It's a new year, with a whole new set of discoveries ahead of us. Who knows what adventures 2025 will bring - it seems every year has moments that I never thought I would experience, yet they always arrive. Here's a collection of what struck me the most over the past 52 weeks.
The surprises started early in the year when three otters swimming under the ice right at my feet gave me something I never expected to witness.
Late winter brought a rare treat when a Red Crossbill paid a visit to the lake.
A highlight of the year, in fact, of my life, was the trip up to Colebrook to see the total eclipse of the sun. (It wasn't totality in the Lakes Region.)
There was a lot of beaver activity on and around the lake in 2024, including damming up a stream to create a new beaver pond in the Hamlin Town Forest.
Spring always brings relief from the gray and white of winter, returning color and new life to the lake.
Linda often discovers fascinating creatures in her gardens, such as this Yellow-spotted Salamander.
Many of our raptors are heard or seen off in the distance; it's not often I get a close look at one. This hawk was kind enough to land on an island as I paddled by.
There was a lot of loon activity in 2024 and not all of it was good. But one exciting moment occurred when a loon that was rescued from the ice on Paugus Bay during the prior winter stopped in at Wicwas for a few days.
Wicwas is highly coveted loon territory. Frequent attempts at claiming territory by non-resident loons meant time needed for nesting was instead spent defending nests and territory.
All that activity Wicwas was too much for our two resident pairs; we didn't have a single chick hatched as the loons fought all summer over territory. Three different nests were built and eggs were laid, but all were destroyed during incubation, and one adult banded loon was killed right at her nest.
Other water fowl did have successful broods.
Dragonfly are always plentiful and with so many varieties it seems every year I see new ones. Most I can't identify, but that doesn't make then any less beautiful.
Snapping turtles may not be considered beautiful by many people, but a male snapper fell in love with this big momma who was up on land looking for a good spot to lay her eggs.
As summer flowers bloomed and formed nectar and pollen, the insects came along and did their part in propagation of the species.
The deer take advantage of the lush summer foliage to start fattening up well in advance of the upcoming winter.
Large mammals thrive in the unfragmented tracts of undeveloped land around the lake, but bears will also take advantage of any anthropogenic food sources as well.
Spiders on the other hand, wait for food to come to them.
A truly special moment occurred while paddling the lake one warm August evening when a pair osprey was circling over the lake in search of fish for dinner. One such attempt made close to me demonstrated the entire process from dive to catch to shaking off water once airborne with its prey.
A month later it was larger raptor that was surveying the lake for fish.
There were a few bobcat sightings over the year, but this visit right to our house was the closest I've been to one of these wild felines.
The year ended with enough snow and cold temperatures to allow the lake to freeze over just before the end of the year. Today, the length of daylight is already eight minutes longer than on the winter solstice, so even with the bulk of winter ahead of us, we've already begun the steady march to spring, 2025.
I look forward to what new encounters 2025 has in store!
