Author: lacdesroches

We may lack snow and lake ice but that just means the fields and forest surrounding Lac des Roches is very accessible for adventure walks and hikes. Local walkers did not have to go far off the beaten path to find a confused willow tree, unfurling its unmistakeable furry little buds – a little early this year.  These pussy willows were first spotted at the 1/2 way point of Boultbee Road on December 12 where the south facing slope gets almost 100% of available winter sunshine. Outdoor enthusiasts should be prepared for snow in shaded and protected or low areas which can be as deep as a foot as we did experience substantial early snow in November that has remained. Many of the surrounding feeder creeks are once again flowing freely but where there is creek ice, it should be assumed to be thin and tested before use. While hikers can usually work their way through fallen trees, motorized vehicles need to be prepared to cut out trails and roads as many live and dead trees have succumbed to ferocious wind storms this Fall.

Open water at Lac des Roches

The Christmas spirit is alive and well at Lac des Roches as residents string lights and adorn their homes with festive decorations. Despite the current lack of snow and ice, there are colder temperatures and snow showers forecasted prior to the big day. Several residents upgraded their snow removal equipment and techniques for this winter, particularly due to the heavy snowfall we experienced last year. They may still be required as this is not the first green Christmas we have experienced in the last fifteen years, which – I must add – was immediately followed by several snow storms totalling almost a foot of snow. If we lack the typical winter weather, there are still plenty of fun activities to be enjoyed in our great outdoors with with friends and family. With no camp fire restrictions this time of year, yard clean-up and debris burning, cleverly disguised as a weiner roast followed by gooey smores, will not only keep children and grandchildren busy for several hours a day, but make a dent in the future work which would otherwise keep residents away from the excellent fishing we experience every Spring. Plan on an enjoyable holiday, no matter what the weather and you will not be disappointed!

 

Notification was made to the custodian of the wayward cattle which have resided near the east end of Boultbee Road this fall and he has been in the area, attempting to round up his truant animals. Without easy access to food and water during the recent cold snap, residents were concerned that the cow and calf would not survive much longer. Hopefully they have been wrangled and taken to the safety of their home to enjoy fresh feed and thawed water. A resident of Boultbee Road mentioned that a different cattle rancher in the area lost 6 head of cattle to wolves this range season. If the rumour is true that there are three wolves living in the crown land to the north of Gerald Crescent of Lac des Roches, it is no wonder that the stray cattle stayed put on Boultbee Road and did not venture westward, following their strong instinct to get to their home, and the wolves. The close proximity of those wolves, in addition to the numerous sighting of cougar around the lake, certainly explains the lack of deer and moose sightings this year.

 

Very early and very cold temperatures froze the big lake on December 2, about a week after Little Lac des Roches froze. For a few days, there were large patches of open water which gave residents quite a sight. Since the open water was much warmer than the air temperature, a huge amount of vapour was blown off the water by strong winds which coated everything in its path with thick frost. The sight of tall grasses and thin tree branches wrapped with a layer – several inches thick – of frost and doubled over by the weight, was astounding. No sooner had residents dusted off their skates and some had even been out and cleared the snow and frost from the ice, when the weather made a dramatic change and the night time lows of -25 C were replaced with several nights of above zero temperatures accompanied by warm, strong and persistent winds. The delicate ice in the middle of Lac des Roches was no match for mother nature and it has been disappearing ever since. The volunteer lake monitors are in quite a quandary. Never before have they recorded “ice on” followed by “ice off” in the same  year…much less the same month. While we have lost much of our snow to the same mild temperatures, the lower temperatures forecasted for mid to late December could see the lake refreezing in time for winter play during the Christmas holidays…maybe. If not, perhaps this will be a good year to receive a kayak or other personal water craft for Christmas as there may likely be open water where a boat could actually be used instead of just looked at and sat in for the next 4 months.  Stay tuned for ice condition updates.

 

The many active lake otters seen all around the lake are more than making up for the months of sparse wildlife sightings. Both on the ice and along the shore, otters have been entertaining residents with their antics of eating and playing. Despite their size and speed, the otters are still fair play and can fall prey to the several bald eagles perched in the high spruce and fir trees around the lake – the same eagles who call Lac des Roches their home and … dinner plate. One neighbour with an exceptional view of the lake and its shoreline was reporting weekly sightings in early November. Once she started searching the far south shore and the edges of the newly formed lake ice with her binoculars, the active dark otters were much easier to spot and her reports of sightings were pretty well daily. For those residents with less opportunity to scan the lake and its shore for moving critters, just spotting the fresh evidence of otters can be quite thrilling. Both on the lake ice and along the shore, the run and slide tracks of the otters are unmistakeable. The otters often find refuge in shoreline caves where tree roots have created caverns underground. Although often hidden from sight, access holes to these hideaways can be detected with a whole lot of patience if following the otter tracks in the fresh snow. Better still, walk with a dog or two along the shore and they are sure to take their human friends direct to an otters hidden getaway. As always, it is wise to keep substantial distance between humans, dogs and otters as they have been known to attack humans, particularly when in a family group with young pups.

 

The sound of a snowmobile rang out on Boultbee Road this morning.  Waking up to about 6 inches of wet, slippery snow, made a sled the most appropriate mode of transportation and provided the Boultbee ladies with a narrow track to follow for their daily walk – thank you kind neighbour! All of the full-time residents were out shovelling and moving snow around at some time during the day. Due to the mild temperatures over the last few days, snow blowers are out of the question until the ground freezes, so most residents were wisely removing snow with shovels or bladed machines.The impact of snow flurries throughout the day was lessened by the sporadic sunshine and above-freezing temperature. By mid to late afternoon, the temperature near the lake had dropped to below freezing and the snow had turned to ice on most of the trees and shrubs. Although officially a month early, today sure felt like the first day of our winter. Soon, we’ll be pulling out the sleds, skis and snowshoes. Yippee!

On a chilly November morning, the frost that had formed on the the glass door of this empty greenhouse was eye-stopping. The frost pattern that Mother Nature had created overnight, closely resembled the climbing cucumber plants that had been growing inside the building just a month or so earlier.  This surprising and somewhat ironic image just had to be shared.

Although animal sightings continue to be rare, evidence of animal movement may be detected now that there is some snow on the ground. Otters have been providing a lot of entertainment around the lake. Two residents described their mornings, watching a lone otter feeding on the edge of the ice in front of their respective homes on Boultbee Road and Highway 24. Another resident went through several otter-like antics on the shoreline to distract his dogs from seeing a large black otter about 150 feet from shore, at the ice’s edge.  A large otter is a certain enticement for even the best-behaved dog but the thin ice’s edge will certainly give way under the weight of a dog and the water temperature is zero F or very close to it.  Swans have been gliding along the shores in the quite bays, resting on their migratory journeys south and have also been enjoyed by several waterfront residents. One just has to keep their eyes on the lake to be rewarded with wildlife sightings.

The ladies of Boultbee Road will use any excuse, or none at all, to get together for a tea party. On November 16, a chilly afternoon was the perfect time for a get-together. All the full -time residents, and all those visiting part-timers on the road that day were in attendance. The coveted -and quite ugly- ceramic vase was resurrected as the tea party “mascot” (it had been misplaced for a few past parties) and was passed along to another full-time resident through a fun door prize draw.

 

Wendy Marshall is once again coordinating and leading the 2014 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for the Bridge Lake area on Saturday, January 3.  This is Wendy’s twentieth year leading this particular group – thank you Wendy!  This is a day-long event that ends with a social gathering for warm beverages and goodies at Lac des Roches.  Everyone is invited and no experience is required although registration with Wendy at 250-593-2327 is a must for planning purposes. The Bird Studies Canada website has lots of interesting information about previous years’ CBC results. Wendy’s invitation included an update of bird sightings at Lac des Roches which may be of interest to many readers.  Her edited account is inserted here for your enjoyment.

There were a couple of interesting sightings during the fall. We had a White-throated Sparrow (not the first sighting here but exciting)! Also, in October, a Red-breasted Sapsucker was in our crab apple tree. Our loon population suffered this past summer as our resident eagles have developed a taste for both eggs and chicks! I, among others, were witness to the taking of both! The eagles’ only chick survived to learn to fly and was quite entertaining to watch.  How awkward they are, landing in tree tops! My love-hate relationship continues with the resident eagles! I started filling feeders again and providing suet a couple of weeks ago. We’ve been observing more chickadees and nuthatches than ever before! They’ve had a good year for nesting. Amongst the many mountain and black-capped, there is at least one Boreal. I saw the first pine grosbeaks this morning under one of the feeders.  I have observed the usual downy, hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers along with the Northern Flicker. Also, I saw the Am 3 toed woodpecker, not near the feeders but elsewhere on the trails. There were a number of reports a few weeks ago of American Goldfinches in the area, and oddly enough, we had a Dipper hanging around the dock!

(From Wendy, November 13, 2014)