Tag Archives: Cape Cod Blog

Baltimore Oriole Nest Survives The Nor’Easter High Winds On Cape Cod

I was so surprised when I went outside the other and saw that the Baltimore Oriole’s nest from last summer was still intact and hanging from the Oak tree in our yard. Totally amazing! I can’t believe that a nest that is made hanging from a branch could still survive  in 75+ mile an hour winds when trees were falling all around them.

You can see in the 2nd photograph that the nest was woven high up in the tree, about 20 feet off of the ground. It is in the center of the photograph about 2/3s of the way up.

The Baltimore’s innate ability to weave a nest this secure is just amazing. Don’t you think?

Nauset Beach On Cape Cod After The Nor’Easter

Nauset Beach, one of the most popular beaches on Cape Cod and part of the National Seashore, has changed dramatically since the Nor’Easter last weekend. We were able to take a little walk on the beach from the trail at the end of the parking lot where the ocean went over the dune.

The first photograph is looking back at Liam’s on the left. The 2nd photograph is looking down Nauset Beach toward Chatham. It doesn’t look anything like the Nauset Beach 2 weeks ago. You can see how high the tide comes in. This is about midway between low tide and high tide.

Just totally amazing how things can change so drastically in so short a time period.

Update: We stopped at Nauset Beach yesterday afternoon and the gazebo between the parking lot and the beach has been removed.

Liam’s At Nauset Beach on Cape Cod

Liam’s at Nauset Beach was still standing yesterday when we took a ride down to Nauset Beach. They were putting up more fences around it so people would not trespass or walk on the dunes.

We drove to the end of the parking lot and took the little trail to the beach to see what it looked like. There are virtually no dunes left, and very little beach.

I walked down to the front of Liam’s and took a couple of photographs. The first one is looking up at Liam’s from the beach. The 2nd one is of the beach in front of Liam’s with all of the exposed cement structures which are in excess of 6 feet high. Someone said they were part of the septic system for the bathroom, but I have no idea. You can see the gazebo in the distance. That will have to be moved ASAP, I would think, as it is almost in the water.

We heard they would be taking Liam’s down today. We’ll take a ride later and see what is going on. 🙁

PS We just came back from Liam’s and visiting with the owner, Jon and his son, Liam. They are focusing on all of the “happy memories”from years past. I asked about the cement structures and they said they were from a 1940s septic system that is now defunct and that the town did not know they were buried there in the sand. I guess everyone was surprised to see them emerge from the deep sands!

PPS They removed the gazebo.

Beautiful Red-Breasted Mergansers At Boat Meadow Beach On Cape Cod

I saw my first Red-Breasted Mergansers the other day at Boat Meadow Beach, before the big storm. What a gorgeous bird! They were feeding in the little pond that comes out at high tide on the salt marsh. I had never seen one before.

Red-Breasted Mergansers are a medium-sized diving ducks with black upper parts, gray sides, rust-brown breast, white belly, green head, double crests and a white neck ring. Their long thin bill, legs and feet are bright orange. The female has much duller colors.

The Red-Breasted Mergansers were so interesting to watch as they feed. They would swim along with their heads in the water, almost like a shovel,  as you can see in the 3rd photograph. Or they would dive under water for food. It was very cool to watch!

Have you ever seen a Red-Breasted Merganser? Gorgeous bird, don’t you think?

Liam’s At Nauset Beach In Orleans On Cape Cod To Be Demolished This Week After Nor’Easter

Liam’s at Nauset Beach, a popular summer clam shack known for its “world famous onion rings” will be demolished this week after the Nor’easter last weekend. The storm decimated the dune in front of Liam’s and now Liam’s on the verge of falling into the ocean.

Liam’s at Nauset Beach has been a popular summer restaurant for 63 years, originally known as Philbrick’s Snack Shack. Jon Ohman took it over in 1990 and renamed it Liam’s.

Back in 1954, more than 250 feet of sand and beach grass separated the shack from the ocean. Erosion usually takes about 12  feet per year but two powerful storms in the past two months have swallowed up more than 60 feet of the protective buffer.

There have been so many people stopping by Liam’s and Nauset Beach, almost as if it were “calling hours” to say their last goodbyes. So sad. The storm last weekend has taken 2 icons in the area…. the majestic tree at Fort Hill and now Liam’s at Nauset Beach.

As Jon said to us yesterday, “It is truly a day that we can be in awe of nature.”