On a cold and breezy day this week, loons were scattered over much of the lake. I counted 23 from the dock, feeding heavily on suddenly surfacing bait fish (phenology!) with their attendant countless ring-billed gulls. I went to the top of Toxaway to see if loons had made it there and to escape the blow, and sat with 7 loons for a couple of hours. Crazed bathing, frenzied group feeding, lots of hoots and mews, and one dramatic yodel and penguin stance. The life of the lake in winter has arrived. With strong steering winds from the north ongoing, surely our first Bonaparte will appear! Such a thrill this time of year is here. The hillsides are still brilliant with fading post-peak color as well. Meanwhile an eagle drifted overhead and a great blue heron flew by in front of me ever so slowly, just a foot or two above the water. They can fly so slowly I simply don’t understand why they just don’t fall out of the sky!~B