Tag: Good Harbor Beach

GREAT EGRET OF THE GOOD HARBOR BEACH SALT MARSH

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

A grand Great Egret has been hanging out at the Good Harbor Beach marsh. He has been dining on small fish mostly. The photos are from Sunday but I didn’t spot him either yesterday or today; perhaps he has moved on. 

The long breeding plumes are called aigrettes.

Cape Ann is part of the Great Egrets breeding range, particularly House Island. This Egret is in full breeding plumage, advertising to a potential mate how fit and desirable he is to other Great Egrets. These same beautiful feathers, and humanity’s indiscriminate killing of, are what caused the bird to become nearly extinct. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the long breeding plumes, called aigrettes, of many species of herons and egrets were prized as fashion accessories to adorn women’s hats. Thanks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, it is illegal to hunt or harm in any way gorgeous birds such as the Great Egret, and egrets and herons are making a comeback.

Fine dining in the marsh
Dagger-like bill

 

HAPPY TEN-DAY-OLD BIRTHDAY TO OUR PIPING PLOVER CHICKS!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Today our little chicks, all three, turn ten-days-old. This is a milestone in that their chances of survival are greatly improved when they reach the age of ten-days-old.

The family of five spent the morning foraging, mostly in the protected area, and venturing to the shoreline only occasionally. A Mourning Dove made his way through the dune edge into the protected area and Mama was having none of it. She flew at the Dove, but it attacked back. Papa suddenly appeared out of nowhere and really gave the Dove the business, buzzing it several times. The Dove flew off and then returned. Both parents left the chicks briefly and both attacked the Dove simultaneously. It’s always dramatic when you see how these pint sized shorebirds go after the much larger birds, and usually win.

Our Papa and Mama will fight to the death for their chicks, and because of that the chicks have survived ten whole days. Additionally, the Piping Plover family could not have survived this long without the vigilance of tender hearted volunteer monitors. They are a tremendous bunch of people and if you would like to join our group, please contact Alicia Pensarosa and sign up for a shift. Everyone is welcome. Weekends, especially, volunteers are needed.

Thank you to all the volunteer monitors. Two volunteers deserve an extra huge shout out and they are Heather Hall and Laurie Sawin. These two daily spend hours upon hours monitoring the chicks. Thank you sweet ladies for all your time and devotion ❤

Bug Breakfast

Big Chair, Tiny Bird

Papa keeping a watchful eye on the family this morning.

CHICKS MADE THEIR FIRST FORAY DOWN TO THE CREEK TODAY!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Our Good Harbor Beach PiPls made their first journey down to the creek this morning. They left the protected area about 11:00am, just as the soccer tournament was heating up. The family traveled along the dune fencing, crossed the back road, and spent the better part of the day foraging in the creek tidal flats and in the vegetation at the marsh edge.

For volunteers who have never seen this behavior before, in 2016 the chicks hatched over Fiesta weekend, when the beach was very busy. At only two days old, the PiPl family began making the epic journey to the creek from the protected area. This is harrowing for them and we lost a chick during the 2016 trek. Volunteers can best help the chicks by following along, from a safe distance that does not impede their movement. Keep an eye on stray balls and let folks in the vicinity know what is happening, if possible. They typically return as the tide is coming in or at dusk.

I believe easy access to the creek is one reason why our GHB PiPls choose to nest at the No. 3 boardwalk over the No. 1 boardwalk area. The creek is closer to No. 3 and gives the birds a secondary option for feeding when the main beach is super crowded.

The hatchlings are eight days old and are nearing the ten-day-old milestone. They are growing visibly stronger and increasingly more independent everyday. I have lots of photos to share and will provide a longer update after the weekend. 

Chicklet tracks

Creek tide flats

Mom calling for a chick, which is hiding in the vegetation at the edge of the marsh 🙂

Seven-day-old Piping Plover Chicks

Beach Soccer Cup tournament 2019 at Good Harbor Beach Saturday

Posted on by Catherine

GHS soccer team arrives early to assist with the set up. 2019 marks the 6th year for the New England Beach Soccer (NEBS) Cup (founded by Gloucester natives)

Read about its beginnings (Gloucester founders) and all about Saturday in today’s paper here “Soccer in the Sand: New England Beach Soccer returns to Good Harbor Beach Saturday”

This year, all of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Fishermen Youth Soccer as well as the Gloucester High School Soccer Boosters and Soccer without borders.

Players drawn to a tournament hosted on beautiful beaches have an affinity for the natural world. Arriving teams and competitors stopped to check out the piping plovers before hitting the sand, and again when they left. In a similar way, the little mascots engendered care during the surfing competition.

2018 NEBS tournament teams arriving stopped to admire plovers_20180609_c ryan.jpg

Find NEBS on facebook here

Find NEBS on instagram here

Find NEBS on twitter here 

WATCH NEBS LIVE feeds here

FIFA Women’s World Cup begins today- Google added more options for following along

2019 FIF Women's World Cup

SOME BEAUTIFUL CREATURES YOU’LL SEE ON OUR SHORES IN EARLY JUNE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

A random grouping of recently spotted birds. The Song Sparrow and Cooper’s Hawk were seen in the lot at Good Harbor beach. Beautiful creatures surround here on Cape Ann, even in parking lots 🙂

Sanderlings migrating north

 

PIPING PLOVER CHICKS FIVE-DAYS-OLD AND ALL PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR :)

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Our little Good Harbor Beach Piping Plover family of five all appear to be doing well. The three chicks made the five-day-old milestone today. They are becoming increasingly independent, so much so that is is occasionally difficult for the PiPl volunteers to find. We monitors have had it relatively easy up to this point. With the cooler temperatures, the chicks have spent a great deal of time tucked under Mama and Papa. This first warm day of June, they were zooming from one length of the beach by the No. 3 boardwalk, all the way to the creek end, in and out of the cordoned off area, and to the shoreline. The chicks were also observed by monitor Laurie Sawin running up into the edge of the dunes and taking shelter from the heat and sun under the beautiful native flowering Beach Pea.

Ward One City Councilor Scott Memhard has provided laminated information about Piping Plovers, on a clipboard that any PiPl monitor can access via Cape Ann Coffees, which is around the corner from Good Harbor Beach at 86 Bass Avenue. The information can be picked up and dropped off by asking at the counter. Many, many thanks to Rick and Dorthe Noonan, proprietors of Cape Ann Coffees, for volunteering to keep the information at their wonderful coffee shop.

Gloucester Animal Advisory Committee chairperson Alicia Pensarosa reminds everyone to follow this link to sign up if you are interested in becoming a Piping Plover volunteer monitor: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/2801244/true#/invitation

The weather prediction for the weekend is blue skies and seventies, so much help will be needed, especially during the mid-day when the beach is most congested. If you have any questions or comments, please email Alicia at gloucesterAAC@gmail.com.

 

Three-day-old PiPls waking up at sunrise, foraging in the wrack zone, and taking turns warming up under Mom and Dad

Looking for the well-camouflaged PiPl chicks makes my head spin!

Four-day-old chick

Five-day-old PiPl chick venturing into the dunes.

Great news from our PiPl friends at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge-as of May 31st, they have 39 pairs, 25 active nests, and their first chick is projected to hatch on June 6th! 

 

 

WE LOST A CHICK LAST NIGHT

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

So sorry to have to post that we lost one of our little chicks last night. It’s impossible to know what happened; there were not tracks or signs of unusual activity. Could it be the chick became separated from the family in the heavy fog and last night’s thunderstorm? We’ve seen chicks survive on similar nights and we lost one in 2017 after a thunderstorm. They are only three days old today so I imagine the rough weather is rough on the chicks, too.

Three-day-old chicks this morning

SWEETEST ONE-DAY-OLD PIPING PLOVER CHICKS AND HOW TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

We had a terrific informal Piping Plover informational gathering at Good Harbor Beach this afternoon. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, please follow this easy link. We would love to have you join us.

http://bit.ly/2Vsw2Wd  

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com or leave a comment in the comment section.

Today the chicks are two days old; the photos are from yesterday at daybreak. It was foggy and overcast and the chicks mostly wanted to warm up under Mama and Papa.

All four chicks are doing fantastically, feeding well and venturing further and further from the upper wrack zone. Because of the cool temperatures, the beach has been relatively quieter this past spring, which has been ideal not only for our GHB PiPl family, but for nesting and hatching PiPl families all around the state.

Pint-sized mountain climbing

PIPING PLOVERS DAY TWO AND TINIEST OF WING BUDS

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Briefest update just to let everyone know the hatchlings are all doing beautifully. So many thanks to everyone who is volunteering ❤

One-day-old teeny tiny wing buds

We are having an informal get together at Good Harbor Beach Sunday afternoon at 4:00 for anyone interested in becoming a Piping Plover monitor and learning more about the PiPls. Meet at Boardwalk #3. We hope to see you there!

FIRST LOOK – OUR GOOD HARBOR BEACH PIPNG PLOVER CHICKS (ALL FOUR!) HATCHED!!!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Only hours-old, our Good Harbor Beach Piping Plover chicks were learning to navigate the varied terrain–climbing mini hummocks, falling into divots, somersaulting, tripping over dried bits of beach grass and seaweed, running for short bits, and just generally stumbling and tumbling. In one photo you can even see a chick already eating a tiny ant. After an afternoon of exploring, all four seemed pretty tuckered out and were taking turns snuggling under both Mama and Papa. 

Weighing about as much as a nickel at the time of hatching, Piping Plover chicks are able to feed themselves but are unable to regulate their body temperature. They need to tuck under Mom and Dad to warm up.

Back to the Beach before the Brood! Piping plover friends and fans gathering on Good Harbor Beach Sunday 4pm

Posted on by Catherine

Save the date!

Piping plover friends gathering on Good Harbor Beach

Sunday June 2nd 2019 at 4pm

Gather on the beach by the No. 3 beach path sign

Meet Kim Smith! Reconnect and meet & greet for some fun before the 2019 brood is here!

If the chicks have hatched we’ll be able to keep a good distance. If they haven’t we’ll have a piping plover bracket ready.

If you can’t come to this one, not to worry! This is a first but not the last one of the 2019 season. See below for ways to follow along and participate.

NEW for 2019 Sign up for a volunteer shift here

  • See Kim Smith updates on GMG 
  • For live updates from the field/volunteers see “Glostaplover” Twitter here. Share sightings!  @glostaplover #glostaplover. That morphed into Website here. 2018 log here. 2017 log here
  • NEW Facebook group added 2019! here   and 
  • Follow City of Gloucester beaches https://www.facebook.com/gloubeaches/ facebook
  • and Greenbelt and GDT 

#GloucesterMA in national news: Audubon feature article by Deborah Cramer ode to city, Kim Smith, piping plovers, volunteers, GMG and Greenbelt

Posted on by Catherine

Deborah Cramer wrote an outstanding feature for Audubon published May 2019. This feel good – feel proud story is a great read inspiring efforts near and far. It takes a city.

“…(Kim) Smith, a photographer and filmmaker, had inspired much of the effort. While not everyone can be on the beach every day, her images, videos, and blog offered the entire city an up-close portrait of the birds’ daily lives.”– Deborah Cramer

 Read the article here

“How Plover Chicks Born in a Parking Lot Spurred a City to Make its Beach Safer: The dramatic ups and downs of a piping plover family in Gloucester, Massachusetts, show what it takes to protect a threatened species” By Deborah Cramer published by Audubon May 23, 2019.

national Audubon story Deborah Cramer on Gloucester piping plovers Kim Smith and volunteers published May 23 2019.jpg

PIPING PLOVER WEEKLY UPDATE – ONE-DAY-OLD CHICKS AND NESTING AROUND MASSACHUSETTS!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

One-day-old chicks foraging at the shoreline on a foggy Memorial Day Monday

It was a beautiful Memorial Day weekend in more ways than one. Piping Plover chicks have been hatching all around Massachusetts this past week and I was fortunate to observe two nests with a total of six one-day-old chicks zooming around beaches. We’re so blessed that our Good Harbor Beach pair are also on a relatively early track, which greatly increases the chicks chance of surviving.

Mama and Papa spent the weekend on the crowded beach incubating their eggs and foraging. Ironically, I think they benefitted from beach goers picnics (minus the gulls and crows). Papa spent a busy Monday morning pecking at the sand and devouring mouthfuls of large tasty black ants.

Anteater

Many more hatchlings to come!

MEMORIAL DAY SUNRISE

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Monday’s golden sunrise. With today’s temperature hovering in the 40s and 50s, were the blue skies and warm weather of Memorial Day weekend just a dream? 

 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND FROM BEAUTIFUL GOOD HARBOR BEACH!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Good Harbor Beach on a busy Memorial Day Sunday

FYI, last we checked on Sunday afternoon, both Mama and Papa Plover were in the safety zone of the roped off nesting area, Papa on the nest, and Mama hanging out nearby behind one of the mini hummocks.