May 10, 2026: Spring Multimedia Show

In addition to the spring warbler invasion that's serenading us with the joyous sounds of nature, we're now being treating to an influx of visual beauty as spring flowers erupt everywhere.  It's nature's live, multimedia show in full 360 degree non-virtual reality!  Last week the tiny Trailing Arbutus provided the trailer with the first blooms in the forest, and this week, the main event is on, starting with a large and showy shrub on display throughout the Lakes Region.

Serviceberry (aka Shadbush)

Serviceberry is widely spread around lake shores as well road sides, especially in damp damp soils.  The tree above is in Chemung State Forest along Chemung Road.  

In sunny spots, violets are blooming, both the Common Blue and the Sweet White.

Common Blue Violet

Sweet White Violet

A walk through the field at Page Pond Town Forest revealed Wild Strawberry joining the cast as well.

Wild Strawberry

High up on the summit of Belknap Mountain, a lone elderberry bush was just starting to come on stage to display its purple flowers.

Red Elderberry

I've had reports of Bluebead Lily flowering, but in the Belknap Range, they weren't quite far enough along, at least as of Thursday.

Bluebead Lily about to bloom.

They are probably in bloom by now, because this is a magical time in the New Hampshire forest.  The days are long - over 14 hours between sunrise and sunset - but leaves aren't yet on the trees, so for a very short period, direct sunlight shines down onto the forest floor.  The woodland flowers thus have a brief window after snowmelt to sprout, photosynthesize, and put out flowers, before the curtain closes and they are immersed in deep shade for the next five months.  

There was a surprising guest appearance on my hike in the Belknap Range:

Red Eft

I didn't expect to see an eft this early in the year, especially on a cool and partly cloudy morning at elevation.  It was resting on an exposed piece of granite which was being warmed when the sun shone down around the clouds.

The sound track to accompany this week's multimedia presentation was provided by Black and White Warblers, Ovenbirds, Black-throated Green Warblers, Bluebirds, Common Yellowthroat, and many more.  I heard nine species in the Belknap Range, and I participated in a bird walk sponsored by the Meredith Conservation Commission at Page Pond Town Forest yesterday, where, under the expert guidance of Dan Mullarkey and Kelly Hanson, we observed 20 different species.  My favorite was the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which we heard several times.

A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker seen on yesterday's bird walk at Page Pond.

Back on Wicwas we had a huge flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers at the lake for several days, feeding on caterpillars on the trees.  

Yellow-rumped Warbler on a broken maple branch at Lake Wicwas

There are also dozens of Tree Swallows zooming all around the water picking off insects on the wing.  They are too fast for me to capture their acrobatics, but our pair of Eastern Phoebes gave me nice show right at the house. 

Spring is in full swing now, and there will be many more birds and blooms to look for in the coming weeks!

                                                     

  Happy Mother's Day!  

                                                     

May 9, 2021: An interesting Start to Loon Season

Nesting season on Lake Wicwas appears to be getting off to an interesting start with an unexpected twist:  we may be witnessing a change of mates.  Twice now we have witnessed episodes of three loons interacting, both times resulting in one loon wing-rowing all the way across Marion Cove, followed shortly by a second, leaving the third behind.  The two active birds then dove with one of them not surfacing within my line of sight, and the other returning to the third bird which had remained distant and aloof to all the action.  The two of them then sailed serenely off out of the cove.  My thought was it might be a single loon claiming the cove, and driving the pair away.  

The following day on an afternoon paddle around the lake I saw two loons right up against a small marshy island, something they rarely do unless it's nesting time.

A couple of loons checking out a potential nesting site.

I stopped on the far side of the lake and watched what looked like scouting for a nest - they would poke around in the weeds, with one raising its head high up to check out the surroundings. 

"What do think about this spot?"

"It's nice and quiet, but is it far enough from shore to keep away the predators?"

I watched as they worked the area for a while - I clearly wasn't disturbing them - and then I continued on my way.  On my return trip they were still in the same area, but this time one of them was up on the tiny land mass trying it out for size.

As I watched, the second loon climbed near the edge, at one point revealing its leg which showed a band - it was our nesting male, banded in 2019!

Silver band with black dot - that's him.

Hurray - it appears our nesting pair has returned and is starting to look for a homestead for their new family.  When I returned to home and zoomed in the pictures I took, I saw a glimpse of a green band and immediately assumed it was our banded female which has a green band on one leg.

But when I checked my notes, I remembered our female has a green band on its left leg, and the band I saw was on a right leg!  

Remember when I noted a few weeks ago that we had a visiting loon on the lake, a female banded on Lake Pemigewasset in 2018?  I went and checked the data, and this bird also has a green band, but it's on the right leg.  And a closer look at my photo does show a hint of silver on that leg, which the Pemi loon has on her second band - and not a hint of red which our Wicwas loon has on its second band.  It's the Pemi female!  Could our male be a two-timer, or is he deciding it's time for a new mate?  That doesn't seem like a very nice thing to do right before Mother's Day....

I sent these observations off to the Loon Preservation Committee, and the response came back, yes, we may be observing a changing of mates.  Perhaps the action in Marion Cove wasn't two males fighting, but rather two females, with the Pemi loon chasing away our long-term female, just as she was chased off Lake Pemigewasset two years ago.

The water level in Lake Wicwas is quite high and dropping quickly, and it's still early to be selecting a nesting site, so we're hoping however things get worked out, they'll wait another week or two for the water level to stabilize before nesting.  At that point we may be able to determine who's paired up with whom.  Until then, all our loon observers will be keeping a close eye out for signs of bands - of course at a safe, non-interfering distance.  Stay tuned - we'll report what we learn as the nesting season proceeds.

It's a great time to go for a paddle on the local lakes right now because the lack of aquatic vegetation and the high water levels allow exploring areas inaccessible come summer.  On another paddle later in the week in one such shallow area I came upon (fear alert) a huge snapping turtle.  

Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

The well-armored reptile was only slightly concerned with my presence, as it didn't swim away but just exhaled, bubbles streaming from its beak, and sunk down to the bottom of the lake which was only about two feet deep.  As it dove I got a good look at the big, clawed hind feet which the females use to excavate the holes into which she deposits her eggs.  (I don't know whether this was a male or female.)

Both ends of a snapping turtle mean business.

I'm very happy to keep my distance from both ends of these pre-historic monsters!

More pretty flowers are joining the spring parade of color, blooming all around the the Lakes Region now, including the bright and showy Serviceberry (also known as Shad Bush - see the March 5, 2016 post for the meaning behind the name).

Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier)

They are such a pretty sight in early May along the edges of the lakes which are still mostly drab as leaf-out is just starting.

It's the perfect treat for all the mother's out there.  

Happy Mother's Day!

May 17, 2020: Fresh Fish for Dinner

There is so much going on around the lakes these days, with wildflowers blooming, birds arriving, animals nesting, that I was already struggling with what to eliminate to keep this week's journal entry from being too long, and then something exceptional came along that trumped all.  One evening, right at dinner time, Linda saw a large raptor fly by with a good size fish dangling from its talons.  Then, lucky for us, it decided to savor its dinner just about a hundred yards away and though it was partially blocked by trees branches it was clear enough for us to see that it was an osprey, and for us to watch what unfolded.  I should warn you, this might get a little graphic.

Somehow the bird managed to land on a branch with one foot without dropping the flailing fish - which was very much alive - from the other foot .

It held on to the tree with one leg and onto the fish with the other.

It looked like it caught a horned pout (aka catfish, officially the brown bullhead), but I'd be happy to have any fishermen out there weigh in on the identification.

Looks like a Bullhead to me.

If it is a catfish, that's interesting, as catfish prowl around on the bottom of the lake - not where I'd expect an osprey to be fishing.

When the fish gave a violent thrash it would throw the osprey off balance and it would have to use its wings to keep its perch on the branch.  This went on for a while, and at one point the bird seemed to yell at the fish, "Give up, your fate is sealed!"

"It's over!"

Eventually the fish lost enough strength that the osprey was ready to partake in its catch.  (This is where it gets bloody.)  The osprey started at the head, perhaps even avoiding the skin, and reached inside the fish's mouth to extract choicest cuts of meat.

The first tasty bite.

It would rip out a chunk of flesh and then lift its head up to swallow it down.

A piece of fish being chewed.

Every now and then it would look over at me to make sure I wasn't an eagle that was going to swoop in and steal its hard-earned dinner.

We watched for while, but eventually the osprey flew off with most of the fish still intact.  This was most likely a male, as females do most of the incubating while the males provide food for the nest.  Mom - and any chicks if they have hatched yet - will be happy to have fresh fish delivered right to their home for dinner.

OK, even with lots of other action taking place right now, it all pales in comparison to that, but here's a quick run down of what else is happening around the lakes right now.

Downy Serviceberry and Leather Leaf are blooming.

Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) grows right at the waters edge.

Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier), also called Shadbush, are blooming all around the Lakes Region,
some growing as tall as 30'.

Their blossoms will produce edible fruit.

So are many azaleas.

The beech have followed the maples in pushing out new leaves.

Early beech leaves.

Last week's pond lilies have already pushed buds up above the surface of the lake.

Yellow Pond Lily.

Ferns are sprouting, and Jack has woken up.

Linda got some of these at Moulton Farm this week - they're delicious with butter and garlic!

Jack (in-the-Pulpit) is just getting started.

I also saw my first butterfly, first dragon fly, and heard my first leopard frog and spring peeper this week.  I'm seeing deer tracks regularly on my morning walks, including this set along the edge of the road.

Deer tracks near Chemung State Forest.

The warblers are arriving in mass now, which means one thing is certain: black flies.

Is seeing and hearing these pretty birds worth suffering with black flies?

 .

Those swarming, biting insects may drive us crazy, but they're a critical food source for all our beautiful song birds.  And the fish rely on them too, especially their larvae.  Which means, in turn, our fat and happy osprey does as well.

Off in search of his next meal.