Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Sit back and relax awhile

Fred Specht at one of the many yard swings and benches  in camp. Joe Overman photo
Listen to the waves' lullaby. Doug Billings photo
Don't forget when you are at camp this summer to just sit down and take it easy -- not fishing, not looking for anything -- just being quiet and listening to the sounds of nature.
We can hear loons calling just about all the time at camp. They have a bunch of different calls and it's fun to recognize which one you are listening to. In the evening and at night, loons seem to check in with each other all over the lake. It's as if they were night watchmen and calling, "It's 10 o'clock and all's well."
Different species of trees make different sounds in the wind. Jackpine seem to make the wind howl. Quaking aspen leaves clatter like wind chimes.
Mice rustle through the leaves. In the yard they are most likely meadow voles which never come into a cabin or cause any problems for humans. In the bush, they will most certainly be red-backed voles, an equally friendly critter.
Only at night are you likely to hear or see the destructive mouse species: whitefooted deer mice with their long tails, big ears and large eyes.
Waves lapping against the shore sing a lullaby.
Sea gulls keep in touch with each other as they patrol the shoreline.
Common terns and Bonaparte's gulls make a series of cracking calls.
Nighthawks make a snapping sound as they hunt bugs in the evening, high overhead.
At night, if it is really still, you can hear bats flapping when they make a tight turn. You can also hear nightcrawlers when they withdraw into their holes and rustle a leaf.
These are the sounds of peace and quiet.
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