This is my impression, too. I think Groovy's "static" features are a reaction to a lot of developers realizing that "statically typed" doesn't necessarily mean that the language has to be as cumbersome and verbose as Java.

Imho, there is just no reason for building/using/preferring a dynamically typed language, except when the language designer lacks the necessary abilities to build a sound and coherent type system.

Scala has none of Groovy's drawbacks, a lot of benefits combined with a clear roadmap -- and most importantly: The determination to not only get something working, but also to get it right.

Meanwhile, the language gets more consistent and polished with every release.