Saturday, May 27, 2006
Piney Point Lighthouse 05-06-06
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The Piney Point Lighthouse (aerial photo) is great spot to spend some time. Even though the signs indicated
the museum was supposed to be open the day I went (May through October, Noon to 5PM, Friday through Monday – this was a Saturday afternoon in May), it was closed. Fortunately the grounds are open. There were only a small handful of people there and I was alone more than half the time. This is kind of an out of the way spot. Because there was a tanker loading (or unloading) the near constant sound of fluid rushing through the pipe was present. It sounded a bit like a jet engine at a fair distance. But it did not bother me. This is probably not a frequent occurrence. I enjoyed the opportunity to take photos of the tanker and the tugboats in addition to the lighthouse, critters and great scenery.
I probably discovered this place through its membership in the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network which I periodically check for great
places to visit. I particularly enjoy looking through that site because some of my greatest shots have been on or near some body of water, most often the Chesapeake Bay. The Lighthouse grounds are no exception. I got some great photos of an Osprey nest here with one of the adults making forages out for nesting material and food. There were some other birds around as well. I got some great photos of Gulls, Tree Swallow, Cardinal, Mourning Dove and a great sequence of Double Crested Cormorants apparently chasing a gull. I also got some photos of jellyfish and a rabbit. There were some interesting shells and other things on the beach, including a feather, that were also photographed.
One of the highlights of this place aside from the lighthouse itself is a pier that allows for great viewing of the Osprey on their nest. Their website says that this is a wheelchair accessible pier and I would certainly agree with that. There’s a good sturdy boardwalk leading all the way to it. There are
also benches to sit on at the end of the pier some of which look directly at the Osprey nest (looking at the aerial photo above, the pier is a small line heading Southeast from the beach, the Osprey nest is the black dot on the water to the Northeast of the pier). The Osprey nest can also be seen by walking along the beach. There is also a nice sandy beach here. They discourage swimming and for good reason. This is very close to where the Potomac empties into the Chesapeake Bay and I imagine the currents can be quite strong. The beach itself has interesting shells and other items which produced some interesting photos. The signage on the lighthouse grounds is good and discusses the lighthouse itself and the history of the grounds.
The Piney Point Lighthouse (aerial photo) is great spot to spend some time. Even though the signs indicated
the museum was supposed to be open the day I went (May through October, Noon to 5PM, Friday through Monday – this was a Saturday afternoon in May), it was closed. Fortunately the grounds are open. There were only a small handful of people there and I was alone more than half the time. This is kind of an out of the way spot. Because there was a tanker loading (or unloading) the near constant sound of fluid rushing through the pipe was present. It sounded a bit like a jet engine at a fair distance. But it did not bother me. This is probably not a frequent occurrence. I enjoyed the opportunity to take photos of the tanker and the tugboats in addition to the lighthouse, critters and great scenery.I probably discovered this place through its membership in the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network which I periodically check for great
places to visit. I particularly enjoy looking through that site because some of my greatest shots have been on or near some body of water, most often the Chesapeake Bay. The Lighthouse grounds are no exception. I got some great photos of an Osprey nest here with one of the adults making forages out for nesting material and food. There were some other birds around as well. I got some great photos of Gulls, Tree Swallow, Cardinal, Mourning Dove and a great sequence of Double Crested Cormorants apparently chasing a gull. I also got some photos of jellyfish and a rabbit. There were some interesting shells and other things on the beach, including a feather, that were also photographed.One of the highlights of this place aside from the lighthouse itself is a pier that allows for great viewing of the Osprey on their nest. Their website says that this is a wheelchair accessible pier and I would certainly agree with that. There’s a good sturdy boardwalk leading all the way to it. There are
also benches to sit on at the end of the pier some of which look directly at the Osprey nest (looking at the aerial photo above, the pier is a small line heading Southeast from the beach, the Osprey nest is the black dot on the water to the Northeast of the pier). The Osprey nest can also be seen by walking along the beach. There is also a nice sandy beach here. They discourage swimming and for good reason. This is very close to where the Potomac empties into the Chesapeake Bay and I imagine the currents can be quite strong. The beach itself has interesting shells and other items which produced some interesting photos. The signage on the lighthouse grounds is good and discusses the lighthouse itself and the history of the grounds.
