Colors of Summer

Gooseberry Island in Westport covered in blooming roses

Summer means visits to the beach, but we don’t often think of riotous color when we think of beach visits. Our latest visit to Gooseberry Island, in Westport, MA brought the surprise of thousands of beach roses in full bloom. Throughout the island we saw rose blooms, daisies as well as sweet peas. We walked along the eastern shore of the island, then found the path that cuts the island in half longways, and followed the path back to the parking area.

Goldfinch in full summer plumage sings for joy

The boat ramp at the island’s parking area  means this is a busy place for boaters and jet skiers to launch their craft in summer, but for those who have a hard time managing walking on soft sand, it also means there is a firm gently sloped surface to on which to walk down to the edge of the water.

Firm sand at low tide allows for some easy walking around the island

And at low tide, the firmly packed sand offers the opportunity to walk with ease along the shoreline for a ways in either direction from the ramp.

Hovering osprey waits for the right moment to dive for a fish

But summer is also a time for birds to feed their young. We saw evidence of harried parents working hard to feed their offspring as we watched ospreys just off shore, hovering, hunting, waiting for just the right moment to dive into the water and retrieve a fish for their young. Throughout our walk we saw one osprey after the other circling, waiting, then finally diving. When successful, they immediately headed inland, back to their nests. When not successful? They continued to hover and hunt. Hungry babies were waiting.

Still waiting…

Marjorie

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors, and is the author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, More Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, Easy Walks and Paddles in the Ten Mile River Watershed, and Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are. Her memoir, the backstory of Easy Walks, is My Liturgy of Easy Walks: Reclaiming hope in a world turned upside down.