July 29, 2018 - Sam is growing

The two loon pairs on the lake seem to be getting along, and the altercations between them as well as the lone loon on the lake are becoming less frequent, at least based on the amount of audible arguments that I'm hearing.  Sam is growing quickly now, and has been seen frequently around the lake being well fed by a parent.

But we have noticed that most of the time only one parent is taking care of Sam;  the other is far away.  Maybe that's the reason for fewer altercations - I wonder if one parent is always on guard duty, enforcing a wide buffer from Sam.  But this leaves Sam vulnerable to an aerial attack by an eagle whenever the parent watching Sam dives to fish.

Perhaps Sam is now wise enough to keep an eye on the sky and can dive sufficiently to escape an attack.  I said last week that a hawk may have gotten our other loon chick, Justintime.  But later accounts, including a photo taken by Debby Crowley of an eagle harassing the loons, tell me it was most likely an eagle rather than a hawk.

Juvenile eagle.  Photo by Debby Crowley.

Hawks are mostly land hunters, and an immature eagle can be easily mistaken for a large hawk.

Back on land, I've been watching the black cherries all summer;  it's a reliable long-term calendar for the progression of the season.  It begins in late April or early May with shaggy pre-buds forming.

May 6th

A couple of weeks later, tiny round green buds appear.

May 15th

By late May the buds start to turn into white blossoms.

Just 4 days later

This year it looked it was going to be a good crop.

May 23rd

In late June green fruit has formed which then grows and ripens through most of July, starting to turn color from green to red to black as July progresses.

July 15th

July 25th

But few will actually make it to the black stage, as the birds and bears consume them rapidly as soon as they start to turn red.  The fruit is edible, but they have a low flesh-to-pit ratio, as the pits are large - they are quite distinguishable when you find them in bear scat, revealing that the bears have been to the cherry grove (sorry, no picture - I'll keep my eye out over the next few weeks).


On a different note (no pun intended) perhaps you attended the Meredith Sculpture Walk this past Friday which combined art and music throughout Meredith Village.

"Divided Light" by Meredith's Steven Hayden, with Lake Winnipesaukee and the Belknap Mountains in the background

Musicians from New Hampshire Music Festival

It was a beautiful day to appreciate the arts with many New Hampshire musicians and artists featured.  If you missed it, you can tour the 34 sculptures anytime;  there are self-guided tour maps available in the village and online.

Art, Music, Nature, Lakes and Mountains - the Lakes Region has it all!