Author: patmorss

It started out as a Beautiful weekend, but deteriorated on Sunday. Is this training going on for the ‘Around Cape Ann’ Blackburn Cup? I sure commend the fortitude.

More see-saw weather over the last week, and noteworthy for record July rainfall – already.

After being appropriately preoccupied with visiting family, there were a few photo-ops the last couple of days.

We walk every day, but this was specifically on the Fourth of July.

It started today at 3:30 AM when we were woken up by a loud crunching sound, followed shortly by someone yelling “Call the Coast Guard,” which we did.

At 7:00 AM American Cruise Line’s American Constitution came into Gloucester for at least the fourth time this season, went back out around 10 AM, and appeared to have some problem while doing 360’s, before returning to the harbor. She just headed out again toward Provincetown at 5:00 PM.

Acouple of evenings ago Manuel Simoes posted this picture, asking what it was. Our ornithologist son-in-law reports: “That’s a domesticated Muscovy Duck. They are oftern released or escape and can sometimes survive for years or even breed in the wild.”

There has been a lot of sport fishing in close to the Eastern Point rocks recently, and this morning a spotter plane and two commercial fishing boats out of Gloucester got our attention. The photo captions below may just be my imagination, but this is what it looked like.

Last week I posted photos of young Eider ducklings practicing diving in shallow water at Raymond Beach, during Diving Elementary School. This weekend when I returned to my mooring, the parents and their nine kids were in deeper water for Diving Middle School. Here also, are other signs of summer.

American Cruise Line’s ‘American Constitution‘ has docked at Cruiseport several times over the past 5 weeks. The company has an updated full-page ad in the current edition of TIME Magazine that takes liberty, on the map, with the spelling of our city.

• “Swan and cygnet” candle drippings, on dining room table

• Returning home in golden sunset light

• Deer with new antlers on Audubon land

• Eider diving school at Raymond Beach (starting dive, center)

• Eider diving school (under)

• Reproduction of “shallop” that came over on Mayflower’s deck 400 years ago

• House finch parents keeping watch on their nest in our front door hanging plant

• Last fuzzy photo of the House Finch fledglings

• Fishing season is on with the boats in close to the rocks

• Turkeys seeking shade during last week’s heat wave

• White Rhododendron bud 10 days ago

• Now in full bloom

A quick transition from a chilly spring to a summer heat wave. The Rhododendrons are blossoming from buds, the Chickadees are at work (I think he’s supervising and she’s building), just a lone coyote on the Audubon land, a first sail past Eastern Point light, and an Eider extended family enjoys a swim along Raymond Beach.

Summer! Edward, our Great White Egret, is back flying around the rocks for his low-tide lunch.

There is a shortage of wildlife around these days on our walks. We’re waiting for the explosion of young ones. In the meantme, here are some recent random photos.

For those who access GMG through the daily email, it wasn’t sent out last Saturday. Joey kindly provided a direct link to my “Alewife Fish Ladders” posting: https://goodmorninggloucester.com/2021/05/22/alewife-fish-ladders-pat-morss/?fbclid=IwAR0MiUGR5ESRa90MYAGfpW0tE-FNPPUCF5-qOhEHx6GoTrtPUZ9evwTSobw

A few days ago we visited the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration in Newcastle, Maine. Some online investigation (very incomplete) turned up interesting information. The Damariscotta Fish ladder was built around the mills in 1807, and reconsted two centuries later between 2007 and 2017. As reported by GMG, construction at the smaller West Gloucester Alewife/Herring fish ladder on Little River, allowing spawning above in Lily Pond, was completed in 2018. It appears SumCO eco contractors and/or Becker Construction had a hand in both projects (need clarification).

Here are some photos from our Damariscotta Fish Ladder visit. The site was not staffed, and access was limited. Their website is: damarascottamills.org

Thursday was beautiful and a great opportunity to wander around Rocky Neck.

Yesterday afternoon a small cruise ship from American Cruise Lines, that has a New England, Nova Scotia, St Lawrence Seaway itinerary, came into Gloucester. The only oddity was there were no passengers – was she relocating in anticipation of relaxed COVID-19 restrictions?

Our adult male turkeys are still courting the women, while one of the younger students encountered an intruder with red feathers. We moved on before he gave up pacing back and forth.

The wind was finally dropping off Sunday afternoon, and then there was a surprise squall.

It’s a mostly cloudy, rainy and foggy week. The deer are out in the mist foraging for a healthy marine diet in the seaweed. But there are cheery spots of color at the bird feeder, and at the tulip beds down on the Boulevard.

CORRECTION: Our ornitholigist daughter has just let me know the Red-tailed Hawk chased by the crows, that I posted a couple of hours ago, is actually a first-year Bald Eagle. She says the juveniles get their white heads in their 4th year. How ’bout that?