January 26, 2025: Fire & Ice - and Airplanes!

While Los Angeles is burning, the rest of the country is freezing all the way down to Texas and Louisiana where New Orleans saw 10" of snow.  Even central Florida saw temperatures in the 20's yesterday.  In Meredith we had subzero lows for five days in a row with a low temperature of -21.5 degrees on Tuesday.  

Temperature at Lake Wicwas

The cold put a chill on some outdoor activities but we did take a couple of short excursions, including a quick and windy walk in the Thompson Wildlife Sanctuary in Sandwich.  We didn't see any birds, but the mountains were beautiful.

Mt. Chocorua looms over the wetlands at the Thompson Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary

Some animals hide out in protected areas during cold temperatures.  For example, deer will stay in their dense deer yards protected from the wind and radiational cooling by thick hemlock trees.  Others will spend more time in underground dens where the earth stays tens of degrees warmer than the air.  But the poor birds have to go out at first light, the coldest part of the day, to start their search for the calories they burned just to keep warm over night - a small bird can lose ten percent of its body weight on a single cold night.  Small rodents like mice can store food in their dens, but apparently they still head out in frigid weather as evidenced by the many tracks I've seen on my short walks.

Grand Central Station of the mouse world.

Their tiny feet leave clear imprints in the cold dry snow.

Even their light tail makes a mark as it plops on the snow with each hop.

There's been a small flock of six to eight mourning doves here lately, perching in the branches of the oak trees and gleaning seeds from under the bird feeders.  

A pair of mourning doves perches on a cold winter day.

Despite the cold temperatures there are sounds of spring in the air.  Almost every time I'm out on a sunny day (which has been every day) I hear the drumming of woodpeckers resonating through the forest.  They are already staking out their claim on territory and calling in a mate.  Both Hairy and Downy woodpeckers have long courtship periods.  They start courting and nest hunting and construction in January, but won't actually lay eggs until April.  But that drumming in January is always a welcome sign of longer and warmer days ahead.

Gathering its winter calories.

The cold weather did in fact allow the Alton Bay Ice Runway to open this week and we stopped by yesterday to see if there was any action. 

It was a cold morning, but there was a constant stream of planes coming and going.  I counted about 40 planes parked on the ice.

At one point there were five lined up on the taxiway waiting to cross the runway to the parking area. 

Stacked up like Chicago O'Hare in winter.

Other than Alaska, this is only FAA approved ice runway in the country, so it's a big draw for pilots to check off on their bucket list.  Here's a sample of some of the wide array of aircraft taking advantage of this rare  opportunity.  

This was a neat pusher biplane.

Landing gear equipped for snow, ice, or tarmac.

This one must be cold to fly.

Even a helicopter.

They even had ground control to manage all the traffic.

I'll share a couple of videos of the action too:

With this weather, the runway should remain open for the foreseeable future if you want to check it out.

So the big winter ice events of 2025 have begun!  Don't forget to get to Meredith Village for the Pond Hockey event this coming weekend.  It will be back on Meredith Bay with all the fixings:  food trucks, vendors, even a music stage!  And though we are short on snow, what we have received has stayed fresh due so it's pretty and wintery even if skiing is limited and there's been no snowmobiling other than on the lakes.  

But thick ice and even a little snow is good; we'll take whatever winter weather we can get - it's all better than being on fire!

January 19, 2025: Tracks are Back

Cold weather and a touch of snow has all the creatures of the north out and active this week - including humans.

Ice fishermen and bob houses appeared on Lake Wicwas during this beautiful winter week, and the skaters were enjoying the ice, skating right through the thin layer of snow.  It was busy at the boat ramp!

Lots of people out enjoying winter fun on Lake Wicwas.

The local motorcycle gang was out in force too.

With metal studs screwed into their tires they were ripping up and down the beautifully smooth ice hidden by the sheer layer of fluffy snow.  

A lot of effort is put into homemade studded tires.

A thin layer of fresh snow provides a perfect substrate for animals tracks.  On a run along the trails at Whitten Woods in Ashland I found tracks of many animals, including one I always enjoy finding:  Snowshoe Hare.

The unmistakable track of a rabbit or hare.

There were a lot of these tracks all around the more remote section of the North Peak Trail where there had been few human visitors.  Lagomorphs (hares and rabbits) have very distinctive tracks that makes them easy to identify from other animals, but determining hare versus rabbit is more difficult.  Based on the size of the prints and length and width of the track, I believe these are Snowshoe Hare tracks.

This hare was travelling from right to left.

The side-by-side prints on the left are from the larger hind feet, while the smaller prints, one in front of the other, are the front feet.  Lagomorphs land on their front feet, then pull their hind legs forward, planting them ahead of their front feet, pushing off with their powerful hind legs.  Here's a slow motion video of the process.

Birds tracks are also not easily differentiated.  

About nine inches between tracks.

I don't know what bird made these tracks.  The print is small, but there's a long distance between them which hints that it's a long-legged bird rather than my first thought of a grouse.   The prints are too small for a turkey.  Maybe a pheasant?

Those are two gloved fingers.

These tracks wound all around the trails, again at the northern reaches of Whitten Woods, and there's a lot of toe-drag in the snow.  Any ideas?  

Whitten Woods is a nearby place to visit for a two to five mile hike on well maintained trails, and the best view is from the short walk to the South Peak.

Squam Lake and the Ossipee Mountains from South Peak.

I'll bet it's a great spot to watch the sun rise.  

All the upcoming ice events are still looking good.  We're also following the Alton Bay Ice Runway.  The runway has over 10 inches of ice now and with cold weather in the forecast, the runway may be FAA certified next weekend - I'll keep you posted.

Did you happen to see the full moon on Monday?

The Wolf Moon sets over Wicwas.

It was spectacular!

January 12, 2025: Shannon Brook In Winter

Remembering that we had 50 degrees and an inch of rain just before this cold spell made me think the rivers would be flowing well enough to create some good ice formations, so I took a trip over to Shannon Brook which drains the Ossipee Mountains at Castle in the Clouds.  I wasn't disappointed - Shannon Brook was flowing well and had sculpted some impressive ice formations.  

Shannon Brook in the Ossipee Mountains.

Where the river flowed over gentle terrain the ice had completely hidden the rushing water below. 

Openings in the ice showed where multiple layers had frozen; first at one level, then as the stream dropped, it froze again a couple of inches below the prior layer.

Note how over time, the edges of the top layer have softened
relative to the lower layer of the cake.

The largest of the waterfalls was completely hidden by thick ice with only glimpses of water through some gaps.

One can hike the Brook Walk from either the top or the bottom of the trail, but I like to start at the top, saving the tallest waterfall, the "Fall of Song", for last. 

The Fall of Song.

The Fall of Song is too tall to capture in one photo; here's a video from top to bottom:

After walking the Brook Trail I took a hike up the Turtleback Mountain Trail to the Faraway Mountain Trail and was dismayed that even at that elevation there was no snow on the mountain.  I did come across an artistically rendered frozen puddle beside the Turtleback Mountain Trail though.

With no snow on the ground there hasn't been any tracking of animals to see who's been roaming over the lake.  But we have had frequent visits from the Red-bellied Woodpecker, including a pair at one point, the first time I've seen two Red-bellieds together.

A Red-bellied Woodpecker extracts a chunk of suet from the feeder.

The lack of snow did allow a long stretch of some fabulous skating on the lake.

Then yesterday we received an inch of snow, which wasn't enough to ski on but it will be enough to hunt for animal tracks, and it did make the world look like winter again.  People out enjoying their winter activities this weekend will feel right at home.

An ice fisherman plies his trade during the snowstorm.

It looks like the cold weather will hang around long enough that we'll be able hold the big winter events on Meredith Bay this year.  Pond Hockey is first, coming up in just three weeks!

January 5, 2025: The Year 2024 at Lake Wicwas

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.

Otters at a breathing hole - January 7

Late winter brought a rare treat when a Red Crossbill paid a visit to the lake.

March 24 - Red Crossbill

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.)

April 8 - Total solar eclipse seen from Colebrook, NH

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.

April 21 - A beaver snacks on a tender branch.

Spring always brings relief from the gray and white of winter, returning color and new life to the lake.

April 28 - Maple blossoms

Linda often discovers fascinating creatures in her gardens, such as this Yellow-spotted Salamander.

April 28 - 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.

May 5 - Broad-winged Hawk

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.

May 12 - The LPC identifed this loon as one they banded during an ice rescue.

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.

June 9 - Resident loons intercept transients trying to invade their nesting areas.

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.

June 30 - One of three nests built last year.

Other water fowl did have successful broods.

May 26 - Mother Mallard and her ducklings.

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.  

June 2 - An unidentified prehistoric flying object

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.

June 2 - Momma Snapper

As summer flowers bloomed and formed nectar and pollen, the insects came along and did their part in propagation of the species.

June 9 - A bumblebee approaches a Lupine flower to collect pollen.

June 16 - A Ruby-throated Hummingbird siphons nectar from a Geranium.

June 16 - A Hummingbird Clearwing Moth approaches a different species of Geranium.

The deer take advantage of the lush summer foliage to start fattening up well in advance of the upcoming winter.

June 23 - This hungry deer was watching me!

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.

August 4 - A Black Bear follows its nose to all available food sources.

Spiders on the other hand, wait for food to come to them.

August 18 - A Black and Yellow Garden Spider.

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.  

August 11 - An osprey sheds excess weight after a successful dive.

A month later it was larger raptor that was surveying the lake for fish.

September 8 - A Bald Eagle surveys the lake.

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.

October 20 - Bobcat on the prowl.

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.

December 29 - The winter sun sets over the Lakes Region

I look forward to what new encounters 2025 has in store!