Tag Archives: Cape Hedge

ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AT 50 YEARS OLD!

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. In its first 50 years, the ESA has been credited with saving fully 99% of listed species from extinction, thanks to the collaborative actions of federal, state, and local agencies, Tribal governments, conservation organizations and private citizens. Read here for some very notable successes. 

Bald Eagle Soars Over Gloucester

From the US Department of Interior, “The Act has saved hundreds of species from extinction and continues to protect and preserve some of our most beloved animals and plants. It has also helped to create a better understanding of how human activities can impact the environment and how we can work together to protect it. Perhaps most importantly, this anniversary is a reminder that conservation efforts are essential for stemming the worsening impacts of climate change, protecting biodiversity and preserving our planet for ourselves and future generations.”

Did you know that when the ESA first listed the Piping Plover, in 1985, there were fewer than 4,000 breeding pairs nationwide? Today, in Massachusetts alone, we are currently hosting over 1100 nesting pairs. Our PiPl Friends at the New York City Plover Project were recently featured in “Ten Stories of Hope: The Endangered Species Act at 50” a new report by the Endangered Species Coalition. To read more about Plovers and all of the stories of hope,  you can download a pdf of the article here.

Building on the success of Piping Plovers in recovery, please consider making an end of the year tax deductible donation to our ongoing documentary funding efforts for The Piping Plovers of Moonlight Bay. Your contribution goes directly to the cost of finishing the film and is absolutely invaluable!

Donate here to our Network for Good online fundraiser .

We are deeply appreciative of every gift given, small and large. For large contributions, your name and organization’s logo is prominently displayed at the beginning and end of the film, with opportunities for up to 30 second promotional spots.  Please feel free to call or write with any questions regarding sponsorship. 

With gratitude to the following PiPl friends for their kind contributions – Lauren Mercadante (New Hampshire), 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), and my sweet husband Tom 🙂

The art of camouflage – one-day-old chicks

OCTOBER MOONRISE OVER CAPE HEDGE

Beautiful glowing pink Hunter’s Moonrise over Cape Hedge, Pebble Beach, and the Twin Lights. Happy Halloween!

INVASION OF THE GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS AND SNOWBIRDS!

Dark-eyed Junco (Snowbird)

A beautiful multitudinous flock of choristers has been chattering from every vantage point. The mixed flock of Dark-eyed Juncos and Golden-crowned Kinglets arrived to Cape Ann’s eastern edge on the same day. I don’t know if they are traveling together but they can be seen foraging in close proximity, from leaf litter to treetops.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Golden-crowned Kinglets are one of the teeny-tiniest of songbirds;  a bit larger than the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, but not quite as large as the Black-capped Chickadee. They zoom in and out of the trees (mostly evergreens), hovering and hanging every which way when probing for insect prey.

The Dark-eyed Juncos (also know as Snowbirds) are mostly foraging close to the ground in grass and fallen leaves. They hop from place to place and flip up leaves looking for seeds. The Snowbirds fly up to the trees and shrubs when disturbed.

Note the array of shading in the individual Snowbird’s feathers, from slate gray to milk chocolate

Learn the birdsongs of these two beautiful species and you will easily be able to locate them. The Golden-crowned Kinglet sings a lovely ascending high pitched series of notes that end in a lower pitched warble. The Snowbird sings a series of kew, trills, whistles, and warbles that is also lovely and when the two are foraging in close proximity, it’s a joy to hear their mini symphony.

Golden-crowned Kinglet range map

Dark-eyed Junco range map

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SUNSET and BEST POSITION TO OBSERVE TONIGHT’S METEOR SHOWER

Out shopping with Liv and we stopped top see the beautiful sunset at Cape Hedge.

We mentioned the Ursids during this morning’s podcast and in the meantime I found this handy chart. The best time to see the meteor shower is tonight until dawn.

Ursids meteor shower for Gloucester (Night between December 22 and December 23)
Time Azimuth/Direction Altitude
Sun 4:00 pm 345°North-northwest 34.8°
Sun 5:00 pm 348°North-northwest 32.2°
Sun 6:00 pm 352°North 30.2°
Sun 7:00 pm 355°North 29.0°
Sun 8:00 pm North 28.5°
Sun 9:00 pm North 28.8°
Sun 10:00 pm North 29.9°
Sun 11:00 pm 11°North-northeast 31.8°
Mon 12:00 midnight 15°North-northeast 34.3°
Mon 1:00 am 17°North-northeast 37.3°
Mon 2:00 am 19°North-northeast 40.8°
Mon 3:00 am 19°North-northeast 44.4°
Mon 4:00 am 19°North-northeast 48.1°
Mon 5:00 am 16°North-northeast 51.5°
Mon 6:00 am 13°North-northeast 54.3°
Mon 7:00 am North 56.2°