MaineNatureDiary

Interesting Hurricane Earl Map Update: I like this map because you can really see what the threat...

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:02:00 -0400

Interesting Hurricane Earl Map Update: I like this map because you can really see what the threat...

Hurricane Earl Update: Hurricane Earl is still a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 140mph....

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:32:00 -0400

Hurricane Earl Update: Hurricane Earl is still a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 140mph....

Hurricane Earl is on the move: Meteorology is such a fascinating...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:11:00 -0400

Hurricane Earl is on the move: Meteorology is such a fascinating subject and plays a role in our every day lives. Will Earl affect us way up here in Maine? Only time will tell. Did you know that low and high pressure systems, along with a cold front moving into Maine, will determine how far inland Earl will travel? Check out this article on Weather.com for more details!

I don’t know about you, but I’d like to head over to Popham Beach after the storm to check out the state of erosion on the shoreline. It is also a good time to find sea creatures washed up on the sand. On Saturday, low tide is 1:38 pm and on Sunday, low tide is 2:41 pm. So, if you go, plan on being there about 30 minutes before low tide to start your investigation and photography…should be interesting. No matter what happens storm-wise, there should be some nice wave action. A word of caution: There are bound to be plenty of strong rip currents, so be wary about venturing out into the water.

Hotter’n Heck: It is 86F in the shade today. The sun is shining, the air is dry, and the sky...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:29:00 -0400

Hotter’n Heck: It is 86F in the shade today. The sun is shining, the air is dry, and the sky...

Dragonfly Actions: I saw lots of dragonflies lunching on...

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:28:00 -0400

Dragonfly Actions: I saw lots of dragonflies lunching on mosquitoes and other insects in the front yard. I was cheering them on as they rapidly swooped hither and yon in mega munch mode. It was so fascinating to watch them work; they looked like mini helicopters zooming about. I had a great view from inside the basement, at eye level, with the sun from the west shining on all the action. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)

Red Skimmer Dragonflies Mating: I happened to be photographing...

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:25:00 -0400

Red Skimmer Dragonflies Mating: I happened to be photographing some flowers when I saw these dragonflies mating on one of the leaves of our Arctic Hibiscus bush. Being in the throes of passion, they tolerated the camera getting quite close to them. I saw lots of female dragonflies laying their eggs on the surface of Caesar Pond yesterday afternoon. The more dragonflies the better as they feed on mosquitoes! (Click on the photo for a larger view.)

Rain Barrel needed: Anybody know where we can get a reasonably priced rain barrel? Or…where we...

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:56:00 -0400

Rain Barrel needed: Anybody know where we can get a reasonably priced rain barrel? Or…where we...

Rain: Here is a wee video (nothing fancy) of one minute’s...

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:27:00 -0400

Rain: Here is a wee video (nothing fancy) of one minute’s worth of rain (from an all day event) on this rare, moist day in Mid Coast Maine. I wandered over to the pond, near the height of the rain event, and scared up a great blue heron and an osprey. I was able to catch a bit of video of the osprey as it flew over to the west shore of Caesar Pond. Then, I just enjoyed the rain… enveloped in the pure joy of the moment…(click on the 4 little arrows next to the word “Vimeo” to view it full screen).

Turtlehead Chelone Flower in Rain: Hooray…We are finally...

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:07:00 -0400

Turtlehead Chelone Flower in Rain: Hooray…We are finally getting some rain after weeks of just a few drizzles here and there. This is a gorgeous, soaking rain that is lasting for hours! I just had to go outdoors and roam around to soak up some if this moisture. Lovely.

No rain from this storm: We got gypped.The storm skirted around us. Ugh…

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:13:00 -0400

No rain from this storm: We got gypped.The storm skirted around us. Ugh…

We Need Rain: We are in desperate need of rain, and have yet to...

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:39:00 -0400

We Need Rain: We are in desperate need of rain, and have yet to get any from this storm that has been traveling northeastward. First, it was predicted that we’d have rain all day, now meteorologists are predicting a few hours of rain this afternoon…I’ll believe it when I see it!

Google Earth Photos of Popham Beach…historical photo...

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:48:00 -0400

Google Earth Photos of Popham Beach…historical photo series: Popham Beach is one of our favorite beaches to visit, but the beach section is highly eroded and had changed drastically over the 10 years we have lived in Maine. This photo was taken on May 17, 2010, and shows how the Morse River channel has changed its path. I put a few arrows in for your reference. (Click photo for larger view).

The beach will hopefully be renewed as the calmer wave action of summer deposits sand over time. It will take quite a few years for the beach to get back to a larger size. Oh, by the way, the Maine Geological Survey states that, “The beach and dune eroded back 525 feet on the western beach from 2004 to 2007. This loss resulted in a net erosion rate of an astounding 130 feet per year!” WOW! you can read more about the Popham Beach erosion here. One more thing… I learned a new geologic term from the Bates magazine article…a tombolo is a sandbar that connects an island to the mainland or to another island.

Now…let’s take a walk back in time to view how the Morse River channel has changed its course. I was able to get historical Google Earth photos from 2007, 2003, and 1997. Very interesting…..Enjoy!

Popham Beach, September 2007: Here is the first historical look...

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:00:00 -0400

Popham Beach, September 2007: Here is the first historical look in this little series of changes of the Morse River and the effect it has had on Popham Beach. (Click on photo for a larger view)

Popham Beach, December 2003: Here is the second historical photo...

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:44:00 -0400

Popham Beach, December 2003: Here is the second historical photo in the series of the Morse River Channel change. Look how wide the beach is! And, I was most surprised to see the absence of the big sand spit. Even the river itself looks very thin with lots of mud filling in most of the channel’s width. (Click on photo for larger view)

Popham Beach, April 1997: Here is the third historical view of...

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:22:00 -0400

Popham Beach, April 1997: Here is the third historical view of Popham Beach. The beach is at its widest as the river cuts really close to the shore on the western edge. The sand bar to Fox Island is extremely wide as well. I think this photo was probably taken at low tide, but you can see where the beach line is inshore from my arrow. (Click on photo for a larger view)

Morse River Channel Change Slide Show: Here is a slide show that...

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:06:00 -0400

Morse River Channel Change Slide Show: Here is a slide show that puts all of the photos of the Morse River, and its affect on Popham Beach, in descending order by date.

Photo Published: Jay Burns, editor of the Bates College Magazine, used one of my photos, of erosion...

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:43:00 -0400

Photo Published: Jay Burns, editor of the Bates College Magazine, used one of my photos, of erosion...

We Got Rain!:) We finally got some rain and the plants look so much happier. We probably got at...

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:08:21 -0400

We Got Rain!:) We finally got some rain and the plants look so much happier. We probably got at...

Weather Update: Today was one of those picture-perfect days…we had a light breeze, a high...

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:20:00 -0400

Weather Update: Today was one of those picture-perfect days…we had a light breeze, a high...

Patience…Grasshopper: This summer has been amazing in that the pond has been glassy smooth...

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:34:00 -0400

Patience…Grasshopper: This summer has been amazing in that the pond has been glassy smooth...