On a lark

  

It was a cold and windy day here in Scituate, Massachusetts, but we went for a short walk this afternoon (11 December 2025) and caught up with a small flock of Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris).

I love how the russet tones in their feathers match the colors in the salt marsh at this time of year (above).

We also saw a few Horned Larks in a rocky area and it was fun to see how well they blended in with the rocks...although check out those beautiful golden head and throat markings!

 

 

 

 

 

One more photo, as I always appreciate when you can see a little more of an animal's behavior — in this case, searching for seeds among some of the upper marsh plants:

 

 

  

Star-spangled back

  

Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata), Scituate Harbor, MA, on 9 December 2025.

Here's the entire bird (below). Note the spangled patterning on the back.  The species name — "stellata" — apparently means "set with stars" and refers to this beautiful design in the loon's non-breeding plumage.  [You can click on the images for larger versions.]

 

 

September star

  

Nice view of a Forbes' Sea Star (Asterias forbesi) in a shallow tidepool in Scituate, Massachusetts, on 20 September 2025.

Eric was able to zoom in for an amazing closeup, too:

 

 

Visible above are short white calcareous spines, the orange madreporite (sometimes called a sieve plate, which is an opening to the water vascular system), and the transparent papulae (finger-like projections involved in gas exchange).  

Thanks for the great photos, Eric!
 

Homes on the rocks

  

Northern Acorn Barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides), photographed in Scituate, Massachusetts, on 9 December 2024.

Thanks for the great photo, Eric!

Light on the light

 
 

A couple of photos of sunrise over Scituate Harbor, 9 December 2024

 

 

And here's one more, with the light on the light:

 

On and around the rocks

 

 

Purple Sandpipers (Calidris maritima) hunkered down in Scituate, Massachusetts, on 11 December 2022.

 

While trying to photograph the sandpipers, a duck appeared in a pool below them:

 

 

 

Fun to watch this Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) diving and spilling over the edge of the pool.  

Although these birds were a bit distant, here's a closer view of her:

 

 

 

Evening high tide

 

Evening high tide in the salt marsh, Scituate, MA, 26 August 2016

 

The Island

I've been really busy lately, so haven't been out walking much.  And I've been thinking a lot about where I grew up.  So here's a picture of the island in Massachusetts where I spent a lot of time: 

 

Above the island, you can see the confluence of the North River (coming from the left) and the South River (coming from the right).  The Atlantic Ocean is outside the mouth of the river (to the right side of the photo).

I'm so glad to have a picture like this of where I grew up. Looking at it brings back so many different memories.  Just one photo helps to maintain a long-term sense of place.  I hope all of you have some pictures or memories of important landscapes in your life.

Inspiration

 

My dad (Steve Sones) with a Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) off Scituate, MA

 

My dad, my sister (in the yellow hoodie), and me 

 

And me sitting on a large lobster trap! 

My dad passed away recently.  It's made me think a lot about how appreciative I am that my parents spent so much time outdoors and encouraged us to explore and connect with the world around us (and to eat lots of fresh, local seafood!).

May you all have family and friends that inspire a love of nature.