July 30, 2023: Cross Orb-Weaver

Often in the summer a dock spider takes up residence in our boat, but this summer a different arachnid took over that real estate.

A cross orb-weaver spider (Araneus diadematus) secures her prey. 

Females of this species make the web, and I couldn't tell what kind of insect she caught because she had already killed it and had it all wrapped up in silk - but it's large, maybe a deerfly or a bee.  

Spiders have the ability to create different kinds of silk for different uses, such as a strong silk for the frame of their web (which they walk on) and a sticky silk for trapping prey.  It's not the first time we've had an orb-weaver on the boat and it seems that only one type of spider will live there at time.  There's even been a third kind of spider some years, a long-jawed orb-weaver, including earlier this summer, but that one has disappeared now that the orb-weaver has shown up.  There are several webs on the boat and the dock, and I feel a little guilty disturbing them when I use the boat, but she doesn't seem to mind - there's always a new one there the next morning. 

Two webs span from the dock to the boat, one on the bow, one on the stern.

I'm assuming the same spider owns all the webs because I only see one spider, with the other webs unoccupied.  Yesterday morning the homeowner appeared to be sleeping in late, right in the center of one of the webs.

Or maybe she's subduing another dinner guest.

She was quite exposed here.  When this kind of spider feels the need to hide, perhaps off in the bushes beside the web, they construct an early-warning system to let them know when they've caught something in their web.  They run a strand of silk from the web which they hook onto one of their appendages.  When something strikes the web it vibrates the strand so they know they have a customer and will run out quickly to subdue it before it escapes or damages the web by flailing around.  The spider bites the trapped insect to inject venom which quickly kills the prey and also starts to dissolve its innards for easy consumption by the spider.  Kind of a gruesome process, but very effective.

Sometimes a spider will get lucky and trap a real feast such as a dragonfly, but not this one:

Yellow-sided Skimmer (Libellula flavida)

This pretty yellow-sided skimmer was resting on a blueberry bush right next to one of the spider's webs.  The dark wingtips and the slight amber coloring on the leading edges of the wing add to the beauty of this species of odonata, especially in the soft evening sun.  Early in summer males and females have the same coloring, but as the summer progresses, males develop a powdery blue coloring called pruinose, a fine dusting on their abdomen.  [Ref: Yellow-sided Skimmer New York National Heritage Program]  It's not known why this happens, though it may be to reflect sunlight to reduce heating, a useful feature this past week.  I've seen these blue dragonflies but didn't know what they were.  I'll watch for them this summer.

I saw another dragonfly with almost the inverse coloring on Linda's hibiscus plant; I haven't been able to identify this one yet.

Dragonflies are ancient animals.  In the Permian period (275 million years ago) the largest species had a two and half foot wing span which made it the largest insect known to have existed on Earth [Ref:  Largest Extinct Insect, University of Nebraska].  Like many animals they have shrunk dramatically in size over time, but some dragonflies are almost as large as some birds.  We sometimes see a hummingbird drinking nectar from the bright red hibiscus blossoms but rarely get a picture.  It was Debby Crowely that took this fabulous photograph of a ruby-throated hummingbird.

Ruby-throated hummingbird.  Photo by Debby Crowley

In case you're wondering, Debby used a 1/1000 of a second shutter speed to capture that image.

The loon update has LuLu and Checkers growing by leaps and bounds.  

LuLu

Checkers

Lulu is noticeably larger than Checkers, and having lost more of her baby down, shows a fair amount of juvenile plumage.  Here's a comparison of the siblings.

Checkers on the left, LuLu on the right.

Mom spends lots of time with them, giving them their daily lessons.

Morning Lessons.  Note the band on mom's left leg.

These pictures from Debby explain any mystery of how these chicks can grow so quickly.

"Thanks mom."  Photo by Debby Crowley.

"I can do it."  Photo by Debby Crowley.

Yet they still have a ways to go before they grow into those huge webbed feet.

LuLu showed off her bright white chest while she waved at me.

With August almost here, the predominant colors of the flowers are changing; this week, yellow was the word.

Black-eyed Susan

Woodland Sunflower

Bees like yellow.

Soon the goldenrod will bloom, adding acres of gold to the fields around the Lakes Region.  It will be a reminder that summer is progressing, and that we should enjoy these long summer days, no matter how hot and humid.

The coming week looks to be better.

July 23, 2023: Watershield - not Water Lily

Perhaps the one plant that I think most represents a New Hampshire lake is the pond lily.  I have seen these small, oval lilies ever since I was a kid, and probably because of their ubiquity, I have never given them much thought until this week when I saw dozens of small, curled red flowers growing up amidst the lily pads.

It's the small red flower, easily overlooked next to the showy white pond lily.

There were actually hundreds of them.  (Plus one yellow pond lily.)

I had no idea what they were.  Going straight to my Audubon Field Guide to New England I was surprised not to find it listed within the covers of my most trusted book, so I searched online and immediately identified the flowers as those of the Watershield, which is the correct name for what I always called a water lily, but in fact isn't even in the same family as the water lilies.  A key difference between watershield and water lilies is that watershield leaves are oval and lack the cut that gives lilies their heart-shaped leaves. 

Many oval watershields and a few larger water lilies with the heart-shaped cuts in them.

Also, the stalk of the watershield connects to the center of the oval leaf rather than at the edge like the water lilies.  

I often see insects crawling all over the yellow and white pond lily flowers, transferring pollen between the plants.  But watershield is wind-pollinated so it doesn't need a big showy flower to attract pollinators, thus the small inconspicuous blossom I've so long overlooked. [Ref:  US Forest Service]  But looking closely, it's a beautiful, intricate flower. 

Watershield (Brasenia schreberi)

I also learned that watershield has a unique two-day flowering process.  According the Forest Service:

On the first day the bud emerges above the water. Sepals and petals open and bend downward. Although stamens and pistils are present in each flower, on the first day of blooming, only the pistils emerge. Stalks of the pistils lengthen and spread outward over the petals. At night, the flower stalk bends and the flowers submerge beneath the water. On the second day, flowers emerge from the water again, but with the pistils retracted. The stamen stalks are lengthened and the anthers open. In this way flowers are cross-pollinated (Osborn and Schneider). After blooming, the sepals and petals fold up and submerge. Fruit develops underwater enclosed in the petals and sepals. Fruits are leathery and club shaped with one or two seeds each.

I believe the lower, pale pink parts in the center are the retracted pistils, and the stamens are the taller, darker red structures with anthers at the end with yellow pollen on them.  This would indicate it's on the second day of blooming.  I didn't know enough to look to see if there some flowers that were on their first day.  I do learn something new every day.

There were also a couple of interesting insects buzzing around the lake this week, including one I hadn't seen before:

Summer fishfly (Chauliodes pectinicornis)

It looks a little beat up, with a damaged wing and missing most of one antenna.  The feathery remaining antenna helped with identifying it and also indicates it's a male.  That form of antenna is called "pectinate", forming part of its scientific name; cornis means "horns".  This fishfly was over two inches long, and it supposedly can give a painful bite with its large front pincers.  I didn't test that claim.  The fishfly can live several years, but as I've learned about other aquatic insects, much of that life span is under water.  Less than seven days is spent out of the water as an adult.

This next insect looks even more menacing, but it's actually harmless.

Mayfly

Mayflies are favorite foods of many fish.  Birds are happy to feed on these poor-flying insects as well, but they better be quick because an adult mayfly only lives one day, maybe two at the most - that doesn't leave much time to mate and lay eggs back in the lake!

I saved the loon update for last because there's sad news.  It appears we have lost both chicks from the southern nest to rogue loons.  One was apparently killed last Saturday night, and the other last Sunday; neither has been seen since.  On the positive side, despite eagle attacks and rogue loon assaults with violent calling almost every night, the northern pair has proven their mettle, and LuLu and Checkers are still hanging in there! 

LuLu and Checkers are doing fine under the expert supervision of their parents.

They're in the stage where they lose their baby feathers and their juvenile chevron pattern starts to show.

Let's end on a pretty note.

Bluet damselfly on one of Linda's daylilies

And now I know what stamens and anthers and pistils are!

 

July 15, 2023: Loon Census and Sabaday Falls

LuLu and Checkers, one month old.

The Annual Loon Census took place yesterday from 8:00am to 9:00am and although we had a good count of seven loons, it was a bit of a disappointment considering the day before I saw nine. Missing in the census were little Chip and Dale. Observations included a group of three loons exhibiting aggressive behavior, and a single loon in Harris Cove so it's likely the male was out defending territory while the female had the chicks tucked safely away against the shoreline. There was however a lot of loon ruckus late Friday night so we'll be relieved when someone sees the chicks again. The northern chicks, LuLu and Checkers were both accounted for.

Mom gives the chicks a shower.

Nagging mom for breakfast.

There was only one adult with LuLu and Checkers so the other was probably out on the lake guarding their territory.  Time will tell whether a third pair will fight its way onto the lake.

On Friday I did see all eight resident loons plus a rogue in a battle with what I assume is the father of Chip and Dale. 

The standoff.  "This is as close as you get, fella".

While mom rushed off to hide the kids.

I could see her stop far off against shore where I figured she had the chicks hidden away for safety.  It was only when I blew up the picture of her that I could in fact see two little brown feather balls floating next to her. 

Barely visible, just the way mom wants it.

These loons have their act together - let's hope they continue to fend off all the attacks. 

​The Lakes Region seems to have avoided the worst of the heavy rains that did so much damage to the west, particularly in Vermont.  The White Mountains also got hit with some serious rainfall, so this week's trip was up to Sabaday Falls where I knew the cascade would be spectacular.

The falls are only a third of a mile off the Kancamagus and it's an easy trip on a well maintained path due to its high usage.  After the falls I continued up to the Tripyramids where there were more waterfalls that were at full spring flow levels. 

Nearing the summit I found quite a few small white and lavender flowers which I didn't recognize.

Mountain Wood Sorrel (Oxalis montana)

These are Mountain Wood Sorrel which grow in shady damp areas with highly acidic soil.  I expected to see a leprechaun jump out at every bend in the trail in this dark, dank forest.

The sky even in the White Mountains has been very hazy due to the high humidity and still a little wildfire smoke.

Looking west from North Tripyramid.

Can I sneak in one more before I close?  This softly colored Northern Pearly-eye butterfly was resting right on our house.  

Northern Pearly-eye.

Sometimes you don't need to go anywhere to be regaled by nature.

Well, late last night after I had finished this entry I received some bad news on the loons.  I mentioned the awful loon racket on Friday night, and not seeing Chip and Dale on Sunday for the census, there was some concern.  We were hoping for the best but asked our loon watchers to see what they could find today.  Unfortunately, what Debby Crowley found wasn't good.  The male had obviously been in a terrible fight and was quite badly injured.  So badly in fact that it landed itself on a beach either for protection or to rest.  Also, only one chick was seen with the female.  

Injuries at both head and tail makes me wonder if it was two against one.
Photos by Deb Crowley

A beached loon is not a good sign.

Mom and Chip look fine, but no sign of Dale.

Loons are beautiful, majestic animals that have been around for a long time - at least 20 million years with some fossils suggesting 70 million years.  Only the strongest pass on their genes.  This nature stuff can be hard to watch.  Thank you Debby for that difficult reporting.

A more innocent time for a loon.

July 10, 2023 Update: Four Chicks!

It has been confirmed:  The southern pair of loons in Harris Cove has two chicks.  

The first sighting of Chip and Dale.  Photo by Dave Thorpe.

The first egg hatched on July 8th, observed by Ron Nelson, and the second on July 89th, confirmed by Dave Thorpe, Deb Crowley, and Debbie Crimins.  The new chicks have been named Chip and Dale.  

A proud parent.  Photo by Debbie Crowley.

Welcome to Lake Wicwas Chip and Dale!

July 9, 2023: A Paddle Up Blake Brook

I took advantage of the high water level - it's been as much as eight inches above full-pond - to take a summer paddle up Blake Brook to the beaver dam that holds back a good size beaver pond.  Along the way I found a number of interesting plants and animals including this bold Green Frog sitting on a lily pad.

It was another case of only seeing a well camouflaged animal because it hopped from one lily pad to another to get out of my way as I paddled through its domain.  But then it just sat calmly as I went by, posing nicely for an up-close portrait, a great opportunity to see the intricate detail of a frog's eye.

Here's looking at you, kid.

Even with high water the beaver dam had no problem holding back all that weight.  There were two spots along the dam where water was flowing over but it wasn't taking out any of the base structure.

The low point on the dam holding back the pond behind it.

I took some video of the other overflow:

The beavers will repair those low spots soon enough.

Here's an unusual flower I found on the trip that I wasn't familiar with:

Large Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

It turns out it's the blossom of the large cranberry.  I learned that the name "cranberry" comes from the fact that the blossom's stamen resembles the beak of a crane (the bird) though I'll admit I'm not sure I see it.  I later noticed that when I took a picture which includes an unopened blossom, someone photo-bombed it:

A little green monster photo-bombing.

This painted turtle was happily sunning itself in the marsh near the entrance to Blake Brook.

I learned several new things from the Nature of Pleasant Lake Newsletter about the important benefits of turtles sunning themselves; it's more than just raising their body temperature.  I'll say more about this in a future post, or you can read their newsletter here.  Another day this week I came upon a murder of crows (that's what a group of crows is called) highly interested in something beside the road.  Examining the source of attraction it was immediately evident they had located a painted turtle nest and had fully excavated the nest and consumed all the eggs, leaving only the leathery shells behind.

An excavated painted turtle nest.

The shells are soft and pliable and feel like thin leather.

It's good to know that painted turtle are plentiful; the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them in the category of  "species of least concern".

The blueberries are about to ripen; I just hope I get some.  Between the song sparrow and the kingbird (you're a flycatcher - leave my blueberries alone and go catch some bugs!), and the chipmunk, the berries are getting eaten as quickly as they ripen.  

The kingbird flits down to pick off a single berry at a time, but the chipmunk runs from bush to bush to get the choicest berries, stuffs his checks full of them, then sprints off to its den to stash them away for later.

Mr. Puffy Cheeks

He makes quite the acrobatic contortions to get to the berry he wants.

Hanging on by his toenails.

I really don't don't mind sharing - it looks like there will be enough for everyone this year.

And the loon update:  Still no chicks from the second nest, but Checkers and LuLu are doing great, with the parents constantly on guard for intruding loons.

Always on guard.

Watching mom and dad fishing to see how it's done.

The recent hot and humid air augmented with smoke from wildfires in Canada has made for interesting atmospheric scenes at both ends of the day.

Summer humidity makes for morning fog,

and evening sunsets.

It's nice to have summer finally arrive.

And this late breaking news:  We may have a chick from the second nest - I received a report last night (thanks R&J) that both loons were off the nest and there was only one egg visible.  I'll give a mid-week update when we know for sure.