyalty, not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fuelled this campaign.
The fight, the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people. A fight for the ideals at the heart of our nation. The ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up. I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspiration is where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do.
We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. And America, we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld.
And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.
And we will also wage it in quieter ways, in how we live our lives, by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbour.
By always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve.
The fight for our freedom will take hard work. But like I always say, we like hard work.
Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work, and the fight for our country is always worth it. It is always worth it.
To the young people who are watching, it is, I love you. To the young people who are watching it is okay to feel sad and disappointed, but please know it’s going to be okay. On the campaign, I would often say when we fight, we win. But here’s the thing, here’s the thing. Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn’t mean we won’t win.
The important thing is don’t ever give up, don’t ever give up, don’t ever stop trying to make the world a better place.
You have power. You have power and don’t you ever listen when anyone tells you something is impossible because it has never been done before.
You have the capacity to do extraordinary good in the world.
And so to everyone who is watching, do not despair.
This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves.
This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.
Look many of you know, I started out as a prosecutor, and throughout my career I saw people at some of the worst times in their lives, people who had suffered great harm and great pain and yet found within themselves the strength and the courage and the resolve to take the stand, to take a stand, to fight for justice, to fight for themselves, to fight for others. So let their courage be our inspiration. Let their determination be our charge.
And I’ll close with this. There’s an adage an historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages.
The adage is: “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”
I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case.
But here’s the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars.
The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service. And may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.
I thank you all, may God bless you and may God bless the United States of America. I thank you all.”
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,
When true simplicity is gain’d,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
American Golden Plover range map, courtesy Cornell
Orange = breeding range
Yellow = migration
Blue = wintering range