Milk Island and the Twin Lighthouses

Milk Island is a very small island located just off shore from the Twin Lighthouses in Gloucester, MA. It is completely owned by birds!


So much so that I have to snicker every time I see the pictures. You see, I didn't know the name of this small island so I called upon my friend Jay from Cape Ann Images. Jay was raised in Gloucester so he really knows his stuff! Anyway, when I asked him the name of the island this is what he told me (and I hope he doesn't mind me repeating it):

Hi Sharon,
Milk Island! But I have not seen one cow on it!
I landed there years ago and was attacked by gulls. I mean viciously attacked! It’s a prime nesting spot and they defend their nests like you wouldn’t believe!
Jay

LOLOL! I can just imagine what that must have been like! Oh I tell you it makes me laugh even now. He went on to say:

I used to tell anyone interested in visiting Milk Island to expect Iwo Jima! When I went there I happened to have a Red Sox batting helmet in my boat that saved my skull! The gulls would dive and hit you in the head with their beaks! Now that you brought it up I can still hear the ringing!
Jay

Consider yourself warned!


Obviously we are keeping our distance ; )

The ship you see in the background is the fishing vessel Challenger coming in to port.



Peeking up over the rocks is just one of the twin lighthouses



That's a LOT of Gulls and Cormorants!



And then there were two


After doing a little research I learned the keepers dwellings were built around 1861, the same time as the twin lighthouses were re-built. The buildings were originally white with red roofs, traditional keeper-house colors, but when they were renovated in 2002 the colors were changed over to a mostly grey exterior.

Hope you enjoyed a trip back to Gloucester, MA. We'll be headed back real soon!

(Actually I was just there today!)

Thatcher Island Twin Lighthouses

On Friday, I (along with my daughter and her friend) made my first trip ever to Gloucester, Mass. to spend the day with friends, Kristine and Roy, who had rented a house on the Annasquam River. Just driving along 1A and 133 through Newburyport, Essex and Ipswich to get there was scenic New England at it's best.

Over the past year I've seen so many images of Gloucester on Steve blog, Shooting My Universe, and Jay's blog, Cape Ann Images. Wonderful and amazing seaport pictures I couldn't wait to see it for myself: the old paint factory, the large fishing vessels, multiple lighthouses, guys working on the docks, it's all so romantic. I was not disappointed.

Roy first took us out to Thatcher Island to view the Twin Lighthouses. Though I took hundreds of photo's, throughout the day these are a few of my favorites of the lighthouses. You will see more of these lighthouses from a different vantage point on my blog in the future, along with other parts of Gloucester.

Solar powered lighthouse?

A big 'Thank You' to Roy and Kristine for showing us such a wonderful time! The weather was perfect and so was the company : ) Jay left a comment with the following info:Those lights are 133' tall and just about all navaids have solar power now.The island had been known as "Thatcher" Island for over 100 years until recently.It is now "Thacher" when old records were discovered with the correct spelling! Thanks Jay!