June 25, 2023: The Lakes Region Consveration Trust Visits the Lake

On Friday the Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT) sponsored a guided paddle on Lake Wicwas.

Setting off from the boat launch.

The trust stewards protected land and conservation easements on eight properties around Lake Wicwas, protecting the second largest land mass in the watershed after the Town of Meredith.  The LRCT has been an invaluable partner in protecting the Lake Wicwas watershed and the quality of water in Wicwas as well as Winnisquam and other water bodies downstream.  In the Lakes Region, they have protected almost 29,000 acres of land, including popular properties such as Red Hill, Castle in the Clouds, and several islands in Winnipesaukee - even an island in Wicwas.  Their properties include 90 miles of maintained trails.  You can find detailed information about their properties including trail maps here.

Friday's excursion was attended by an enthusiastic group of paddlers that explored much of the lake, learning about conserved lands dating from the 1930s up until very recently when four generous land owners donated additional land, all of which has provided the setting for the healthy habitats we viewed.  One of my favorite wetland flowers, the Rose Pagonia, was on display for us.

Rose Pagonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides) flowers are only 3/4" across.

This small, delicate member of the orchid family can be seen in many of the marshes around the lake.  We also saw a carnivorous plant, the round-leaved sundew, which catches insects on its many sticky hairs, and then digests them for food.

The meat-eating round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

The paddlers got to see an osprey, herons, lots of eastern kingbirds, as well as loons.  We talked about loon breeding habits and their territorial behavior.  The loon nest that is still occupied was viewed from a far distance, too far to see the nest so as not to disturb them, but the nest where Checkers and LuLu were incubated allowed an up-close examination of a loon nest.

The now-abandoned nest where LuLu and Checkers were incubated.

Loons leave their nest within a day or two of the chicks hatching so approaching a nest at this point is not harmful.  Shell fragments from their eggs are still visible in the nest.

Unfortunately for us, we didn't see the new chicks even from afar because they've been off avoiding the rogue loon.  My guess is now that the chicks are larger and able to travel to avoid the rogue, the parents have decided to stop fighting and save their energy for caring for the chicks.  Someone (thanks SD!) reported  that they saw a single loon take off from the lake, so maybe the rogue has departed.  On the other hand, I received another report - with pictures - that a rogue was over harassing the other loon pair in Harris Cove!  

The Harris pair is now defending their territory.  Photos by Debbie Crowley.

Both parents-to-be engaged in fighting off the rogue, leaving the nest unoccupied and the eggs exposed. 

But this gave an opportunity to see the eggs, and like the first nest, there are two of them. 

Two more potential chicks.  Photo by Debbie Crowley.

Debbie is a fabulous photographer.  

If you read the most recent Loon Preservation Committee newsletter you know that one third of the lakes they survey are suitable for loons but are currently unoccupied.  That means there are plenty of other places for loons to go.  But maybe Wicwas is just such a great place they all want to be here!

Whatever the cause, while the rogue was away the northern family was able to come back our way so we got to see how much LuLu and Checkers have grown.  We also witnessed a training session.  Dad came up with a fish from down in the weeds.  

"I'll take that, dad."

After clearing away the seaweed he was ready to hand it over to the chicks, but mom had other ideas. 

"It's time to start their lessons."

 She was able to convince dad to give her the minnow.

Which she brought to the chicks and dropped it in the lake for them to catch. 

"Here, you try."

"Where'd it go?"

Either they didn't catch it, or it was too big for them, but the the training session went on for some time as she recaptured and delivered the tired minnow to both LuLu and Checkers multiple times to help them learn the ropes of catching their own food.

When they tired of the game mom gobbled the fish up herself.  But the family returned in the afternoon for another training session.  We saw the chicks making small dives on their own when the parents dove, so they're already getting the hang of fishing. 

LuLu and Checkers seem to get along very well with no bickering or one picking (literally) on the other like we've seen in some years.  

Happy siblings.

I do enjoy watching them - I'll be fine if the rogue stays away for a while.

June 18, 2023: Introducing LuLu and Checkers

We spent the past week in southern Maine, exploring the coast from Ogunquit to Cape Elizabeth, but that is going to have to wait until after the loon news, because, while we were away we received news that the first pair of loons hatched two chicks!  This was well before we had expected, meaning the pair had nested almost two weeks before we discovered the nest - that was one well chosen nesting sight.  The chicks were first spotted on Wednesday by Lois Crane, so she earned the naming rights.  This years chicks (so far) are LuLu and Checkers!

Introducing Checkers and LuLu, offspring of the northern pair.  Photo by Amy Wilson.

Quite a few people have been treated to seeing them up-close as the family slowly paddles along the shore line, the parents diving for tiny fish to feed the chicks. 

Finding the right size fish isn't always easy.  When the family came by our house I watched mom catch a minnow and then spend a good five minutes trying to get either of the chicks to eat it. 

"It's kinda big mom"  

It's so big it tipped the little chick's tail right out of the water when it picked it up in its beak.

"I'm trying!"

That minnow may weight more than the chicks!  They would take it, try to swallow it, but gag and drop in the lake.  Mom would catch it again and re-offer it, swimming back and forth between them.  

At first both chicks refused to even try, but eventually each made a gallant effort, but it was just too large to get down their little throats. 

"OK, I'll try again."

Nope.  Back to Checkers.

After a while dad came over to see what was going on. 

"What's taking so long over here?"

But eventually mom gave up and ate it herself.  These pictures were all taken from the deck which facilitated seeing their leg bands under the water.  I also took some video during part of the long ordeal.

If you hear the family approaching - they make the most gentle cooing sound - sit perfectly still at the shoreline and you may get a good show.  They keep to the northern end of the lake, but the southern pair has yet to produce chicks; if they do, the rest of the lake might have their opportunity to observe chick rearing in action.  Just be respectful - they need to be undisturbed to be comfortable fishing for enough food to nourish all of four of them.

Unfortunately, not all is calm and serene.  There is a rogue loon that has been harassing the family multiple times a day.  I heard wild yelling off in the distance and knew something traumatic was happening.  Then later the action unfolded within my view.  The rogue loon came into the cove where the family was fishing.  They moved away from it the best they could, but when they were backed into the end of the cove, they had no choice but to defend their offspring - a loon will kill other loons' offspring whenever it can.

Mom's on the left covering up the chicks, the rogue is on the right, with dad in between.

Close enough.  Time to go on the attack.

There are two loons in that scrum.

Mom mostly protected the chicks (again, love the bands) but there were a couple of worrying moments when she abandoned Checkers and LuLu to join in the battle.  After a lengthy, violent battle, our large male - he weighed 14.5 pounds in 2019 when he was banded - was able to repel the intruder. 

The rogue in high speed retreat.

With dad in hot pursuit.

After driving the rogue well out of the cove, dad came back to check on the family.  

And all is well - for now.

This is a good moment to remember our own fathers, and all they did for us in our lives.  Thank you dad, and happy Father's Day!  

I was able to get some shaky video from the altercation and their battle calls are clearly heard:

Yet another attack occurred again later in the day with the same result.  It could be a long, stressful summer on the lake.

Now on to Maine.  

Of course we enjoyed the beautiful rocky coast of southern Maine, but also sought out some other unique habitats including the Wells Barren Preserve, about six miles inland.  It's an unusual habitat which supports several rare birds and continues to be maintained via controlled burns.  One area appears to have been burned very recently as it was just emerging with new growth.  

Recent burn area at the Wells Barren Preserve.

We identified 15 birds while we were there, but they were hiding out in the trees and I didn't get a single good picture.  The best was this Brown Thrasher, which I've seen in South Carolina but not previousluy in New England.

Brown Thrasher

Back near the coast at a very small and quiet state park on Cape Elizabeth called Kettle Cove, I came across another bird I see only occasionally, a cedar waxwing.

Cedar waxwing in Kettle Cove.

This park is overgrown with a very aggressive invasive species, Morrow's honeysuckle.  

Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii)

It has a pretty flower and it grows vigorously which is probably why it was introduced to North America, but that's also why it's so detrimental.  It crowds out every other plant, including even early, shade-tolerant flowers like the trillium, because it leafs out early, before the native plants have a chance to receive any sunlight.  It also produces lots of fruit, which is good for birds, but that too is changing nature.  A diet of Morrow's honeysuckle will change the color of the cedar waxwing's tail from the usual yellow to orange due to pigment in the honeysuckle berries.  This change has occurred in just the last 35 years. [REF:  1,  2]  I wasn't aware of this when I saw the birds in the large honeysuckle stand so I didn't know to look for an orange tail - you can decide.

To me the tip looks half yellow and half orange.

We also visited the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge in Kittery at Cutt's Island.  I hadn't been there before but the Carson refuges are always beautiful.  This section of the 9000 acres refuge has a 1.8 mile trail that goes along the intertidal water of Chauncey Creek behind Cutt's Island.  It was a bird paradise and I identified 29 unique species - the most I've ever seen at one location - including a new bird for me:  a Glossy Ibis!

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

This odd but handsome bird was poking down deep into the marsh with its long, curved beak, probing for food.  They have a very broad diet that includes mollusks, snakes, fish, and grain.

Another new bird for me was seen at Nubble Light.  There were two female Common Eiders paddling along with a brood of 11 chicks.

Female Common Eider  (Somateria mollissima)

Walking along the Marginal Way between Ogunquit and Perkins is must-do whenever we're in the area.  In June there are lots of bright flower beside the path, though most of them are cultivated.  

Most wide-spread and in its glory right now is the beach rose.  

Beach rose (Rosa rugosa)

Beach rose grows extensively along the entire New England Coast so I always assumed it was a native plant.

Cape Porpoise in Kennebunkport.

What a surprise to learn that it, like so many other invasive species, was introduced to North America from Asia.  Beach rose has been designated as invasive in several states, though it has such valuable properties in stabilizing sand dunes and other shoreline soils that it's generally not removed.  In Maine it's on the "Advisory List of Invasive Plants".

One last image of Maine before I end this long post.  This was a picture I didn't know I took.  It must have been an erroneous click of the shutter, but it's one of my favorites of the entire trip.

There was much more nature to be seen at the lake this week, but this post is long enough.  I'll try to fit them next week.

June 11, 2023: Fern Weather

A stretch of cool, damp weather is just what ferns and other wetland-dwelling plants love, so they were in their element this week.

Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)

The cinnamon fern is identifiable by its distinctive cinnamon-colored central fronds that grow straight up, surrounded by large green fronds, both of which can grow up to five feet high in fertile wetlands.  When these ferns emerge in spring as fiddleheads they resemble the edible ostrich fern, but cinnamon fiddleheads have a white, fuzzy covering over them.

Don't eat fiddleheads that have this white, fuzzy covering.

In comparison, ostrich ferns have a thin, brown, papery covering.  Even the edible ostrich fern can contain toxins, but not enough to cause problems.  The cinnamon fern has sufficient toxins that if eaten can cause nausea and other symptoms.  

The Jack-in-the-Pulpit is often found in cultivated gardens, but it also grows wild in the Lakes Region.  I found this one at the edge of a drainage ditch along a dirt road.  It took me a minute to figure out why it didn't look quite right:  its leaves had been chomped off by a deer.

Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Note the bare stalks where the leaves have been eaten off the top.

Another plant that favors cool and damp is the false Soloman's seal.

False Soloman's Seal (Maianthemum racemosum)

Later in the summer the pretty white flowers will produce deep-red berries which are edible, but with a large pit and little flesh, they're not worth much more than a sample of one or two as you pass them by.

One more spring flower blooming now is the bluebead lily.

These will have large, blue berries in mid-summer, but they are not edible.

Thanks to Amy Wilson's good eye, we finally confirmed that the female of the loon pair that nests in Harris Cove has returned.  Reports are that the pair continues to poke around the islands looking for a safe place to build a nest but still hasn't settled on a site.  The Loon Preservation Committee biologist visited Wicwas again this week and confirmed that all is well on the northern nest.  

One of the Harris Cove loons caught itself a really nice meal one morning.

A fish this size might be a whole meal.

It had to spend several minutes beating it up enough to dare to swallow it.

A loon doesn't want a fish this large flailing around in its gullet.

It looks to me like the fish was a black crappie.

That's a favorite pan fish for humans too!