My View of Life on the Dock
Snapshots from the time lapse filming – The day before the Nor’easter Riley, the early morning air was so still and calm, I was able to photograph while filming. That isn’t always the case because the slightest wind will jostle the movie camera and wreck a time lapse. Usually, you have to hold the tripod down with a death grip to get a good time lapse.
Female Piping Plover Sitting on an Egg
The recent winter storms of 2018 have provided empirical evidence of how global climate change and the consequential rising sea level is impacting the Massachusetts coastline. Whether broken barriers between the ocean and small bodies of fresh water, the tremendous erosion along beaches, or the loss of plant life at the edge of the sea, these disturbances are profoundly impacting wildlife habitats.
The following photos were taken after the March nor’easter of 2018 along with photos of the same areas, before the storm, and identify several specific species of wildlife that are affected by the tremendous loss of habitat.
Barrier Beach Erosion
Nesting species of shorebirds such as Piping Plovers require flat or gently sloping areas above the wrack line for chick rearing. Notice how the March nor’easter created bluffs with steep sides, making safe areas for tiny chicks nonexistent.
You can see in the photos of Good Harbor Beach (top photo and photos 3 and 4 in the gallery) that the metal fence posts are completely exposed. In 2016, the posts were half buried and in 2017, the posts were nearly completely buried. After the recent storms, the posts are fully exposed and the dune has eroded half a dozen feet behind the posts.
In the photo of the male Piping Plover sitting on his nest from 2016 the metal posts are half buried.
Although scrubby growth shrubs and sea grass help prevent erosion, the plants have been ripped out by the roots and swept away due to the rise in sea level.
Plants draw tiny insects, which is food for tiny chicks, and also provide cover from predators, as well as shelter from weather conditions. If the Piping Plovers return, will they find suitable nesting areas, and will plant life recover in time for this year’s brood?
Other species of shorebirds that nest on Massachusetts’s beaches include the Common Tern, Least Tern, Roseate Tern, American Oyster Catcher, Killdeer, and Black Skimmer.
Common Tern parent feeding fledgling
Where Have All the Wildflowers Gone?
Female Monarch Depositing Egg on Common Milkweed Leaf
Wildflowers are the main source of food for myriad species of beneficial insects such as native bees and butterflies.
Monarch Butterflies arriving on our shores not only depend upon milkweed for the survival of the species, but the fall migrants rely heavily on wildflowers that bloom in late summer and early fall. Eastern Point is a major point of entry, and stopover, for the southward migrating butterflies. We have already lost much of the wildflower habitat that formerly graced the Lighthouse landscape.
Masses of sea debris from the storm surge washed over the wildflower patches and are covering much of the pollinator habitat at the Lighthouse.
Broken Barriers
American Wigeon Migrating at Henry’s Pond
Barriers that divide small bodies of fresh water from the open sea have been especially hard hit. The fresh bodies of water adjacent to the sea provide habitat, food, and drinking water for hundreds of species of wildlife and tens of thousands of migrating song and shorebirds that travel through our region.
The newly rebuilt causeway between Niles Pond and Brace Cove was breached many times during the nor’easter. The causeway is littered in rocks and debris from the sea.
The causeway being rebuilt in 2014.
The road that runs along Pebble Beach, separating the sea from Henry’s Pond has been washed out.
The footsteps in the sand are where the road ran prior to the storm.
Mallards, North American Beavers, Muskrats, North American River Otters, and Painted Turtles are only a few examples of species that breed in Massachusetts fresh water ponds and wetlands. All the wildlife photos and videos were shot on Cape Ann.
Migrating Black-bellied Plover
Cape Ann is hardly alone in coping with the impact of our warming planet and of rising sea level. These photos are meant to show examples of what is happening locally. Regions like Plymouth County, which include Scituate and Hingham, have been equally as hard hit. Plum Island is famously heading for disaster and similar Massachusetts barrier beaches, like Cranes Beach, have all been dramatically altered by the cumulative effects of sea level rising, and recently accelerated by the devastating winter storms of 2018.
To be continued.
Impassable Road to Plum Island
Snowy Owl Cranes Beach
All City Offices (including City Hall), Gloucester Schools are Closed for Thursday, March 8, 2018.
Due to prolonged impacts of the ongoing winter storm, Governor Charlie Baker is announcing that all offices for non-emergency state executive branch employees will be closed today.
Overnight, heavy snowfall and high winds have resulted in hazardous driving conditions. With several communities experiencing power outages and downed trees, the administration is urging residents to stay off roadways and to use public transportation when possible.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND PROVIDER CONTACT INFORMATION AS FOLLOWS:
POWER OUTAGES
National Grid has been preparing for power outages in different areas across the North Shore, including Gloucester. If any outages do occur in your area, it is imperative that they be reported via the National Grid Customer Service or Outage Reporting phone lines as listed below. Every outage phone call that we receive is logged into our outage tracking system and better enables us to pinpoint the location of the issue. The sooner National Grid can identify the location of the issue, the quicker a response can be sent.
REMINDERS/ SAFETY INFORMATION
MASSACHUSETTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS STATEMENT
Latest weather and emergency reports can be seen using the following links and resource lines:
Our winter resident Snowy Owl Hedwig finds plenty to eat along the backshore. Prior to taking off to hunt in the early evening we see her swivel her head and look out to sea, and then swivel around to scan the golf course. We wonder, is she thinking “Shall I have duck for dinner, or shall I have rabbit?” Here she is yesterday morning, face covered in schmutz, a happy sign to see.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf7CK96lzfT/
The best wave watching Sunday afternoon was from Atlantic Road, especially when the light turned silver-gray-violet. The mist from the pounding waves filled the air, creating a beautiful diffused quality. It was mesmerizing to see the waves hurling against the rocky coastline. Often the force was so loud, it sounded like a sonic boom had exploded. Atlantic Road was closed to car traffic while pedestrians strolled the road as though a promenade. After watching the full force of the waves during high tide, I headed over to Straitsmouth Island in Rockport. Less in strength, but still spectacular to watch.
While photographing and filming at Good Harbor Beach this morning, a woman walking in the dunes with her dog off leash was giving me super dirty looks, while she was ignoring the guidelines. As if the dunes aren’t already in enough trouble from the recent storm.
This sign is for you! 
The full moon of February is most often called the Snow Moon, but some Native American tribes called it the Hunger Moon or the Storm Moon. After this past week’s nor’easter, I think perhaps Storm Moon is most apt. The full moon actually took place over the cusp of February 28th and March 1st, and just as it occurred in the month of January 2018 when we had two full moons, the end of March will bring a Blue Moon.
Meet the sculpins
The several members of the sculpin and sea raven tribe that are known from the Gulf of Maine are a homogeneous group, characterized by large spiny heads; very wide gill openings; very broad mouths; slender bodies; separate spiny and soft-rayed dorsal fins (united in some rare species); large fanlike pectorals but small caudals; and by ventrals that are reduced to three long rays. All of them, too, have a fashion of spreading the gill covers and of flattening the head when taken in the hand. They likewise produce grunting sounds, and some of them have the power of inflating themselves with air or water when they are molested.
From Fishes of the Gulf of Maine by Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) courtesy of MBL/WHOI
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Artediellus_uncinatus.htm
http://www.gma.org/fogm/Triglops_ommatistius.htm
Wave Photos from Len Burgess
Our beautiful Snowy Owl Hedwig survived, and looks none the worse for wear. She spent the afternoon of March 5th resting in a sunny, but wholly unphotogenic location (and extremely windy corridor, too, I might add). Perhaps a New England Nor’easter is nothing to her, when compared to an Arctic tundra storm. She’s clearly a genius 🙂 And has some mighty good survival skills.
Thank you to Betty G. Grizz for sharing her Hedwig sighting this afternoon ❤
Atlantic Road estate, after a relatively mild storm last week.
Sunday afternoon, after March Nor’easter Riley.
Dave writes, “Saw this Dovekie at low tide Saturday. The gulls were picking it up and dropping it to the side. I chased them away – temporarily and shooed it back into the water.”
Dovekies are easily blown ashore during severe winter storms. They don’t walk very well on land. If you find a Dovekie on the beach, and it does not appear to be injured, gently pick it up and bring it to the water. And do as Dave did, shoo away interested gulls.
Thank you so much Dave for sharing your photo and for helping the Dovekie back in the water!
Read more about Dovekies here:
SEA RAVEN; RED SCULPIN; SEA SCULPIN; RAVEN; KING o’NORWAY
The sea raven is said to be a good table fish.
See Fishes of the Gulf of Maine, Bigelow and Schroeder, 1953, courtesy of MBL/WHOI http://www.gma.org/fogm/Hemitripterus_americanus.htm
Today, if you looked close, you might have seen sea ravens hurled by the crashing storm waves into the road on the back shore.
After filming the explosive waves on Atlantic Road yesterday afternoon for various documentary projects, I headed over to Henry’s Pond to check on Mr. Swan’s whereabouts. Expecting to see and film some damage to the road that divides Henry’s Pond and Pebble Beach, which often occurs after storms, especially nor’easters, I was completely overwhelmed by the destruction found at Pebble Beach. The road is gone; the worst I have ever seen, and I couldn’t make it to the Pond because it was simply too dangerous to climb over the slippery, jiggley rocks and seaweed.
It appears as though the Eastern Point Lighthouse parking lot and road were hit with surges from both the harbor side and from the Atlantic, washing away the road and leaving the area littered with surge debris, mostly rocks, seaweed, and seagrass. The storm drain, which formerly ran under the road, is now completely exposed. At low tide early this evening, the marsh was still completely flooded.
If you are planning on checking on the EPLighthouse, park your car and walk. Several folks got stuck as there is nowhere to turn around under the current conditions.
Flooded marsh
Storm clouds lifting
The beautiful newly constructed causeway that separates Niles Pond and Brace Cove, which was rebuilt several years ago, is now a jumble of rocks and boulders. Niles Pond Road is narrowing from the sea water surging into the Pond. The water has nowhere to go. The road to the Retreat House is impassable. The destructive force of climate change is rearing its ugly head in our own backyards and a fifth super high tide is expected again tonight. 
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf61crQFsmc/
Power line repair crew replacing a downed phone pole behind the Elks at Bass Rocks.
Last night’s fourth super high tide in two days again brought an incredible surge of seawater. Gloucester’s DPW Marco Numerosi was working last night at 2am and reports it was the worst of all. DPW crews and GDP Officers were on the job bright and early this Sunday morning, cleaning the roads of hurled rocks, popples, seaweed, and seagrass.
Officer Al D’Angelo and Marco Numerosi
Eastern Point Road, by Bemo Street, still littered with debris at 8am, is closed, and virtually impassable. One driver tried, and then quickly changed his mind.
This morning photographing and filming at 6:30 you would not believe it was dead low tide. There is so much water and I am afraid the next tide will bring with it another round of destruction. The waves are towering; a large ship, the Oldendorff appeared to head straight out and then steered closer to shore. Stay safe and warm friends.
Still no sign of our Snowy
Popples and debris are littering Atlantic Road, the footbridge sustained damage to the last half, fences and trees are down throughout the neighborhood, and the seas are gaining in ferocity, with the third of the super high tides expected at noon. Please be safe, the wind is mighty powerful this morning and their are potential projectiles everywhere.
Good Harbor Beach Footbridge damaged.
Extensive damage to the railings at the Ocean House Inn, our Snowy Owl Hedwig’s current favorite perch. No sign of her the past few days, but Hedwig is so resourceful, we are hoping for the best.
Meteorologists predict flooding from Nor’easter Riley could be the worst in Boston’s history. The storm is strengthening and the waves were much bigger this afternoon as the tide was going out. Be safe friends.
The Good Harbor Beach Footbridge is intact at 4pm, despite mid-day flooding.
City Hall and the Paint Factory March Nor’easter Riley
FV Capt. Joe leaving the Marine Railways and heading for the State Fish Pier at daybreak.
Just another day for a pair of male and female Common Eiders
Good Morning Gloucester 