March 30, 2025: The Spring Sprung Backwards

Spring sprung back to winter this week.

Oops - winter's back.

Snow fell on the snowdrops, but it was a nice soft snow with a beautiful warm day following that gave us another opportunity to get out on the skis and snowshoes.

Note that long line of animal tracks.

While skiing I followed a set of tracks almost the whole time, tracks that took me a while to decipher.  They were too small for a bobcat, and too undisciplined for a fox.  There wasn't any tail drag which ruled out porcupine, plus they covered far greater territory than a porcupine would travel.  A process of elimination brought me to a member of the weasel family.  Another sign is the 2-2 track pattern characteristic of the weasel family as seen at the bottom of the photo above, though it's not very clear due to the soft snow.  Being too far away from water to be a mink, and too small to be a fisher, I concluded it was either a Long-tailed Weasel or an Ermine, both of which call New Hampshire home.  Rezendes' tracking book reports that the two animals' tracks are similar in size, but the long-tailed weasel is more erratic. 

An erratic, winding trail is characteristic of the Long-tailed Weasel.

Rezendes describes the animal as "distracted by everything in its environment", so my best guess is a long-tailed weasel.  

The snow also provided proof that our otters were out, enjoying the snow as much as I was.

An otter slide on a downhill section of trail.

You can easily determine the direction of travel on land:  they hop uphill and slide downhill.  They'd been on land, on the ice, and they even seem to revel in splashing around in the slush.

It's amazing to me that they can keep warm.

Did I mention bears last week?  Yes, they are out.  A pretty big one has been using a long stretch of the Arbutus Hill (White) Trail up in Hamlin/Eames.  

That's a big bear print.

It found some reason to meander around here a bit.

I also came across coyote tracks and lots of turkey tracks.

A turkey walked long sections of the trail too.

Arbutus Hill Pond is still almost entirely ice-covered.

So, Spring has taken a little set back; even more snow and ice fell yesterday.  But if one can get past the travel difficulties and power outages, we can be grateful for winter's beauty.

And yes, there are signs of spring if you look for them!

Hobblebush Viburnum pushing out new leaves and flower buds.

One late picture taken at 8:00 this morning (Sunday):

December 22, 2024: Winter Solstice '24

The first day of winter sure came in with a bang, bringing the coldest temperatures of the year, with last night dropping down to 4 degrees Fahrenheit.  But we sure have been on the New Hampshire weather roller coaster, as it was 51 degrees on Tuesday.  All combined, the lake still hasn't frozen over.  But before the warm up we got in some good skating on the coves.

This time of year, before snow covers the lake, there are always interesting phenomena to see, such as these black holes with spider veins, perhaps caused by melt water seeking out low spots in the ice to drain down into the lake.

After the warm-up, melt water on the surface of the ice turned parts of the lake into a mirror.

Too bad we didn't get a flash freeze before more snow fell on what would have been an impeccable skating surface.

⛸

During the warm spell the bears came back out for one last forage for food - I hope.

A nice Black Bear pawprint in soft snow.

But with the cold back, the birdfeeders are once again out and open for business, and they're getting a lot of action now!

I still struggle with Downy versus Hairy, but I think this is a Hairy Woodpecker based on the large beak and lack of spots on the tail feathers

I found something unexpected on top of the snow one day:

Might this be a baby snapper shell?

What animal came up with this small turtle to snack on?  Probabably a mink or an otter.  

I had an incredibly fortunate encounter on the trails this week, and as a result, we're all treated to a rare opportunity to experience Lake Wicwas from a new perspective.  I was on a winter run on Wednesday in the Hamlin Town Forest, and as I approached Crockett's Ledge heading south from the White Mountain Ledge, I heard the unmistakable buzz of a drone.  (Insert jokes about New Jersey here ;-) 

As I came onto the open ledge I found operator Bruce Bouley, his drone hovering overhead.  I stopped to talk and I learned that it's his brother that has a house on Loon Point Road, and he's quite familiar with the area.  I asked if he would send me some pictures, and he told me he would post a video on his YouTube channel.  Yesterday I found the video which you can watch below.  It's really neat - you can see exactly the size and location of the open water on Wednesday, as well as narrow channels of water in the ice and many large ice patterns.  See how many of the houses, islands, coves, and wetlands you can recognize!  

Thank you Bruce for that fantastic opportunity to experience Wicwas and its surroundings from above!  

Later in the week there was still open water.  I didn't get out early this morning to see if the lake finished freezing over, but it probably didn't even with the cold temperature last night due to the strong northwest wind that was blowing across the open area (that's why it's often the last place to freeze).  But I'm guessing once the winds die down it will be the end of a liquid Wicwas.  I just hope the loon that's been observed multiple times over the past two weeks gets the hint and heads out in time.  But someone is watching it, and he's been in touch with the Loon Preservation Center, so they're prepared for a rescue if necessary.  I hope to be able to provide an update on both topics next week.

Until then, with the shortest day of the year now behind us, may the warmth of the intensifying sun's rays shine upon you!

Merry Christmas!

August 6, 2023: Bears, High and Low

I hadn't been to the newly conserved Moultonborough Falls Conservation Area which protected 3000 feet of shoreline along the Red Hill River and Lees Pond in Moultonborough.  So this week, accompanied by a good friend, we took a walk to explore the area.  (Thanks MM!)  We found a freshly cut trail that runs up over a hill then down to the Red Hill River where it crosses under Route 25 after leaving Garland Pond.  The trail follows the river down to Lees Pond, and then along the northern edge of the Pond.  That's where we found the bear evidence.

Bears up high.

The scars in the bark of this American Beech went all the way up the trunk as far as we could see.  The foliage was pretty dense so we couldn't see if there were any signs of a bear having built a nest up in the canopy where it might nap in between munching on the beechnuts that will soon be ripening.  I try to remember to look for claw marks on large beech trees, as it's always a fun find in the woods, as well as a reminder that we share the forest with others, especially in riparian areas with lots of water and diverse habitats.

Red Hill River downstream from Garland Pond.

Lees Pond, upstream from Lees Falls where the river empties into Lake Winnipesaukee.

You can find a trail map and information about Moultonborough Falls Conservation Area here.

On another excursion, this time behind Lake Wicwas in the Hamlin Conservation Area, I came across another sign of bear activity, this one down below ground level.

Bears down low.

Here a bear had dug down underneath an old rotten log right beside the trail, most likely in search of a nest of carpenter ants full of high-protein ants, larvae, and eggs.  You can find this along the Blue Trail north of the beaver ponds, about half way to where it ends at the Yellow Trail heading up to Crockett's Ledge.  It's (mostly) comforting to know that we have only black bears in New England, which are skittish and almost always run from human activity.  The rare exception being when they have become acclimated to humans due to being fed either intentionally or unintentionally, usually from bird feeders or poorly managed trash.  Then it often means the bear must be killed.

Next was an example of the other end of the food chain, where ants are the consumer.

A rosy maple moth being devoured by other insects.

It was the rosy maple moth on this fern that caught my eye, but when I looked closely I saw the other insects on it and I realized the moth was dead.  The ants were all over the tail, and there was a scorpionfly on it as well, though the the scorpionfly moved away when I approached.  

Scorpionfly

Scorpionflies look menacing, but that isn't a stinger on its tail; it's a clasper used in mating. 

Nor is that beak used for biting.  Scorpionflies scavenge on dead insects just as it was doing here, sharing the moth with the ants.

I don't know if the bears are going to be treated to a good beechnut crop this fall, but it sure looks like there will be plenty of pine cones for the squirrels and the birds.  If you spend any time glancing up at the tops of trees you've probably noticed the great clumps of white pine cones hanging up there like bunches of bananas.  When they ripen they'll provide a feast for the forest animals, and hopefully some that will regenerate forests with new pine trees in open areas.  At least those that don't get torn off by all these thunderstorms before they can mature.

There are plenty more still up in the tree tops - it's a good year for white pine.

The weekly status on the loons hasn't changed, other than LuLu and Checkers are looking more grown up every day.

Though I have looked, I still can't find evidence of the second pair of loons on the lake.

The Lake Wicwas Association held its annual meeting yesterday at the Wicwas Grange.  It was well attended and we heard an engaging presentation by Eric D'Aleo, biologist at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, about beavers in New Hampshire, learning more interesting information about the value of these ingenious animals to our environment, especially how they improve water quality and reduce the impact of the heavier rain events we are now receiving.

A beaver sounds the alarm early one morning.

Many thanks to Eric and all who attended and helped plan and organize another great meeting.

Did you see the full moonrise on Tuesday?  

Moonrise over Winnipesauke on  August 1st.

It was the start of a once-in-a-blue-moon event, as there will be a second full moon on August 31st, which will be the "blue moon", meaning two full moons in the same month.  We'll be lucky if that day is as clear as the first one.

Thanks R&KP for the moonlight ride!

September 15, 2013

The past week has been pretty typical for September in New England - hot temperatures, cool temperatures, thunderstorms, wind, flooding - everything but a hurricane!  We decided to take a walk through another of Meredith's conservation areas this week:  the Meredith Community Forest right next to downtown.  We went in the Philbrook Ave entrance, walked along the yellow and red trails and came out at the main entrance on Jenness Hill Road.  It is a nice area, with habitat similar to that around Lake Wicwas, though some of the trails are not as well maintained (or apparently traveled) as the Hamlin-Eames-Symth trails.

Early in the hike there was mostly mature forest, and farther along the trees were much younger, indicating more recent farming or logging.  Near the center of the area we found a newly-forming beaver pond.

Beaver Pond in Meredith Community Forest

The pond is infringing on the trail, and the healthy trees and shrubs growing in it shows it is a new pond.  There were also several newly felled trees at the fringes.

There are also several nice stands of beech trees.  On one tree there are clear claw marks from a bear that climbed the tree to get the beech nuts.

Bear Claws on a Beech Tree

Back on Lake Wicwas, the maintenance crew has been busy keeping the trails in good shape.  There is a new bridge on the Blue Trail, and the logs placed a few weeks ago (see post on August 25) have now become the base for a foot bridge over the wet area.

Foot Bridge on the Blue Trail in the Hamlin-Eames-Smyth Conservation Area

Many thanks again to the volunteers who keep this conservation area in such great condition for all of us.

As the fall progresses, the mushrooms continue to flourish; this collection of bright orange fungi is growing on a recently cut tree stump.

I was surprised to find a rib bone on the trail this week as well.

Rib Bone from a White Tail Deer

Based on its location, it is undoubtedly from a deer that was killed two winters ago (see 21 January 2012 post).


One of the benefits of the later-rising sun, it that it is easier to witness the sunrise.  On a cool morning this week a large mass of ground fog formed over the middle of the lake, and as the rising sun heated the atmosphere, it was quickly dissipating.

The start of another beautiful fall day at Lake Wicwas.

July 7, 2013

After several more days of near constant rain, the weather finally turned just in time for the holiday weekend.  Although it was still very humid, at least the rain went away so everyone could enjoy their outdoor events.  The lake was busy with boaters, fishermen, and swimmers. 

One of the highlights of the summer season for me has begun:  Blueberry season.  They are just starting to ripen in the sunniest locations, and should be going strong for several weeks.  All the rain and now the hot weather has made them very plentiful this year. 

Blueberry Season has Begun

 

We're looking forward to lots of blueberry-themed breakfasts, desserts, and all kinds of treats!

As for wildlife around the lake this week, it has been pretty quiet as expected with hot and humid days.  There are lots of nighttime sounds, but not much visible during the day.  I did see a couple of hawks and a Turkey Vulture, as well as the loons.  There has been a single loon as well as a pair on the lake, and occasionally a group of three loons fishing together.  I can only guess that the group of three might be the pair and the lone celebrating their own Fourth of July event.  It's not looking like there's going to be a chick hatched on Wicwas this year.

The highlight of the week was seeing a young bear run across the road right in front of me one morning on a run.  It came up out of the swamp in the Chemung Forest, bounded across Chemung road, and up into the woods by Old Stanton Road.  It left big, wet paw prints on the road, and lots of sprinkles of water that shook off its fur as it ran.  Alas, it was far too quick to even think about getting a picture, and I wasn't about to follow it!

So, no pictures of animals around the lake, but there were lots of humans enjoying great summer weather in New Hampshire, and the humidity made for awesome sunsets.

The Sun Sets over the Land of the Free

June 30, 2013

The theme for this week at Lake Wicwas has been water:  Rain, clouds, showers, fog, thunderstorms, humidity - everywhere it's been wet.  The lake is full, the streams are flowing profusely, and the bugs - they are about the only creatures that thrive in this weather.  The deer flies seem to be having an especially good year.  The Mayflies also came out this week, as usual, one month late based on their name. 

Adult Mayfly

The Mayfly has some unusual characteristics.  For one, after living as a an immature "naiad" for up to a year in the water, once it matures into an adult, it lives only a day or two.  (Its species, Ephemera, means short-lived.)  It is also unique in that it is the only insect that molts after it has developed wings.  It undergoes many molts during its life as a naiad in the lake, living under rocks or leaves at the bottom of the lake.  Its final molt as a naiad is to a winged "subimago" which can fly, but is not sexually mature.  This near-final stage then molts once more into the final adult form.  This explains why I find Mayfly skins up on the windows facing the lake - they must fly up from the lake, and then perform their final metamorphosis.  After that, they mate, lay their eggs on the surface of the lake, and die.

Adults Mayfly after molting from its subimago form

Out on the trails around the lake, I found many more Red Efts (Eastern Newts) enjoying the damp weather - they don't need to hide under ground when it's so humid, so they can be out exploring and looking for food.

Eastern Newt (Red Eft Stage)

At the other end of the animal spectrum, I came across some very fresh Black Bear scat right in the middle of a trail. 

Bear Scat

It shows their current diet is mostly vegetation and seeds.  This was not a very large animal based on the size of the scat.

All the rain has reconstituted the vernal pools, turning them into "estival" pools.  (I had to look that up:   "estival" is the equivalent term for summer, and "hibernal" the term for winter!)

Vernal Pools Re-filled with Recent Rain

With all the water, the lush growth, and the high water content in the air, it's looking more like a tropical rainforest than northern New England!

Let's hope things dry out a bit in time for the holiday weekend.  Have a fun and safe Fourth of July!