Water Colors

 

In late winter when the frigid air mellows it holds more moisture and becomes a lens to dramatize the quarry walls.

Visitors to Halibut Point on some days that are not so atmospherically inviting may find picturesque reflections where the walls and water meet. 

Lichens and minerals brighten in absorbing the humidity. They transform the liquid surfaces below.

Stillness and a pewtery sky complete the conditions for turning the pond into a pearly mirror.

Apparent realities on the granite faces spawn and interact with fantastical patterns on the water to create impressions for the imagination.

We won't see such lustrous combinations again until another full cycle of seasons has passed.

Pioneering the Watery Niche

A century ago our present-day quarry pond was a dry and sterile industrial site on Halibut Point that produced stone blocks for the Rockport Granite Company.

The Babson Farm Quarry
Courtesy of the Cape Ann Museum

As soon as operations ceased the quarry filled with infiltrating ground water. The water immediately began to support organic life that has unceasingly become more diverse and sophisticated.

Gerris sp., Water Strider

Small creatures borne on the wind came to populate the pond.

Rheumatobates vegatus, a Water Strider devouring an aphid

Some of them adapted to a simple habitat on the surface of the water.

Newborn dragonflies clinging to vegetation

Wind and erosion aided further processes of siltation and seed dissemination that eventually supported plant growth on shallow-water shelves around the quarry rim.

Viola lanceolata - White Bog Violet

The arrival of Cattails contributed to the formation of muddy soils where expanding varieties of plants could take hold.

Lythrum salicaria - Purple Loosestrife with cattails

Its network of roots held a compost of minerals and humus that accelerated the density and diversity of an ecological community.

Common Grackle

Increasing varieties of birds have taken advantage of the niche's food production.

Painted Turtle

Some reptiles have crawled considerable distances on the chance of finding new habitat.

The beaver lodge

A roaming solitary beaver added on to the foothold of habitable space at the quarry.

Minnows

Somehow little fish have managed to establish here, devouring and being devoured in the chain of life.

Red-necked Grebe by the beaver lodge

They sustained this diving fish-catcher during a late-winter stay when the ice melted on the quarry surface.

36-inch eel

Perhaps the most remarkable immigrant story of all is that of the American Eel, born thousands of miles away in the Sargasso Sea, finding its way as a diminutive elver up a damp swale, through a seepage channel under the perimeter road, to grow into maturity in the cattail stand of the quarry pond.

Iris versicolor - Larger Blue Flag

New biologic forms of every description with the right adaptive qualities await the pathways of fortune that will eventually allow them to pioneer their own opportunity in this watery niche.

A Watery Niche

 

Looking eastward across the quarry pond to the ocean in the distance, water is the most arresting feature of the scene. It is a dramatic and beautiful element as well as the medium of life. Not so obviously it is home to diverse creatures with legs, on certain segments along the rim of the quarry.

Spotted Sandpiper

Microhabitats that support animal life have formed in a few places where shallow aquatic depths facilitate muddy root zones. The foraging possibilities have drawn a Spotted Sandpiper up from the ocean shoreline to investigate.

Bullfrog

Biologic life has moved into these favored places and taken hold on the barren granite. Stands of cattails slowly expand their sheltering habitat.

Green Heron

Like ecological niches everywhere the inhabitants and visitors form a food chain from minute to mighty.

Swamp Sparrow

Secret life in the cattail colony can be visible to quiet observers from the quarry road overhead, especially in the early morning hours when the sunlight is just coming over the palisade.

Common Yellowthroat warbler

Mid-spring affords the best opportunities as emergent cattail foliage is just starting to provide hospitality but has not yet filled in densely. The area is a haven for perky Yellowthoats that gravitate to low wet places.

Eastern Phoebe perched on a Cattail spike

Fly-catching Phoebes keep a sharp lookout for insects in and around the developing niche.

A Belted Kingfisher above the Cattails

Minnows breeding in the nutrient-rich shallows draw the attention of Kingfishers.

Each of these creatures represents a spectacular frame on the cinematic progression of life.

Courtship in the Canopy

 

Red-winged Blackbird

From the topmost prominence along the Halibut Point quarry came a liquid trilling song, seductively sweet with a touch of laryngitis. A male Red-winged Blackbird seemed to  be sounding his availability, his triumph, and his domain all‒at once.

Baltimore Oriole

A little later a Baltimore Oriole took advantage of the same promontory for his own announcements. It sounded more appealing to human ears, but I guess we can't say either song is 'better' than the other. They each result in the renewal of its species.

Kingbird pair exchanging bows

All the while ecstatic chirps poured from a Kingbird pair as they bowed and flirted through the treetops.

They chased each other in zigzags, backwards somersaults, and other aerial acrobatics. 

The male revealed his red patch of crown feathers during his most ardent displays. 

It culminated in the Kingbird's coronation of the courtship consummation‒a tumbling mouthful of words to match his gyrations.

Whether recorded in words or images the impulse to art is just a reach for the wonders of experience.

Raptors Overhead

Birds of prey make a fascinating presence at Halibut Point. If you get a good look ‒ generally at one that's perched ‒ the talons, hooked beak, and penetrating stare tell the story of the raptor's lifestyle and why it's liable to be mobbed by other birds upon discovery. Their raucous harassment may be the first you know of the raptor's presence. 

More often you'll see raptors in the air, where specific identification can be difficult. You might get only a glimpse of a large fast-moving bird zipping by at treetop level. Or you may notice a faraway speck circling in the sky. Right now the raptors migrating past this area give us one of our best chances for an admiring look. There are many plumages, postures, and age-groups to sort through in making a positive raptor identification. Your sighting will fall into one of these groups. 

BUTEOS

Adult Red-tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk, seen occasionally as a roadside sentinel in a tree or utility pole, is our most common local raptor. Its chunky proportions and relatively short-tail are characteristic features of buteos. 

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk

This juvenile has not yet taken on its mature plumage and eponymous tail coloration. It circles over open areas using long rounded wings and widely spread wide tail feathers to support its lofty soaring on the lookout for small mammal prey far below.

Pictured below are two other buteos overflying Halibut Point. In migration they search out thermal updrafts to gain altitude and glide down forward to the next one on their route, occasionally using spare wing beats.

Broad-winged Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Immature Bald Eagle

Based on anatomical proportions and hunting habits Bald Eagles can be thought of as dark-colored oversized buteos. Adults are distinguished by their white heads and tails. In flight eagles hold their wings level and steady unlike vultures, the other large dark birds, that tilt in flight with wings paired conspicuously in a V-shaped dihedron, and are not adapted to the pursuit of live prey. 

ACCIPITERS

Cooper's Hawk

Accipiters chase small birds and mammals through shrubbery and forested areas. Their relatively short wings and long tail give them exceptional maneuverability. In flight they can often be distinguished by a series of short, rapid flaps followed by a glide.

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk, the most common local accipiter, is a crow-sized bird with a conspicuously striped tail. The Sharp-shinned Hawk that closely resembles it is the size of a Blue Jay. 

HARRIER

Northern Harrier

Northern Harriers look for prey from stationery perches such as fence posts, or on the wing by circling low over open country, especially marshes. Thus they are infrequently encountered on the moors and woodlands of Halibut Point.  Long tails and pointed wings enable them to pounce quickly on prey during their low altitude sallies. A prominent white patch above the tail and wings held in a dihedral distinguish Harriers from other raptors.

FALCONS

Falcons use their slender, pointed wings to pursue other birds in wide open spaces. They patrol with steady flapping before sudden acceleration when giving chase.

Merlin

The Blue Jay-sized Merlin may also hunt from a stationery perch. It closes on its prey with powerful, piston-like wing beats.

Peregrine Falcon

This Peregrine Falcon found thermals last week to soar almost stationery in the air rising above Halibut Point. Sometimes they ride these updrafts to great heights, tuck in their pointy wings and plunge with terrific speed on unsuspecting victims. 

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Red-tailed Hawk with prey in talons

Raptors in their various sizes, shapes, and skills illustrate the marvel of diverse niche adaptations in the natural world.