August 23, 2026: A Bounty of Buttons

This week I took a slow paddle around the edges of the lake exploring the late summer shoreline vegetation.  I was also looking for purple Bladderwort blooming, but it was the wrong time of day as these aquatic plants seem to bloom early in the morning.  But there were plenty of other interesting plants to be found, including many with seeds and fruit.  

Possumhaw or Wild Raisin (Viburnum nudum)

This is the same plant I found blooming on the Franconia Ridge in July.  It was supposedly named possumhaw because opossums dine on it.  The plant's fruit goes through a full spectrum of color as it ages:  It starts pinkish-white, darkens to red, then to blue, and finally in winter, it becomes black and wrinkled, resulting in its other common name of wild raisin. 

A clump of possumhaw berries showing the color progression

Early on the fruit is acidic and not very palatable, even to a animals.  This means much of it is left on the plant until winter when the sugars have become more concentrated.  At that point in the season it's a very important high energy food source for wintering animals, especially fruit-eating birds such as cedar waxwings and bluebirds (which are now year-round residents in central New Hampshire).

The next abundant crop I came upon was Arrow Wood, another viburnum species. 

Arrow wood (Viburnum recognitum)

Arrow wood fruit is soft with high energy content and will be eagerly consumed by many birds.  But not all will be consumed with a large crop, and because the berries cling to their branches, the surplus will provide another high calorie food for overwintering birds.

One more fruiting shrub, or in this case a vine, I found was grape.

Fox Grapes growing among the possumhaw and buttonbush.

There weren't a lot of these, and they were largely overgrown by all the other shoreline plants, but they were hiding in there nonetheless.  

In addition to providing food for animals, these thickets of vines and shrubs are a great deterrent for keeping geese from nesting.  Because goslings can't fly, geese prefer to nest where they can easily walk to the water.

Buttonwood is another lake-edge shrub that keeps on giving throughout the year.  Their pretty white pincushion flowers start to bloom in June and continue into July.  

Buttonbush flowers in early July.

By mid August the flowers form reddish seed pods that add a dash of color all the way through fall. 

Eventually each blossom forms dozens of small seeds that ducks feed on during the fall. 

Many tiny seeds in each button.

Over winter when food is scarce or buried under the snow, songbirds take over.  Mice will happily pick up whatever seeds the birds or the wind drop to the ground.

And though I didn't find purple bladderwort, I did find a different pretty aquatic plant in bloom:

Duck Potato (Sagittaria latifolia)

The name duck potato is partially a misnomer.  The tuber is in fact much like a small round potato that is edible, but ducks rarely dive deep enough to dig in the mud to eat them.  [Florida Wildlife Foundation]  Ducks do eat the above-water seeds, but it's beaver and muskrat that feast on the tubers.  Native Americans harvested them as well.

We've been inundated with hummingbirds the past few weeks - I think there might be two pairs that have broods nearby.  There are frequent acrobatic dogfights between adults, and multiple small hummers drinking from the flowers.  Here's a video (accompanied by Beethoven's Fur Elise) of one hummingbird sampling several flowers in a sometimes random manner.

They provide nice entertainment on a summer afternoon!

I'll end with the weekly update on Pip - looking sharp!

May 24, 2026: Woodland Flower Exhibition

It's the time of year when the elegance of woodland flowers, those ephemeral wonders of evolution, draw me into the forest each spring.  Last week the trilliums were blooming.  This week the Eastern Starflower, Fringed Polygala, and even an early Pink Lady's Slipper burst onto the scene.

A Lady's Slipper in a sunny spot makes an early appearance.

The lady's slipper is one of our more ancient woodland flowers, having evolved when the last dinosaurs roamed the earth some 70 million years ago.  They can be long-lived, up to 50 years, but are slow growers, requiring over a decade before they form their first flower.  The starflower and trillium are more recent arrivals.

Eastern Starflower

 

Painted Trillium

High above these small plants, the pale-green color of the forest canopy shows the deciduous trees are about to pull the shades on the forest floor, dimming the light that granted these flowers their chance to shine. 

Pale green leaves as chlorophyll starts to develop in them.

Maples are fast growers and already have leaves and even seeds well formed.

Red Maple with many "helicopter" seeds

The slower-developing oaks are farther behind.  But with long days and warm temperatures, they're coming on strong now, and are dumping copious amounts of pollen from their abundant flowers.

Those long dangling flowers are full of pollen to torment allergy sufferers

Perhaps you noticed the hummingbirds in last week's blog were all female ruby-throated hummingbirds which lack the ruby throat of the male.  This week, I saw both male and females at our feeder. 

Mr. Ruby comes in for a drink, landing gear deployed.

Here is Mrs. Ruby-throat, waiting patiently for her turn.

Mrs. Ruby - lacking a ruby throat.

I'll end today with nature's sky show from the week.  Venus has been bright in the western sky all week (and still is, along with Jupiter). 

Venus hugging the moon with Jupiter above to the left.

On Monday evening it was in close proximity to the crescent moon. 

Venus and Moon were alright that night.  (With apologies to Sir Paul McCartney.)

There was probably some astrological meaning there!

August 4, 2024: Thread-waisted Wasp

The summer bounty of healthy plants thriving in a combination of hot sunny weather and plenty of rain makes a sound foundation for the food chain.  It seems every patch of flowers has an insect or two taking in the nectar, including these Thread-waisted wasps which I see feeding on Black-eyed Susans. 

Thread-waisted Wasp.

It's pretty clear how this wasp got its name, and it's just amazing it can support that large lower abdomen with such a tiny connection.  This wasp looks scary and it does sting, but not humans, and not to defend itself or its nest.  It's a solitary species which doesn't build large nests like some other wasps.  What it does sting is a caterpillar of another insect.  Its venom kills the caterpillar and the wasp takes the dead caterpillar away, buries it, and lays an egg on the caterpillar.  When the egg hatches, it will feed on the caterpillar, providing the wasp larva all the food it needs to grow and pupate into a mature wasp.  Pretty clever.  It seems every animal that has survived over the eons has evolved some unique trait that allows it to propagate its species.  

Here's another insect I found in a bright colored flower.  

A small bee spreads pollen from plant to plant.

The insects go on to feed birds that gorge on both the adult insects as well as larvae in the form of caterpillars.  I don't know if hummingbirds help with pollination but they've been helping themselves to the flowers' nectar as well.

Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Some of the early bloomers such as Evening Primrose, Black-eyed Susans, and Woodland Sunflowers have gone to seed here in the first days of August, and they are appreciated by goldfinches, sparrows, and other seed-consuming birds.

Goldfinch feasting on Woodland Sunflowers.

Many fruiting trees and shrubs have already produced their bounty for the animals - blueberries and cherries for example; now it's time for black raspberries.  

What these lack in size they make up for in sweetness.

Like the blueberries and black cherries, the bears will be after these sweet treats.  Unfortunately, bears will also search out human-sourced food wherever they find it.  If you need a reminder to take down birdfeeders and not leave trash outside, take a look at this large bear that was ransacking yards on Loon Point Road this week.  

(Specific location and photographer redacted!)

We continue to have an abundance of loons on the lake and they were again flocked together one morning, this time an asylum of seven.

An asylum of seven.

At one point the Harris Cove pair performed a synchronized swimming routine to display bands on both participants to ensure I knew what team they played for.

Team Harris was among the asylum.  

Orange over yellow is the male, blue over green is the female.

🏅🏅🏅

Yesterday the Lake Wicwas Association held its annual meeting and as always, the best part was catching up with all our lake friends, some of whom we may see only once a year at this very moment.  In additional to hearing an informative, if somewhat concerning report on cyanobacteria from NH Lakes President Andrea LaMoreaux, we also heard reports on the current state of the lake's water quality, aquatic plants, and loons. 

Andrea LaMoreaux presents at the Lake Wicwas Association annual meeting at the Wicws Grange.

The association also recognized Paul Trombi for his 15 years of leadership for our Lake Host program!  Thank you Paul, and everyone who supports the program and who attended yesterday's meeting.  Overall, Lake Wicwas is in good condition and with your careful stewardship, Wicwas = and all our precious lakes - will continue to be resilient resources for wasps, birds, and bears, as well as humans.

September 17, 2023: Nature's Hovercraft

Most of nature's flying creatures have evolved with a bias towards fast, efficient flight, but there are a few animals which in addition to being very quick and maneuverable, have the ability to hover in place like a helicopter.  Hummingbirds achieve this feat through unusual shoulders that give their wings a large range of rotation rather than a simple up and down motion with limited rotation.  

A hummingbird rotates its wings in a figure-eight pattern, which provides lift on both the forward and backward wing stroke, a most valuable ability when drinking nectar from a flower who's stalk won't support even the one-tenth of an ounce weight of a ruby-throated hummingbird.  

The dragonfly is even more advanced in its flight surfaces.  Dragonflies have four wings, each of which can move independently of the others.  This gives it the ability to fly forward, backward, up and down, even sideways - important features when hunting down other agile flying insects on the wing.  Though dragonflies have the ability to hover, and use it regularly, they don't hover in one place for long.  I watched a group of them hunting over a marsh this week, devouring insects, and though they would hover for a moment, by the time I pointed the camera, they had zoomed away.  And it's not easy focusing on a small, fast moving object.  I took dozens of pictures to get one decent shot that shows all four wings.

On this same paddle I saw a bird that uses a different technique to remain stationary while hunting for food.

This osprey was perched in a tree often used by an eagle, which is what I thought it was from a distance.  Osprey migrate south starting in September, so maybe they'll head off with the strong northwest winds from hurricane Lee, but they've been very visible and audible the past few weeks.  I've heard them crash into the lake when they've targeted a fish from their high perch, then fly up and away with dinner in its talons.  If you want to see a fantastic video of an osprey diving for a fish, watch this video from Mark Smith Photography.  (I think it's better with the sound turned off.)  Osprey are the only birds I'm aware of that dive well under water to catch their prey.

In June (June 11, "Fern Weather") I noted a Jack-in-the-Pulpit growing along the side of the road.  Now, three months later, the Jack-in-the-Pulpit are showing the world their snappy red berries.  

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

Birds consume these berries, including turkey and wood thrush.  

Another plant sporting red berries now is the False Soloman's Seal, which was also mentioned in the same June post - they must have the same game plan.

False Soloman's Seal (Maianthemum racemosum)

These not quite as showy berries are food for mice as well as many birds, including grouse.

LuLu and Checkers are really getting independent.  We sometimes see them with no adults anywhere in sight.  It makes me wonder if the parents occasionally head off to force the juveniles to learn to fend for themselves, as well as to get some peace and quiet - the kids constantly whine at them for food when they're together.  One afternoon I took a picture of a parent and a kid, only to find out later I was photobombed once again.

The heron posed a few days later for a private sitting, for which which Linda did the honors.

Great Blue Heron.  Photo by Linda Powell

The fall wildflowers continue to shine.  Asters now call our attention in walks through fields and along roadsides.

Purple-stemmed aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum)

Hurricane Lee was kind to New Hampshire, staying well offshore and sending us only a moderate northwest wind with a bit of rain.  The night before it went by, Lee even gave us a brilliant sunset.  

Pre-Lee Sunset

Fall officially arrives next Saturday.

July 30, 2023: Cross Orb-Weaver

Often in the summer a dock spider takes up residence in our boat, but this summer a different arachnid took over that real estate.

A cross orb-weaver spider (Araneus diadematus) secures her prey. 

Females of this species make the web, and I couldn't tell what kind of insect she caught because she had already killed it and had it all wrapped up in silk - but it's large, maybe a deerfly or a bee.  

Spiders have the ability to create different kinds of silk for different uses, such as a strong silk for the frame of their web (which they walk on) and a sticky silk for trapping prey.  It's not the first time we've had an orb-weaver on the boat and it seems that only one type of spider will live there at time.  There's even been a third kind of spider some years, a long-jawed orb-weaver, including earlier this summer, but that one has disappeared now that the orb-weaver has shown up.  There are several webs on the boat and the dock, and I feel a little guilty disturbing them when I use the boat, but she doesn't seem to mind - there's always a new one there the next morning. 

Two webs span from the dock to the boat, one on the bow, one on the stern.

I'm assuming the same spider owns all the webs because I only see one spider, with the other webs unoccupied.  Yesterday morning the homeowner appeared to be sleeping in late, right in the center of one of the webs.

Or maybe she's subduing another dinner guest.

She was quite exposed here.  When this kind of spider feels the need to hide, perhaps off in the bushes beside the web, they construct an early-warning system to let them know when they've caught something in their web.  They run a strand of silk from the web which they hook onto one of their appendages.  When something strikes the web it vibrates the strand so they know they have a customer and will run out quickly to subdue it before it escapes or damages the web by flailing around.  The spider bites the trapped insect to inject venom which quickly kills the prey and also starts to dissolve its innards for easy consumption by the spider.  Kind of a gruesome process, but very effective.

Sometimes a spider will get lucky and trap a real feast such as a dragonfly, but not this one:

Yellow-sided Skimmer (Libellula flavida)

This pretty yellow-sided skimmer was resting on a blueberry bush right next to one of the spider's webs.  The dark wingtips and the slight amber coloring on the leading edges of the wing add to the beauty of this species of odonata, especially in the soft evening sun.  Early in summer males and females have the same coloring, but as the summer progresses, males develop a powdery blue coloring called pruinose, a fine dusting on their abdomen.  [Ref: Yellow-sided Skimmer New York National Heritage Program]  It's not known why this happens, though it may be to reflect sunlight to reduce heating, a useful feature this past week.  I've seen these blue dragonflies but didn't know what they were.  I'll watch for them this summer.

I saw another dragonfly with almost the inverse coloring on Linda's hibiscus plant; I haven't been able to identify this one yet.

Dragonflies are ancient animals.  In the Permian period (275 million years ago) the largest species had a two and half foot wing span which made it the largest insect known to have existed on Earth [Ref:  Largest Extinct Insect, University of Nebraska].  Like many animals they have shrunk dramatically in size over time, but some dragonflies are almost as large as some birds.  We sometimes see a hummingbird drinking nectar from the bright red hibiscus blossoms but rarely get a picture.  It was Debby Crowely that took this fabulous photograph of a ruby-throated hummingbird.

Ruby-throated hummingbird.  Photo by Debby Crowley

In case you're wondering, Debby used a 1/1000 of a second shutter speed to capture that image.

The loon update has LuLu and Checkers growing by leaps and bounds.  

LuLu

Checkers

Lulu is noticeably larger than Checkers, and having lost more of her baby down, shows a fair amount of juvenile plumage.  Here's a comparison of the siblings.

Checkers on the left, LuLu on the right.

Mom spends lots of time with them, giving them their daily lessons.

Morning Lessons.  Note the band on mom's left leg.

These pictures from Debby explain any mystery of how these chicks can grow so quickly.

"Thanks mom."  Photo by Debby Crowley.

"I can do it."  Photo by Debby Crowley.

Yet they still have a ways to go before they grow into those huge webbed feet.

LuLu showed off her bright white chest while she waved at me.

With August almost here, the predominant colors of the flowers are changing; this week, yellow was the word.

Black-eyed Susan

Woodland Sunflower

Bees like yellow.

Soon the goldenrod will bloom, adding acres of gold to the fields around the Lakes Region.  It will be a reminder that summer is progressing, and that we should enjoy these long summer days, no matter how hot and humid.

The coming week looks to be better.