June 23, 2024: Bambi Comes to Visit

A healthy looking White-tailed Deer paid a visit to the yard this week and we enjoyed watching it while it browsed because it was mostly nibbling on plants we didn't mind it gobbling up.  Even though we were standing very still inside the house the deer was able to detect our motion and be on high alert.  

Deer are incredibly sensitive animals.

I know their namesake fly, the Deer Fly, torments them as much as they do us, as the deer's constant tail swishing and ear twitching shows, but deer apparently are more tolerant than I am to these painful pests.

A couple of deer flies attached right to its forehead.

At one point the deer was munching on Sheep Laurel.

"This looks tasty."

Then it went after the Whorled Loosestrife.

Does it taste as good as it looks?

Even better was when it started working on various weeds.

The reach,

the snap,

and the munch.  Note the ragged broken off stem above its nose.  

A rough broken stem rather than a clean cut is a sign of deer damage because lacking front incisors, deer tear off vegetation rather than cut it with sharp front teeth like a rabbit.  We don't mind finding these on the weeds, but there are plenty of garden casualties that result from deer and other wildlife when we're not around to shoo them away.  Living amidst nature is definitely a give and take experience.

Did you happen to notice all the Rice Krispies in the lake this week?

These are the male cones of the White Pine tree and there was a good batch of them this year.

A friend gave them this name and it's perfect - that's exactly what they look like, just floating in the lake rather than your cereal bowl.

These are the factories that produced all that green pollen that fell a couple of weeks ago.

Another plant that is prolific this year is the Rose Pogonia.  

Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides)

I mention these every summer simply because they are so fabulous.  If you haven't seen them you really should grab a kayak and head into one of the many marshes around Wicwas or any of the other local lakes.  They really are special - a native, miniature orchid.

Note the two legs of a spider hiding behind one of the flowers.

There is good news from the loons:  last week's mating efforts were productive and the northern pair has built a second nest and is now incubating at least one egg.  I went out with the LPC intern Jayden on Wednesday and it must have been right after the first egg was laid as both loons were away from the nest long before we came anywhere near it.  With them off the nest, Jayden was able to see a single egg through binoculars.  As we got nearer to the nest both loons came right up beside us, ready to defend their nest if needed.  

We quickly moved away.  Jayden thinks it's likely they were not incubating the egg yet because a second egg will be added to the nest.  Waiting until both eggs are laid before incubation allows the two eggs to hatch close together, usually about 24 hours apart.  The next day there was a loon on the nest, so the incubation timer likely started on June 20th.  Now we wait anxiously, with two loon nests on the lake.  Check here on July 21st for an update, and on July 15th for the south nest.  

Finally, I want to thank the intrepid group of hikers that braved the heat and humidity to participate in the Lakes Region Conservation Trust guided hike to the Smyth Easement.  We started from the Hamlin Town Forest trailhead and were able to get nice but very hazy views from both Crockett's Ledge and the White Mountain Ledge.

A hazy day in the mountains.

It was the hottest day of the year, 94 degrees when we finished with 99% relative humidity, but we took it slow and had a great trip.  Even on a hot day there were lots of birds singing - we heard Hermit Thrushes, Scarlet Tanagers, Ovenbirds, and several different warblers, among many others.  At one of the stream crossings we stopped to see what we would find.  There were small fish in the brook, and we  discovered some beautiful bright green damselflies with black wings.  I think they were Ebony Jewelwings.  

Sometimes the best part of a hike is when you just stop, look, and listen.