June 16, 2019: The Many Sounds of June

The lakes and it surrounds are becoming busy with the sounds of summer, and this past week the most prevalent sound was that of the Harley Davidson!

Click here to hear the rumble of the V-twin (then click the play button).

Bikes lined up at George's on Saturday morning

The bikers had some great weather early in the week and only a few damp moments mid-week;  attendance was good and by most reports thing went smoothly.

Quieter sounds were found away from the roads, and I always encourage people to go out and enjoy all the wonder that the Lakes Region has to offer, but with this wet spring the mosquito content is way up there.  Bug spray is an option, but I find this approach the most satisfying:

Essential armor for a relaxing June walk in the woods

The best part is the bugs can't fly into your face and eyes, and it can actually be amusing hearing them buzz all around you, frustrated they can't get in.  You can get a hat like that, or just a simple net that goes on over a baseball-type cap on Amazon for less than $10; I got a pair of them for $7.99 and keep one in my back pack so it's ready when needed.

So outfitted I can walk calmly and quietly, exploring the coolest, darkest, dampest corners of the forest where interesting creatures like to hang out, even in early morning  or late in the evening when things really come to life.  One morning I stopped near a local marsh and listened to a diverse chorus of  woodpeckers, frogs, toads, birds, insects - the whole enchilada from a single vantage point - click here to listen.

I could never enjoy this symphony while slapping at mosquitoes.   Here's another recording where the mosquitoes were especially thick.

Frogs, toads, and birds all eat those tasty mosquitoes so it's no surprize they go together.  What eats frogs and toads?  Here's one thing:

A garter snake prowls for frogs, slugs, crickets, maybe even a small mouse or mole

Linda has seen this guy a couple of time in her gardens, a great resident because snakes eat lots of garden pests especially slugs which love the cool damp gardens around the lakes.  Of course toads eat even more garden pests, and since snakes love to eat toads also, it's maybe a trade off.  But this snake appears to have taken up resident under our front step, and were happy to have him.

At last report all was was well with the loon nests.  The pairs are keeping a pretty low profile at the moment, but this lone rogue, which we have named "Solo" came right up to me in my kayak, perhaps to remind me it owns this cove.

Solo isn't a shy bird

If all goes well we could have a chick by next weekend.

Finally, all this rain is a good reminder of the importance of proper management of drainage and run-off to prevent erosion and pollutants from getting into our lakes.  The Waukewan Watershed Advisory Committee is holding a workshop this Tuesday, June 18 from 4:30 to 7:30 pm at the Meredith Community Center.  There will be several presentations and many organizations will be there (including the Meredith Conservation Commission) to demonstrate how to best manage runoff from your property.  Click here for more details.  Lake Winnepesaukee Americorps member will also be attending and they are offering free on-site evaluations for anyone.   If you're interested but can't attend you can contact them at mail@winnipesaukee.org.  A little extra effort will help  protect our beautiful lakes and the animals that depend on them.

Happy Father's Day Dad, and all fathers out there!