Lesley's Nature Watch - Where have all the songbirds gone?

This is a question I have been asked frequentlyover the last few weeks by some very anxious people. There's no need for worry. Every year in late summer, birds, like most other animals, moult. Many loose their more colourful spring & summer plumage to replace it with the lower tones which will provide the necessary camouflage in the leafless trees of winter. Chaffinches & Bulfinches are prime examples of this. During the moult, the loss of the primary wing & tail feathers can render the bird almost flightless, thus leaving the smaller birds highly vulnerable to their preditors. Don't worry, they're still there. They are just laying low in the thicket..........& they're keeping quiet.
I have noticed this week that the Robins have begun to sing again. No doubt others will soon follow. However, we'll have to wait until next spring to hear again the full blown dawn chorus of courtship & territorial ownership.
Photograph: Peacock butterfly on Dahlia.

Josh Piver Memorial

Play music, walk on the beach. I won't be far from reach.

There are a large number of memorials honoring the September 11th victims in the shoreline towns bordering Long Island Sound. East of New Haven and Port Jefferson however, they become less frequent as the grip of Manhattan begins to loosen, and the loss from that day is more indirect.

An exception to this is the Josh Piver Memorial located at Stonington Point. It is a simple, stone bench with a few words inscribed, quietly looking out on the water towards Sandy Point and Little Narragansett Bay.

I did not know this young man, but I often feel as if I did. We had many things in common: like me, he loved the water; he spent his summer vacations working in boatyards; and he attended the University Of Vermont.

Josh was working in One World Trade Center (north tower) on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was just 24 years old.

The Josh Piver Foundation was established by his friends to honor his memory.

Josh Piver Foundation

One Mom's Lifesong: Honoring Josh Piver

Cantor Fitzgerald Tribute: Joshua Piver

New York Times: Portraits In Grief

UVM Alumni Tribute

Soundbounder: Looking West (September 11, 2009)

New York Times: September 11, Yet Nothing Stops The Tides

CT Coastal Access Guide: Stonington Point

Some Photos of Capri Island

As you know, I was in Pozzuoli on ritrit till Monday. If the ritrit can be interesting for you, you can visit my dedicated to Yungdrung Bon blog to see the photos. Here I wanted to show you some photos of Island Capri. Everybody probably knows about it and I will not write much to present it to you.

Here is the island seen from the train that goes to Naples, near Torre del Greco. You can see Sorrento coast too. Both are rocks with not too much place to live. That is why all the VIPs of all time liked to live in such places.







These next photos I took in Pozzuoli. It is surprizing how near is the island if you look at it from so distant places these are about 50 km between them.

Norwalk Oyster Festival

The Norwalk Seaport Association will hold its 33rd annual Oyster Festival this weekend, September 10,11 and 12th. Located in Veterans Park, the event will feature arts and crafts booths, live music, children's activities, and lots of food.

What started out as a moderately-sized event in 1978 to raise funds and awareness for Norwalk's maritime heritage, has grown into a large, late summer ritual in Fairfield County.

Unfortunately, there were years when the Oyster Festival had become a victim of its own success. As the event grew in size, it seemed to turn its back on the original purpose. Large tents packed with hucksters selling miracle cleaners, Catskill real estate, and singing bass had replaced the harbor tours and other nautical  attractions.  There were plenty of booths selling fried dough and beef-on-a-stick, but very few oysters. For a while, it had become just another street fair.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one  turned off by this. The festival this year will include the return of an oyster pavilion, harbor tours, as well as the Schooners Quinnipiack, and Soundwater. Larry Flynn of Long Tails will also be on hand to give presentations on the wildlife of the Norwalk Islands.  I welcome this decision with enthusiasm.

The Norwalk Seaport Association has played a vital role in the rehabilitation of Norwalk Harbor. Their work includes the restoration of Sheffield Island Lighthouse; the preservation of the Norwalk Islands; as well as many environmental and educational programs and projects.

Their purpose is:

"to foster public awareness of our maritime resources, environment and heritage through research, education and preservation; and also to foster the preservation and rehabilitation of the area of historical value in Norwalk Harbor and Long Island Sound."

This weekend's festival serves as the primary fundraising source for the invaluable work they do.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate, or online on their website.

Norwalk Oyster Festival

Norwalk Seaport Association

Soundbounder: Norwalk Winter Oystering

Soundbounder: Peck Ledge Lighthouse

Soundbounder: Sheffield Island Ruins

Soundbounder: Norwalk Oyster Plant

CT Plus: Putting The Pearl Back In The Oyster

photo credit: (top) Norwalk Seaport; (bottom) Quinnipiack: SchoonerInc

"Boating Local" Visits Noank

Tom Richardson of Boating Local paid a visit to Noank recently, and spent a few hours aboard Carina  for a tour of the local waters. We visited some obvious landmarks such as the local lighthouses, along with West Harbor on Fishers Island, and a few small islands that dot the charts.

For those of you not familiar with Boating Local, it was started by Tom and several others who previously worked for the now defunct Offshore Magazine (aka Northeast Boating). Based out of Buzzards Bay, the site covers boating and fishing for the entire New England coast. Along with marine-related news, they have done some excellent work profiling the harbors and towns from Connecticut to Maine.

I haven't spent much time in front of a camera and I must admit to being a bit nervous. Maybe not nervous, but certainly aware of the camera at all times and self conscious about it. I'm sure there were entire segments he couldn't use because of my constant slurring and tripping over words.

I did however gain a new appreciation for video work. It is not easy being on a rocking boat and putting together a film segment in a relatively small cockpit with the wind blowing. The camera itself was small, but there were tripods, battery packs, and an assortment of equipment needed to put this together.

One of the nice features about Boating Local is that along with the stories, there are often  video segments accompanying  them.  It is a nice touch that bridges the gap between periodicals and generic, stock  footage.



I'll be contributing some stories to Boating Local, and I am glad to be aboard.



Here are some recent profiles of New England harbors:

BoatingLocal: Destinations  

BoatingLocal: Homepage 

BoatingLocal Meets Soundbounder: Companion Story To Video

Strolling in the rain...

We had a most enjoyable if rainy day in Pont Aven, with many taking advantage of nice restaurants, shops and caf�s before and after walking. Leaving the town via the Xavier Grall river gardens, we made our way up to the Chapelle de Tremalo to see Gauguin's inspiration for his famous Yellow Christ painting. Then a pleasant stroll through the Bois d'Amour and back along the river. It was great to see regulars and holiday makers alike (thanks to the Central Brittany Journal's kind publicity), and to meet Brittany Walks latest addition, Roger and Sue's puppy Megan, photographed by Lesley.

Heading For New Haven

Tugboat Connecticut; south of West Haven; August