Our lake has been nicely frozen for several weeks now, perfect for skating, hiking and exercising a lab/border collie puppy. The ice is at least 7-10 inches thick in most spots, which is suitable for safe travel (relatively). The sounds of shifting and cracking ice are simultaneously awesome and unsettling but I gather quite normal!
A view toward McNally Bay from the shore of Frontenac Provincial Park. Northern Waterthrush, Black-throated Green and Myrtle Warblers were a few of the bird species that held territories in this little stretch.
Beech saplings in the snow
American Beech trees are especially recognizable in winter with their gray trunks and retained tan coloured leaves. Through a process called marcescense, some tree species (oak, ironwood etc.) have leaves with incompletely developed abscission layers at the base of their petiole’s. This layer (complete) is what causes leaves of other tree species to shed in the autumn. The Frontenac is loaded with these Beech trees, adding splashes of gold to the landscape.
Raven discovered this little saucer of ice perched on a rock, which must have remained in place when the dam was opened and the ice shifted.
This is a view from the park toward our house, which is roughly in the centre of the ridge.
In addition to Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, White-winged Crossbills and Bohemian Waxwings have become daily encounters on Canoe Lake Road.
2 Comments
January 16, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Raven’s had a growth spurt!
January 16, 2009 at 10:13 pm
She was 13 lbs when we got her and she is now 38 lbs! I hope you get to meet her in the spring/summer.