Up close and personal

This female bear had 3 good sized cubs, I expect it is the same set as last year but one cub short.  She was trying to take the cubs around the edge of the pit where I was standing but she didn't know I was just about to jump back in the truck.  

Gowganda Lake last night

 Out for a bit of fishing on Gowganda Lake last evening, not much fishing but washed the bottom of the boat. As the sun was going down a great time for some pics.

Single Lake revisited

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Checking in on some of my favorite spots along highway 560 today to bring you a couple of pics with the flowering bells of Leatherleaf  (Chamaedaphne calyculata) a cool temperate shrub that surrounds most lakes and rivers in the area, also a look back towards Single Lake.  There is a caution sign that tells snowmobilers Single Lane, when seen from a distance the n looks like a k, at a quick glance thats why I call it Single Lake.

Friday nights Camelopardalid meteor shower

 This was to be quite a show, the first time it has happened in years a new meteor storm was brewing.  Turned out to be a bit of a flop but that's not to say many people came to North America to see it. It has been described as disappointing.   It was to start about 2am to 4am of course I had to get the camera to catch it too.  I took pictures for 2 hours every 21 seconds as I found out at close to end of the time the dew covered my lens which I couldn't see and that is why you will see it getting lighter.  I saw 1 meteor which shows up about the 8 second mark of this clip. It goes past pretty quick.

One of first flowers in the Boreal Forest

Here is one of the first blooms you can usually find among the lichen and mosses, Trailing Arbutus small but very aromatic.

Rednecked Grebe

I was down raking the sawdust up from the woodpile that is finally finished.  Mary Bullock came up and said there was a couple of large Grebes in front of their house in the water.  I got the camera and got some pics of 2 Rednecked Grebes.  Not very common around here.  Glad to get the pics.

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The osprey's are back

This will be the third year in a row that the ospreys have used this nest.  Nice to see them back. Apparently most fly all the way to South America.
  
This flyway narrows to the tip of Florida, then continues to Cuba and Hispaniola. Some osprey remain in the Caribbean, but most make a beeline across 500 miles of open water to Venezuela before fanning out further south into the Amazon Basin and the Pantanal, the world's largest freshwater wetland. They always stay where there is lots of water, makes sense if your a fish eater. 

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The end to a beautiful day

Weather perfect today, hard to do any work.

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Dangerous waters

The flows on all the rivers right now is very dangerous.  This is a video taken at the Edith Lake landing showing only half of the flow the rest flows on the other side of the island.  This is real time speed, I don't think I have seen it this fast since living here.

First ATV ride of the year

Since I have finished splitting and stacking 6 bush cords of wood I was anxious to get out for a ride. Went up the Everett Lake Rd as far as Babs Lake saw lots of  grouse more than usual.  Roads were in good shape some wet spots but what hasn't been wet this year. Took a pic of the water rushing down Miller Creek.

On the way back ventured up tower hill and took a pic of some of the town from the lookout.

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The sound of waves

Finally the sound of waves and the blue water.  It's been a long winter.  Snow is probably gone today with all the rain, but tonight it may drop to 0C.  Here is a small video to see how nice it is.

Ice has made a big move at the north end of the lake

By late this afternoon Outlook bay was open all the way to point.  That's when I stopped splitting and stacking and got the fishing rod out.  Didn't take to long to haul in a nice Whitefish.  Fresh baked whitefish can't go wrong.

Hedlund Marsh

 Most of the small marshes are free of ice now along with the Wapus River and the bottom end of Duncan Lake.  Not a lot of snow in the bush and the side roads are starting to dry up.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm, that will help.  The rest of the week on and off showers.  It will be close to have the bigger lakes ice free before fishing next week.
 Here is a pic of Hedlund Marsh and a pair of Ring-necked ducks.

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Back from down south

 Down to Sudbury area and it would be hard to find any snow or ice at all.  Driving back up Highway 11 bits of snow remain in the bush around Marten River but most of the ice is gone right up to Temagami where there are open and some ice (black) around.
 This picture of the lake sums up what Gowganda Lake looked like yesterday.

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Back to Duncan Lake more ducks

Back to Duncan Lake to see if any more ducks were moving.  The water is starting to rise in Duncan Lake, if it's not from logs being put into the dam it's from the heavy run off.  Wapus is all open as much as I can see.
Here are some more duck pics the first a pair of Lesser Scaup and the other a pair of Mallards.  Another pic from Hedlund marsh a Great Blue Heron.