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Tag Archives: Lost Lake

Loons and and a few other birds of Lost Lake

Common Loons nest at Lost Lake. There are only a few places around Washington where they nest so it’s a special place for folks who love the charismatic birds. This season, the nesting pair has lost both of its chicks to marauding Bald Eagles. It is quite a dilemma for bird lovers. We did see a chick on Thursday evening when we arrived but the eagle was watching at the same time. We never saw the baby again so it must have been taken by the eagle shortly after we saw it.

 

 

 

 

 

I was lucky enough to be invited to search for Great Gray Owls near a known nesting site. Our small group walked along a county road and first spotted the young fledglings near the end of dusk and then the adults hunting from fence posts after dark!

 

Red-winged Blackbirds rule the marsh with their raucous calls.

 

Juvenile swallows waiting for a meal or a lesson in catching their own.

 

Young Spotted Sandpipers

 

The adult Spotted Sandpiper watching its babies.

 

 

 

 

Fun Times at Lost Lake

It was Ken’s birthday while we were at Lost Lake and we had a low key celebration over breakfast on Friday. The big party is this Saturday so ya’ll be sure and show up!

There was a general theme of fishing throughout the weekend. Riley is his middle name.

Sometimes I think it’s more about fiddling with gear than actual fishing.

Two very nice eastern brook trout.

And another one.

Because Lost Lake is home to Common Loons, lead fishing tackle is banned. Ken used all non-toxic tackle to catch these fish.

Playing guitar and singing under the tamarack trees.

He cooked dinner in the campfire each night, including those three mighty brook trout!

Lost Lake Wildflowers

We were fortunate to be at Lost Lake on the weekend when the Okanogan Highlands Alliance was leading a native plant walk on the 65 acres of wetlands and uplands they purchased last year. It is a remarkable place with an incredible variety of botanical species, some quite rare, and I feel lucky that the OHA was able to preserve this spot and share it with the public. George Thornton, president of their board, led the walk. He has many years of experience doing plant surveys for the US Forest Service and is well versed in the flora of the region. And he’s a good trip leader; in his other life he is a school teacher.

 

George ponders a question about the forest.

 

Bog Orchid

 

Gentianella propinqua
fourpart dwarf gentian

 

Lots of lupines blooming everywhere

 

Pyrola asarifolia
pink wintergreen

 

Twinflower (I need to get its Latin name)

 

As I paddled my boat, I was fascinated by the various shapes of the waterlillies. I don’t know if these are natives or not.

 

 

 

Lost Lake in the Okanogan Highlands

Ken and I had a nice getaway to Lost Lake in the Okanogan Highlands last weekend. While the weather was not perfect, it was never too cold or wet and we had a great time. A nice lady stayed with our dogs so we were able to kayak, fish, ride bikes and just have a relaxing time at this gem of a place. For me, it is sort of like ‘On Golden Pond’ with nesting loons, a quiet lake surrounded by forest, some camps, and a few cabins nestled along the edge.