November 20, 2022: First Snow

Jack Frost made his first appearance this week, bringing just a few inches of snow Tuesday night, but it was enough to make it look like winter before the calendar says it's time.

Jack Frost, Mother Nature, Father Winter - they all ignore human calendars.

November snow.

They roll to their own agenda.

The beaver ponds and marshes have started to skim over with ice on cold mornings and even small areas of the lake are seeing ice form.

A beaver lodge in Double-dammed Pond in the Hamlin Town Forest.

Soon the beavers will be locked into their underwater world for the winter.

I always anticipate heading out on the morning of the first snow to see which critters been out on the trails, but this snow was wet and still falling over night so tracks were melted and filled and pretty much unrecognizable.

Ill-defined tracks not easily identified.

I'll enjoy the anticipation a bit longer.

A few more mergansers stopped by Lake Wicwas on their way south this week including three males courting a single female.  

It seemed as though one male had been eliminated from the competition.

He was left all alone behind the others.

The hen was still deciding between the two remaining contenders.  

She's in complete control of the situation.

Hooded mergansers often pair up in the fall with the drake spreading it's showy crest to impress it's intended beau.  Once a pair has formed they will usually stay together for life.  Like wood ducks, hooded mergansers nest in trees, often as high up as 50'.  When the chicks hatch in the spring they climb out of the nesting hole and fall to the ground just 24 hours after hatching.  They then follow their mother through the woods to the nearest body of water which may a journey of several hundred yards.  It's a good thing they lay a lot of eggs, typically a half dozen to a dozen in a single clutch.

And, wasn't I surprised to see our young Maddie on Friday!

Maddie, on November 18th.

There had been no reported sightings for a while, so I don't know where she's been hiding, but I can only assume this juvenile loon is our Maddie.  

November is an interesting transition month that brings a multitude of changes including interesting skies, clouds, and sunrises.  

Pink sunrises

30 minutes later the sun shines bright white on new snow.

And another 30 minutes later, sun on the shoreline, with dark clouds overhead.

November - it's a never ending circle of wonder.