Tuesday, August 25

Hot and muggy again. A few visitors stopped by in the afternoon. The cove is clearing up but to land on the beach takes skill. It is full of rocks and you will get your feet wet. Brenda thoroughly cleaned both residences and I went to the cove to mow grass in the camping area. Then I cleaned up the dingy and the boathouse.

About 1330 Steve Pelletier, a Certified Wildlife Biologist and Principal Scientist at Stantec Consulting in Topsham, Maine, and a colleague, showed up to install boxes for a pilot avian/bat migration study. The information they hope to obtain is pertinent to wind energy concerns. It is a fully self-funded study by Stantec, with the study results to be completed in late fall/early winter and made available to the public. They installed two detectors on the south side of the lighthouse upper walkway at the base of the ladder leading to the catwalk. These detectors listen for and keep a record of the high frequency noise that bats emit. There is some correlation to bats, wind patterns, etc that should prove helpful in the future.

Later in the evening I noticed a group of young adults walking around. They were from the schooner Virginia. The Virginia is a near replica of the 1915 pilot schooner Virginia. She is 122 feet long and 160 tons and is owned by the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation. She is actively involved in youth sailing and educational programs. Many of the young adults on board were from Virginia and they were on a one week sail that originated in Portland.

I gave them a tour of the lighthouse and they were very appreciative. They were also treated to a great sunset. The schooner spent the night off the northern tip of the island.