Author: Nancy

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Views from a kayak 6/16-19

The ducklings have arrived this week,

Ducklings by the benches.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 6/16/18

Ducklings.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/19/18
Mama with ducklings in the rough water.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/19/18

along with other birds,

Kildeer.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17/18

Northern waterthrush.
Ompompanousuc River, Norwich, VT 6/18/18
Female hooded merganser.
Ompompanousuc River, Norwich, VT 6/18/18

a variety of turtles,

Snapping turtle.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17/18
Painted turtle.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/17/18

swimming mammals,

Swimming red squirrel.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17/18

Beaver.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/16/18

and flowers.

Blue flag.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/16/18

Yellow flag.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17, 2018

The first water lily.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/17/18
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North Hartland Lake 6/12

We went back to North Hartland Lake on Tuesday and saw a turtle on a post,

Painted turtle on a stump. North Hartland Lake 6/12/18

a cormorant,

Double crested cormorant. North Hartland Lake 6/12/18

a bald eagle,

Bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 6/12/18

a brown swimming mammal (beaver? muskrat?)

beaver? muskrat? with lunch.
North Hartland Lake 6/12/18

and a bug on a yellow flag.
Bug on a yellow flag. North Hartland Lake 6/12/18

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Kayaking 5/31-6/7

We’ve kayaked a few times this week on the Connecticut, the Pompy, and North Hartland Lake. We saw a variety of critters: a porcupine,

Porcupine. North Hartland Lake, VT 5/31/18

a beaver or two,

Beaver. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 6/7/18

geese,
Canada goose. Ompompanousuc River. 6/3/18

a cormorant,
Double crested cormorant. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 6/7/18

red-winged blackbirds,
Red-winged blackbird, male. Ompompanousuc River. 6/3/18

sandpipers,
Well camouflaged spotted sandpiper. North Hartland Lake 5/31/18

turtles, a few ducks, no herons,
Painted turtle. North Hartland Lake 5/31/18

and Jemma, the swimming dog.

Jemma, the swimming dog. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 6/7/18

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Grafton Pond 5/29

We spent the morning on Grafton Pond. We saw our usual complement of loons and geese.

Both species are thinking about nesting, as well as a hairy woodpecker.

Female hairy woodpecker.
Grafton Pond, NH 5/29/18

We also saw some turtles.
Painted turtle. Grafton Pond, NH 5/29/18

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First paddle

We put the kayaks in the Connecticut River for the first time this year. We were surprised to see more sandpipers than ducks.

Spotted sandpiper Connecticut River, 5/27/2018

Spotted sandpiper — Connecticut River, 5/27/2018

We also saw a variety of song birds,

Grackle
Connecticut River, 5/27/2018

Cat bird
Connecticut River, 5/27/2018

Blue jay with nesting material. Connecticut River, 5/27/2018

and other critters.

Gray squirrel. Connecticut River, 5/27/2018

Many spots on the rivers were noisy with frogs croaking
and I finally spotted one.

Frog