May 25, 2025: Northern Water Snake

Swimmers in New Hampshire lakes might not be pleased to see this, but rest assured that these snakes will flee from anything larger than a big frog, especially humans, so there's nothing to worry about unless you decide to approach one of these guys.

A northern water snake on a midday search for food or a mate.

Northern Water Snakes are very common around all our waterbodies, rarely found any distance from a pond, lake, or stream.  They are excellent swimmers and especially active this time of year when they are searching for mates.  After mating the two snakes will go their separate ways, with the female gestating 10 to 30 young until late summer.  During this time, water snakes feed primarily on fish and amphibians, but also crayfish, leeches, and other snakes.  

Snakes use their tongue as a sensor.  They stick it out to collect airborne molecules on it, then pull it in into their head and place it into an organ that lets them smell what was captured on the tongue.  The forked tongue provides a stereoscopic capability which lets them determine the direction of the source. 

Sticking our its tongue to smell.

Northern water snakes are not poisonous, but do have sharp teeth they use catch and hold onto their prey, which they swallow whole.  With fast reflexes they are able to catch fish, sometimes hunting minnows at night, though they are most active during the day, and are often found sunning themselves on a warm rock or branch at the water's edge.

A good size water snake I found sunning itself on a rock a few summers ago.

Predators of water snakes include birds, racoons, and snapping turtles, as well as other snakes.  Some day maybe I'll see an eagle swoop down and grab a swimming snake off the surface of the lake.

The female water snake is ovoviviparous, meaning it gives birth to live young which are left completely on their own.  This is the time for larger fish to exact revenge, as the infant snakes are especially vulnerable to fish.  Many of the young won't survive, but with a couple dozen snakes born every year over perhaps a five year life span, the species is not in danger - where there is a good food source.  The biggest risk to this species is the loss of natural waterfront habitat which provides the food it needs.

I haven't seen a snake sunning itself on this tree trunk that fell into Lake Wicwas, but lots of other animals have been using it including turtles, geese, ducks, and this week, a Double-crested Cormorant.  

Double-crested Cormorant.

A pair of mallards does their preening on the log.

The water level in Wicwas is still about 10" above normal, but at least one pair of geese was able to incubate their eggs before the lake flooded.

Looks like five goslings.

The loons, however, are still cruising the lake, waiting for the level to go down before building a nest.  One day we saw both pairs of loons floating on their respective side of the line that divides the two territories, and both pairs were vocalizing loudly to let the other pair know they need to stay where they are.  The northern pair did have an intruder one day, which they appear to have quickly sent packing to another lake.

An intruder in the northern territory.

Cool weather has extended the period of the early wildflowers; all the ones noted last week are still in bloom.  This week the Lady's Slippers are in peak color, the Painted Trilliums have started to bloom, the Canada Mayflowers are about to, and the various cherries are in full bloom.

Painted Trillium.

Lady's slipper in a deep color.

Canada Mayflower about to bloom.

I also saw a small Jack-in-the-Pulpit just starting its spring sermon.  

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

There will be more of these soon, but you have to look for them as they hide under cover of their leaves!

July 11, 2021: Big Moths and Big Snakes

I need to go back and catch up with some items that were neglected the past few weeks due to all the loon news on the lake.  First, the appearance of Luna Moths occurred quite some time ago and several people told me of their sightings including this one by Dotty Treisner who found two of them resting on the red siding of her house.

Luna Moth (Actius Luna).   Photo by Dotty Treisner.

Though jealous of these sightings because I haven't seen one myself in many years I'm always excited to know these beautiful, huge moths are still present in the Lakes Region.  A big reason they're not often seen is that they only live for about a week in their adult, moth form, during which time they mate but they don't eat - they don't even have a mouth or a digestive tract.  All their food consumption occurs while they are a caterpillar, munching on tree leaves such as birch.

Another overdue observation dates all the way back to the rained-out bird walk that was to be led by UNH Extension Service biologist Mart Tarr at the Page Pond Community Forest.  As we were all waiting at the trailhead to see if the thunderstorm would pass quickly (it didn't) he mentioned there had been a lot of Baltimore Orioles in new Hampshire this summer.  Since I hadn't seen one of these bright orange birds yet this year I went out the next morning in the kayak to peruse likely oriole habitats, and sure enough I found one right away.

A Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) sings from the highest branch of a white pine.   

They are such impressive birds and their loud, repeated song carries a long way over the water to lead you to them.  You can listen to their songs here.

Another impressive bird is the great blue heron which even standing three feet tall is often hidden among the weeds and bushes of the shoreline.  So it was an uncommon sight when Cindy Desmond saw one perched completely exposed on a raft.

A great blue heron (Ardea herodias) standing tall.  Photo by Cindy Desmond.

Wild creatures aren't ashamed to take advantage of human alterations to the environment when they suit their needs, sometimes to their benefit, sometimes to their demise.  Running along the side of the road one day I saw a bright green snake sunning itself on the edge of road, soaking up the heat from the pavement.   I stopped to encourage it to move farther from the road lest it become a participant of the old "Frogger" video game, but I was too late.  Though still alive and wriggling from what looked like a minor injury I'm pretty sure it wasn't going to survive the trauma it had endured.  And that wasn't the only snake-on-human-structure moment this week.  One morning I found this large northern water snake sunning itself on our dock when I went out for a paddle.

One warm, happy, water snake.

Like all snakes it wanted nothing to do with me and immediately slithered off the dock as I approached, but I was ready.  You probably shouldn't watch this video if you don't like snakes and ever want to swim in a lake again.

There's been plenty of stormy weather lately including the most recent heavy rains from tropical storm Elsa; the lake right now is a good six inches above full pond.  Did you catch the sunset as one of the recent storms departed?

I think our drought conditions have been largely remedied at this point.

I can't close without an update on the loons.  Coco and Jimmy were both doing fine at my last check on Saturday.  I don't see them as often now that they are widening their circle of travel all the way out to the area between Sheep and Bryant Islands.  Keep an eye out for them on your lake trips as they may be most anywhere on the northern portion of the lake in the coming weeks - they are still pretty small and vulnerable.

"Move your head dad, I can't see!"

My counterparts who report on the nature scene at Pleasant Lake in New London have been following an interesting loon story that mirrors our experience with a mate change.  But the female loons battling each other on Pleasant Lake have not given up the fight and it's taking a toll on everyone.  Their reporting implies that male loons fight over territory while female loons fight over males.  This week's report is dramatic, violent, and heart wrenching, but it's worth reading to better understand these complex animals.  You can find their report here; it will make you appreciate how fortunate we are to be having a peaceful year on Wicwas.

Nap time on Lake Wicwas.

September 23, 2018: Changing Seasons

We are just past the equal of day and night:  astronomical fall began last night at 9:54 pm when the autumnal equinox occured.  As the days get shorter and cooler both plants and animals sense it - everything is starting to prepare for the coming change.  Here is just a sampling of the many indicators around Lake Wicwas that the local community is adapting to what must come.

The trees on the shoreline are just starting to show some color.

Turtles and frogs are out collecting every last bit of warmth they can get before they go into hibernation.

Painted Turtle absorbing the late day sun

This wood frog was using the warmth these wood chips absorbed from the sun

Bees are scurrying around, gathering up as much pollen as they can find to get them through the winter. 

A Bumble bee transferring pollen from the blossoms on Linda's Coleus to its hind legs

A northern water snake was swimming across the lake - perhaps it was hoping to catch a passing squirrel?

A Northern Water Snake cruises the lake

I bet the snake is a faster, more agile swimmer than a squirrel. 


The geese are starting to flock up for their travels south; I counted 39 on the lake one afternoon.  This big one, probably a male, was on lookout duty.

A Sentry off Mark Island

After having little visible presence during the summer the beavers become much more active this time of year.  Here they have stuffed the dam at the outlet of Lake Wicwas with all kinds of debris as they attempt to raise the water level to increase the size of their domain.

Many thanks to the town for cleaning this out yet again

The comeback of beavers to New Hampshire after their virtual extirpation has created the water bodies that are a big factor in the recovery of the Great Blue Heron population as well.  I caught one such heron gliding over the lake on its way to a rocky perch for some fishing.

I didn't see much of Mr. Wood Duck this summer, but he did make an appearance on one of my kayak trips around the lake this week.  He and the misses will stay together on the lake for some time yet and migrating wood ducks on their way south will stop by to visit them.

Many birds - herons, loons, ducks - will be around quite a bit longer, some right up until the lake finally freezes over.

Many human residents of the lakes are also getting ready to find a warmer place to spend the winter.  Here are some bittersweet late-summer scenes, as we get ready for the changes as well.

The final sunset cruise of the Hurricane.

The Blue Heron Lodge basking in the low, late day sun.

A warm, calm day for a kayak - hopefully there will be few more of these!

One last canoe before closing up the cabin.

And finally, a lonely bench overlooking the lake waits for someone to come sit and enjoy the sights of the season.  I hope you'll be able to take in some of the most beautiful sights of the year as we make the transition into autumn.

July 8, 2012

There's bear in the them thar hills.  I've seen several deposits of bear scat around Lake Wicwas the past few days, though I haven't seen any of the creatures that left them.  This morning, picking a few blueberries, I found a very fresh sample left earlier this morning when the bear was visiting the blueberry patch. 

Black Bear Scat

Bears don't appear to be very careful in the berry picking, judging by number of undigested green berries, leaves, and sticks in their excrement. 

Mature Black Bears weigh about 350 pounds;  did you ever think about how many blueberries a 350 pound bear must have to eat to get meal?  I guess that's why they basically spend their days roaming the forest and eating everything they find - from berries and insects to mushrooms and mice.  It's a good time to make lots of noise when walking in the woods.

I did bump into a couple of deer, most recently, right in the middle of the day up by Crockett's Ledge on the Hamlin trails.  It saw me coming down the trail, and trotted a few steps up around the corner, then stopped and looked back. 

I crept up a bit and we sized up each other before it walked off the trail about 20 yards, where it turned around again and watched me.  It stamped its front hoof a few times, trying to get me to move, which I eventually did, and it sauntered off into the woods.

They sure are well camouflaged - their colors blend in with the forest, and their legs look like saplings.  I'm sure I've walked right by deer many times without ever knowing they were there.

There were a lot trees knocked down on the trails west of the lake, particularly around the trail junction just up-hill from the maple grove.  Trees of all kinds are down - hemlock, pine, maple, oak.  One large sturdy hardwood was snapped off like a toothpick some 25 feet high.  Most were uprooted, blown down flat along the ground.  I only saw one of the giant maples that had succumbed to the storm. 

Ridge Along the Red Trail

Similar damage is to be found around the edge of the lake.  The worst damage I found is along the west shore of Sheep Island, where two stands of trees were peeled over onto land. 

You really need a person in the picture to understand the scale of the root ball. 

It provides an opportunity to see what's hidden underground.

Look at the size of one the rocks lifted up.

A couple of weeks ago I was intruiged by this large white pine that had clearly died on the shore, so I took a picture of it. 

It was lucky happenstance, because now I have before and after shots - here what it looks like after the storm blew through.

These trees were right in line with the ones that were blown down in our cove.  This Aspen was snapped off about five feet above the ground, exposing a bright red layer under the bark and splintering the soft wood.

Big Tooth Aspen

The same storm cell continued on down through Tilton and Belmont, taking numerous trees down along the way.  Winds were reported to be as high as 80 mph.


Warning:  If you're not comfortable with animals swimming in lake with you, you should stop reading here...


Because, we also found a cute little water snake swimming right across the middle of the lake.  If that Bald Eagle were around it would have had a nice afternoon snack.

Northern Water Snake