August 9, 2026: Life at the lake slows down, but it never stops

August is a time when things slow down around the lakes.  Most animals are done nesting and keeping a low profile as they raise and protect their young.  Birds are mostly quiet and mammals keep to safe, secluded areas.  But there is still life to be found.  Several summer birds - vireos, thrushes, chickadees, even owls - can be heard calling even on the warmest summer afternoons.  Insects are trilling at night, as are frogs and toads.  And sometimes, life hops out right in front of you when you least expect it.

Pickerel Frog

This pickerel frog leapt out of a flower pot onto the deck when I was watering Linda's begonias.

Finding shady areas with damp soil in her flowers must be a favorite trick frogs use to keep cool and damp because this occurred multiple times in various flower pots during this hot, dry week.

An observant person on Harris Cove noticed another summer resident finding a way to cool off on a hot day.  They first thought a beaver was swimming across the lake, but when it reached shore and emerged from the water, it was something a bit larger than a beaver.

A Black Bear climbs out of the lake after a refreshing swim across Harris Cove.

Thank you SM and JH for sharing!

Then of course, there's the most visible sign of life around the lake - the loons.  Loons really have no place to hide, which means we get to observe the entire offspring-raising process.  

Pip on August 7th, halfway through its molt of baby fuzz to juvenile plumage.

Each summer on Lake Wicwas has been different and interesting ever since a second pair of loons appeared on the lake in 2016 after decades of just one pair having the lake to themselves.  After the first year - when the two pairs fought over the lake all summer - they made a peace agreement, dividing the lake in half, with each pair keeping to their side.  Until now that is, when there have been six loons on the lake most of the summer.  Friday morning I observed an altercation between five loons right at the dividing line.  It began with four of them doing aggressive circle dancing with lots of head dipping, diving, wing rowing and calling. 

Four loons in an aggressive circle dance.

Then the fifth showed up, steaming in from the north territory - I'm guessing it was the northern male.  Things settled down pretty quickly then.  One of the five - presumably the northern male - headed back to the north and the other four went south, two pushing the other two along. 

Putting together all the pieces I've observed over the summer, I have theory:  A third pair has decided it wants to claim territory on Wicwas.  My observations are consistent with both territorial pairs pushing these new intruders out of their territory, so the newcomers are getting squeezed on both sides into the demilitarized zone at the boundary.  

We know the northern male is especially large.  (When he was banded, his legs were too large for any of the metal bands the LPC had, which is why he wears only  a single plastic band.)  My theory includes the south pair experiencing the brunt of the intruders attempt to claim a territory.  This could explain why the south pair abandoned an egg half way through the incubation period - they were too busy defending their territory to tend to it.  It would also explain why we often see Pip left alone while the parents are chasing the intruders back out of their territory.  I watched one aggressive chase with wing-rowing and calling as one loon chased another out of Marion Cove.

I won't be surprised if we have a third pair appear next summer to continue their mission to nest on Lake Wicwas.

Here's another example of late-summer activity; this one needs video:

Fortunately, these are non-biting insects, just male midges swarming in search of females with which to mate.

Thanks to the recording made by association secretary Dean Dexter at last week's Lake Wicwas Association annual meeting, I was able to create a video of my presentation "The Formation of a Gem".  You can find it here:  The Formation of a Gem

I'll close with a new (for me) aquatic plant I found during my recent weed watch tour - it's small, native, representative of good water quality, and pretty too.

Water Lobelia (Lobelia dortmanna)

Enjoy all the glory of New Hampshire in August!

March 22, 2026: The Bears Awaken

We had some nice weather this week and it has awakened the bears.  I had a few reports of bears being active, and then yesterday we had a visit from our local bruin ourselves.  Although we have taken down our birdfeeders in spring ever since our first bear visit back in 2009, they still come by every spring - bears have great memories of where they've found food previously, and mama bears pass their knowledge on as they lead their cubs through their range during their first spring and summer.  Also, bears have an excellent sense of smell, and the spent seed shells melted into the snow have an odor that will draw in a bear from a long distance away.  The travels of a bear with snow on the ground can be determined by its footprint which is much different than any other wild animal.  Its appearance is more like a human than any other animal, showing a foot pad and five toes.

It's hard to see with the low contrast, but you make out the foot-like pattern.

The toenails however, are impressive, and distinctly not human-like.

The size of their prints gives a good indication of just how large and powerfull these animals are.

This is just a few  hours after the print was made, so it hasn't melted out to appear larger.

This is not something you want to tangle with - it's time to take down the bird feeders!

The warm weather has melted out the compost pile enough to resume composting - and emit the odors that attract animals.  A raccoon started scoping out the area from a distance.  I love the way raccoons tight-wire walk along tree trunks.  

It came closer as it became a bit bolder.

Eventually it was became brave enough to poke around on the pile.

It wasn't until nighttime that it was ready search for food though, and it invited its mate for assistance.

It took a long time, but eventually they found something in there worth eating.

The raccoon and bear activity was after rain and a few warm days in the 70s followed by a nice cold snap.  That combination, along with the 20" of ice on the lake set the stage for a rare, late winter skating opportunity.

March 18th, the latest in the season I've ever skated on Wicwas.

The ice itself was firm and glassy but the suface was pretty lumpy which encouraged careful skating except for areas where water had puddled before it froze.  The warmth has melted enough snow that the lake is now 14" above full lake level.  But it's the time of year when anything might happen next.  This morning we woke up to snow falling, with several inches forecast to accumlate today.

Ah, spring in New Hampshire!

August 27, 2023: Cyanobacteria Hits Hard

This was supposed to be a cheery post about mountain hikes and close encounters with deer, bears, and wildfire smoke, as well as a beautiful paddle on one of our local lakes.  On the way home from one of these hikes, in the Ossipee Mountains, we drove by Lake Kanasatka which I've driven by a hundred times but have never paddled, and it looked so inviting that the very next day I went back with my kayak to explore the lake.  That's when things changed.  Unloading my kayak the lake looked simply beautiful - it was sunny and calm with the lake reflecting a bright blue sky.

Lake Kanasatka looks beautiful reflecting the blue sky from a distance.

But as I put my boat in the water, something wasn't right - the water at the launch was green.

It looked like a cyanobacteria bloom, but I thought it would be limited to right there where route 25 goes close by the lake.  As I paddled up the shore line it didn't get better, in fact it got worse.  

All the way up the west shore there were thick streams of cyanobacteria on the surface with more densely suspended throughout the water column, limiting visibility to about three feet.  

As I approached the north end of the lake the wind had come up a bit, creating small ripples that were stirring things up somewhat but the bloom was present even there at the inlet fed by Wakondah Pond.  I continued around and back down the east shore and as the lake became more sheltered from the breeze the bloom thickened again.  The entire shore of Kanasatka is populated with houses, docks, and beaches, but not a single person was in the water on this gorgeous day except for a few teenagers over on the east side by Camp Quinebarge.  The last camp session has ended so the swimmers were probably local residents.

Lake Kanasatka isn't a small pond where you might expect poor water quality:  At 371 acres, it's bigger than Wicwas, as well as Pemigewasset, Winona, White Pond, and many other good size lakes in New Hampshire.  If this can happen at Kanasatka, it can happen to all those water bodies and even larger lakes as water and air temperatures climb and runoff from development increases.  

This bloom was reported by NH DES on August 7th on their healthy swimming map, so it has been present for three weeks and counting.  It's a stark reminder that we must all be vigilant in protecting our natural resources.  If you want to help, get in touch with NHLakes, or a land trust such as the Lakes Region Conservation Trust, or your town's Conservation Commission, or your local lake association.  Whatever level of involvement you are comfortable with, you can help our lakes.  You can learn more about cyanobacteria at the NH DES website here.

Enough doom and gloom, lets move on to something more pleasant.  On that day hiking in the Ossipee Mountains we had clear skies with visibility over 75 miles.

Looking out over Castle in the Clouds from the Oak Ridge Trail.

We could see all the way to Mount Monadnock from the outlook on the Oak Ridge Trail.  

Lake Winnipesaukee and the Belknap Range.  Mt. Monadnock is barely visible in the photo.

Hiking up along the quiet trail we suddenly heard loud rustling in the trees above us.  Linda said right away, "that's not a squirrel".  Looking towards the sound I saw a large beech tree and we both knew what it was.  Up through the thick leaves we could see a large dark blob.  Yup, a black bear, staring right down at us.  

A black bear, displeased to be disturbed from either its slumber or its lunch.

One picture, and we were quickly on our way - I didn't even take the time to see if the beechnuts on the ground were as small as the ones I noted last week.  The bear was unlikely to abandon its comfortable perch in the branches surrounded by a feast of beechnuts, but still, no reason to test that theory.  I tagged the location - next time I'm on that trail in winter when the branches are bare (no pun intended) I'll try to remember to look for a bear nest.

The season for goldenrod has arrived.  

A sea of goldenrod blooms along Eastman Road heading up to Steele Hill.

Huge yellow fields can be seen wherever fields are allowed to grow without mowing.  Goldenrod must thrive in this wet year we've had.

Thanks to the good camera work of a loon watcher (thank you LM!) we know that the parents of LuLu and Checkers are travelling far now to keep intruding loons away from the chicks.  The banded female was seen way over in Harris Cove as part of an asylum of seven loons, where she, and probably her mate, were letting the visitors know they need to keep moving - this lake is occupied.  The chicks meanwhile have been keeping close to the north end of the lake, and even when their parents aren't close by they're now swimming and diving out in open water.

From a distance it's hard to tell the juveniles from the adults now.

Though when the parents do arrive, the young still whine terribly, nagging them for food.  

One of the chicks hangs onto a parent's leg as it starts a dive.

I'll apologized for closing with a return to less a less cheery topic, but air can be as unhealthy as the water when the horrific wildfires blazing in Canada send smoke our way as happened again early in the week, though it did make for some unusually colored skies and dramatic sunsets.

A dusky orange sky at mid-morning sky seen from the Belknap Range.

A smoky sunset over Lake Wicwas.

You just have to enjoy whatever life sends you.

July 3, 2022: High Altitude Wildflowers

A beautiful stretch of fine weather graced a visit north of the notches this week.  Though it was cool at night the days were bright and clear with a rare cloud-free four days in a row at the summit of Mount Washington.

Looking north down Great Gulf with Mts. Jefferson, Adams, and Madison towering above.

On a hike in the northern Presidentials I spent a fair amount of time relishing the unique wildflowers growing in that harsh alpine ecosystem, and then even more time with the field guide trying to identify them.  Some, such as Diapensia I should have known.

Diapensia (Diapensia lapponica) at 5600' on Mt. Washington.

This alpine plant grows only a few inches high and was just starting to boom.  

Another alpine flower I saw was the mountain avens.  

Mountain avens (Geum peckii) at 5400' on Mt. Clay.  (Accompanied by bunchberry.)

This plant is found only in the White Mountains in New Hampshire and on a single tiny island off the cost of Nova Scotia, Brier Island.    Although the leaves remain close to the ground, the flowers are on stems a couple of inches high which allows them to track the sun as it traverses the summer sky.  There are eight other species of avens in North America but this is the only one that grows above the tree line.  [Ref:  US Forest Service]

Next is the Labrador tea, a member of the rhododendron family.

Labrador tea (Rhododendron tomentosum) at 5100' on Mt. Clay.

This low-growing shrub is found in many areas above and below tree line in the white mountains, and as its name suggests, it has been used by native Americans for centuries to make tea as well as medicines to treat a number of ailments.  [Ref:  Adirondacks Forever Wild]  According to Adirondacks Forever Wild:

Native Americans made extensive use of Labrador Tea to treat a wide variety of ailments, including asthma, rheumatism, burns, and diseases of the liver and kidney. For instance, the Algonquin reportedly used an infusion of the plant for headaches and colds. The Chippewa used a powder containing powdered root to apply to burns and ulcers. The Cree used an infusion of the flowers for insect sting pain and rheumatism; they used a poultice of leaves to apply to wounds. The Oweekeno used an infusion of leaves as a remedy for a sore throat.

There were also many bluets lining the path along the Gulfside Trail.

Bluets on the left and the much larger false hellebore on the right side of the Gulfside Trail.

Another excursion in the Mount Washington area took us along the Presidential Rail trail to Cherry Pond where we found, believe it or not, loons!   And this pair of loons is well ahead of our Wicwas pairs, already having a chick hatched which is old enough to have molted at least once, replacing its dark brown baby feathers with lighter-colored plumage.

The loon pair on Cherry Pond in Jefferson.

They apparently have only one chick so it's getting all the food the parents collect, fueling its rapid growth.

  

Back on Wicwas there's not much to report on our loons as they patiently wait for their eggs to hatch, sharing duty on the nest.  I did see the male of the northern nest off-duty at one point, and he kindly exposed his leg band to prove his identity.

"Yes, it's me."

I had to spend more time with the field books looking up plants I saw in the marshes around the lake, one of which I recognized as having the characteristics of a carnivorous plant;  I need to read more about this one for a future journal entry.  

Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) -  a carnivorous plant worthy of further study.

While we were away I set my trail camera along the road to see who visited while we were gone and there were a couple of large creatures that passed by.

Papa bear in full daylight.  (Especially for you, Stephanie!)

And mama deer cruising the road at night.

Based on the appearance of this doe I wouldn't be surprised if there were a fawn following along behind her.  She had better keep a close eye out for last week's bobcat!

It's also turtle season - keep a watch out for mother turtles crossing the road to find a sandy spot to bury her eggs.

Mrs. Painted Turtle laying her eggs.

Loon chicks, fawns, turtle eggs - early summer is a time of birth.  I'll end with one more look at the Rock Pile on the birth of a new day.

Mount Washington greets a new day on July first.

Happy Fourth of July - I hope you enjoy a warm and safe weekend!

May 29, 2022: Paddling with the Bears

While out on an evening paddle on the lake last week I saw a brown blob swimming along the water - it looked like a duck, but it was too brown for duck.  It couldn't be a beaver because there was too much of it above the water.  Same thing for a mink or an otter.  Suddenly it dawned on me when I saw a bit of orange on the forward end of the blob:  it was a bear.  It was moving fast - I don't know whether that's its normal cruising speed or whether it didn't like the sight of me heading towards it.  At any rate, it made a beeline for its point of access and climbed right up onto shore.

Mr. Bear leaves quite a wake.

It was crossing from the north side of the lake near the outlet, making landfall on the Marion Conservation land near the powerlines.  When it was on dry land it certainly wasn't being discreet as it crashed along through the underbrush.   

He looks a little thinner soaking wet.

Just another typical day on Lake Wicwas.  

But that's not all.  Driving over a rise in the road two days later I found this.

There he is again.

I stopped and he just kept ambling down the road towards me until he decided he really better not get any closer.

And just like that, he was gone.  

Our loons haven't nested yet as far as I can tell - the two of them are still out swimming and fishing together except when there are altercations with a third, rogue loon.  At one point two loons were having a loud, flapping battle right next to me on the shoreline.  It was the sound that caught my attention - I thought there was a bear or a moose climbing up on shore, but couldn't see anything.  Then I saw the two loons thrashing at each other and suddenly diving and disappearing.  Tom and Pat B. caught another example of the situation when three loons popped up near their boat, apparently oblivious to the boat as they noted the loons "barely noticed us as they were so involved in themselves."  They took this video:

As long as there is a loon harassing the pair they may not nest, and the time is here for them to do so.

There have been a few other birds I don't see very often around the lake, all seen while on various paddles.  On one warm, moderately windy day I saw two birds soaring over the lake enjoying the thermals.  One is a common sight:

Turkey vultures are often seen soaring over fields and roadways.

The other I have only seen a couple of times, hunting in winter at the bird feeders:

Cooper's hawks are not rare, but rather secretive.

I'll remind you that I'm not expert in these matters and it's possible this is a sharp-shinned hawk as the two are very similar, so I'd be happy to hear any thoughts on the identification.  The shape of the tail and the size of the head pointed me to the Cooper's hawk.  Both the Cooper's and the sharp-shinned dine primarily on smaller birds, keeping out of sight until attacking at high speed.  Being smaller than broad-winged and red-tailed hawks gives them the ability to catch their prey in flight with their great speed and agility even in dense forests where a fleeing bird will attempt to evade them.  

One last bird, considered more an ocean bird than a lake bird is the spotted sandpiper which was flitting along the shoreline, stopping here and there in search of something to eat - insects on the rocks or larvae in the water.

Spotted Sandpiper

And finally, as the spring/early summer wildflower season reaches its climax, the pink lady's slippers have joined the parade.  I was able to find one in its early stage of blooming:

A pink lady's slipper just before blooming.

And many in their full glory.

Everyone's favorite!

Lady's slippers, trillium, fringed polygala, bluets are all in bloom.  This long weekend is the perfect time to see what you will find in the forest - just wear your bear bell in case you also see a bear!  Happy Memorial Day!

Note:  If you're interested in a local walk this weekend to look for wildflowers here are some suggestions:

• The Beaver Pond Trail at Page Pond (Trail head on Blueberry Hill Rd)
• The Quarry Loop Trail at Page Pond
• The White Trail at Waukewan Highlands
• The Yellow Trail at Hamlin-Eames-Smyth