Nancy

July 22, 2018

North Hartland, Connecticut River and my backyard. 7/7-21

This week we paddled our usual spots: the Connecticut from Wilder and North Hartland Lake.

Reflections of the East Wilder boat launch.
Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/21/18

We spent some time watching a great blue heron fishing,

Great blue heron in tree. North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

Great blue heron fishing
North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

Great blue heron preparing to swallow a fish.
North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

Great blue heron trying to swallow a large fish.
North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

a cormorant,

Mardrey watching the cormorant
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/21/18

a couple of muskrats,

Muskrat
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/21/18

a swallowtail butterfly.

Swallowtail on milkweed.
Wilder, VT 7/19/18

and some flowers.

Virginia raspberry with a green insect.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 7/21/18

July 15, 2018July 15, 2018

Connecticut River and North Hartland Lake 7/14-15

On Saturday, Jane and I headed to the Connecticut River in Wilder. We started in a light rain, which stopped by the time we got to Mink Brook and cleared by the time we returned to Wilder.

The ducklings are growing. One family is nearly adult sized.

Ducks
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/14/18

We watched a couple of muskrats snacking, sitting on a log, then leaving to get some more goodies.

2 muskrats.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/14/18

Mallard.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 7/14/18

We returned to the Wilder boat launch to find a family of young ducklings settling in for a nap.

Time for a nap. Mallard ducklings.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 7/14/18

Sunday, we went to North Hartland Lake.

Jane Svetaka spots a great blue heron.
North Hartland Lake, NH 7/15/18

Great blue Heron
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/15/18

Pickerel weed
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/15/18

Song sparrow
North Hartland Lake, NH 7/15/18

Spotted sandpiper.
North Hartland Lake, NH 7/15/18

July 11, 2018

Grafton Pond 7/10/18

Jane and I went to Grafton Pond on Tuesday. The loon chicks have hatched and are being tended by their parents. We saw two families of loons, one with a very young chick,

Loon parent feeding chick.
Grafton Pond, NH 7/10/18

A young chick riding on the parent’s back. Grafton Pond, NH 7/10/18

A parent loon stretching after preening while the baby looks on.
Grafton Pond, NH 7/10/18

and another with a larger and older chick.

Loon showing its leg bands, older chick nearby.
Grafton Pond, NH 7/10/18

We also found a great blue heron hiding in the bushes.

Great blue heron hiding.
Grafton Pond, NH 7/10/18

July 9, 2018

View from a kayak 6/23-7/8

The past few weeks we have continued to paddle the Connecticut River between Wilder and Hanover including Mink Brook, and North Hartland Lake. We have seen beaver and muskrat on both lakes,

Beaver raising its tail to splash.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/23/18

beaver splash.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/23/18

as well as great blue herons,

Great blue heron.
Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 7/7/18

eagles,

Immature bald eagle being chased by a kingbird.
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/8/18

dragon flies,

Dragon fly.
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/5/18

damsel flies,

Water lily with a damsel fly.
Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 7/3/18

and plenty of ducklings.

Ducklings swimming.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/3/18

Ducklings following mama.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 6/30/18

July 8, 2018July 8, 2018

Eshqua bog 2018

Jane and I visited Eshqua Bog, a local fen with rare wild flowers, twice this year, at the beginning and towards the end of the showy lady’s slipper season.