Maureen Aylward hosts Cape Ann Report – Community Round Table, a discussion about community issues with: Bob Gillis, President of the Cape Ann Savings Bank and Tri-Chair of Gloucester 400; Greg Bover of CB Fisk; and Dick Prouty, Co-Chair of TownGreen2025.
Day: November 13, 2018
GRAND HERON OF THE GREAT MARSH: CAPE ANN’S GREAT BLUE HERONS
Mostly elegant, though sometimes appearing comically Pterodactylus-like, the Great Blue Heron is found in nearly every region of the United States, Mexico, and Central America, as well as the southern provinces of Canada.
Its light weight, a mere five pounds, belies the fact that the Great Blue Heron is North America’s largest heron, with a wingspan of up to six and a half feet and a height of four and a half feet. I write elegant because it truly has a grace unsurpassed when in repose or waiting to strike a fish. Images of Pterodactylus come to mind when you see the bird battling for territory with other herons or flapping about in a tree top; the Heron loses all its sophisticated exquisiteness, transformed into what looks like a great winged beast.
Pterodactylus images courtesy wiki commons media
This summer past was a tremendous year for observing herons and egrets on Cape Ann. Our marshes, ponds, and waterways were rife with Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Black-crowned Night Herons, Green Herons, American Bitterns, and especially Great Blue Herons.
Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets and Great Egrets, Cape Ann
At nearly every location Great Blue Herons were seen foraging either with a flock of mixed herons and egrets, or in a solitary manner. Great Blue Herons hunt day and night and I would often find them at daybreak. They will stand quietly for hours, repeatedly striking the water with lightning bolt swiftness, almost always resurfacing with fish or frog. Great Blue Herons are survivalists and their diet is wide ranging, including large and small fish, frogs, insects, small mammals, and even other birds. Because of its highly varied diet, the Great Blue Heron is able to spend winters further north than most other species of herons and egrets. Even when after waters freeze, we still see them on our shores well into December.
Great Blue Herons are sometimes mistakenly referred to as cranes, which they are not. Cranes are entirely different species. Bas relief at Crane Estate, Ipswich.
Don’t you think it amazing how perfectly these largest of North America’s herons meld with the surrounding landscape?
Here are some moments from this past summer and autumn observing the elusively elegant (mostly), and sometimes comical, Great Blue Heron.
Fishing – Great Blue Herons capture small fish and amphibians by plunging into water and then swallowing whole the prey. They also use their powerful bills like a dagger to spear larger fish.
Great Blue Heron Range Map
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Great Blue Herons
Driving by Clark Pond on Monday, noticed this beautiful Heron and then saw two more playing with ducks. The photo with the ducks is grainy due to the sun right in my lens.
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Write a letter to the FCC to support 1623 Studios (Cape Ann TV) community media
New rules may be implemented with the FCC that could decimate funding to local community television. You still have time to weigh in with public comments today and tomorrow. See below for a current 2018 update and easy how-tos for public comments. (You can read more about the FCC history and cape ann tv leading up to 1623 studios in a prior 2016 post.)
Erich Archer says thanks and please feel free to share:
LETTER TEMPLATES & HOW TO FILE COMMENTS BY 11/14/18
You can submit a comment to the FCC before November 15th with these steps:
- Go to this link: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/proceedings?q=name:((05-311))
- Click on ‘+ Express ‘
- Fill in your information and send
You can also the template found here. You can find other sample letters you can get from local lawmakers about the rulemaking to enter into the record. Let us know if you have questions!
BACKGROUND
The FCC’s “Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making (FNPRM) on Cable Franchising” was published in the Federal Register on October 15. This means that the deadline for comments will be November 14. This proposed Rule seeks to redefine and place a value on cable franchise obligations that have been traditionally defined as “In-Kind” (backhaul of signal, IPG, possibly our PEG channels themselves). The result would be to charge these “expenses” back against the franchise fee and essentially undermine the intent of the Cable Act. The national impact on PEG Access and local municipalities could be devastating.
LATEST UPDATES
US Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts knows community media and why it exists. He was on the House committee that helped enact the 1984 Cable Act that supported PEG across the United States. That’s why he’s outraged at the actions of the Federal Communications Commission to destabilize communities in its FNPRM on Cable Franchsing.
Among other things, the rulemaking proposes to define “in-kind” support so broadly it will allow cable companies to deduct just about ANY support against franchise fees – thus defunding municipalities AND community television.
Senator Markey is trying to organize Democratic US Senators to support a letter to the FCC disapproving of the proposed rulemaking. ACM wants to thank him for the effort. He’s been a champion of our cause for many years! Here are the Senators who so far have agreed to sign on to the Markey letter:
- Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI)
- Senator Ben Cardin (MD)
- Senator Maggie Hassan (NH)
- Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow (MI)
- Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden (OR)
- Senator Bernie Sanders (VT)
We want to thank all the ACM members who’ve been contacting their US Senators about signing on, but we need more! Please contact your US Senator about joining Senator Markey’s effort to oppose the FNPRM. You may notice some Democratic Senators who are not on the list!
If you need assistance or background information about the FNPRM, please contact Mike Wassenaar by email at mwassenaar@allcommunitymedia.org.
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Gloucester Smiles-1068
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Please support O’Maley Academy After School Program!!!!
Please support O’Maley Academy After School Program!!!!
O’Maley Academy Invites you …..
Please join us at Jalapenos on Wednesday, November14th!!!!
Fun starts around 5:00!
10% of all food purchases go DIRECTLY to O’Maley Academy After School Program!!!!
If you can’t join us grab some take out! That works too!
We hope to see you all there!!!!!
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Who Wore it Better?
Something happened over the weekend that made me remember that I snapped these photos at Stone’s Pub right around Halloween.
Freddy and I happened to be sitting at the bar for a quick bite when one of Stone’s patrons came in dressed as, none other than, Stone’s bartender Jamie.
Nice job. He did, in fact, shave his head and dye his beard to complete the outfit along with donning the Stone’s Pub t-shirt and jeans.
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Critters at Parker River
Here’s some of the wonderful wildlife we saw at the Parker River National Wilidlife Refuge last week. Although it may have seemed quiet at the refuge, the critters just go about their business as usual. We enjoy our trips to Parker River and I do plan to renew my membership.
Bird watchers in the vicinity told me this is a Cooper’s Hawk.
I was surprised to find the Great Blue Heron.
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Well The Blog Redesign Had Been In The Works For Weeks. I Hope You All Like It
We’re coming up on 11 years and I don’t want to rest on our laurels. It was time to freshen up. Some of the things added are the podcast preview clips which are a lot of fun (to me anyway). We now have a larger header with rotating photos from this past year (many of which are in the new calendar).
It’s a cleaner design, less blocky and has an easier to read font.
Piece by piece I agonized over changing things but I think you, our readers will benefit and ultimately that’s what makes me happy.
Do me a favor, even if you hate it, lie to me and tell me it’s great. I don’t want to have to do another redesign for a while. 😉
If you’re reading this it means you’ve figured out you scroll down to the content. Hoping some of the less savvy folks don’t just hit the full screen landing page and freak out, not knowing they should scroll down.
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Coffin’s Beach By The Numbers
Click here for video and a ride into the “private section” of Wingaersheek, rka (really known as) Coffin’s Beach. See the homes that sold as well as the ones that didn’t.
Prepared by McDermott & MacCarthy of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty. Visit CapeAnnWaterfrontGuide.com for your free waterfront report as well as a copy of the map.
Good Morning Gloucester 
