October 4, 2026: Turtle Time

It's hatching time for turtles in New Hampshire.  Back in June I posted about a snapping turtle nest that had been excavated by a predator to get a high-protein meal of a couple dozen turtle eggs.  Snapping turtle eggs have an incubation period of about 80 to 100 days depending on environmental conditions, so come September, they are ready to hatch.  Most new hatchlings will find their way to the nearest water body and then dig into the bottom where they'll spend the winter hibernating safely below the frost zone.  Some may instead dig down in the dirt under a rotten stump or large fallen tree, but that's a little more risky in a climate as cold as we have in New Hampshire.  

This week a kind Samaritan discovered a tiny snapper hatchling when working on a wood pile in their yard. We don't know if it was just resting on its way to water or whether it was thinking it would try to make it through the winter there, but we agreed it would be better off in a lake or pond, so we helped it find its way into the lake.  But we first captured the cute little guy or gal for the record.

A recently hatched snapping turtle.

It's hard to believe this tiny creature will grow into a monster that can weigh 40 to 60 pounds.  

Whether this turtle hatched as a guy or a gal wasn't determined by its DNA when it was fertilized, but rather by the temperature inside the nest while it was incubating.  Snapping turtles don't have an X-Y chromosome determination like mammals, but rather develop their sex during incubation by the action of enzymes, which are accelerated by temperature, and that drive the quantity of estrogen in the developin

g egg. At nest temperatures below 73 degrees or above 81 degrees, mostly females will develop. [Ref: Embryonic temperature influences juvenile temperature choice and growth rate in snapping turtles Chelydra serpentina, O'Steen, 1994]   Temperatures between that range will produce mostly males.  But temperature may not be uniform across the nest, so a single nest may well result in hatchlings of both sexes.  

It will be several years before even an expert would be able to determine the six of this new turtle.

It's nice to know there are people (thank you Ursula!) that will to make the extra effort to take care of the smallest of nature's creations.

Last week's milk snake and this week's snapping turtle are examples of reptiles getting ready for winter.  I also found this nice plump toad that has fattened up on bugs and slugs all summer (toads are great to have in your yard) to be ready for a long winter nap. 

American Toad

Toads must dig down deep enough in loose soil to get completely below the frost line to survive winter.  Digging under brush piles is a common method because the brush pile provides extra insulation above the ground.  A brush pile, as well a a compost pile, is a valuable feature to have in every yard.  Under large fallen trees and boulders are prime locations for hibernation too.

On a hike north of the notches this week with four good hiking buddies (all four are in the picture below) we found that the foliage was just about at peak that far north, with leaves already starting to fall.

Four great hiking companions at the summit of Owl's Head.

Maple leaves blanket the Cherry Mountain Trail in a multi-colored carpet.

A stand of Yellow Birch and Sugar Maple on Mt. Martha.

At the summit of both Mt. Martha and Owl's Head, Mountain Ash was in full fruit mode with loads of a plump ripe berries.

American Mountain Ash

We wondered if these berries are edible.  According to Wikipedia, the parasorbic acid they contain is harmful to humans, but if they are cooked or frozen, the acid is reduced and they can be used for jams, syrup, chutney, and even wine.

There are mountain ash in the Lakes Region, with a large stand at the summit of Mt. Roberts in the Ossipee Range.  It's also looking like a good year for apples in the Lakes Region.

Apple tree along Chemung Rd.

And at Page Pond Town Forest.

I tried a few and they were pretty good.

Apples are appreciated by many animals including bear, fox, and deer.  Perhaps this buck walking down our road was heading towards those apples on Chemung Rd.

Foliage here in the Lakes Region is still developing, with only the maples near the lake showing strong color, but this should be the week for foliage viewing around Wicwas and the other lakes in the region.

I'll end this week with another reptile I came across just yesterday, this time a Ring-neck Snake sunning itself in the old log yard along the Yellow Trail at the Hamlin Town Forest.

Just one more animal - like the rest of us - savoring every last warm day here in October.

October 20, 2019: Bucks on the Prowl

I've seen quite a few signs of white-tail deer lately - the bucks that is - out and about, claiming their territory.  I caught this guy on my trail camera one night this week.

A nice size buck cruises its territory.

The most visible signs are the many "scrapes" they make on the ground. 

The buck was facing to the left, kicking debris to the right to clear the soil.

These are commonly seen near hiking trails because bucks with a rack of antlers appreciate the easy travel along cleared trails.  The scrape above shows that the buck had dug up leaves and such and thrown it back a good ten feet.  The scrape itself often has a triangular shape where the buck used its front feet to dig at the ground. 

The typical V pattern made by the front hooves.

After making a scrape a buck will urinate there so it can soak into the bared ground, thus letting its scent linger for several days.  This provides a mating signal to the females in the area, as well letting other bucks know that this territory - and its resident females - have been claimed. 

Another technique bucks use to mark territory is called a rub. 

A rub on a young hemlock tree.

I found this rub on a hemlock tree this week in the same area.  A buck will rub its antlers on a tree, often an aromatic hemlock, to leave another territorial marker.  Deer have glands near their eyes which add their unique scent to that of the freshly released hemlock bark which intensifies the marker.

Deer aren't the only creatures out prowling around in the dark these days.  The sunrise in late October and early November is the latest we get all year (later than at the winter solstice due to daylight savings time) so it's the least painful time to get up to witness the birth of a new day.

The first peak of sun rises over Lake Winnisquam.

This week I took the short hike up Ladd Mountain in the Chemung area of Meredith to indulge in the beauty of early morning.

Mist on Lake Winnisquam

It's an easy 1-mile hike up, and when I was there this summer I thought it would be good vantage point with an eastern exposure overlooking the northern end of Lake Winnisquam.  I wasn't disappointed.

Dawn breaks over Meredith.

It's hard to believe we still haven't had a hard frost.  One morning the temperature dropped to almost freezing, low enough that in an open field with a lot of radiational cooling, I saw my first ice crystals of the season. 

First ice, only in open areas on the very lowest lying leaves.

Earlier in the week I was out on Turtle Island in Lake Wicwas doing some fall clean-up and saw that the turtle nests laid way back in June had hatched out.

Holes and shells where baby turtles emerged from the nest.

The shell fragments are soft and leathery feeling.

I had forgotten how late in the year snapping turtle eggs hatch until my brother sent me photos of 21 little guys hatching out from a nest in Canterbury on October 1st.

Just two of a litter of 21.  Photo by Glen Powell.  (Thanks for sharing!)

Snapping turtles have evolved with a very strange property related to hatching eggs.  The sex of the turtles that hatch is dependent on the temperature while they are developing in the ground.  Temperatures below 77 degrees F will result in only male turtles, while temperatures above 80 produce only females.  Between these temperature there will be a mix of sexes.  It seems like a strange way to balance the population, and it makes me wonder if they will evolve quickly enough to maintain a successful population at our latitude as the planet's temperature increases.

There were a lot of photos being shared of the rainbow that appeared on Friday.  I was lucky enough to be out on run and saw it shimmering over the hills north of Lake Wicwas.

Rainbow over Wicwas, seen from Wicwood Shores Rd.

At least one adult loon is still on on the lake, and one of the chicks remains glued to her (?) side all the time. 

One of the chicks, most likely with mom.

They separate only to dive, regrouping as soon they surface.

It's a pretty sight to see loons on the lake in autumn.

There were a lot of gorgeous colors around the Lakes Region this week before the storm that blew through on Wednesday night stripped many leaves off the trees, but there is still plenty of color to be seen this weekend.

Still nice colors west of the lake as of yesterday (Oct 19th).

One of these nights we'll get that first hard frost.

November 15, 2015

Winter is being very gentle this year, approaching in a kind and mild manner.  No October snow storms, no real cold weather yet, in fact it has been relatively warm.  The smallest elements freeze first on those early cool nights when when the mercury falls below zero centigrade - tiny bits of dew and condensate that collect on leaves on the ground in open areas exposed to radiational cooling.

The few remaining leaves still on their plants also get some garland from mother nature.

Beautiful crystal formations

With most of the leaves having abandoned their trees, exposed branches reveal hidden treasures, such as this bird nest left over from last spring's breeding season.

I walked by it a hundred times and never saw the clandestine residence.  I don't know what bird made this nest, but probably not a robin (too messy) or a chickadee (too large).  Maybe a thrush?  They were in the vicinity this spring.

I saw signs of deer rutting in a concentrated area near the lake, so I set out my camera to see if I could catch a picture of a buck - I have never caught one with antlers.  And sure enough, one made an appearance in just a few days.

And about an hour later, a doe.

Mating season for White-tail deer in New Hampshire takes place in late November, followed by a 201-day gestation period, resulting in fawns born in early June. 

I got a second picture of a buck - I don't know if it's the same one, but it looks to have a bigger set of antlers.  One of the points is broken off - perhaps it has been fighting over territory and females with another buck.  Look at the size of its neck! 

I wonder if this buck sired the fawn I saw back on August 2nd.  

Male deer grow new antlers ever year in late summer;  the size of the antlers being predominantly a function of their food source - abundant food develops larger antlers.  By January the antlers will have fallen off and become a desirable food source for small rodents, an unusual twist in the food chain.

Male deer become aggressive during mating season, losing much of their usual caution - much to the benefit of hunters - and is why relatively more bucks than does are taken each year.

These deer were walking along the trail just before a beautiful sunrise, when hunting can commence, (rifle season started on Wednesday), so don't tell the hunters!  ; )       And wear your orange!

Sunlight illuminating the clouds five minutes before sunrise