Keep eyes open for wildlife and their young on land and water

Well, you couldn’t say this was a dry week as storms rolled through here several different days.

The Thunder in Old Forge motorcyclists were probably dry as they made their way home last weekend.

But the ones going to Lake George this past weekend got wet on their way there, most of the day Saturday, and on their way home today (6/12).

The strong storms that rolled through here on Wednesday night (6/8) knocked down trees on highways, power lines and some structures.

The power companies and telephone people were still working late into Friday to get everyone back on line.

The folks in the southwest would love to have some of this rain as their drought continues.

The forest fire in Arizona has traveled across the border into New Mexico and as of tonight there is only 6% containment.

I traveled to Arizona on a fire crew in August 1989. We landed in Phoenix and it was 119 degrees on the runway.

We traveled to the Tonto National Forest in the dark and we were fighting a 5,000 acre fire the next morning. It was burning in brush and tall Ponderosa Pines that were over five through at the base.

A strong storm came out of the Gulf the second day which brought some of the hottest lightning I ever saw.

We stood under some big pines until we noticed signs of former lightning strikes running down the sides of them.

The storm dumped over five inches of rain in about an hour, causing gully washers. It washed trees and debris down every valley, but it put the fire out and we were out of there.

I’ll bet the firefighters out there are wishing for some of the same.

Karen and I traveled over to Willsboro today for Brother Bob’s 70th surprise birthday party. I guess it was a surprise until early this morning when all the friends and relatives started showing up.

He actually took the day off from fishing to attend his party. Now that was a surprise.

Some of the other fishing charter captains came to the party after getting off the water and they all had great fishing day, catching many salmon and lake trout.

Bob will be out there catching for sure early tomorrow morning. Happy birthday again Big Brother Bob!

I have seen a few Turkey families crossing the highways in my travels. Some have only three chicks and others up to 14. If you see a hen crossing the road , slow down and wait for the little ones to cross.

They won’t take that long and they are neat to watch.

The same goes for Does and Fawns. Slow down and enjoy the natural beauty that’s all around us.

Opening at View (the new arts center in Old Forge) on Sunday, June 19 is “Patterns in Nature,” a photography exhibit by Ernest Williams.

He is the author of the book, The Nature Handbook, and will offer a lecture on his work at 1 p.m.

I got out on the water as much as I could between storms this week, but I was watching fish catchers, Loons.

Most of my banded birds are back on territory and I’ve seen a few bands in some really wild water.

The first Loon I ever got to hold while banding—a female banded on Mitchell Pond in 1998—is still with us.

She has moved to Limekiln Lake in the outlet territory and has eggs in a shoreline nest.

Her mate was on the nest the other day when I went by and she swam right under my canoe trying to lure me away from the nest site.

I saw the bands on both her legs as she swam underwater past me.

If they pull off this nest it will be this pair’s fourth successful year in a row.

This is the second time they have nested on hard shoreline, which is unusual when they have bogs and a platform to nest on.

I never question where they nest, just hope they know best.

Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t fare very well.

Another bird that has been in the system for a few years is the male on Twitchell Lake that was banded and x-rayed in ’99.

When the x-ray was developed it showed a large fish hook in this Loon’s stomach.

The acids in the stomach must have dissolved the hook as he has been with us every year since.

If you go up this lake, he is the big Loon that will call to you in your power boat. You might not hear him over the sound of your outboard but he is hollering at you.

He and his unbanded mate have had chicks for the last few years. They haven’t nested yet but seem to be enjoying all the newly stocked trout that have been put into the lake.

They have company because the fishing has been so good—six Loons were there last night.

Bugs are many and hungry, but that’s another story. See ya.