Wintering Eagles of Great Bay
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Great Bay's Wintering Eagles
Winter is a great time to watch wildlife along New Hampshire's Seacoast. In
fact, one of our most notable wildlife species, the bald eagle, winters each
year along the shores of Great Bay. With a pair of binoculars, you're likely
to see some.
Great Bay encompasses nearly 10,000 acres of tidal waters and offers numerous bird watching opportunities. The estuary is part of the North Atlantic flyway and 20 species of waterfowl, 27 species of shorebirds, and 13 species of wading birds use the bay as a wintering area or migratory stopover. In winter, as rivers and lakes freeze further north, eagles migrate to the open coastal waters of Great Bay where fishing is more reliable. The goal of biologists is to continue to identify critical habitat around the bay in order to protect eagle roosting areas.
To learn more about bald eagles, go to www.baldeagles.org.
To learn more about bird watching at Great Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve, visit www.greatbay.org.
Wild
Ways: Winter Pan Fish
Even a New Hampshire winter can't stymie an avid angler's urge to fish. Lisa
Densmore goes with Jim Viar to Lake Winnipesaukee near Moultonborough to learn
how to catch panfish through the ice. Since Jim's been ice fishing most of his
life, his expertise is bound to help them catch some dinner.
Black crappie is one of the most popular all-around ice fishing species, even though they are small -- usually about 10 inches long and weighing less than a pound. Crappies will suspend over deeper water, and they're most active at dusk and into the evening, though they can be caught all day long in certain situations. A few other Lakes Region water bodies are worth trying for crappies: Pemigewasset Lake, Pine River Pond and Balch Pond. Standard presentations like small shiners suspended on tip-ups can be effective, but when crappies get finicky, scale down to small jigs tipped with maggots or waxworms on ultra-light jig rods.
Want to give it a try? Pick up some tips -- click
here to download "Have a Crappie Time Ice Fishing " (PDF file).
Raising Rainbows
Although rainbow trout are a popular game fish in New Hampshire, they're not
native to the state. N.H. Fish and Game Department fish hatcheries, such as
the one in Milford, raise close to a million trout every year. From egg to fry
to fingerling, raising rainbows is a difficult and rewarding challenge.
The Milford hatchery recently experienced a high mortality of rainbow trout at a very young age. Determining what condition or circumstance may have caused this required exhaustive detective work. Was it the temperature, nitrogen levels, carbon dioxide levels, or a problem with their food?
Once the rainbow trout are mature, they're released into lakes and streams.
The usual size of rainbows found in streams and ponds is between 6 and 12 inches
and less than one pound. In larger lakes, however, 3-5 pound rainbows can be
caught. In addition to raising fish for stocking the state's many lakes, ponds
and rivers, N.H. Fish and Game's fish hatcheries offer visitors an opportunity
to view and learn about coldwater fish.
Wild
Places: Gile State Forest
Gile State Forest offers nearly 7,000 acres of woodlands in Springfield. Abandoned
roads in the forest cater to snowmobilers, skiers and snowshoers who enjoy the
beauty of this place all winter long.
Settlers in the 1800s found most of the terrain too rugged for farming, and eventually cleared out, yielding this beautiful area to wildlife such as bear, mink and moose, as well as hunters and hikers.
One of the reasons this area is popular is the variety of destinations it offers, such as Kimpton Brook and Butterfield Pond, a popular fishing spot for pickerel and bass. Along the roads are old mica mines and cellar holes -- like the homestead of Colonel Sanborn, one of the area's prominent settlers. Farther up the road is Morgan Pond, one of the most pristine mountain lakes in Central New Hampshire.
Gardner Memorial Wayside Park is part of Gile State Forest, which spans 6,675
acres. The Wayside includes a memorial to Walter C. Gardner II, whose father
established Gile State Forest. In addition to the scenic picnic area with picnic
tables, it is also a popular place for hiking. Click
here for more information.
