Unsettled Period

We've started to go through an unsettled period which means that we are having a bit more rain. This is good for everyone and thing. Vegetation is beginning to look a bit less droopy.
The beavers are enjoying branches we leave for them to encourage them not to cross the road to get more trees (we don't want them to get hit by a car) as they cut down more trees surrounding the ponds. The ducklings are growing up fast!

Major issues with drought and record high temps this July, severely hindering the growth of crops. Extremely alarming.

 Here in New Hampshire we have fared somewhat better. Though our water table is getting low, it's not at dangerous levels, yet. The beavers continue to enjoy both ponds and don't seem to be as skittish around as we snap their photos and start the video. This even we watched as the beavers chowed down on some branches we brought down to the pond. There was a minor tiff over food between the beaver couple, but then they settled down to eating side by side.

Other critters seen in recent weeks: river otters which got into a tangle with the male beaver who charged them and we haven't seen them since. Two visiting herons, one which Lindley saw crash on take off - no harm done, wood ducklings still motoring around foraging for food.

Wildflowers blooming already: golden rod, aster, bone set, black eyed susans. Blackberries already ripening. Raspberries started before July 4th!

Summer in March

March 20th was the first day of spring, but the temperatures broke records even before spring became official. Everything is about three weeks to a month ahead of time. The temperatures were in the 80's during the day. Life has returned to the pond and there is an abundance of poly wogs and vernal pool creatures, including these two breeding newts (see photo above).
On March 21st I heard wood frogs at the Town Hall and two days later, March 23rd, I heard them clacking out in the Beaver Pond. Today, March 24th, the temperatures are more normal for this time of year and we are back to wearing jackets. How will we...how will wildlife adapt to these big fluctuations in temperatures? that remains to be seen.
In the meantime not enough is being done to reduce our carbon footprints on a grander scale.

Warm July

Fourth of July. A double-digit day around the country, but here seasonably warm - in the mid-80's today. Everything seems a bit ahead...daisies have come and gone. Black eyed Susans are blooming. There are raspberries and goldenrod and some other wildflowers I usually associate with later in July or early August.

We have seen the heron a lot...it's loopy flight so easy to recognize.

June Brings out Many Creatures

Now in the middle of June and going through a dry spot after so many rainy days. Both ponds filled up and we now have a canoe which was given to us by our gracious friends the retired Bishop of New Hampshire and his wife. We can explore the channels the beavers have opened up in the grasses of the wetlands and get a closer look at the wildlife.
Wildlife sightings in the last month:
two beavers active throughout the day, but mostly early morning and late afternoon onward
foraging raccoon June 17 and around June 16
grey tree frog - June 18
painted turtle in garden - early June
garter snake - large - June 18 -back of house
small garter snake - June 19 - backyard garden
numerous barn swallows eating insects...starting in June
hoof prints of moose - June 8
trout hacklings - early June, Beaver pond, near driveway
mallard ducklings with mom, early June
wood duck ducklings with mom - mid-June
scat of bobcat, like a big hairball on driveway - sighted around June 16
blue and white admiral butterflies getting nutrients on the driveway - mid-June
.more sightings to numerous to name!

My first swim, June 16 and the water was not a shock. Felt more like July water!

Some bright days. Sudden heat. Brilliant greens.
Wildlife Sightings this week:

 

• the back end of a huge snapping turtle as I disturbed him when I waddled through the shallows of Beatitude Pond
• an enormous green frog. Let me pat his back, but objected to me picking him up and leapt out of reach
• a crayfish, who slipped out of my hand
• a yellow bird, a finch, chirping happily in a maple by the front of Beatitude Pond
• nearly a dozen yellow swallow tail butterflies feeding off the damp driveway, swirling up into a mad haze of wing, black stripes and flashes of yellow when I encouraged them to move away so I could drive across the driveway
• half a dozen or so turkey chicks (what's the proper name?) waddling across the road after mom, as traffic stopped - all two cars of it!

Connect the Dots: Climate Change Awareness Day

I couldn't interest anyone in our town in a conversation or activity about climate change today so after participating in the quarterly trash pick-up with the local conservation commission, I took some photos around the property. I still wonder if the extremely mild and dry winter led our resident beavers to do more building than usual, and chopping down of trees. One of the beavers is quite big, maybe eating too much of that bark!

Today people around the globe are sending in photos of where they have seen climate impacts. We had a very dry early spring, but now the water in the pond is over the top and a waterfall is cascading down the old stone dam again into the brook below. The forest is looking a bit more lush again.