Loon Report and More

 

After a few nights of really cold, below-freezing weather, things got back to normal last night and instead of snow showers like we had a couple days ago, we had a little rain shower during the evening. Today the temperature is still only in the low 60s, but the forecast is much better for the next week or ten days, at least, with days in or near 70 and nights in the 50s.

There were a few frost-bitten flowers and frozen puddles around during last week's frigid weather cycle, but at least here at my house, I don't think there was any severe damage to apple trees or perennial plants. I don't have any annuals out yet - the hanging pot of beautiful pink petunias I received on Mothers Day is presently sitting comfortably in my living room, but I may put that out sometime today. I won't be putting my palms and other indoor plants on the porch until sometime after Memorial Day, when it's fairly certain night-time frosts and low temperatures are history.

The pond is waking up. Shelly Walker told me there was a parade of boats being launched at the access area across the bay from her yesterday. There were several pontoon boats, freshly out of storage, and other motorboats, all headed for their summer moorings at various cottages on the pond. Jamie Dimick has the buoys out to mark shallow spots and to remind boaters of speed limits in the narrows. I believe the most important ones are in place and there may be one or two more that are being prepared and will be out soon. Each year there are repairs and replacements needed on the buoys to keep them in good shape. Jamie was out very early on Thursday morning, braving a below-freezing temperature (about 23 degrees), hoping to get ahead of the relentless wind in order to safely set Sunken Island buoy; but just as he got out there, the wind came up and he said it was bitterly cold. Not quite as bad in the lower two ponds, but by the time he was done and back to camp on W. Shore Road, the big pond had whitecaps. He was chilled through by the time he got the pontoon boat docked and he was back in his car, ready to head to work in St. Johnsbury. A few people saw him and wondered if he was checking for icebergs or just plain crazy. All I can tell you is that he doesn't want anyone to run aground or otherwise get into trouble with their vessel because the buoys are not in place. I call that dedication.

I have a loon update from Gretchen Farnsworth: The pair that usually nests at the northern end of the pond near the channel finally selected the man-made nesting platform.  Gretchen sent this photo of the loon on the nesting platform. The pair that hang out in the first and middle pond are also nesting. With at least two nesting pairs of loons, we might have two or more loon chicks this year. However, the eagle (and perhaps more than one) has been sighted from time to time, so the chicks will be in danger from the day they pop out of the egg. While we humans can give the loons their space and warn non-resident boaters about needing to stay away from the loon families, we cannot protect them from natural predators such a large fish, eagles and ospreys.

While we're thinking about birds, Mary Whitcomb got these beautiful shots of some of the birds in her yard recently. 

This is a male catbird on the left, and opposite is the female catbird. I listened to their calls on an Audubon site, and it doesn't sound anything like a cat to me, but the catbirds have a variety of calls, and I guess it depends on what they are chatting about with their mates or friends.

This is  a hummingbird, and I believe Mary has had them at her feeder for some time. I hadn't seen any around my house until this morning. Usually they come to the window - either in the living room or my office, depending on where I am, and hesitate there long enough to get my attention so I will put the feeder out. After getting the photo from Mary, I put my feeder out yesterday, and sure enough, there was one this morning outside my living room window, first testing the nectar in some apple blossoms, then zipping to the feeder.

These are house wrens. These photos are of some at Mary's house, and they are building a nest in a house very similar to my bluebird house that they have taken over  for the last several years. When I cleaned it out last fall, their nest is made of very strong, quite large twigs and not packed with mud like robins do. They sometimes have to maneuver the sticks to get them into the birdhouse. Crafty little creatures.  They are very vocal, and at times last summer, their songs and chatter, mixed with several other avian residents around my house, created such a din it interfered with conversations I was having with guests on my porch. I don't complain - it's wonderful to hear all the birds singing during the daytime, and then the frogs and peepers in the evenings. Great entertainment!

Enjoy your weekend, be safe and happy. Also, thank you for reading my blog. Let me know if you have questions or some special interest. It's always very nice to hear from readers, either by comments or by direct emails (janebrowncabot@gmail.com).