Author: Nancy

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Spring 2020

In this year of Covid19, it has been a long time in coming, but spring has arrived.

Wildlife Rd. in spring. Hartford, VT 5/18/20

The birds are doing spring things.

Sparrow. Hartford, VT 4/28/20.
Bluejay. Hartford, VT 5/13/20

The animals are out and about.

Fox kit. Hartford, VT 5/2/20
Chipmunk. Hartford, VT 5/8/20
Bear in our driveway. Hartford, VT 5/5/20

And the spring flowers are blooming.

Pussy willow with bee. Hartford, VT 4/28/20
Daffodils in snow. Hartford, VT 5/9/20
Bluets. Hartford, VT 5/17/20.
Jack in the pulpit. Hartford, VT 5/18/20
Garlic mustard. Hartford, VT 5/18/20
Colt’s foot seeds. Hartford, VT 5/18/20
Unusual trillium. Hartford, VT 5/18/20
Trillium. Hartford, VT 5/7/20
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From my kayak 9/17-10/14

It has been a beautiful fall: some rain, some sun and dropping temperatures.

Storm’s a-coming. Connecticut River, Orford, NH 9/24/19

We continued to paddle a few times a week.

Reflections. Connecticut River, Fairlee, VT 9/24/19
Rick. Lake Katherine, Piermont, NH 9/21/19
Barb with yellow tree. Squam Lake, Holderness, NH 10/13/19
Colorful trees across the cove. Squam Lake, Holderness, NH 10/12/19

We haven’t seen a lot of wildlife: a few ducks, geese, a green heron…

Mallard flying. Connecticut River, Fairlee, VT 9/24/19
Green heron. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/18/19
Bald eagle. Squam Lake, Holderness, NH 10/13/19
Loon in winter garb. Goose Pond, Canaan, NH 10/14/19
Hornet’s nest. Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 10/5/19
Chipmunk. Connecticut River, Norwich, VT 9/28/19
Geese flying. Goose Pond, Canaan, NH 10/14/19
Moose Mountain. Goose Pond, Canaan, NH 10/14/19

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. The water is now below 50 and because we don’t have wet/dry suits, we have put the kayaks away for the season.

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From my kayak 8/27-9/17

We’ve been in our kayaks often in the past few weeks and have see a lot.

Great blue herons have appeared in most the the usual spots, but doing some unusual things.

Great blue heron with pond lilies.–Ompompanoosuc River 8/27/19
Great blue heron displaying. North Hartland Lake 8/31/19

This heron landed near another heron and put on this display.

“What’s that invading my marsh?” Great blue heron –McDaniel’s Marsh 9/7/19
Great blue heron fishing from a perch. Grafton Pond 9/10/19

The heron was fishing from a branch a few feet above the water, dove into the water, missed the fish, struggled back up to the branch and ruffled his feathers to dry off.

Great blue heron drying off from a dip in the lake. Grafton Pond 9/10/19

We also saw an egret and several green herons, eagles, deer, dragonflies and butterflies, and flowers.

Egret. North Hartland Lake 8/31/19
Green heron. –Connecticut River 9/6/19
Green heron scratching — Connecticut River 9/6/19
Young eagle getting his adult feathers. Connecticut River 9/15/19
Cormorant –Connecticut River 8/26/19
Deer — North Hartland Lake 8/31/19
Dragonfly –Connecticut River 9/15/19
Butterfly on asters. Connecticut River 9/15/19
Closed gentian –Connecticut River 9/12/19
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From my kayak 8/13-26

We have been out eight times in the past two weeks to our usual haunts: North Hartland Lake, Grafton Pond and the Connecticut River near Wilder, VT. We have seen birds:

  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 8/18/19
  • Duck swimming between me and Jane’s kayak. Connecticut River 8/19/19
  • Ducks –Connecticut River 8/19/19
  • Wood ducks — Connecticut River8/13/19
  • Young loon –Grafton Pond 8/20/19
  • Sandpiper –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • 2 eagles — North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Bald eagle — North Hartland Lake 8/24/19
  • Cedar waxwing — Connecticut River 8/26/19

as well as other animals and plants.

  • Deer drinking –Connecticut River 8/13/19
  • 3 painted turtles –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Painted turtle with a peeling shell. North Hartland Lake 8/24/19
  • Fishing –Grafton Pond 8/20/19
  • Purple loosestrife with 2 types of bees. North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Arrowroot — North Hartland Lake 8/18/19
  • Redosier dogwood– Connecticut River 8/13/19
  • Log in the fog –Connecticut River 8/26/19
  • The some falls at the base of Quechee Gorge. –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
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Joe’s Pond 8/9/19

I accompanied Jane, her brother, two sisters, a brother-in-law and nephew on their trip to Joe’s Pond in Danville, VT. The main pond was nearly wall to wall cottages.

Jane and her sisters on Joe’s Pond. 8/9/19

We did see a couple of groupings of loons there.

4 common loons. –Joe’s Pond, Danville, VT 8/9/19

We proceeded to the inlet, which was covered with lilies and ducks.

Duck in the lilies. –Joe’s Pond, Danville, VT 8/9/19

Heading upstream, we came across several low beaver dams which we could cross.

Jane’s family going up the inlet. –Joe’s Pond, Danville, VT 8/9/19
Rick paddles over the dam. Joe’s Pond, Danville, VT 8/9/19
Judson, Jane’s nephew.

We saw birds, bugs and wildflowers.

Black winged damselfly (ebony jewelwing). Joe’s Pond, Danville, VT 8/9/19
gull –Joe’s Pond, Danville, VT 8/9/19
Wild flowers. –Joe’s Pond, Danville, VT 8/9/19