Tag: Long Beach

A smile path helps wildlife.

Posted on by Catherine

Walk around or pause if you can. We’re lucky to have tiny shorebirds visit beaches during fall migration.

Deborah Cramer describes impact of shorebird disturbances (specifically to red knots)

(Red knots) “feed amid congestion, constantly interrupted by the commotion of off-road vehicles, dogs and people. Forced to take flight repeatedly, they lose precious refueling time. Minutes lost during one ebb tide on one day accumulate into hour upon hour as the season continues. So many times I’d walk the beaches at home, unconsciously flushing flocks of sandpipers at the tide line, taking pleasure as they circled out over the water and then landed farther down the beach, never thinking that disturbing them might make a difference.” 

Deborah Cramer The Narrow Edge

photo below: Sanderlings, semipalmated plovers and semipalmated sandpipers dashing along Long Beach 9/22/2020. Dogs rushing at the birds flush them 100%. Wider smile path with your pet can really help. Ditto looking ahead before tossing a ball inadvertently in the direction of a flock. They’re hard to see. If you spot them and have time, pause to enjoy the tiny touch down marvels. The increase August-October is migration.

The Morning After- next day storm waves

Posted on by Catherine

The Long Beach walkway was dry this morning: Storm Teddy did not surge up and over the seawall. Light debris was deposited on nearly spotless Long Beach. Beautiful rollers were distant as the tide was heading out.

photos 9/23/2020- click to enlarge to full size

 

 

Spotted less than ten shorebirds, three species. These tiny birds are migrating from the arctic and landing to rest and refuel. Give them space if you see them! The few I spotted were flushed off.

A smile path helps wildlife. Walk around (or pause if you have the time)

 

Shorebird visitors hanging out together today (sanderlings, semipalmated sandpipers and semipalmated plovs). Easy to add a smile path when you spot them.

 

Below L-R: Sanderlings, semipalmated sandpipers, and semipalmated plover visiting 2020

 

Scenes of waves from Storm Teddy yesterday 9/22/2020 here

Are you up for the 13-2 Gloucester beaches challenge? 13 beaches. 2 jumps. 1 city. Go! #Staycation #safecation #Covid19

Posted on by Catherine

Covid-19 and summer brought an old post to mind. Reposting summer 2020; First published in July 2016.

 

Are you up for a Gloucester beaches challenge?

A mid-week vacation day is the easiest. Oh, and you’ll need your resident beach sticker. We prepped our car with a picnic blanket for the seat, extra towels, and ice waters. Start early and grab a big  “lobsterjack”  breakfast because you’ll need the fuel. End late.

Let’s establish some base rules here.

First off, you need to spend at least 15 minutes at each beach. (You can tweak this a little if you want.) Next, you need to dive under. We suggest a ritual for each beach, e.g. ‘The Five and Dive’. Finally, you have to stop for ice cream and candy. Remember, you can do these beaches (or others or quarries in Gloucester) and jumps in any order. Be flexible for different ages and unexpected delays like staying at one beach for hours, or a friend asking you to drop off a sub (*cough* Joey *cough*). Most importantly, you have to do at least 13 beaches and 2 jumps in one day. Mind the tides. Be grateful we have so many choices.

The Beaches- partial list

alphabetical order

Annisquam lighthouse.  Coffin’s beach.  Good Harbor beach.  Long beach. Magnolia beach. Niles beach. Pavilion beach (by Beach Court). Pavilion beach bonus (by the cut). Plum Cove beach. Rocky Neck Oakes Cove beach. Stage Fort Park (1) – Cressy’s beach ( our alt. title ‘sea serpent’ big beach). Stage Fort Park (2) – Half Moon beach. Wheeler’s Point. Wingaersheek beach.

The Jumps- partial list

Annisquam bridge. Magnolia Pier.

*We did this challenge at least once each summer. (In 2016) we started off with breakfast at Willow’s Rest and continued from there. Our timing was random especially as we spent hours at Wingaersheek. The second meal to get us through the day came from the sandwich counter at Annie’s by Wingaersheek. Yes, they have a sandwich counter.

Gloucester Beaches sandwich directory

 

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Signs of the times creative families: Long Beach chairs drive-in movies plus giant beach jenga #CapeAnnCovid #outdoorfun

Posted on by Catherine

creative family Outdoor cinema and Beach Jenga-Long Beach evening_Rockport Mass_20200722_view from Gloucester Mass. end of Beach©c ryan

What movie would you play?

Scenes from a beautiful summer evening on Long Beach July 21, 2020.

Signs of the times | one way routes, sanitized pens, and on point placard Surfside Subs & pizza Long Beach #CapeAnnCovid #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

Local businesses adjust to Covid-19 reopening “new” normal.

Surfside Subs and pizza shop one way routes and sanitized pens and on point pizza box placard

 

Beach Day! New safety signs at Long Beach #RockportMA. Residents only at Good Harbor Beach #GloucesterMA

Posted on by Catherine

Scenes from Long Beach

views from both the Rockport and Gloucester ends at about high noon (tide heading out)

Cape Ann SUP is set up renting paddle boards and lessons at Long Beach by the Cape Ann Motor Inn, and the Cow Mobile Ice Cream Truck. Dominic is too modest to mention but we know that he keeps an eye out there beyond his clients and has rescued swimmers. The rip tide sign reflects the corner of the cove. There was a rescue covered in the Gloucester Daily Times this week, “Friends pull 5 from riptide“. Afterwards a lifeguard chair has been relocated closer to this side and a new sign added at the entrance.

 

Scenes from Good Harbor Beach

about 11 and again at 4pm

Happy Fourth! Flags and porches along the Long Beach boardwalk ‘Little Boulevard’

Posted on by Catherine

A ‘little boulevard’ – flags and porches, front cottages, Long Beach summer

and bonus red,white,blue thanks to glass fishing floats 

Kitesurfer maximized today’s wind advisory off Long Beach #RockportMA

Posted on by Catherine

This extreme sports enthusiast was out there a long time. I wonder how hard it is on the arms?

solo kitesurfer enjoying windgusts April 21, 2020 _Long Beach_Rockport_Ma, Gloucester_MA, Twin Lights © c ryan

 

 

(Meanwhile, it was so windy I had trouble holding my phone.)