I plopped my leaky canoe into the lake at mid-day. I wanted to paddle a bit before the afternoon heat set in. I decided to explore one of the adjoining lakes.
My little lake is one of three created by the construction of earthen dams some forty-odd years ago. All three are named after ducks. Like many inland lakes these days, however, there are more resident Canadian geese than ducks.
I paddled up to the earthen dam that holds in the upper lake. Dragging the canoe up the dam slope turned out to be somewhat more work than I imagined. I probably didn't pick the easiest route up the hill, as it turned out. But I made it. Getting it back down afterward was easier, of course, but I did get my shoes muddy trying to relaunch the canoe.
The upper lake seems shallower than the one I live near. The apparent upstream end is just a few inches deep, mucky and swampy. In the shallows I saw a fin jutting from the water. Not quite shark size, though. It was one of 8-10 large fish schooled in the shallows. They may have been catfish, although I thought I saw some stripes that I don't associate with catfish. They let me approach kind of close, then abruptly they all flopped and swam away, leaving several little whirlpools swirling behind them.
My little lake is one of three created by the construction of earthen dams some forty-odd years ago. All three are named after ducks. Like many inland lakes these days, however, there are more resident Canadian geese than ducks.
I paddled up to the earthen dam that holds in the upper lake. Dragging the canoe up the dam slope turned out to be somewhat more work than I imagined. I probably didn't pick the easiest route up the hill, as it turned out. But I made it. Getting it back down afterward was easier, of course, but I did get my shoes muddy trying to relaunch the canoe.
The upper lake seems shallower than the one I live near. The apparent upstream end is just a few inches deep, mucky and swampy. In the shallows I saw a fin jutting from the water. Not quite shark size, though. It was one of 8-10 large fish schooled in the shallows. They may have been catfish, although I thought I saw some stripes that I don't associate with catfish. They let me approach kind of close, then abruptly they all flopped and swam away, leaving several little whirlpools swirling behind them.
Wildlife survey
Birds
- the usual, ubiquitous resident Canadian geese
- two goose eggs floating in the water, that got away from their nests
- two red shouldered hawks soaring; I may have startled one perched in the woods on shore, also
- I heard a barred owl hoot once, but I didn't see it
- a Carolina chickadee went from branch to branch over my head while I was near the bank
- 2 blue jays
- various other birds not counted or identified
Fish
- the previously mentioned 8-10 mini sharks, catfish, or possibly carp
Spiders and Insects
- one really cool brown water-walking spider
- some dragonflies
- other typical insects of inland lakes
Trash pick-up
- 5 fishing bobbers: 3 with hooks, 2 new ones wrapped in a tree branch, one old and algae covered
- two plastic shopping bags
- a child's rubber ball
- an empty Cheetos bag
- a nearly full plastic bottle of Cheerwine
- several beer cans
- some beer bottles; one broken, I think I retrieved all the pieces and shards
- 1 small plastic potting container, which I will use to plant a sunflower seed
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