Author: patmorss

More Birds (and Seals) — pat morss

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Another active week for birds, and a personal record 14 seals at Brace Cove.

7 of 14 seals at Brace Cove
Almost a mirror image of Mallards on Niles Pond
Sacrifical squirrel for the crows
Member of a flock of winter American Robins
Downy Woodpecker awaiting a turn at the feeder
Blue Jay on the suet
Blue Jay casting off
Feisty House Sparrows
Cardinal moving in on the Sparrows
Goldfinch landing (R), House Sparrow at the terminal, and Chickadee departing
Red-winged Blackbird hiding most of the red
Turkey “grounds crew” doing evening cleanup

Another Week Close to Home

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First, heartfelt thanks to the NationalGrid crew that made it out here during the Saturday storm, soon after we lost power. The poles are pretty inaccessible in the Audubon Sanctuary, and a second truck was called in to cut a path in the right-of-way by chain saw. In the dark they made repairs. The lineman admitted afterward that it was a pretty challenging climb in the driving rain – our anemometer showed gusts to 58mph.

Wires down in the Audubon Sanctuary; Dog Bar breakwater beyond
The National Grid crew worked mostly after dark in extreme storm conditions
Our veteran feeder provided entertainment all week; Red-bellied Woodpecker
We added a suet cage, and the diners showed their appreciation
But competition continued at the feeder, with today’s snowy background
Excuse me!
Chickadees await their turn
A Downy Woodpecker and a Tufted Titmouse
A Boston mirage, beyond Nahant
And the requisite sunset

A Quiet Thanksgiving — pat morss

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Still activity around us, as family was reassigned to Zoom.

It was skeletons here at Halloween
A live Christmas tree was planted in the same spot this weekend
Other trees have their own natural ornaments
Your snow stakes are confusing me
Mallards on Niles Pond
This may be why we are called ducks
An outdoor light fixture needed a cleaning
Inside, a microclimate was creating a miniature garden
Rolling on home
Literally

After the Fall Color — pat morss

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From the past week. It’s getting more black-and-white out there, but these are all color photos.

Almost home
Go ahead, I’ll catch up. I’m talking to someone.
Buffleheads on Niles Pond
Red-breasted Mergansers practicing (almost) synchronized head dips
And back up together
Young Herring Gull at Brace Cove
Elegant when taking off
Layers of wing feathers
Norwegian Cruise Lines headed north, on today’s coldest morning – crew only?
However, the climbing ivy hasn’t given up on Green

Fog, Quiet, and Sun — pat morss

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Fog rolls in over the rocks mid-morning
Most everyone on Niles Pond takes a quiet mid-day nap
With the sun marching south, this photo won’t repeat until February

Post-Halloween — pat morss

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Following the turkey trick-or-treaters
A fallen horse, after 55mph gusts
Halloween desserts never end
A Gonzaga Retreat path with Stations of the Cross
Station 12 (XII)
A visitor explained the rocks, at the end of the path, represent the 15th Station (Resurrection)
Unfortunate Black-backed Gull with a fishhook in his leg
Thacher Island and Twin Lights, beyond Brace Cove
Some remaining foliage
The Wooly Caterpillar’s wide brown stripe is supposed to mean a mild winter
And there are more sunsets to come

The Past Weekend — pat morss

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Fall foliage
A fallen petal on the gravel
“You can’t fool Mother Nature,” but she can fool with us
Visiting many late afternoons
And eating everything
Usually followed with a great sunset

Normal Routine here — pat morss

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Pied-billed Grebe on a calm Niles Pond
Follow me – great rock. Spoiler – dad fell first
Unbounded energy; new antlers
Mom turkey took to the tree (main branch) to keep track of her full-grown brood
Photo taken Sunday; our resident Great Blue Heron between naps
Photo taken Tuesday (no kidding); eyes closed
Full nap
Requisite fluff-up before the sunset hunt
Wing test
Take off

Recent Encounters — pat morss

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Everything pretty normal (but rewarding) this past week.

Halloween is getting closer
Welcoming party
Trails looking elegant
Cooper’s Hawk after swooping under the feeder
Resident Great Blue Heron preened and napped for 5 hours before the evening hunt
It’s dinner time, deer
Take Five. Mom turkey and 9 grown youngsters (one on woodpile, far L)
Time to move out – follow Mom
Back on July 4th Mom was pushing her brood of 9
A choppy return, early evening
Menacing weather over the Magnolia Shore
But you can usually count on it turning into a classic Gloucester sunset

Heron sequel — pat morss

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Don’t mean to inundate you with Great Blue Heron photos, but our friend did return and put on a good follow-up act.

Same routine of preening and napping
Wing stretches
Limbering up on the Greasy Pole
Greasy Pole 2
Greasy Pole 3
Almost fell
Fluffed up and ready to go at susnset
Off to hunt
Quick departure

Great Blue Herons — pat morss

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Three Great Blue Herons visited yesterday. They spent the afternoon in the trees preening and napping. We kept checking on the last one, that flew off to hunt at sunset. These are yesterday’s photos, but it is the same routine today.

Three herons that were closest together
Not preening yet
This neighbor left early
The contortionist
But there are still places that are difficult to reach
A good wing stretch, assisted by a leg
After several hours, every feather in its place
Looks like good visibility over Audubon this evening
Moving a few twigs out of the way
Flight time
Launch

‘Wicked Tuna’ Filming — pat morss

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A ‘Wicked Tuna’ film crew was busy yesterday in the harbor, and then outside slightly offshore. The captions to these photos are my imagination as to what was going on.

Helicopter concentrating a long time on Hot Tuna
And getting some real closeups
With sunset approaching, the helicopter followed the first boat into the harbor
The other boats milled around waiting for instructions
Then the word came to speed into the harbor
The helicopter escorted the fleet
The boats passed by Eastern Point Light, heading into the sunset
Another, with Boston in the background
And another rounding the lighthouse
Mother nature rewarded the effort with a beautiful Cape Ann sunset
Firey clouds peeking over the Magnolia shore

My Take on Teddy — pat morss

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Teddy was offshore and nothing like our March northeast storms a couple of winters ago, or past hurricanes with a more direct hit. But teddy wasn’t timid.

Water coming over Dogbar breakwater
Waves marching out the breakwater
Wave looming over the Audubon rocks
And breaking
Astronomical tide making gangway uphill to the float at Raymond Beach
Unfortunate Zodiac
Modest waves at Eastern Point light
Coastal wave looking like marble
Windblown sunset wave near the lighthouse

Weekend Addition — pat morss

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Missed posting this Monarch last evening. Also, the day ended peacefully with diminished atmospheric impact from the western wildfires.

Monarch on goldenrod
Fishing from the Audubon rocks as Ardelle sails by
Visiting schooner and Boston skyline; heat distortion

The Monarchs and Seals are back — pat morss

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A week with the return of migrating Monarch Butterflies, a couple of our seals from last winter, and the local population growing up.

A migrating Monarch feeding on goldenrod
A pair of Monarchs
Feeding Monarchs
Monarch on goldenrod
One of the returning seals at Brace Cove
Sun over Niles Pond dimmed by west coast fires
Mars? Full eclipse of the moon? No – sunset dimmed by west coast fires
Red-tailed Hawk hovering over lunch at the Eastern Point Audubon sanctuary
Our favorite Niles Pond juvenile Common Cormorant, growing up
Painted Turtles at Niles Pond
All nine turkey youngsters still following mom
Who ya lookin’ at , Fred?

Post Labor Day — pat morss

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Labor Day is already in the rear view mirror.

Half Moon Beach in Stage Fort Park is a hidden gem
Before COVID-19, this was to be the Youth Sailing Program float
Better casting when close to the water
But you take the consequences
Didn’t realize Snapping Turtles hatch in Aug-Sept
Typically a long and dangerous walk from nest to water
Could this be Mom or Dad? (June encounter)

Labor Day Weekend — pat morss

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A very nice holiday weekend, and of course a few photos. But, starting with a couple of the well documented August 23rd squall line.

Our menacing Covid-cloud
Squall line over Gloucester Harbor
By contrast, a tranquil Lighthouse Cove mooring field
Breakfast in the driveway – one of three “Bambi” siblings
Cooper’s Hawk studying fishing technique of an egret
Pre-sunset drinks (“staycation”)
The Vikings DID make it to Cape Ann (Polaris)
To the enthusiasm of the native cormorants
And some post-sunset fishing close to the rocks

Front Row Seat on the Deck

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Sunday afternoon we watched surfers riding modest waves immediatly off the Eastern Point lighthouse, next to Mother Ann. Then on Tuesday evening we were treated to the US Coast Guard carrying out rescue exercises closer to the shore than usual.

Recent Encounters — pat morss

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More walks and views from the house over the last couple of weeks.

Sculpture and skyline, from Ocean Alliance
Ardelle sailing past Eastern Point
Tight Lines evening fishing off Eastern Point
Paddleboarding in Gloucester Harbor
Near miss from Hurricane Isaias
Bumble bee pollinating at Brace Cove
Time to go inside when the Tree Swallows swarm the sunset mosquitoes
Tree Swallows taking a break
Double-crested Cormorant at Niles Pond
Mom turkey and 9 chicks back on the Fourth of July
All grown up on August 15th