March 26-27, 2016
This diary covers two short hikes along two of the smaller Finger Lakes in New York state. Plus some additional wildlife photos taken elsewhere that same weekend. The Finger Lakes of western New York are eleven narrow, but relatively deep, lakes formed due to glacial activity that scoured and deepened existing valleys. All of them drain to the north towards Lake Ontario.
Hemlock-Canadice State Forest is about 7,000 acres of protected forest land surrounding the small Finger Lakes of Canadice Lake and Hemlock Lake. This area is located about 30 miles south of Rochester, NY. These two Finger Lakes are unique in being undeveloped and reforested since they have served as the water supply for the City of Rochester since the early 1900s.
These photos cover short walks along both the east and west side of Canadice Lake starting from the northern end, and a walk along the trail on the western side of Hemlock Lake, again starting from the northern end.
Spring is just starting here in western New York. Only a few early blooming flowers are up, the trees are just budding, and there is very little insect activity.
The Daily Bucket is a regular feature of the Backyard Science group. It is a place to note any observations you have made of the world around you. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds and/or flowers. All are worthy additions to the bucket. Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the patterns that are quietly unwinding around us.
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A pond back by the creek was *very* noisy. Three different kinds of frogs going; wood frogs, leopard frogs, and spring peepers. We did not go far towards that area since we had the wrong footwear for damp terrain.
Besides the hawk there were a few turkey vultures flying around. Plus the usual small birds in the underbrush who did well in avoiding having their picture taken.
Driving on back roads earlier that Saturday my brother spotted a turkey walking across an open field. So he pulled over to allow me to photograph it. And it so happened that a kestrel was sitting on the wires right above that field.
One more Canadice Lake photo put here since it can be compared to a photo from Hemlock Lake.
The next afternoon we went to Hemlock Lake to walk a trail there.
If you look at the above two photographs they were both taken about the same distance from their respective lakes. The second one, from Hemlock Lake, has a lot of broken up shale as the stream bed and is fairly close to the lake level at this point. The first one, from Canadice Lake, is from a point farther along the lake shore where the slope is steeper and thus you get the cascades and less loose material accumulating. (The cascades are also interesting in how the ledges form due to the one rock eroding more slowly, and then cracking off once the softer shale gets eroded out from underneath it. Niagara Falls is essentially working upstream via the same process.)
There was a pond between the lake and the trail at the northern end. Wood frogs and spring peepers in there calling. But they hid and went silent when we got close.
Mentioning the Chert since this was used to make tools by the First Nations peoples in this region. Chert flakes can be found in many of the archaeological sites in the region. This particular rock was probably moved to this area by a glacier since the source limestone formation in the Niagara Escarpment outcrops further north.
The tail end of the walk was going along the levee at the north end of the lake. There is a small park here, boat-ramp, and some other facilities. Generally a lot of Canada Goose around, but very few there today.
And there was a large “hawk” sitting in a tree over the exit creek.
Should be back up in this general area at the end of May. Hope to do an update then.
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Now It's Your Turn
What have you noted happening in your area or travels? As usual post your observations as well as their general location in the comments.