Our weather has been what I would call nice. There hasn’t been too much sun due to the smoke from the fires in Canada and not much rain as storms went both north and south of us so far. I saw the full strawberry moon in the middle of the night before, but it was mostly hidden by the trees in the backyard. My daughter, Erin, saw it that night and she said it was very red in color.
Major storms continue in all the southern states from Texas to the east coast. Thirty-four people have died in those states as of this June 17 writing, including Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Tornadoes were reported in several areas, particularly in Kentucky where at least nineteen fatalities were confirmed. Thirty-eight tornadoes were reported across Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Storms left thousands without power and caused widespread property damage.
This system is moving eastward, and areas of Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee are bracing for heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and potential tornadoes. As you look at the map, you can see part of this system is heading northward, and it will hit parts of the northeast with heavy rain, thunderstorms, and high winds. Some maps show it going mostly west of us and some show it going east of us, depending on which map you look at.
Heavy rainfall would not be good for us, as we haven’t dried out from the last month of more than normal rainfall in this area. We did finally have a dry weekend for Father’s Day, and some people visited the Remsen bog to see the beautiful showy lady’s slippers and other nice wildflowers in that area. My Daughter, Erin, and I went to Long Lake to pick up some Loon materials and we stopped at Buttermilk Falls on the way home.
Right by the parking area there were lots of jack-in-the-pulpits and a little red oak tree. On the trail to the falls were four pink lady’s slippers in full bloom. There was a good volume of water going over the falls putting up lots of spray, so it smelled like pond water moisture in the air.
Jack in the pulpit. Photo by Gary Lee.
Some of the Loons have already brought their young off the nest and many others are close to hatching. Lots of rain would not be good and may flood out their nests. If this happens, some Loons will add material to their nests and keep the eggs above the rising water. However, if it comes too fast, the eggs sometimes get chilled during that process and even go underwater and they are lost.
If this happens while the pair have only been sitting a short time, they will probably renest. But, if they have been on and ready to hatch, they may just take the summer off without chicks. On small bodies of water where they nest, which freeze up earlier than big bodies of water, these pairs usually only have one nesting period and don’t try a second nest.
If you see Loons, ducks, geese, or gulls with young ones on the water, give them some space and take your pictures with a long lens or use the zoom on your cell phone. If you separate the families, it is a time when predators can come in and take the babies.
Don’t linger around these families, as these babies need time to be fed and the adults can’t do that when they are defending their young. This goes for wildlife in the woods, turkeys, grouses, and deer. Keep your dogs leashed, as they can catch the babies and even separate them so they can’t find their moms again. So be aware, as these babies are out there at this time of year both on the water and in the woods.
Folks are welcome to gather for the 100-year celebration of a hotel at Stillwater at the Stillwater Restaurant and Hotel on Saturday, June 21. Activities will include, face painting, Pamme Swan playing her guitar on the deck, and author Pitts will be signing and selling his history book about the Flow. They are also having a chicken and pork barbeque buffet at $25 a person during the day, so come join us.
Plan your hiking trips and be prepared, but that’s another story. See ya.
Photo at top: Banded loon and chick. Photo by Ellie George.
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