Nancy

August 28, 2018August 28, 2018

From my kayak 8/19-28

We’ve paddled the usual places the past 10 days. The mornings are getting colder and more foggy. We’ve seen great blue herons, green herons, cormorants, loons, ducks and other creatures. Loons do fly, they just take a long runway to take off.

*Jane paddles in the fog. North Hartland Lake, VT 8/25/18*

*Great blue heron Grafton Pond, NH 8/28/18*

*Great blue heron taking off. Connecticut River 8/24/18*

*Green heron. Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 8/27/18*

*Cormorant drying his wings. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 8/27/18*

*Loon launching. Grafton Pond, NH 8/28/18*

*Mallards on a log Connecticut River 8/20/18*

*Troll. North Hartland Lake, VT 8/25/18*

*Birch bark reflection. Connecticut River 8/20/18*

August 19, 2018

Wildlife at Squam Lake 8/9-17

I spent a week on Squam Lake in Holderness, NH, paddling almost every day. I found birds perching on man-made objects,

Ring-billed gull.
Squam Lake, NH
8/11/18

Common mergansers
Squam Lake, NH
8/10/18

on trees,

Nashville warbler
Squam Lake, NH
8/11/18

and rocks.

Spotted sandpiper.
Squam Lake, NH
8/17/18

I also saw squirrels, a turtle and a snake.

Red squirrel eating blueberries.
Squam Lake, NH
8/15/18

Northern water snake.
Squam Lake, NH
8/15/18

August 6, 2018

From my kayak 7/29-8/5

We have been out several times in the past couple of weeks.
We have been following a muskrat family near “duck island” on the Connecticut– at least 3 members.

Muskrat. Connecticut River, Hanover,NH 7/28/18

We’ve seen great blue herons on North Hartland Lake, Mink Brook, the Pompy and the Connecticut,

Great blue heron.
Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 7/28/18

a green heron in Wilder,

Green heron. Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 7/30

and eagles in North Hartland and Squam Lake.

Bald eagle.
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/29/18

Immature bald eagle. Squam Lake, NH 8/1/18

A gaggle of geese followed us down the Pompy and then crossed the road.

Canada geese crossing the road. Ompompanoosuc River, VT 8/5/18

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.