Brant Lake

What lake in the Adirondacks has the same name as an Mohawk Indian Chief who supported the British in the War for Independence? It is Brant Lake in Warren County. It is another lake worth visiting in the area north of Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains of N.Y.

History of a Name

I cannot say the lake is named after the Indian chief, but so far I have not found information online saying where the name came from. I even emailed a nearby historical group with no response. Joseph Brant was a Mohawk Chief who sided with the British during the Revolutionary War. According to the National Park Service during the French and Indian War “In 1755, at age 13 he accompanied Sir William Johnson to the Battle of Lake George.” Lake George is south of Brant Lake and a short drive by car. Mohawks today have tribal land on both sides of the border with Canada north of the Adirondack Mountains.

Location

Brant Lake is north of Lake George. If coming from the south you take the Adirondack Northway route 87 north of Albany. Get off at exit 25- the exit for NY 8 north. Go approximately 2.6 miles to the boat launch. The address is 6799 NY 8 , Brant Lake, NY.

Boat Ramp
They had a boat ramp and dock.

This boat ramp had multiple people working it on a weekend, and it is no wonder. I likened this to the Grand Central Station of boat ramps in the Adirondack Mountains. There were boats constantly coming in and going of the the lake here. I had to wait to launch and wait to get out. I was able to park without waiting. If I remember correctly, they had port a potty toilets or privy here.

Two islands
Paddling between two islands.
Traffic

This lake is big enough that I was able to avoid motor boats by sticking to paddling along the shore. It is about 5 miles in length.It was a little windy, and I was worried about the possibility of a storm, but things ended up fine.

Regardless of the motorboat traffic it was still a nice ride. There is not a lot of development along the lake. There are a few houses spread out and camps. There is a lot of wide open spaces with nice views in the Adirondack Mountains. Get out and enjoy it.

Feeding Time

I placed another tick in a box last night. I was beginning to think I would never see an owl feed their babies. They seemed to shy away from doing that within eyesight of me. Then, last night I saw and heard them in all one areas again.

Mother perhaps with prey.

The one parent flew to the same tree as the children. I could not tell if it had someone, but someone I was with said they saw it was holding a chipmunk. If you look carefully under the branch you see dangling legs.

Parent with two of the three owlets visible.

The parent flew to another tree and the owlets followed.

Tearing up the chipmunk.

The parent then proceeded to tear out pieces of the chipmunk and feed them to the owlets.

Two were very interested and were nearby. The third was higher up.

They don’t always do this within view. Sometimes it is high up in the tree tops with leaves blocking the view. I was so happy to see this tonight. Owls are predators. It is what they do to survive.

Eagles on Loon Lake

What kind of wildlife can you see on Loon Lake in the Adirondack Mountains? Currently one thing you can see is an active eagle’s nest. This is Loon Lake near Lake George. There is another Loon Lake father north in the ADK.

A summer resident of the lake community who was also kayaking was nice enough to lead me to the nest. Not sure if she wanted me to identify her, but thank you if she ever sees this. The nest is high in a tree on private property next to the lake.

I saw both parents in the same area and one eaglet. The eaglet appears to be about the size of the parents. This one would have been born this year. This was taken from a kayak while there was motorboat traffic. It is not as clear as I would have liked.

Here’s hoping they leave the resident loons alone and do not consider them as a meal option.

Paradox Lake

Want a great place to paddle your canoe of kayak for the day in the Adirondack Mountains? Looking for a place to get on the water in the Lake George- Schroon Lake area? Then head to Paradox Lake.

Paradox Lake

Paradox Lake is on Route 74 in Paradox, NY. To get there take the Northway or Route 87 to Exit 28. Take 74 east about 4 miles to the campground. There is a small entrance fee for day use if you are going to kayak or canoe.

Click on this link to see a map of the lake: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/pdoxlkmap.pdf

Boat Launch was near the end of the smaller section of the lake on the eastern end.

The boat launch is a short drive from the entrance booth. It has ample parking. I saw more kayaks going in and out then motor boats. Bathrooms are up the road in the campground from the boat launch in the beach area where they rent kayaks and canoes.

This is the entrance to what joins the two sections of the lake together.

The part of the lake the launch is on is much smaller than the other part of the lake. I decided to go through the narrow canal like connection to the larger part of the lake. I heard from fishermen on the way that eagles liked to hang out in the tall pine trees at the end of where this meets the larger part of the lake, but I had no luck that day. I was also told by others that eagles were known to be at this lake. This lake seems to be known for trout and they are trying to introduce inland salmon I read on one of the sites.

Looking into the larger section of the lake.

This is the larger part of the lake. It was windy at times, so I only explored a section of it.

This is the entrance back into the passageway heading towards the smaller section of the lake. I did not see too many boats out on the lake. Sometimes when there is a large state campgrounds on a lake there is a lot of traffic and little wildlife to be seen. Because this lake is pretty big- at least 4 miles in length, there are not as many people as one would think. There are also a few homes along the lake.

Overall I highly recommend this lake. The boat launch, parking situation, and the chance to see wildlife are all benefits in my book.

Singing Owlets

Surprise! There are three owlets. After only hearing them for about a week, but not seeing them, I found them today. They were all together on the same branch with good views from a couple of different places nearby.

They appear to be singing.

A parent was in a neighbouring tree. They were probably begging for food. I was hoping to see a parent feed them and I knew at least one of them was hunting nearby. But once again a thunderstorm was approaching .

I am happy I at least got to see the three of them together and I hope I am lucky enough in the future to see a parent feed them. Enjoy your week!

Barred Owl with Prey

What do owls like to feed their babies? Multiple times I have seen them bring in a chipmunk.

The catch of the Day:Chipmunk

Chipmunks give away the owls when they are in their vicinity by a noise they make. A good thing for the other creatures in the forest, but a bad thing for the chipmunk. He tells the owl exactly where he is.

Hanging out in a darker part of the woods

This owl seemed to be happy to fly to more open trees around me and show me her catch. Her babies were nearby, but hiding behind leaves. I wanted to stay and see if she would feed them in front of me, something I have not had a good view of yet. However, a thunderstorm was approaching. I hope to witness breakfast of dinner in the future. Have a great weekend!

Owlet at Sunset

Is this owlet waiting in anticipation of a meal? Is it contemplating joining its sibling by leaving the hole he knows so well?

Owlet in tree hole before it left the nest.

I only had a short window this year to catch the owlets at the tree hole. One left the nest the next day and the other I believe a day after that. I could only get there with about one hour or so before sunset so I took advantage of what I had. Enjoy short breaks from having your nose to the grindstone.

Two Owlets

What is twice as nice as spotting an owlet in a tree hole? Finding out there are two owlets.

Second baby is in the hole.

The day after I spotted one in the hole, there was one high up in the same tree, and another one in the hole, so definitely two.

Baby owl power napping.

This is the one who was high up in the same tree with their nest hole. I suspect he climbed the tree, however I did see him flying branch to branch the next day.

Mother or Dad? I tried to make this one look like an old photo. The light was not great that day.

The mother owl usually flies down to a lower branch for a couple of minutes before flying back to a higher branch. I do not hear the “Who cooks for you?” sound people say barred owls usually make. She or he usually make half a who around the babies. I guess it is owl baby talk.

These two seemed to have left the nest quickly. I passed that tree two times every time I went there and prior to my last post I did not see an owlet peeking out. Would have wished for more days to see them at the tree hole, but I will take what I can get. Go slow and be aware when walking in the woods, you never know what you can miss.

Peek -A-Boo

I found the barred owl tree hole tonight. Yes, the pair had mated and has at least one owlet.
I am hoping there are more in the hole.

Walking around different woods and casing out tree holes has paid off. I was tracking and following the owls, but tonight this owlet’s eyes were on me. You never know who is watching you in the woods.

Monger’s Market Finds

Monger’s Market is a vintage warehouse in Bridgeport, Ct. It is only open on Sundays. It can be closed on Sundays that are holidays. They have a variety of items you can see on their Facebook page. Some items are new while many are vintage or repurposed. These are just some of the items that caught my eye.

It appears to be modelled on an 18th Century outfit for a Scottish Highlanders regiment.. The socks resemble those of the 42 Highlanders. Feel free to correct me though if you know otherwise. This was actually in the neighbourhood of 3 feet high.
This is fancier than most antique phones I have seen.
A very unique locker lamp
Old bed twin bed head and foot frame
I really loved the colours on this lamp base.
Old Camera- I had to take a picture of this!
Parking

They have a small lot on premises and there is on street parking. I have heard it is better to get their early to get a parking spot.

Overall I would say this is worth a Sunday trip. Check their website or facebook page to make sure they are open or view some of the items they have.

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/MongersMarket

Website:

https://www.mongers-market.com