Hauk Family Cottage

08/12/2026

There is a 3-mile-wide underwater channel connecting Lake Erie’s central and eastern basins, and strong eastbound winds can send deep water rushing west through it.

The Pennsylvania Channel runs between the Pennsylvania shoreline and the Long Point-Erie Ridge, a large submerged glacial moraine that stretches across most of the lake between the two basins.

The moraine forms an underwater barrier between the relatively shallow Central Basin and the much deeper Eastern Basin. The Pennsylvania Channel, about 3 miles wide and 75 feet deep, provides the main deep-water pathway between them.

Strong winds blowing east along Lake Erie can push enormous amounts of surface water toward Buffalo. Water levels rise in the east and fall in the west, sometimes by several feet. When the wind weakens or changes, water also sloshes back west across the surface. These back-and-forth movements of water are called seiches.

But during these strong eastbound wind events, some water is already moving in the opposite direction below the surface.

Deep water flows west through the Pennsylvania Channel toward the Central Basin. The current can be strong enough to carry sediment, helping build what appears to be a natural levee along the northern side of the channel.

So during strong eastbound winds, Lake Erie can be moving in two directions at once: surface water pushed east by the wind while deep water flows west through a channel hidden beneath the lake.

Image: NOAA

08/10/2026

Long Point isn’t just a beautiful place. It’s one of the most extraordinary natural features in all of North America. Stretching over 40 kilometres into Lake Erie, Long Point is one of the largest freshwater sand spits in the world. It’s so long and narrow that early sailors called it “the finger of God pointing across the lake.” For centuries, it has guided ships, sheltered wildlife, and shaped the identity of Norfolk County.

The waters around Long Point were once among the most dangerous on Lake Erie. Shifting sandbars, sudden storms, and shallow shoals caused countless shipwrecks. The lighthouse, first built in 1830, became a beacon of safety, guiding vessels away from danger and toward the open lake.

Long Point is recognized by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve, one of only a handful in Canada. It’s home to rare birds, migratory butterflies, Carolinian forest species, and marshes teeming with life

This tiny strip of sand is a global treasure.

Have you ever been here? If so, what's your thoughts?

P.S. Photo taken August 4, 2026. Thank you Brent, you're an awesome pilot and a great friend !!!
..

07/28/2026

05/30/2026

As evening light fades, a Blue Heron flys away after having relaxed on our Skyview Deck.

04/10/2026

How sad. Let’s all do our part to help.

3 billion.

North America has lost 3 BILLION birds since 1970.

→ Published in Science (2019) — Rosenberg et al.
→ 29% of all birds GONE in 50 years
→ NOT just rare species — COMMON birds
→ Sparrows: -800 million
→ Warblers: -617 million
→ Blackbirds: -440 million
→ Finches: -240 million
→ Swallows: massive declines (barn swallow -46%)
→ Grassland birds: -700 million (worst hit biome)

The losses are ACROSS habitats:
→ Forests: -1 billion birds
→ Grasslands: -700 million
→ Shores/wetlands: -250 million
→ Desert: declining
→ Only waterfowl and raptors have INCREASED (targeted conservation works)

Why:
→ Habitat loss (especially grasslands converted to agriculture)
→ Cats (1.3-4.0 billion bird kills per year)
→ Window collisions (600 million per year)
→ Pesticides (insect food base collapsing)
→ Light pollution (disrupts migration)
→ Climate change (timing mismatches between food and breeding)

The hopeful part:
→ Waterfowl INCREASED because of targeted conservation (Ducks Unlimited, wetland restoration)
→ Raptors recovered because of DDT ban + legal protection
→ THIS PROVES conservation works — when we actually do it

7 easy things that help:
→ Make windows bird-safe (decals)
→ Keep cats indoors
→ Turn off lights during migration
→ Plant native
→ Avoid pesticides
→ Drink shade-grown coffee
→ Reduce, reuse, recycle

3 billion birds.

That's not a statistic.

That's the sound of your backyard getting quieter.

Every year. 📉
HASHTAGS:

03/14/2026

03/11/2026

Also known as ephemeral pools or seasonal pools. These temporary habitats are crucial for our amphibian friends. ,