Warm, then Cold and a Trip Up the Warren Swamp

There were record breaking temperatures and then we got back to normal November weather. It hasn’t been horrible but there has been wind and it hasn’t been in the 60’s and probably won’t until Spring. The leaves are now virtually all off the trees although some oaks are still hanging on to a few. Few boats are “in” the lake and fewer boats are seen even on “good” days.

At the same time, you have to keep your ducks in a row. Here is a line of Mallards going about their business.

This picture shows that there isn’t much in the way of leaf cover on the trees. Only the pines are green.

The stringy looking tree at the right end of the island is a black gum and they often start to turn with red leaves early in the fall but then hang onto their leaves for awhile.

The side of Mount Delight has lots of oaks and the reddish color comes from the oak leaves.

A couple of ring billed gulls were hanging out on Governor’s Rock but may now have gone because of the cooling temperatures. No birds were seen on the rock this afternoon. The wind would have ruffled their feathers.

A baby loon is still around and is not with adults. Pretty amazing that this young bird can figure out that it is time to leave the lake and go to the ocean. Most NH loons winter from Portland, ME.south to the Rhode Island shore. Wonder how they know when to fly. Well, if they didn’t, they wouldn’t become mature loons and come back to our lakes to breed.

The waves on the beach make some interesting patterns. These were left after a period of time at the end of the warm spell when there were light winds.

Along the rail trail, Fernald Brook comes into the lake through the Baldwin Preserve. Upstream from the rail trail, there are some beaver ponds and swamps and in this swampy area, a couple of ducks are enjoying themselves.

Albee Beach is basically free of people although one person was sitting in the sun (while it was still warm) and reading.

Warren Brook comes into the lake at the east end and at this time of the year, with the draw down, it is possible to get a kayak up into it from the lake. Sometimes the sand beach blocks the way but with the water level down, the swamp is draining and, at least this November, made a channel. Going up the swamp, initially it is pretty wide and deep.

Further up and toward the end, it gets narrower. The pines in the middle of the picture are beyond a beaver dam and are the woods that separate this section of Warren brook from another beaver pond. The woods are about 100 yards thick here and the brook drops 10 feet or so getting to the swamp behind the trees.

Returning, you see the line of trees that form Warren Sands. The other side is the Lake.