The last few days have seemed like mid-summer. 80’s with virtually no wind have made it delightful. The sandbar on Stamp Act was very active with people swimming and enjoying the weather over the weekend. Water temperatures, at the surface, rebounded from around 70 to 76 or higher.
Yes, it has been a quite amazing stretch. On Wednesday, the 27th, things are supposed to change with highs in the 60s but there is still a little bit of summer left. Out near the Sister Islands, a paddle boarder was enjoying the early morning calm with a fog bank behind.
Along the Stamp Act shore, the eagle chick was on a beach. It was full grown when it left the nest but now seems to be quite independent. It was enjoying the beach in the morning light and wandering about, they do look awkward walking on land, though.
While on the beach, there was some harassment going on with a bunch of crows yelling and screaming at the “national bird”. Doesn’t seem fair but crows seem to enjoy bothering birds of prey and other animals and were dive bombing the poor eagle. The crows did leave when I was about 100 yards away so I figured I did a good service for the eagle.
An adult eagle was in the tree near the North Beach and appears to be the male as the head is brilliant white. The female has gray “eye shadow” behind the eyes and this head seems pure white.
And the loon chicks that have been hanging out near the Sister Islands are now almost full size but most likely have not started flight training yet. The adult is starting to lose its summer coloration and is starting to have gray in places where there used to be black. The gray areas are small now but before they leave the lake in late October or November, they will be all gray and look very much like the young loons.
While there isn’t much other “color”, there is red on what some people call these Pepperidge trees. Most people know them as black gum trees, however. These trees are near the sandbar on Stamp Act with a cormorant in the foreground. Some of the trees are more brilliant red all over, like the lower branches in the left of this picture but these are quite spectacular against the backdrop of the trees with green leaves.
Those people lucky enough to be here this past weekend enjoyed abnormal warmth and little wind. Wish you all were here.