October’s full Hunter Moon
HUNTERS MOON FROM THE BACKSHORE
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GLOUCESTER IN WINTER WHITE – OUR LADY, ST. ANN’S, UU CHURCH, GOOD HARBOR, CITY HALL,MARITIME GLOUCESTER, TWIN LIGHTS, BACKSHORE, BRACE COVE SPINDRIFTS, EASTERN POINT, LIGHTHOUSE
Early morning photos from around Gloucester after yesterday’s beautiful snowfall
MAGNIFICENT ATMOSPHERIC LIGHT DEPARTING STORM BACKSHORE, TWIN LIGHTS, GOOD HARBOR BEACH MARSH FLOODED, TEN POUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE, CITY SKYLINE, SANDERLINGS, AMERICAN PPIPIT, AND ANOTHER DEAD BABY SEAL
Look what the storm brought in its wake – great waves, marsh flooding, and dreamy atmospheric skies, along with Sanderlings, Gulls, and an American Pipit feeding at the shoreline.
That’s Rick and Roman Gadbois enjoying the scene in several of the Back Shore photos.
Very sadly though, another dead baby Harbor Seal was washed ashore, this one at Niles Beach. 
BACKSHORE TWIN LIGHTS WILDY WAVES
Beautiful wave action this morning!
#GLOUCESTERMA SNOWSTORM HIGH TIDE EASTERN POINT LIGHTHOUSE, BACKSHORE, GOOD HARBOR BEACH SURFERS, TWIN LIGHTS, AND TURKEYS
At sunset this evening, the skies cleared for a bit and one could see the snowstorm departing in an easterly direction, while more squalls were beginning to blow ashore from the west. The nearly half-Moon was rising over the marsh through the clouds. Swells along the backshore were larger than average, but nothing nearly as dramatic as the waves during a nor’easter. Perhaps the waves were bigger on the other side of the Island.
Although I didn’t get a snapshot, the small flock of Wild Turkeys was leaping about at the base of a bird feeder, hungrily looking for food. Which was actually pretty funny because grace is decidedly not a characteristic shared with these large-bottom birds. I wished I had a handful to give them.
WHALE SHOW ON THE BACK SHORE!
Schools of pogies makes for fat happy whales – back and forth, from roughly Good Harbor Beach to Brace Cove, the whales were following a school of pogies Monday morning at sunrise.
Sorry the photo is so out of focus, but at least it helps us see what species. I think this is a Humpback based on its white pectoral fin but hopefully one of our expert whale loving readers will chime in and let us know for sure. Thank you!
GLOUCESTER MARCH NOR’EASTERS STORM COVERAGE 2018
Covering storms back to back, I didn’t have time to post on both Good Morning Gloucester and on my blog. The following are links to storm posts from the region’s three March nor’easters, beginning on March 2nd.
LIVE FROM ATLANTIC ROAD WITH HUGE WAVES THREE HOURS BEFORE HIGH TIDE
LITTLE RED SHED NO MORE
BANGERS, CRASHERS, COASTAL FLOODING, BEACON MARINE BASIN, PIRATE’S LANE, AND THE GOOD HARBOR BEACH FOOTBRIDGE BOMBOGENESIS RILEY NOR’EASTER #GLOUCESTERMA
#GLOUCESTERMA RILEY STORM DAMAGE ATLANTIC ROAD PASS AT OWN RISK, GOOD HARBOR BEACH FOOTBRIDGE DAMAGE, PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH DEATH WISH, CHURNING SEAS, YOU WANTED TO BUILD A HOUSE WHERE?, AND THE THIRD SUPER HIGH TIDE ON THE WAY
#GLOUCESTERMA RILEY STORM DAMAGE MORNING AFTER, EASTERN POINT ROAD IMPASSABLE DUE TO STROM SURGE, CLEAN-UP BEGINS, HUGE SHOUT OUT TO GLOUCESTER’S DPW AND POLICE OFFICERS, GOOD HARBOR BEACH FOOTBRIDGE IN THE EMBANKMENT
DOWNED PHONE POLE AT THE ELKS BASS ROCKS #GLOUCESTERMA RILEY NOR’EASTER
BREAKING: BRACE COVE-NILES POND CAUSEWAY ANNIHILATED, NILES POND FLOODING #GLOUCESTERMA NOR’EASTER RILEY
BREAKING: EASTERN POINT LIGHTHOUSE ROAD WASHED AWAY AND PARKING LOT LITTERED WITH STORM SURGE DEBRIS; DO NOT DRIVE DOWN, NOWHERE TO TURN AROUND! #GLOUCESTERMA NOR’EASTER RILEY
DISASTER AT PEBBLE BEACH #ROCKPORTMA MARCH STORM NOR’EASTER RILEY
BEFORE AND AFTER ATLANTIC ROAD ESTATE MARCH NOR’EASTER STORM RILEY
ATLANTIC OCEAN WAVE WATCHING -EXPLODERS, BANGERS, ROLLERS, CRASHERS, AND SONIC BOOMERS – #GLOUCESTEMA #ROCKPORTMA MARCH NOR’ESTER STORM RILEY
CLEAR EVIDENCE OF THE DESTRUCTIVE FORCE OF GLOBAL WARMING ON THE MASSACHUSETTS COASTLINE AND HOW THIS NEGATIVELY IMPACTS LOCAL WILDLIFE
NILES POND BRACE COVE RESTORATION UNDERWAY 2018 #GLOUCESTERMA NOR’EASTER STORM RILEY
SHORING UP THE NILES POND-BRACE COVE CAUSEWAY BEFORE THE NEXT NOR’EASTER (ARRIVING TONIGHT)
MARCH NOR’EASTER #GLOUCESTER MA ATLANTIC OCEAN EXPLODING WAVES, SPINDRIFTS, AND THE PRICE TO PAY
Snowy Day Morning Violet Skies to Blue
As the snow storm departed the early morning skies shifted from hues of violet gray to brilliant blue. 
Ten Pound Island Lighthouse
Brace Rock in the Pink
Brace Cove Sunset
And further up the coast it was just as pretty.
SNOW STORM BACKSHORE ATLANTIC ROAD HIGH TIDE SURGE AND EXPLODING WAVES
Today during the snow storm at 8am at peak high tide, this is what the exploding surf along Atlantic Road looked like. Cold and windy, with big fat wet snowflakes, it was beautiful nonetheless.
We Love You Too Snowy Owl!
For the past week or so there has been a remarkably tolerant Snowy Owl feeding and perching on the rocks at Atlantic Road. Perhaps she (or he) is the same Snowy that has been noticed on the backshore over the course of the past month. I write tolerant because this Snowy was perched about fifteen feet from the sidewalk and neither traffic nor birdwatchers seemed to faze her much. As word has gotten out, her fan club has grown, so much so that there was a bit of a traffic jam today. Every several hours I stopped by to check on her whereabouts. At 2:00 today, she had only moved about a foot from where she was at daybreak. By sundown, she had flown up onto the rooftops of an Atlantic Road resident.
Many thanks to Kate for all her text alerts letting me know when the Snowy was on the backshore!
Early morning and the Snowies face and talons were bloodstained, which is a very positive sign that she is feeding well. Snowy Owls wintering over in our region eat rabbits, rodents (lots of rats), songbirds, and sea ducks. Being good stewards of the Snowies means not applying rat poison around your home or business. There are several methods equally as efficient in killing rats as rat poison. When a bird of prey such as a Peregrine Falcon, Snowy Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, or Bald Eagle ingests a rat that has eaten rat poison, the raptor becomes sick and will usually die.
The Snowy spent the better part of the day mostly dozing, preening, cleaning her talons, and puffing her feathers for warmth. At one point she pushed her face into a snow patch but I couldn’t tell if it was to drink or to wash.
For a moment the Snowy sat bolt upright from a loud bang heard in the distance, but generally, she was a satiated and sleepy owl.
Snowy Owl Fan Club Traffic Jam
CAPE ANN LIGHTHOUSES SHROUDED IN SEA SMOKE
Evocative views looking through sea smoke along the shoreline this morning, from Ten Pound Island to Twin Lights, and at every vantage point along the way. On my very last stop photographing a buoy in the sea smoke, I spied a mystery bird far off shore. Bobbing in the water and with a bill not at all shaped liked a seagulls, it was a SNOW GOOSE! He was too far away to get a great photo, but wonderful to see nonetheless!
WILD, WET, AND WINDY!
Snapshots taken this morning at high tide during the nor’easter.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPpylLfFvcL/
