Harpswell Stories

 This past winter I got a call from the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, asking if I'd be willing to participate in their Voices of the Sea project.  Sure, why not?  I got to chat with two amazing young men (thanks Brian and Sam!) about things I love.  Who wouldn't want to do that?

Over 25 people with connections to the ocean and Harpswell were interviewed by students from the Harpswell Coastal Academy, a charter school serving middle and high school students.  They interviewed most of us twice, with well-prepared questions, and then transcribed the interviews to carefully evaluate what parts they wanted to use.  These were edited into 3-4 minute portions. 

Earlier this month the land trust had a reception for the students and I got to see not only the fruits of Brian and Sam's labors, but all of the interviews the students conducted.  The range of people they talked to ran from clam diggers to sailors to farmers, and even a scientist and blogger was thrown in for good measure.  This was an impressive effort for kids to undertake, and their teachers and the folks at HHLT are to be commended for all the work they did to set up interviews and put them together into an amazing connection.

One of my interviewers.

Check out Voices of the Sea/Harpswell Stories HERE.  You can listen to me blather on about Leach's storm petrels on Kent Island.

A Boat a Day in January -- Day 30

Harpswell

A Boat a Day in January -- Day 29

Mackerel Cove, Harpswell

A Boat a Day in January -- Day 7

Mackerel Cove, Harpswell

A Boat a Day in January -- Day 3

Quahog Bay, Women Under Sail

So you don't think it's all smurfs and raisins

Yeah, I have a great job.

But sometimes, you gotta admit sitting warm and cozy in an office might be preferable.  Especially at the tail end of a nor'easter, with gusty winds, cool temperatures, drizzle, and gloomy skies.  On a day when the tide is particularly low, so collecting for class specimens is on the agenda.

Nothing to do but put on the foul weather gear, grab a bucket, and stop whining!

It wasn't all that bad in all these layers.  There's no bad weather, just bad clothes.

I walked along the shore from Dick's Lobster to Potts Point.

Talk about grey . . .

. . . but beautiful.

No one hides from me!  I see you.

Ha!  A tiny little dogwhelk.  There were tons of them, probably freshly hatched.

Now that's some beautiful seaweed.

And the sun tried it's hardest to cooperate!

Stalking Snails with Sarah

Sarah and her snails.

There's nothing better than getting paid to be at the coast.  Last week Sarah Kingston's Marine Molecular Ecology class asked for an assist in finding two types of intertidal snails -- Littorina obtusata (the smooth periwinkle), and Littorina saxatilis (the rough periwinkle).  So off to Giant Steps I went with them, back in my boots.

Intertidal snails clockwise from top left:  Littorina littorea, Nucella lapillus, Littorina obtusata, Littorina saxatilis.  Common names, respectively:  common periwinkle, dogwhelk, smooth periwinkle, rough perwinkle.

There are actually three Littorine species in Maine's rocky intertidal -- the third one being Littorina littorea, the common periwinkle.  Luckily, they have different habitats and morphologies, so telling them apart is relatively easy.

Littorina littorea is ubiquitous in the rocky intertidal, and is found from the Fucus zone down to the bottom of the intertidal zone, including in tidepools.  The common periwinkle is an invasive species that is thought to have arrived on the ballast stones of European trading vessels early in the colonial period.  These ravenous grazers feed on seaweeds, and probably have a huge effect on the rocky intertidal zone.  Interestingly, they have clear preferences for certain seaweeds, so they have changed the species composition of the habitat quite a bit.  You can identify these by their size -- they become large, perhaps an inch across, although they start as small snails so you can be confused if not careful.  The spire of their shell is pointy, and do not exhibit clear sutures between the "layers" of this whirled part of the shell.

Littorina saxatilis (the rough perwinkle) is probably my favorite intertidal snail.  It can be the hardest to find, since it is very small, and is found high above the intertidal, in the splash zone.  These are only common where there are crashing waves -- so exposed headlands are a common place to find them.  These little guys can go many days without being wet, and have almost lung-like organs.  They feed on the black Calothrix (the slick blue-green algae you can find at the top of the intertidal zone).

Hundreds of rough periwinkles hiding in a crack at Pemaquid Point.

"Halos" of Calothrix algae around the cracks where rough perwinkles hide.  They come out of the cracks when it's wet and cool to feed, then return to the cracks when it's dry and hot (to get some relief from the heat).

Littorina obtusata (the smooth periwinkle) is the jewel of the intertidal.  Relying exclusively on knotted wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) for habitat and food, this snail  mimics the colors of this beautiful algae -- yellow, orange, green, brown, and even red.  They can be tough to find because they are so well camouflaged.

Typical habitat of the smooth periwinkle.

Our mission was to find about 40 individuals of both rough and smooth periwinkles, so Sarah's class can study their genetics.  The first place we looked was in the knotted wrack, and it wasn't long before the first "I found one!" was heard.  Once people got the search image in their heads, we found our quota pretty quickly.  Then it was on to the exposed rocks at the southern end of Giant Steps (where we were very careful).  We had a great look around, then got to work looking in the crevices at the top of the intertidal zone.  Thousands of tiny rough periwinkles were hiding there, so we quickly hauled in our snails.  Not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon, and I didn't even have to go to the probability lecture that the students sat through after our intertidal adventure!

Found one!

Maybe I got a bit distracted by the anemones in the tidepools at Giant Steps . . . .

A box full of snails.

Aha!  They thought they could hide from me.  No way.

These are dogwhelks -- predatory snails also found in the intertidal zone.  They're eating these barnacles.

Hunting for rough periwinkles.

Checking out our haul.

A photo for Facebook?

Hikes in Harpswell -- Potts Point

I'm home for a few days, voted off the island.  Okay, I'm actually home to pay bills and work on the house.  Being away for all the warm summer months isn't conducive to home maintenance.  Some porch renovation; some painting; some gardening are all on the schedule.

But woman cannot live by construction projects alone.  I mean, the sun is out, the temperature is perfect, and the dog is ready for fun!  How can I resist a quick trip out to Harpswell?

Potts Point is conserved by the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, and it's an amazing spot.  The preserve is only an acre or two -- just an island connected to the mainland by a spit of sand, but where else could you get all this:

Wildflowers to enjoy:

Wild roses

Rosa rugosa

Orach -- you can eat it!

Beach peas

Raspberries

Honeysuckle

Tiny pocket marshes all through the upper intertidal:

And gulls, eiders, and terns raising a ruckus:

Eiders, with babies.  Right after I took this a black back gull carried a baby away!

Common terns feeding.

And some interesting sights:

This is where you park.  Well, up on the road, not on the beach.

Who doesn't love a mailbox that looks like its owner?

Driftwood in the evening sun

And to top things off:

Sunset over Casco Bay

GETTING THERE:  From US 1 in Brunswick, take Rt 24 south to Rt 123 (at the corner of Bowdoin College).  Turn right on Rt 123 and follow it 13.5 miles -- until you literally can't go any further.  You'll be at Dick's Lobster and Crab; park out of the way of traffic and the wharf.  Walk along Potts Point Road -- all the way to the end, where you will find a little path to follow.  This will take you to the preserve!

Hikes in Harpswell: Mitchell Field -- And First Lobster Roll of the Year!

If you drive south from Brunswick on Rt 123, and just keep going, eventually you'll get to a part of Maine where your GPS will simply show you driving over green grass, because apparently Harpswell Neck is one of the places where modern maps just don't include.  This little finger of land pushes far out into Casco Bay.  To the east is Merriconeag Sound, to the west is Middle Bay, and between them, Harpswell Neck balances on a narrow ridge of land.

Near the end of the Neck is Mitchell Field.  Until recently, Brunswick was home to a Naval Air Station.  Locals remember fondly the drone of propellers from the squadron of sub-hunters that was stationed there.  The station was an important base during WWII and in the cold war; and all those planes needed a lot of fuel.  Until 1992, fuel came in by sea, at Mitchell Field.  If you look at a chart of Middle Bay, there is a two-way shipping lane entering from the Gulf of Maine; incoming on the east of Whaleboat Island; outbound on the west.

Two way shipping lanes for Mitchell Field.

Now the land belongs to the town of Harpswell, and it's open to the public.  Although you won't find wilderness here, you will find sweeping views of Middle Bay and the Goslings; the Community Garden, picnic tables, a bandstand, and a lovely small beach.  Of course this is accompanied by some creepy old buildings, a pier that's starting to deteriorate, and too much pavement.  But this spot is worth a stop nonetheless, with a loop of about 1.5 miles to keep you fit.  It's dog-friendly too!

A great little beach.  No lifeguards.

Creepy old buildings.

Not so scenic.

Lots of pavement -- but great for bikes I guess!

Last week I headed out to Mitchell Field, and if I'm going that far, why not keep heading south to one of my favorites -- Dolphin Marina?

Potts Harbor.  Pretty quiet in this reluctant spring.

View to the east.

View to the west (and Sarah, always smiling!)

Dolphin Marina is a local favorite, but it's no secret that they have the best fish chowder (accompanied by a blueberry muffin, of course) in the state.  Until a few years ago, this was a tiny place with a line.  Now, it's a big place (in high season, there's still a line).  When the restaurant expanded, it was built as green as possible; land was put into conservation; and the marina is certified as a Green Marina. 

A Maine favorite -- Dolphin Marina fish chowder with a blueberry muffin.  You.Must.Eat.This.

Yummy roll.  Cold with a warm buttered bun; no fooling around.  $19.95.

My neighbor's meal -- split lobster tails.

 Dolphin Marina perches on the end of Pott's Point, and it's a real working marina as well as a restaurant.  A meal there always promises a great view, and a walk around the grounds puts you at the ocean's edge.  Terrific food; terrific views; good people running the place.  Really, does it get better?

The friendly bar.  Usually we just sit here.

Dolphin Marina is summer.  What else says Maine?