Clare Lake Views

Clare Lake Views

This blog is to document views throughout the year of Clare Lake in Long Beach, Indiana.   Clare Lake is about 1/2 mile from Lake Michigan in Indiana near the Michigan border.

Major focus will be on Bird Life, Animal life, Climate, and Weather.   Our view is West towards Sunset.

A week ago the lake was still totally frozen and we started hearing geese.  During the week Canada Geese have started appearing as well as some Crows, Grackles, Finches and black squirrels.  Its still been in the 30's with occasional 40's.   Accumulation of snow has slowly melted this past week.   The ice has melted in the bay to the south but the lake is still frozen with a slushy looking ice melted on the edges.

We have seen Mallards this past week and yesterday briefly Red Breasted Mergansers and Hooded Mergansers.  Our local Hawk has returned.

We bought the house a little over a year ago in early March 2013 and their was no ice on the lake then or later until the fall.  Trees are currently devoid of leaves of course.   We have several handsome River Birch along our shore.

The sun hits the trees on the far shore on a sunny day providing a splendid view from our bed.  In the evening the sun sets over the same shore.  If we walk down to lake Michigan the sunset is over Chicago.

We travel extensively so this blog will have major time voids even if I am diligent in attending to it when I'm here.

Canada Geese are ever present on the lake for 3 seasons and can be a nuisance.  To the best of their ability and with DNR approval several hearty souls scout out the nests and oil the eggs to prevent hatching.  There are still a number of broods that are missed each year but far fewer than their might be.  At present this evening I see 7 Geese standing on the ice near the far shore.  None in the water or on the shore.