June 14, 2026: Pollen Aplenty

Before we look at pollen, a disclaimer is in order:  When we get to the loon update, this post will get a little racy, so be warned. 

If you're in the Lakes Region, you know that the white pine trees released their copious load of pollen this week. 

Lakes were yellow, cars were yellow, even indoor surfaces near open windows were coated with a thin layer of yellow dust.  Pine marks the end of tree pollen season and the good news is that the large yellow particles, which are so visible, are too large for your immune system to interpret as a virus, so they don't trigger your immune system.  But they sure do make a gunky mess in the lake.

I mentioned on May 24th that Jupiter and Venus were visible in the western sky shortly after sunset.  Since then they have been on a course for a close encounter, with their closest alignment occurring on June 9th. 

Jupiter and Venus shine in the evening sky over Lake Wicwas

Venus is the brighter of the two, about seven times brighter than Jupiter.  The hot weather this week - it hit 93.4 degrees on Friday - made for pleasant nighttime sky-gazing.  The frogs and toads loved it too.  On the night of the conjunction, the Gray Tree Frogs celebrated the event by serenading me with musical accompaniment as I enjoyed the celestial light show. 

In daylight hours it was the Green Frogs that were providing the background music.

If you turn the volume up you'll hear some mosquitoes buzzing in addition to the frogs and the blue jays.

Last week I noted a painted turtle nest that had been raided for the eggs.  This week it was a snapping turtle nest.  

The consumed eggs of the nest (the hole on the left) were spread out on the ground.

This nest was very near where I saw the snapping turtle I mentioned last week laying eggs beside Chemung Rd.  There are a lot more eggs in a snapping turtle nest than in a painted turtle nest.

And snapper turtle eggs are rounder, whiter, and a little harder - not as leathery - as painted turtle eggs.

We didn't get up to Sugar Hill this year to see the lupines, but I'm guessing there's a good showing based on how many we have blooming in our yard.  The bumblebees been out doing their part to make sure there will be another good crop next year too.

A bumblebee comes in to add more pollen to the bundle on its leg.

Now to the loons. The northern pair is still tending their eggs, though sitting on the nest in 90 degree heat must be excruciating.  We can only hope they're able to keep the eggs from overheating.  As for the southern pair, Deb Crowley saw them starting to build a nest in the same spot they successfully fledged a chick in 2022. 

Photos by Deb Crowley

They got right down to the business of making a family after they started nest construction.  Guy Sanderson caught the southern pair in the act of copulation (this is where things get R-rated).

Video by Guy Sanderson

It may not be very graceful, but it appears to be effective! 

A female will develop and lay her first egg three to five days after successful fertilization, and a second egg, if laid, will follow one or two days later.  By Friday the pair was on the nest so we assume there's at least one egg present.  It was a little later start than typical due to the heavy rain, but at this point we're in good shape for two potential nests.  We'll keep an eye on things and provide an update next week.

On the way out this week, I'll note it also seems to an especially favorable year for the Larger Blue Flag.

Keep an eye out for these beautiful native lilies as you paddle around any lake in New Hampshire.

July 9, 2023: A Paddle Up Blake Brook

I took advantage of the high water level - it's been as much as eight inches above full-pond - to take a summer paddle up Blake Brook to the beaver dam that holds back a good size beaver pond.  Along the way I found a number of interesting plants and animals including this bold Green Frog sitting on a lily pad.

It was another case of only seeing a well camouflaged animal because it hopped from one lily pad to another to get out of my way as I paddled through its domain.  But then it just sat calmly as I went by, posing nicely for an up-close portrait, a great opportunity to see the intricate detail of a frog's eye.

Here's looking at you, kid.

Even with high water the beaver dam had no problem holding back all that weight.  There were two spots along the dam where water was flowing over but it wasn't taking out any of the base structure.

The low point on the dam holding back the pond behind it.

I took some video of the other overflow:

The beavers will repair those low spots soon enough.

Here's an unusual flower I found on the trip that I wasn't familiar with:

Large Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

It turns out it's the blossom of the large cranberry.  I learned that the name "cranberry" comes from the fact that the blossom's stamen resembles the beak of a crane (the bird) though I'll admit I'm not sure I see it.  I later noticed that when I took a picture which includes an unopened blossom, someone photo-bombed it:

A little green monster photo-bombing.

This painted turtle was happily sunning itself in the marsh near the entrance to Blake Brook.

I learned several new things from the Nature of Pleasant Lake Newsletter about the important benefits of turtles sunning themselves; it's more than just raising their body temperature.  I'll say more about this in a future post, or you can read their newsletter here.  Another day this week I came upon a murder of crows (that's what a group of crows is called) highly interested in something beside the road.  Examining the source of attraction it was immediately evident they had located a painted turtle nest and had fully excavated the nest and consumed all the eggs, leaving only the leathery shells behind.

An excavated painted turtle nest.

The shells are soft and pliable and feel like thin leather.

It's good to know that painted turtle are plentiful; the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them in the category of  "species of least concern".

The blueberries are about to ripen; I just hope I get some.  Between the song sparrow and the kingbird (you're a flycatcher - leave my blueberries alone and go catch some bugs!), and the chipmunk, the berries are getting eaten as quickly as they ripen.  

The kingbird flits down to pick off a single berry at a time, but the chipmunk runs from bush to bush to get the choicest berries, stuffs his checks full of them, then sprints off to its den to stash them away for later.

Mr. Puffy Cheeks

He makes quite the acrobatic contortions to get to the berry he wants.

Hanging on by his toenails.

I really don't don't mind sharing - it looks like there will be enough for everyone this year.

And the loon update:  Still no chicks from the second nest, but Checkers and LuLu are doing great, with the parents constantly on guard for intruding loons.

Always on guard.

Watching mom and dad fishing to see how it's done.

The recent hot and humid air augmented with smoke from wildfires in Canada has made for interesting atmospheric scenes at both ends of the day.

Summer humidity makes for morning fog,

and evening sunsets.

It's nice to have summer finally arrive.

And this late breaking news:  We may have a chick from the second nest - I received a report last night (thanks R&J) that both loons were off the nest and there was only one egg visible.  I'll give a mid-week update when we know for sure.