October 30, 2022: Leaf Recycling

The palette of the lake is becoming less varied by the day as November gathers near, but there are still splashes of brightness to be found:  shiny red partridge berries, deep orange beech leaves, bright green moss, and gently frosted oak leaves.

Oak leaves on a frost morning.

Many cultivated flowers survived the first freeze on Friday night so if you planted some hardy flowers in your garden this summer they are likely still blooming.  

Linda's foxglove continue to bloom.

A very few wildflowers are also soldiering on.

The aptly named Frost Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum)

But most have passed by.  Even the goldenrod has succumbed to the cold.

Goldenrod, no longer golden.

The most prevalent hues in the forest now are green needles and brown leaves.  Shuffling though the  blanket of leaves on the forest floor this week I was struck by the amount of energy that trees put into the thousands of leaves they construct every summer, just to cast them off in the fall.  Each of these tiny chemical factories - and a single oak tree might have a quarter of a million leaves on it - spends the summer taking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and using solar energy, manufacturing the sugars that are essential to the plant's existence, as well as to every animal on the planet.  And when the factory shuts down in fall, a deciduous tree just lets them all go.  

But then I realized the tree is not actually done with them.  In fact, trees may be the original recycling plant.  Once the leaves and all other tree debris are on the ground a whole new biological system of fungus, bacteria, and other life forms takes over.  There are literally billions of living organisms that process this organic material and in turn allow the tree to reabsorb many of the nutrients it put into making those leaves.  

A single teaspoon of soil in the forest contains billions of living organisms, including perhaps half a millions round worms, half a billion fungi, and many billions of bacteria.  [National Geographic, Sept. 2022, Ferris Jabr, pg. 92]  Most of these are obviously microscopic and far too small to see with the naked eye, but some, such as the snow flea which I most often see in the winter when their black dots stand out on top of a white layer of snow, can be readily observed.  These organism seen under high magnification are absolutely fascinating, many of them having legs and mouths, and look like creatures from a Star Wars movie.  The above referenced article has amazing pictures of them taken with an electron microscope.  All these organisms decompose those leaves, releasing the nutrients within, which can then be taken up again by the tree and many other plants and animals.

The past week's events brought us to our childhood home of Concord Massachusetts where we had a moment to visit the the Old North Bridge, the scene of the "Shot Hear 'Round the World" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).  Although just 90 miles to the south of the Lakes Region, some trees in Concord have many of their factories still attached, though even there the production of carbohydrates has ceased.

A maple tree at the Old North Bridge.

While marveling at the beautiful colors that nature gives us I noticed a nice size hornets next snuggled in with the leaves.

A bald faced hornet's nest by the "rude bridge that arched the flood".  (Also Emerson)

The inhabitants of the nest are likely gone at this point, but I'll bet there were a lot of hornets buzzing the tourists all summer.

We witnessed no musket fire at the revolutionary battle field, but we did see a huge red-tail hawk fly across the open field and land in a tree directly above us.  

A bird of prey stands sentry over the historic battlefield.  (Poor photo - all I had was my phone.)

This bird was clearly acclimated to tourists as it had no concern with us at all and spent the next hour flying from tree to tree searching the field for small animals as people passed near by.  

Back in New Hampshire, cool nights means fog has been forming over the lake - perfect for the upcoming spooky night.

Happy Halloween!

October 23, 2022: Maddie and Mom

I said last week that it looked like both of our loon chick's parents had left the lake, but in fact mom is still here.  I saw two loons far apart during a paddle this week and I could tell one was a juvenile and one was an adult by the plumage and I was confident the juvenile was our chick Maddie.

The chevron pattern on her back is the plumage of a juvenile loon.

It's difficult to tell an adult loon apart from a first year chick at this time of year due to the adults losing their distinguished black and white plumage, but the second bird I saw had remnants of spots on its back indicating it was an adult.

From a distance I couldn't tell this wasn't a juvenile.

But blowing up the pictures revealed a few faint white dots.

I watched to see if I could catch a glimpse of a band but the loon wasn't cooperative so there was no indication it was connected to Maddie.  Until, that is, Amy Wilson was able to collect the proof that in fact, Maddie and her mother are still here and together.  

Maddie and her mom enjoy a peaceful early morning moment.  Photo by Amy Wilson.

I say peaceful, but based on others' reports, Maddie was probably nagging her mother for breakfast.  Though she is perfectly capable of fishing on her own, when mom's around she's more than willing to let her do the meal prep.

It was this moment however, that provided proof of identity:

Photo by Amy Wilson

Our female loon had two feathers clipped during its banding process this summer, and the absence of those feathers is conclusive.  

Now I'm not complaining about the great weather we're having, but we will need some cold to arrive in time to send the loons on their way before they molt their flight feathers and can't leave the lakes.  It probably won't be a problem on the small lakes which freeze early, but the larger lakes sometimes freeze over so late now that loons can get stranded without the ability to fly.

In spite of the warm weather the season is progressing, though it's easy to convince myself it isn't when we have gorgeous days like the past two have been.  They started out cold with a touch of frost forming in areas exposed to the sky and radiational cooling.

Oak leaves tinged with morning frost.

Then the days quickly warmed as the sun rose, and by noon the forest was warm and bright, glowing with October sunlight illuminating vibrant yellow and orange leaves.

Beech trees in their fall glory.

The red maples have dropped much of their foliage, letting the oaks, beech, and aspen have their moment in the spotlight.  On a bike ride in Dorchester on Friday the aspen were the stars of one section of trail even as many of their leaves lay freshly fallen on the trail.

A trail passing through a stand of aspen trees.

A pastel pallet of aspen leaves.

Even the beavers appreciate the fall colors, using them to decorate their homes for the season.

Beaver lodge dressed up for fall.

Frosty, foggy mornings, warm afternoons - I'll take as many of these fall days as mother nature will give us.

We still have two more weeks of daylight savings time!

October 16, 2022: Sundogs

It's not a new breed of canine but rather an interesting atmospheric condition that occurs when sunlight and clouds interact in a special way.  When I first saw the bright spot in the sky I thought it was the sun behind a cloud.

Sundog, or "mock sun"

But then I realized the sun was actually quite a ways to the left of the rainbow, about to set behind the trees.  

Sunlight refracts through ice crystals in the cloud, then reflects off the lake.

The angles weren't right for a rainbow, and it wasn't raining anyway.  This is a phenomenon known as a "sundog" which is caused by refraction of light through ice crystals in a cloud and usually occurs when the sun is low in the sky.  It's similar to a rainbow, but with a distinct difference:  rainbows are refracted and reflected by raindrops which is why you see a rainbow with your back to the sun.  In a sundog, light is only refracted through the ice crystal so it appears at a 22 degree angle from the sun - both the sun and the sundog are in front of you.  NOAA has a short description of sundogs and several other atmospheric effects on their website.  A meteorologist in Chicago named Tom Skilling says they got their name from Greek mythology:  "Sun dog" means "mock sun" and supposedly Zeus is walking his dogs and the false suns are the dogs.  

I don't know if Zeus's dogs are retrievers, but duck hunting season has begun and we're starting to see migrating ducks stop by the lake.  This week I saw a pair of pretty wood ducks in the morning light.

It's always nice to know that some have evaded the hunters' early morning ambush.

One of my favorite aspects of writing this journal is sharing what happens around the lakes during the off-season with those who depart for warmer climes, and this week I was repaid with the reverse!  A frequent contributor of great photographs at Lake Wicwas sent me a couple of pictures of nature from Florida.  First a beautiful painted bunting, a bird I've never seen myself.

Painted Bunting.  Photo by Debby Crowley

And second, a bobcat.

Bobcat, probably stalking that painted bunting!  Photo by Debby Crowley

I was surprised to see such a thick, warm coat on an animal that far south especially this early in the season, but I guess just like humans, animals get used to the warmer climate and need warm clothes to feel comfortable.  But what a beautiful animal - thank you Debby for sharing!

I caught a glimpse of Maddie this week and it appears her parents have both left the lake.

Maddie, three months old today. 

But they seemed to have taught her well.  I saw her wearing out a large sunfish that she had caught.

  

But when she was done with it she just left it floating dead in the lake.  I guess she's eating so well she didn't need it but is still practicing her fishing skills.  She'll need those skills soon enough when she moves on to the large, cold ocean.  I was on the lake yesterday in the kayak - it was a beautiful, calm, warm day - but I didn't see her to get a close up look.

No loons yesterday, just leaves.

The leaves are falling fast now, and there can't be too many more days like this left in the year.

A rainbow of color on the forest floor.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to Huckins Farm, a two hundred year old dairy farm in New Hampton, and the Lakes Region Conservation Trust for teaming up to forever conserve this valuable farm.  They held an open house yesterday to commemorate it's protection, but they are open daily for shopping their home grown products - milk, cheese, yogurt, and more.  You can also find their products at many local shops including Moulton Farm and Picnic Rock Farm.  I learned a lot about cows and dairy products, and the difference in the quality of milk different cows produce.  Huckins Farm is just off Route 104 at 27 Magoon Road in New Hampton.  It's worth checking them out!

The cows have a nice view from the grazing pasture at Huckins Farm.

Christopher, just four-days old!

Her big sister is 6 months old.

A nice place to be cow.

October 9, 2022: Fall Gets Busy - and Pretty

Fall foliage season is in full swing right now, and it's a good one.

The colors are peak in the mountains, and just about peak here in the Lakes Region.  If you have a chance to get out today or tomorrow in either location you won't be disappointed.

Color in Franconia Notch

A walk around Lake Wicwas or anywhere in Meredith or a surrounding town will be rewarding.  This was the view yesterday from Crockett's Ledge in the Hamlin Conservation Area where it's not quite peak color yet:

View of the Belknap Mountains from Crockett's Ledge.

If you want to head north, I can recommend a very short hike in Franconia Notch that brings you to a wide viewpoint over Cannon Mountain and the Franconia Range including Mt. Lafayette.  

Bald Mountain overlooking Franconia Notch and Mt. Lafayette.
The trailhead is right at the main Cannon Ski Area parking lot (Peabody Slopes, not the Tramway).

It's just under one mile round trip, and you can make it a loop by going over to Artist's Bluff, another great view point, which makes it a 1.7 mile hike.  Or, if you still have a boat in the water, a paddle around a local lake will provide lots of great foliage sights, especially the maples along the shore line.

If you go for an excursion be sure to keep your eye out for wildlife as the animals are active now, preparing for winter.  Beavers are swimming across the lake every evening in search of food for their winter stores.  On one paddle to the dam on Lake Wicwas a beaver popped up barely10 feet from my kayak.  I had just an instant to prepare for what I knew was coming as the aquatic rodent looked at me and processed what I was before it dove and gave me a good dousing with a huge tail slap right beside my boat!  And those beavers have been busy.  The dam was stuffed full of a dense pack of tree branches and mud.

The water level is rising, and this is why.

A sturdy and well decorated dam.

The town came and cleared it out, and two days, it was packed right in again.

It's getting darker for my morning walks even though I've pushed them back by over an hour, but it does make them a little more mysterious.  Just yesterday I saw a dark object cross the trail in front of me and I knew it was a bobcat.  I kept walking and it paralleled me in the woods, perhaps 20 yards off the trail.  Was it stalking me or just annoyed that it couldn't take advantage of the easier - and quieter - travel on the trail?  I wasn't at all concerned, but I don't know - perhaps I should be....

A bobcat and I watch each other as we walk along in the dim light.

On another excursion I saw a large flock of at least 25 turkeys.

Happy turkeys with lot of seeds to find now.

This was a flock of multiple hens and their offspring as they into gathering into larger groups in the fall and winter.

Lastly, on Tuesday while doing trail work on the Red Trail in Hamlin at the spur that leads to Lake Wicwas I saw Maddie and what I presume is her mother.  No pictures of them, but I'm sure they are enjoying the beautiful fall weather and foliage just as we are.

October 2, 2022:

I was away for the past couple of weeks, and on trips outside the Lakes Region I usually allocate time to exploring interesting natural areas.  But this trip was spent exploring our nation's early history in the historic triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown, with only one short nature walk before hurricane Ian chased us home.  There are so many opportunities here to learn about American history in the 16th through 19th centuries, and even some world history of those times related to the European exploration of Africa, Asia, and the Americas.  It shouldn't have surprised me to find that understanding history at that time included understanding the natural world as well - so much of the colonists' survival depended on knowledge and use of natural resources including plants and animals for food, medicine, tools, and shelter.  

Location of the Jamestown Church where John Rolfe and Pocahontas were married on April 5, 1614.

One  interesting fact I learned is that bison were plentiful in Virginia at the time the Jamestown colony was started in 1607 and they were an important part of native American society, being hunted for food, clothing, and shelter.  There were also caribou here, as there were in New Hampshire before overhunting extirpated both species from the eastern United States.

Even without focused nature hikes I still came across interesting plants and animals.  A day at the beach provided an opportunity to observe many osprey circling over the ocean and diving for fish, and as I watched them I wondered if they were locals or perhaps New England osprey on their way to South America.  I also came across herons and rails including this Night Heron in the moat at Fort Monroe in Hampton Virginia.

A Night Heron comfortable with human alterations to the environment.

On the grounds at Williamsburg are some huge trees that looked like live oak but are actually Compton Oaks, a hybrid of two oak species, the Southern Live Oak and the Overcup Oak.  

Compton Oak at Historic Williamsburg.

I thought this tree would have been hundreds of years old but in fact it's not quite even 90 years old, having been planted around 1933.  Things sure grow fast in this climate. 

This tree is younger than my parents.  (Sorry mom and dad : )

Magnolia trees grow large and lush in the Virginia climate as well.

Magnolia trees at the Smith's Fort Plantation in Scotland.

At this time of year they are done blooming but have large colorful seed pods now that the blossoms have gone by.

Pink and white seed pods on the magnolia.

A few of the pods were starting to release their bright red seeds.  

Near the magnolia a red iris was still blooming, and a stunning yellow butterfly was collecting nectar, combining for a dramatic color scene.

Red spider lily.

Cloudless Sulphur butterfly.

The magnolia trees and red spider lilies were at a plantation in Scotland, which is just a short ferry ride across the James River from the original Jamestown settlement.  The Jamestown Colony, which was was reconstructed on the exact same footprint (minus the part that has eroded into the river over the past 400 years) looked awfully small when viewed from the river.  

The entire colony fit within the walls that look like a gray picket fence - except for the corner that has since eroded away and is now under the James River.

Those were some pretty brave pioneers.  The tall, white monument built for the tercentennial in 1907 is made of New Hampshire granite!  It's outside the original colony walls as are the buildings to the left.

Archeologists were able to locate the exact position of the fort's walls by discovering the circles of different color clay where the posts of the fort were placed. Every bit of wood is long gone.  The same method was used to identify the location of the church shown earlier.  Archeology work continues; over a million artifacts have been uncovered and identified to date, and many of them are on display in the museum.

Ongoing archeological studies at Jamestown.

It's harvest season in Virginia and on our one nature hike we found lots of nuts and acorns along the White Oak Trail which follows the Warwick River in Newport News Park.  

Sweetgum

Shagbark hickory

Sweetgum fruit has many small winged seeds that are released through the holes in the spikey ball, while hickory has a hard, sweet nutmeat inside.

We arrived back in New Hampshire yesterday, pushed home a bit early by hurricane Ian, and are pleased to find the maple trees just starting to turn their leaves red and orange.  I'm looking forward this week to finding our loon chick Maddie and seeing how much she's grown.  I'll end the Virginia story with with one more brilliant Virginia plant:

American Beautyberry  (Callicarpa americana)

The color of the berries is unique, unlike any I've seen in New England.