Month: December 2022

Approaching 2023 and Reflecting on the Past

Posted on by Pat D

2023 is upon us and therefore let the 400th anniversary celebrations officially begin! As the calendar year ends and an exciting New Year is before us, it seems like a good time to reflect on the past. We have talked about the Library of Congress Memories Collection before and I go back and check it out every so often (always learn something new). This You Tube video by Ken Hendrickson compiles some of those images for you in video format. If you haven’t seen it yet or haven’t seen it recently, I recommend getting a hot drink and sitting down to enjoy and reflect. Don’t overlook the comments.

If you have even more time to spare, check out Ron Gilson’s Golden Age of Fishing on YouTube. Here’s Part 2 that some of you might recall as your own memories.

Sneak peak of G400+ NYE Ball Drop

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Cape Ann Community

A behind-the-scenes sneak peek of G400+ Events Manager, Isabel Pett, making the ball for the ‘Countdown to 2023’ ball drop! Join the Gloucester 400+ tomorrow evening (Saturday Dec 31) at City Hall at 6:30pm!

More on this at the Gloucester Daily Times: https://www.gloucestertimes.com/news/gloucester-gets-set-to-drop-the-zorb-to-ring-in-its-400-year/article_f48b9a9a-87c9-11ed-817d-33e5e4b997d7.html

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Ate. Too. Much. Cooper’s Hawk #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

Just outside the window, my neighbor encountered a hawk which had been there all morning. Here’s the expressive Juv. Cooper’s Hawk. Dec. 30, 2022 that took breaks digesting and feasting on a branch in a tree, on a downed branch, and the ground during a four hour window that was long after its feast began.

vid clip caption: Alternating with inactive bouts of long perch times, Juv. Cooper’s Hawk is active feeding. Here turns around with prey on pesky perch.

vid clip caption: Juv. Cooper’s Hawk slipping, stretches prey and turns on branch

vid clip caption: Juv. Cooper’s Hawk slipping more, stretches prey and turns on branch again, eyeing options down below favorably

Opted for a downed branch, then ground.

Back up to 2nd perch, more digesting. Head turn in response to distant train whistle.

vid clip caption: Juv Cooper’s Hawk flies away from a 2nd tree branch digestion perch after finishing off prey on ground

This is all normal digestive process for the bird. It takes hours depending upon the size of the prey (birds, small mammals). Prey is ripped apart and swallowed down the esophagus into an ingenious multi compartment stomach sorter –a hopper (the “crop”), the acid bath proventiculus, and gizzard– then on through intestines till it poops. The pellet is coughed up long after.