The color may not be the “best” ever but it is quite nice. Birds are still around but now they are the migrators or the ones who don’t have to migrate far or are year round residents. Temperatures are dropping but it got up to 69 degrees on the 15th. Probably won’t happen again for a long time.
Below, Brummitt Island shows reds of the black gum at the right end and yellows in the middle.
These Ring Billed Gulls are still doing well in their fishing. They tend to get things on the surface of the lake and often only have their bill touch the water. They don’t have to go far for the winter and will head for the ocean which isn’t too far away/
Likewise, the cormorants don’t have to go far as they, too, just head east to the ocean. Some of them are already off the Maine Coast but a dozen or so are still hanging out on the lake. They often have their wings raised to dry off as they don’t have “waterproof” wings like some other water birds.
The early morning sun lights up the colors quite well and there is even still some color on the Ossipee Range and Mt. Shaw.
Below is a view of Mink, West Jockey Cap and Mt. Shaw. Lots of color, not very vibrant, but quite nice.
Below is a picture of Pipewort “lying down on the bottom”. In August, it has its white stems slightly above the water line and with little white balls on top. They are actually an indication of clean water so it is good to see them. At the end of their season, they keel over and form patterns on the bottom, quite striking actually.
And last, the loon chick hatched on the east end of the lake is looking pretty big and close to being able to fly. It also is trying to call like an adult loon. The first second or two of the video is a bit “bumpy” and the whole video is short.