November 12, 2017 - A Visit from Jack

We finally had our first visit from Jack Frost this week.

Ice formations on a window facing the water

Fractal geometry on display

The first hard freeze of the season occurred November 9th, when the temperature dropped to 24 degrees, covering everything with hoarfrost.

Red or brown, nature is an equal-opportunity employer

Hoarfrost ("hoar" coming from the old English word for "old", presumably because it makes its host look old and gray) forms when humid air comes in contact with an object whose temperature is below the freezing point, thus changing from a vapor to a solid without passing through the liquid phase.  It most often occurs in calm air and is common in the Lakes Region this time of year as warm lakes provide the needed moisture before they freeze over.

Hoarfrost on goldenrod

Water vapor molecules first nucleate directly on an object and then grow, sometimes into long crystalline formations.

These ice crystals grew all night, fed by moisture from the lake

It was late for the first frost, so I looked up the average first-frost date - data for Plymouth was the closest I could find - and the average date there is October 1st.  (This means 50% of the time a frost occurs before that date.  Scientists track multiple frost definitions, the one I'm quoting is for a temperature of 28 degrees; the 32 degree definition occurs about two weeks earlier.)  Meredith is south of Plymouth and moderated by lakes, but even down in Concord the average date is October 3rd, so any way we look at it, we were well over a month later than average.

When Jack did finally arrive, he made his presence known, bringing with him strong squalls on Friday with a touch of snow.

He even caught the birds by surprise as they paddled around the lake trying to find a protected spot in which to hide.

There are ducks hidden in there somewhere

With temperatures well below freezing (it was 18 degrees on Saturday morning) and the strong wind churning up the lakes, I expect water temperatures in New Hampshire lakes have dropped dramatically.

Windswept water froze onto overhanging branches

Jack even painted the first skim of ice on the lake in protected coves and marshes.

More fractal patterns on the surface of the lake

After a long hiatus, I did see one deer this week - just a glimpse, no photo....  I also saw signs of a buck in the neighborhood: bark worn off an aspen tree where the deer rubbed its antlers on the trunk.

Deer rub in the Hamlin Conservation Area

Bucks do this to mark their territory, their antlers placing a scent on the tree, telling both male and female deer that he owns this area.  Its presence here shows the value of clearings like this to wildlife in an area where much of the terrain is mature forest.  You can easily find this rub if you want to see it:  it is right beside the yellow trail in the clearing where the trail splits in two to head up to Crockett's Ledge.  You can see the trail sign at the fork in this picture for reference.

This deer rub is easy to find

Maybe the hunters will have some snow for tracking this year;  it seems like Jack may have decided to stick around now for the season.

Answer to the location of the Meredith Rose from two weeks ago:  It is located on Main Street beside the Meredith Historical Society, across Highland Street from Town Hall.

November 4, 2012

Lake Wicwas went from looking like October to looking like November in one fell swoop when Hurricane Sandy blew through.  She didn't cause any significant damage, but she did strip all the remaining leaves off the trees.  There were lots of branches and a few trees blown down, but not nearly as many as in the July 4th storm.  We now have a distinctly November look around the lake.

The large animals around Lake Wicwas are pretty active this time of year.  Two good-size Black Bears were spotted playing together about 200 feet from the lake.   They weren't full sized yet, but may be last year's cubs, now off on their own after being sent away by mother.

There are also many signs of the fall rut taking place, with the White Tail Deer mating season almost here.  The bucks are scenting their territory, both through "antler rubs" and "scrapes".  Rubs are found on small trees, usually about 2 inches in diameter, where they have rubbed their antlers on the trunks, wearing off the bark.   This rub is from a prior year, but it was right next to a scrape just made today, showing that deer use the same trails year after year.

Deer Rub on Beech Tree

The "velvet" on the deer antlers leaves a scent on the tree to inform does and other bucks of its presence.  The rub above is on a beech tree, but they also often use hemlock which is aromatic and adds to the scenting.  This hemlock rub below is fresh, and the smell was quite strong.

Rub on Hemlock

Scrapes are formed when a buck digs at the ground with its hooves, throwing leaves and debris several feet from the spot.  He then scents the fresh soil with his glands and urine. 

Deer Scrape

 This picture shows the proximity of the scrape to the rub shown above on the beech tree.

There are a couple of tiny hoof prints in the fresh soil, indicating a smaller animal has been by to investigate, just as the buck intended.

Visitor Hoof Print

Another sign of deer was a small maple tree that has been putting out late "stump-shoots" on which a deer had been browsing, no doubt delighted to find some tender young leaves at this time of year.

Deer Browse on Fall Maple Shoots

 And of course, there's the most frequent sign of deer:

White Tail Scat

The duck migration from the north continues, with more large flocks of wood duck congregating in the evenings.

Signs of another bird - the Pileated Woodpecker - are found around dead trees, either standing snags or fallen on the ground.

Pileated Woodpecker Chips

 

I came across an unusual sight on the west side of the lake on Sunday:  Someone hanging on the top of a tree with a chain saw in hand.  It looks like dangerous work, but it's the only way to take down a tree that's close to a house or power lines without the use of a crane.

It's a time of year when there's not much human activity on the lake, save a few late-fall fishermen.