Tag: Cape Ann

Dear Joey,

Just a heads up to GMG readers about the Winter Birding Weekend organized by the Cape Ann Chamber and Mass Audubon February 4-6. It starts Friday afternoon with check in at the Elk’s Hall on the Back Shore and then an evening lecture by Chris Leahy on the winter birds of Cape Ann. Saturday morning and afternoon there are guided bus trips all over the Cape led by expert ornithologists, with stops back at the Elk’s for hot drinks and food and another slide presentation in the evening. There are also vendor booths set up with optics, bird carving, photography and many other related topics.

On Sunday morning we go out on the Privateer IV with Jay Frontiero at the wheel, an incredible opportunity to see pelagic birds otherwise invisible, Gannets, Grebes, maybe even a King Eider. We’ll be back in plenty of time for the Super Bowl, if anyone still cares.

As EJ would say, did you know there are more birds on Cape Ann in the winter than there are in the summer? There are, they are just harder to see. I have been a casual birder for many years, but I learned more about the birds around here in one weekend than I had in all the previous time. The opportunity to go out birding with the experts is not to be missed, whether one is a long time observer or just interested in another amazing aspect of our life in Gloucester. People on the tours are friendly and helpful. Dress warmly and bring binoculars if you have them, folks will help out if you don’t.

More info at http://www.capeannchamber.com/birdingweekend/

Gregory R. Bover