October 18, 2026: Days are Getting Shorter

The days are getting shorter, the nights cooler, and nature is adjusting to the changes. Our trees are perhaps the most obvious change, but the animals are adapting too. This bobcat trotting down the road was sporting a mid-weight fur coat it didn't own just a few weeks ago. 

The bobcat's coat is a little more substantial than back in August.

It will only get thicker as the season progresses. 

A much appreciated aspect of fall is the end of mosquitoes and other annoying insects, but that also means more of our birds are heading south too.  And I haven't seen our loons for over a week now - could they have left the lake already?  There are still insects in the air, including dragonflies, but only the late season varieties such as this Autumn Meadowhawk warming itself on a dark surface to keep its muscles warm enough to chase its prey.

Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinim)

This is the last species of dragonfly to be seen in the Lakes Region as temperatures drop.  It can survive mild frosts and may be active into November before succumbing to the cold.  Before they die they will have mated and deposited their eggs at the waterline on wet muddy areas or in very shallow water.  I wonder if their eggs are impacted by lake drawdowns.

I saw several more meadowhawks sunning on rocky shorelines on my paddles looking for loons this week.  I haven't heard from anyone else seeing Pip or mom, so let me know if you have any sightings.  I did see a pair of eagles soaring over the lake though, taking advantage of the northwest wind pushing against the warm shoreline to gain altitude. 

A pair of bald eagles over Lake Wicwas

The cool weather has brought more foggy mornings to the Lakes Region such as this one on Wicwas with the tops of the tall pines illuminated by the rising sun and maple trees looming through the mist on the far side of the lake.

Fog developed again on the morning of a hike in the Squam Range just north of Squam Lake.  The first summit, Mt. Morgan, was totally socked in when we arrived.

No view from Mt. Morgan on Wednesday.

But by the time we reached Mt. Percival the sky was brightening and we were treated to watching the clouds break over the valley.  

Fog clears over Squam Lake with the Rattlesnakes poking through on the left.

Usually I see the morning fog burn off from below - it was a rare treat to observe the same phenomenon from the eagle's perspective.

It's amazing what Mother Nature can do with her paintbrush dipped in nothing but water.  

Thank you fellow hikers for another challenging excursion on a beautiful fall New England day.

Hiking through a New England hardwood forest in October.

There is still plenty of color in the forest, but the colors on the ground signal the end is near.

But not all is over yet.  The late-season asters are still blooming.

Heath asters are the last asters to bloom.

And the fuzzy, warm-coated native bumblebees are hanging in there like the hardy New Englanders they are.

A bumblebee collecting late season pollen from the heath asters.

There are even new plants with confused timing just starting to grow.

A variety of the "Pink" family (Caryophyllaceae) which includes Sweet William.

Even though this pretty flower is not native to North America, it has naturalized here and often seeds itself.  Mother nature sure has a lot of colors on her palate.

P.S.  If you've been following the story of cyanobacteria on Lake Kanasatka, here's an update from the New Hampshire Bulletin.