Lighthouses of Maine and Nova Scotia

I've always loved lighthouses. I'm not particularly sure why; perhaps it was the combination of general family appreciation, their nearness to large bodies of water, and spending a lot of time on Cape Cod when I was young. Anyway, when I was looking for things to do in Maine to break up our road trip to Nova Scotia, lighthouses seemed like an obvious answer. There are apparently 57 active lighthouses in Maine and over 125 in Nova Scotia! (A century ago there were over 170 in Nova Scotia, but many have been lost over the decades.) We ultimately saw five lighthouses in Maine, one in Nova Scotia (as well as a non-lighthouse lighthouse-like structure), and one (not pictured) in New York. Hope you enjoy!

First up, Nubble Light, also known as Cape Neddick Lightstation... 

Nubble Light was completed in 1879, electrified in 1938, and automated in 1987.

It has long been a tourist attraction, basically since the moment it was built.

The keeper's house is of the Victorian era, complete with gingerbread trim.

Although not quite as well known as the Portland Head Light (which we did not get to this trip...next time!), Nubble Light is one of the most often photographed lighthouses in New England.

And from there—on a clear day—off in the distance, you can also see Boon Island Light. At 133 ft (41 m), it's the tallest lighthouse in New England.

Boon Island is a tiny little island about six miles offshore, and the site of many shipwrecks throughout the 17th-19th centuries. Many lighthouses were constructed over the decades, but the one that remains was built in 1954-5.

Camden, Maine is a cute little town built around a working harbor, with a remarkable number of old wooden ships. The harbor is sheltered by Curtis Island at its mouth (to the right)...

On the far side of which, overlooking Penobscot Bay, sits the Curtis Island Light.

This lighthouse was built in 1896, replacing one that was originally built in 1835.

With the advent of GPS, radar beacons, and other electronic aids, lighthouses have become somewhat (but not entirely) obsolete, and the coast guard has slowly decommissioned and sold many of them. 

Happily, the Curtis Island Light is now owned by the town of Camden itself. (Whereas Boon Island, for example, is owned by a private individual.)

It's worth noting that although the lighthouse is on the far side of the island, and thus not visible from town, there is a convenient viewing site (although you can also take a boat out from Camden, if you're so inclined).

As we were sitting there, taking it all in and watching the waterfowl (loon photos coming), suddenly a couple flags peeked out above the lighthouse...

And the windjammer Angelique emerged!

Less than 10 miles to the south is the town of Rockland, which maintains an active port, including ferry service to Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Matinicus. Their breakwater is almost a mile long (you can walk the length of it, although I didn't get the chance this time), with a lighthouse at its furthest point: Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. The breakwater itself was built over the years 1880-1890, with the lighthouse added in 1902.

 

And just a little further south, on the other side of Rockland Harbor, is Owls Head Light.

Owls Head was built in 1852 (replacing one built in 1825) atop a tall bluff, which means the tower itself didn't have to be very tall. 

It's only 30 ft (9 m) tall, although the focal height is 100 feet (30 m) above mean sea level!

This lighthouse is not connected to the keeper residence, but is instead up a flight of stairs to the top of the bluff. Apparently, for a few decades in the early 20th century, there was a covered passageway, but it was removed soon after the light was electrified.

Owls Head still uses a Fresnel lens (note the texture of the lens panels in the photo below), even though it was automated in 1989. It can be seen for 18 miles!

Between the house and the light, there is a marker for Spot the Lighthouse Dog, who was taught to ring the fog bell and apparently helped a mailboat steer clear during one particularly blustery storm.

Unlike the rest of the lighthouses, this one is still owned by the Coast Guard.

And has the property tag to prove it!

Although the surrounding area is a state park. Here's one final view of the light.

While we were visiting Owls Head, we saw the schooner Heritage sail by...

And as it started raining, we could make out a couple more sailboats in the distance, demonstrating just how helpful a lighthouse would be in such conditions!

We also saw one active light house in Canada, the one in Lunenburg harbor: Battery Point Breakwater Lighthouse. This little light was built in 1951, the third in a line of lighthouses that began up on Battery point in 1864. Here it is as we were leaving the harbor...

And returning (more on the sail itself soon). Yay for solar power!

We also saw this lighthouse-shaped structure, somewhere out by Blue Rocks.

Lastly, unpictured, but spotted from the Tappan Zee bridge: Tarrytown Light. Which I didn't even know existed until reading up about local lighthouses (despite having crossed the bridge many times in my life). I hope to stop and see it on a future trip!

A Walk in The Great Swamp

I grew up hearing stories of The Great Swamp—including of its formation as the first federal wilderness area thankfully averting plans to pave it over to build an airport—but despite growing up not that far away, I'd never been myself. So on the way back from a friend's wedding last month, I spent a couple hours wandering the boardwalks at the Wildlife Observation Center. Here's some of what I saw.

This cute little northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) was curled up on this log.

Here it is again zoomed out, for a sense of scale.

I thought this eastern painted turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) was doing a good job of showing off why they are called "painted". Look how the red extends down onto the foot!

Meanwhile, this snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) was not at all demonstrating its snapping, but was simply browsing on various aquatic vegetation.

I also saw a "green frog" (Lithobates clamitans)...

And a lovely bright green "American bullfrog" (Lithobates catesbeianus).

There were red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) galore, and many of them seemed to be feeding young nestlings in well hidden nests.

There were also a lot of eastern phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) ...

Several gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis) chattering away...

And the blur of an American redstart. I actually saw a few of them, but this blurry photo was the only one I managed to get, thankfully enough to confirm my identification!

Mammals were comparatively scarce, but I saw a couple eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus, a different species from the chipmunks in Arizona), including this cute little one who dashed towards me across one of the boardwalk bridges.

Also spotted on the boardwalk, this common whitetail (Plathemis lydia) was eating another insect, as dragonflies do.

I was excited to see several little stands of ghost pipe (Monotropa uniflora). For those not familiar, ghost pipe is not—despite appearances—a fungus, but a plant. Unlike most plants, though, it doesn't have any chlorophyll, and so is white instead of green. Instead of harvesting its energy from the sun, it is parasitic on certain types of fungi that live in the roots of trees.

Speaking of fungi, I also saw this unidentified mushroom (maybe a beech rooter, Oudemansiella furfuracea??).

Of course, there were a variety of interesting aquatic and non-aquatic plants as well, and I tried to document a few of them, including this green arrow arum (Peltandra virginica)

Have you ever looked at a pond and seen these little leaves everywhere? This is duckweed. Specifically, I think it is greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza).

And these iconic yellow pond-lillies are, I think, spatterdock (Nuphar advena).

Looking across a large area of reeds, I was surprised to see a yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus) poking out. While it was certainly pretty, apparently they can be invasive in American wetlands.

Purple crownvetch (Securigera varia) is also a pretty but invasive flower.

Ferns are something I sometimes forget that I miss in Tucson until I see them...either up a mountain somewhere in Arizona, or elsewhere. And then they make me smile. I've tried occasionally to grow one indoors, but it's hard to keep them moist enough! I think this is a wood fern (Dryopteris), but I'm not sure what kind.

Finally, this was the view through one of the wildlife blinds. I didn't see much there beyond a few blackbirds, but I drank in all the lovely green.

If you're in the area, I definitely recommend stopping by The Great Swamp!