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Hi All
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Yesterday I went for a paddle on Grafton Lake in Keji.
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A great day for a paddle it was. Warm with enough wind to discourage the black flies.
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Grafton Lake as some of you know was dammed about 100 years ago and then 20 years
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ago the dam was removed. This made for an interesting environment as a ribbon of land
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was dried around the water. Trees have taken over this ribbon, an interesting mixture of
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the trees in the area. Some are now 6 m high. Just a guess. Should be a great area for warblers
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but I didn't poke into it.
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An interesting shoal of White Perch was around one of the islands in the lake. hard to estimate
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the size maybe 200 m long and thick in spots. Hundreds for sure perhaps in the thousands. I caught
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one to verify their id. No doubt has to do with spawning. Several times there was groups chasing
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around in circles the same as Gaspereaux.  The size ranged from 15 cms to 40+ cms. Most on
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the smaller end of the range. I've read of White Perch many times but had never encountered
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spawning behavior like this. There was a smaller shoal in another place and many other suitable
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spots that I had not gone. A lot of fish for the loons, osprey, otters and terns. A great scene.
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There used to be a big population of Tree Swallows at the lake. They were attracted by a mini habitat
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created by damming the lake and flooding out mature trees. These trees died as a result and the Swallows
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used the stumps for nesting. But time takes its toil, the trees rot and fall down and the water is lowered.
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The number of Swallows diminished with the habitat so only a few are left.
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However I saw a group of 8 - 10 Cedar Waxwings hawking insects out over the water. There is a few
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snipe at the old coffer dam. and a pair of Canada Geese in the marsh.
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Not a place often paddled but interesting nevertheless.
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Enjoy your spring paddles.
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Paul
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