April 26, 2020: Spring Marches Forward

The pressure is building - inside all those buds that is.  The trees sense the abundant sun shining upon them, strong and now providing 15 hours of energy every day.  Their buds are swelling up but the cool temperatures are preventing them from making the final commitment to open.

A hobblebush viburnum bud building up pressure before it bursts open and flies.

Trees are smart enough to know that April in New Hampshire can throw a surprise or two into the mix.  This week it was just a smattering of light snow, and it may not be last.

Many New Englanders remember a snowfall on May 9th in 1977 that left over 10" of snow in Massachusetts, causing a lot of damage to trees which already had leaves on their branches.  Deciduous trees, having evolved in a way that avoids heavy snow loading, can't handle that much weight on their branches, so they hold off as long as they can.  But with pressure building, those buds will burst out quickly when we get a few days of warm temperatures. 

Black Cherry is ready.

American Beech a bit farther behind.

Oaks are the most patient, the last to bloom in spring and the last to lose their leaves in the fall.

Red maples have less patience than most - or maybe they're higher risk takers - but they have already put out their flowers.

Red Maple are already blooming.

Red Maple Blossom

You probably heard that the White Mountain National Forest has closed the parking areas at essentially all the popular trailheads, though the forest and trails are still open if you can get to the trails without needing to park.  I have been avoiding popular areas for weeks now anyway; this week we took a trip up through Rumney, Dorchester, Hebron, and Wentworth where we had lunch at the Wentworth Falls and Covered Bridge at a small, empty park. 

Wentworth Covered Bridge where you can find the remnants of old mills.

There are plenty of areas to go in New Hampshire and still not see a single other person.

There were a few days this week when the wind let up enough to enjoy a paddle, but I have still seen only one pair of loons plus the rogue we call "Solo".  Assuming it's the same bird, Solo has been on the lake since 2015.  I did see a cormorant, an occasional visitor to the lake that can be confused with a loon from a distance.

Double-crested cormorant

I also saw few wood ducks, a pair of common mergansers that may have decided this is a nice place to spend the summer raising a family, and several pairs of mallards.

The Mallards

Some birds like the Canada geese will be nesting soon; most others will wait a bit longer to be sure snow won't fall on their eggs.  But just a couple of warm days will bring the wildflower season into full bloom which will add another much appreciated element to our brightening days.  Until then, we'll enjoy the wonders that every new day gives us.

Immersed in the soothing rush of the falls, thoughts flow as freely as the water in the Baker River.

 

April 19, 2020: Bufflehead Bobbleheads

Last week the loons were providing the show as they displayed their territory-defining behavior.  This week it was the buffleheads showing off their own performances - in their case it was mating behavior.

An aggressive male chasing competitors away from an eligible female.

Buffleheads are small, sharp, black and white ducks that appear in the Lakes Region in spring and fall.  I'm not aware of them nesting in this area even though their reported breeding range includes central New Hampshire.  They are one of only a few ducks that are monogamous (loons are another) that will keep the same mate for several years.  An unattached female however, will be pursed by a group of males, each trying to impress the female with its beauty and physical abilities.

Four drakes (males) courting a single hen.

One such display is called head-bobbing, which the males were using to flatter the lone female on the day I saw them.  I was able to catch a couple of examples on this video where several drakes show off their head-bobbing prowess:  https://youtu.be/DETEk5BUwik

Another interesting aspect of buffleheads is that they nest in tree cavities, particularly those that were excavated by Norther Flickers, which means the bufflehead's range closely aligns with the flicker's.

Another mating behavior to impress a mate:  the neck extension.

Windy and cool weather this week wasn't conducive to boating so I stayed mostly on land.  Looking for ways to get outside in lightly traveled areas, I decided to start my conservation easement monitoring early, in some safe, local areas.  Now is a good time before the leaves come out and obscure those hard to locate survey pins and tree blazes (it's also a bonus to do it before the black flies are out).  This is a relatively new axe blaze, perhaps 40 years old; they can be discernible much longer.

Axe blaze on a slow-growing eastern hemlock.

Axe blazes on trees have been used for centuries to make a lasting indication of a property boundary, long before iron survey pins were employed, and they are often easier to locate.  But an unexpected bonus of searching the ground for survey pins hidden among the leaves was seeing this just-sprouting violet, already blooming deep in the woods.

A Downy Yellow Violet just erupting in a sunny spot provides an early start to wildflower season.

This was in a hardwood forest where the lack of leaves exposed the forest floor to warming sunshine all day long, giving the flower a nice early start.  And right next to the violet I caught sight of this three-leaved plant just sprouting.

Perhaps a trillium?

It's too small to be sure but I think it just might  be the first trillium of the year pushing its way up through last year's leaf litter.  I'll keep an eye out for others to verify because I don't expect to be back to this corner of the forest again this year.

I've mentioned previously the timber that was sunk in Lake Wicwas after the hurricane of 1938 to preserve it from rot, and while monitoring near the end of the lake where the saw mill was located I saw almost a dozen old logs floating up.

Saw logs left near the saw mill on Lake Wicwas.

It's something not likely to be noticed once the trees leaf out and the lily pads fill in this shallow cove.  If you're getting outdoors these days, keep your eyes open; there's so much more to see now than in mid-summer when many interesting sights are hidden behind all that dense foliage.

Yes, we're seeing tree flowers and wildflowers now, but it doesn't mean there's not a glimpse of winter still to be seen here in the second half of April.

Red Maple flowers in Saturday's April (snow) shower.

I don't often see snowflakes on spider webs.

April 12, 2020: Loon Dance

It was a good week for ducks.  A large assortment of waterfowl is in the Lakes Region right now, some here for the summer, others just stopping in to refuel on their way to breeding grounds farther north or west.  One of the more distinguished visitors seems to be present only for a day two each spring before moving on.

Ring-necked Duck.

A flock of ring-necked ducks stopped for a rest and some nourishment on their way to Canada or perhaps northern Maine for the summer.  There were eight males all congregating around a single female; I wondered whether she was being harassed by them, or whether she liked all the attention.

She certainly had her pick of mates, and didn't seem to have any trouble holding her own against them.

Whether pursuing or chasing away, she's in control of the situation.

Where are all the other females?

Ring-necked ducks are divers, but not for fish; they consume mostly plants but also eat animals such as snails, nymphs and leeches.  [Ref: Cornell Lab or Ornithology]  I love their sharp mating-season plumage.

Here are a few of the other ducks that stopped by Lake Wicwas this week:

Mr. and Mrs. Bufflehead

Mr. Mallard

Mrs. Mallard

Mr. and Mrs. Common Merganser

I also saw the loons for the first time, and not just two.

Three loons in a dance.

The third loon is perhaps the same rogue we've had on the lake for several years now, and they were certainly engaged.  I had heard some loud vocalizations indicating there was unhappiness on the lake; later I observed an interaction of all three.  It was far away, but I was able to record enough for you to get the idea of what was going on.  Click here to watch the dance.

This fascinating behavior went on for about 20 minutes before two of them moved away down the lake.  According to Stokes' book "A Guide to Bird Behavior" [Donald and Lillian Stokes, Little, Brown and Company, 1989] this behavior isn't necessarily aggressive, but rather a way to "appease aggressive tendencies".  Stokes says that all the behaviors displayed in that video, "Bill-dipping, Splash-dives, and circling around each other", may take place at territory boundaries by neighbors who know each other.  So maybe the pair is telling the rogue that he's ok as long as he stays in his territory.  The display took place at the mouth of Marion Cove, and the next day, a single loon was out fishing in that cove. So I'm putting the pieces together and predicting our mating pair and our regular rogue are back in their usual areas of the lake.  Now let's see if the second pair that owns Harris Cove will return.

Our rogue loon in his territory of Marion Cove.

The past few weeks I've been avoiding the popular outdoor areas, instead visiting less traveled places to get outside for some exercise.  Last week brought me to a remote conservation area in Ashland where I discovered another benefit of avoiding crowded trails:  greater chances of finding wildlife.  Some large wounds on a couple of red maple trees right beside the trail had a tale to tell.

Scrapes over seven feet high.

Our thoughts went to bears, porcupine, deer, and moose.  When I got home I checked a couple of books and was able to confirm they are moose scrapes, with the height, direction (vertical), condition (smooth), and hanging parts at the top of the scrape all helping in the identification.

Moose will scrape upwards with their lower incisors to peel off the bark and nutritious cambium underneath.   That also explains why there was no bark on the ground since they eat what they peel off.  The height of the scrape proves the impressive size of moose, the largest animal in our New England forests.

On the same hike I saw my first reptile of the year, out warming itself in an open sunny spot.

Garter snake, the first reptile of the year.

On another walk, visiting the artwork on the Meredith Sculpture walk once more before some of them are replaced this summer with new artwork, we enjoyed this group of flying ducks.

Coming Home, by Elise & Payne Junker

I know you'll be able to find these birds on your own excursion in the fresh air.

And lastly, a couple of glimpses of  welcome changes that are on the way:

Tree flowers are out.

Chickadee posing with red maple buds.

The trees are starting to bud.  Yes, a brighter future is ahead.  Happy Easter!

April 5, 2020: Blue Water Returns

The ice is out of Lake Wicwas and the sight of precious blue water rejuvenates the soul and reminds us that all things have an end, and will return to their former state in due time.

Liquid water reflects blue for the first time in many days.

This particular change came quickly this year.  Just four days ago there were fox, geese, and otters running around on the ice - on Monday we watched a river otter run, hop, and sliiiide across the lake from one shore to another.  It's an extraordinary treat to watch to these fun-loving creatures out enjoying themselves.

A running start,

followed by a leap

then a dive down onto its chin

for a long slide on the ice.

Then a quick look around for a safety check, 

including a glance at the photographer, 

and he's off again for another free ride on the ice.

That was Monday - on Tuesday there was still full ice cover under a sunny sky.

Tuesday, March 31st.

On Wednesday it had been cold enough overnight for open water to skim over again, and being calm, Jack Frost stopped by to create the kind of artwork usually reserved for those first cold days of autumn.

But then a strong front came through with stiff winds and driven rain, the combination of which took a quick toll on the ice.  In one day much of the ice had broken up.

Getting close on Thursday.

And the next day, Friday, voila, the ice was out. 

Ice blown by the northeast wind.

There were still a few pockets of ice in protected coves, and a lot of loose ice and slush was blown down to the southern end of the lake by the northeast wind.  But all of the major coves were navigable and ice-out was declared on April 3rd.  Though on the early side, it was within the normal range, occurring eight days before the median ice-out date.  (As of Saturday, Winnipesaukee still had ice in Center Harbor and between Meredith and the weirs.)

Seeing liquid water is just one aspect of this glorious time of year when nature returns to life after its long winter slumber.  Animals are becoming more active, birds are returning, plants are bursting with new life.  While clearing water bars on the local hiking trails I found masses of acorns under the wet leaves that had already started to sprout.

Acorns sprouting under the leaf litter.

The beavers commenced their evening patrols as soon as there was a sliver of open water along the shore. 

The moose have also left their calling cards around the lakes, including this large pile up on Arbutus Hill (thanks for sharing MK).

A big pile of moose Scat on Arbutus Hill.  Photo by Mary Kahn.

Ducks, mergansers, buffleheads, and yes, even loons have arrived back on the lake.  I started seeing loons fly overhead four days before ice out, and our early loon spotter (thanks for the report TC) saw a pair of loons on the water the day of ice-out.  We'll have to see a leg-band to know for sure, but their behavior sure implies it's our long-standing resident pair.  I did get out for a paddle yesterday but I didn't see them.

Paddling amongst the ice flows the day after ice-out.

It's a remarkable time of change, hope, and renewal in so many ways.  One other remarkable resurrection that occurred this week:  the transformation of countless wood frogs from a frozen-solid condition to a triumphantly singing chorus.  Serenading frogs and blooming crocuses are sure signs that spring is here.  And though there may be a few more cold nights, the sun will rise, and brighter days are ahead.

Spring beauty.