The Great Duck Race And jUNe Day Returns On Saturday
Sunny, the giant Sunrise Rotary Duck has taken his place at Jesup Green to promote Saturday’s Great Duck Race. A lighted sign display reminds folks that there will be no parking on June 28th night and all day the 29th as the Jesup Green parking lot will be the site for all of the vendors, exhibitors and booths for family activities for the day.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com
On Saturday June 29th Westport once again hosts UN dignitaries from all over the world for jUNe Day and The Great Duck Race and Family Fun Faire, which runs from 10:00 AM until 2PM.
Remarks will be given by UN dignitaries at 10:30 to open the jUNe day activities.
The big race will be held at 1:00 PM and the lucky winners will be awarded the first place prize of $5,000, second pace prize of $1,000, with $500. being awarded to the 3rd through 10th place finishers.
About the Great Duck Race:
Helmed by Steve Violette, the Great Duck Race was initiated in 2009 as a trial to see if a duck race would work in Westport. The event was a smashing success, nearly doubling expectations for money we were able to raise for charity.
Every year, the Race generates tens of thousands of dollars...all of which is distributed to local and international charities!
See a list of recent charity recipients here: WestportSunriseRotary.org
To see WestportLocal’s coverage last year of the Great Duck race click here: 14th Annual Great Duck Race
To see last year’s coverage of jUNe Day, click here: jUNe Day: When The World Comes To Westport
Longshore Lunch Al Fresco
This little brown rabbit came out of the woods in the afternoon near the Longshore Sailing School to dine in a delicious field of grass and clover, which rabbits do enjoy. Rabbits often avoid being seen in plain sight in open areas for fear of predators such as hawks.
Perhaps this little one was feeling confident as he was enjoying his lunch in the shadow of one of the two Osprey platforms at Longshore, both of which are occupied by a nesting pair. The male is very active, and the second platform further down the exit road also has an active nesting pair. The formidable Osprey presence at Longshore probably discourages hawk activity as Osprey are not eager to share their space wth other raptors.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com.
Shellfish On The Menu For Compo Beach Oystercatchers
One of the Oystercatcher pair which has nested at Compo has found a tasty meal in between the rocks at the shoreline of South Beach where they have nested for the last few years.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
For the last several years a pair of Oystercatchers have called South Beach at Compo home where there are not that many natural predators and have nested and attempted to raise their families. Chicks have hatched in years past but it is not well known what their success rate is as to their survival. This pair did hatch chicks this year. Two were spotted a couple of weeks ago, however there was no sign of the babies last week when these photos were taken. This pair for some reason has chosen Compo’s South Beach instead of nesting on one of the islands off of the coast of Connecticut where many of their species can be found.
After sitting quietly in the sand for some time, this bird decided it was time to stroll down to the waterline to search for something to eat. She looks carefully and spots her target, quickly plucking a mollusk of some kind from between the rocks.
AllAboutBirds.org describes these beauties this way, “A boldly patterned shorebird with red-yellow eyes and a vivid red-orange bill, American Oystercatchers survive almost exclusively on shellfish—clams, oysters, and other saltwater molluscs.” and they add, “American Oystercatchers are the only birds in their environment with the ability to open large molluscs such as clams and oysters (except for large gulls that drop clams onto pavement).” They caution, however, “American Oystercatchers don’t always win out in their battles against oysters and clams. Occasionally, a shellfish gets its revenge by clamping down on an oystercatcher’s bill and holding the bird tight.”
Named Oystercatchers in 1731 by English naturalist Mark CatesbyThe Amrican Oystercatcher is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the state of CT erects "fencing" wire and signs warning viewers and beachgoers to keep their distance to encourage successful breeding.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Named Oystercatchers in 1731 by English naturalist Mark CatesbyThe Amrican Oystercatcher is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the state of CT erects "fencing" wire and signs warning viewers and beachgoers to keep their distance to encourage successful breeding.
After enjoying it’s snack it was time to clean those feathers, splashing and spraying water.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Mystery Fly Fisherman Tries His Luck
He probably is not a famous celebrity masked up to conceal his identity in order to enjoy some quiet time fly fishing on Gray’s Creek. More than likely he is trying to keep the bugs out of his mouth, the opposite of what he is hoping for from the creek’s inhabitants. He may be hoping to be one of the lucky anglers who can catch a largemouth or striped bass, or possibly a bluefish, species which have been reported to Fishbrain.com as having been caught.
Photo and caption by J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.