All posts by Mel

Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Photography, Cape Cod Wildflowers

Witch Hazel, My First Wildflower of The Year On Cape Cod!

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Phil and I took a nice hike at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary a couple of days ago and were so surprised to see a yellow flower already blooming on a bush on the side of the trail. I had no idea what it was so I took some photographs and asked inside. It is “Witch Hazel” and blooms in February! Wow! (You can see all the little clusters in the photograph below.)

Witch Hazels are deciduous shrubs and are in the flowering plant family.  Each flower has four slender 1/2″ strap-shaped petals which are dark yellow, orange, or red. The fruit is a two-part capsule containing a single 1⁄4 inch glossy black seed in each of the two parts.

This is really cool… “The capsule splits explosively at  maturity in the autumn about 8 months after flowering, ejecting the seeds with sufficient force to fly for distances of up to 30 feet. That is amazing!

So cool to see a flower blooming in the middle of winter and one that I’ve never seen before!

 

 

Cape Cod Birding, Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Photography

Red-Breasted Merganser At Boat Meadow Creek On Cape Cod.

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Yesterday Phil and I were  driving home from a  walk on Nauset Beach when I saw something out of the corner of my eye as we passed over the bridge on Bridge Road. Stop the car! I jumped out!

There, swimming and fishing in Boat Meadow Creek was a beautiful Red-breasted Merganser. I’ve been trying to get a good photograph of one all winter, so this was a huge treat.

The ripples in the water made for such a unique photograph. Gorgeous bird, don’t you think? Love his red eye, orange bill and his messy hair look!

Cape Cod Beaches, Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Cod Photography

The Dunes Are Huge At Coast Guard Beach On Cape Cod!

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The dunes look huge on Coast Guard Beach, eaten away by the virulent winter storms the past few years. Phil took this photograph of me a few days ago. At first I thought… wow!

And then I looked back at a similar photograph that he took last year about this time and the dunes don’t look as bad as we thought… maybe a bit higher.  Hopefully the spring and summer will bring back that much needed sand again.

Cape Cod Beaches, Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod Photography

Love The Flats On Cape Cod Bay At First Encounter Beach.

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It was such a pretty day with so many fluffy, white clouds in the blue, blue sky. First Encounter Beach, where the Native Americans first encountered the Pilgrims on Cape Cod, was just beautiful. The tide was low so you could see the flats go out for what looks like miles. You can even see Wellfleet way in the distance.

Have you ever seen the flats on Cape Cod Bay? So pretty, don’t you think?

Cape Cod Beaches, Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Cod Photography

The Surf Was Up At Nauset Light Beach On Cape Cod!

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The waves were perfect for surfing at Nauset Light Beach in Eastham and the surfers were out trying to catch that “perfect wave.”

It was great fun watching them all, especially on a cold, windy day in the middle of winter. Dedication!

Cape Cod Beaches, Cape Cod Blog, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Cod Photography

Happy Valentine’s Day From Coast Guard Beach On Cape Cod!

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I decided to make a Cape Cod Valentine’s Day Card for my friends and family who love Cape Cod.  Of course the day I decided to make it was about 20 degrees with 20 mph winds. It was freezing, but I was determined.

I drove down to Coast Guard Beach in the morning when the tide was starting to come in. I found a short stick and made a heart, only to realize that my footprints were in the photograph. So, I found  a longer stick. I was all set! Now to figure out how to draw the heart, take the photograph and get out of the way before the wave came in….hmmm.

I made the heart. It looked good. I got my camera out and took a photograph as the wave started to come in. It looked good. But in all my excitement, my feet got stuck in the sand as the water came in and I fell down on my knees. Whoops! It sure was cold but I think I got a great Valentine’s Day photo for my Valentine’s Day Card.

Wishing a Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone and especially everyone who loves Cape Cod!