Nancy's Corner

July 11, 2019

From my kayak 6/22-7/11

We have spent several days a week in our kayaks for the past few weeks. We have just seen a few ducks and geese this year, but a wide variety of other wildlife.

Birds

Loon. Upper Baker Pond, NH 6/22/19
Loon family with newborn chicks. Lake Armington, NH 6/22/19
Loon with baby. Grafton Pond 7/2/19
Loon by Ledyard bridge. Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/10/19

Sandpiper chick. North Hartland Lake 6/23/19
Belted kingfisher fledgling. North Hartland Lake, VT 7/4/19
Kingbird nestlings. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/10/19
Bath time. catbird, Connecticut River Wilder, VT 7/11/19
Red-winged Blackbird on a cattail. Ompompanoosuc River 7/5/19
Spotted sandpiper. North Hartland Lake 7/4/19
Bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 6/23/19

Mammals

Beaver. North Hartland Lake 7/4/19
Muskrat. Connecticut River 7/7/19
Deer down by the river. Ompompanoosuc River 7/8/19

Other animals

Painted turtle. Mink Brook, NH 7/7/19
Swallowtail butterflies. Upper Baker Pond, 6/22/19
Pond lily with dragon fly and 2 damsel flies. Squam Lake, NH 7/9/19

People

Jane under the arch. Connecticut River, Norwich, VT 7/1/19
Jane and Rick on Lake Armington, 6/22/19

And a couple of other things not from a kayak.

Sunset after a storm. Hartford, VT 7/6/19

June 29, 2019

Jane and I took our annual pilgrimage to Eshqua Bog in Hartland, VT this morning after a rains to see the showy lady slippers and the other early summer bog flowers. I have never seen as many lady slippers as this year nor as many ferns.

The showy lady slippers were plentiful. Eshqua Bog, Hartland, VT 6/29/19
Showy lady slippers. Eshqua Bog, Hartland,VT 6/29/19
Showy lady slippers. Eshqua Bog, Hartland, VT 9/29/19
An all white showy lady slipper. Eshqua Bog, Hartland, VT 6/29/19
Pitcher plant flower. Eshqua Bog, Hartland, VT 6/29/19
Water avens. Eshqua Bog, Hartland, VT 6/29/19

June 20, 2019

Eagles here and there (and other stuff) 6/15-19

We have seen eagles everywhere we paddled this week, as well as other interesting stuff.

Eagle. Connecticut River, Wilder 6/13/19
Female wood duck leading us (and the eagle) away from her babies. Connecticut River, Wilder 6/13/19
Snake swimming. Connecticut River. 6/13/19
Eagle tangled in some debris. North Hartland Lake 6/15/19
Beaver. North Hartland Lake 6/15/19
Rebecca and Susan paddling. Squam Lake 6/18/19
Immature eagle. Squam Lake 6/18/19
Blueberry flowers. Squam Lake 6/18/19
2 young muskrats. Mink Brook, 6/17/19
Blue flag. Connecticut River, Wilder 6/17/19

June 11, 2019June 11, 2019

From my kayak 6/7-10

We had 4 days of beautiful weather– bluebird skies, air temperatures around 80º, water temps in the mid to upper 50’s, so we headed for some of our favorite rivers.

We didn’t find any herons and only a few ducks and geese, but there was still a lot to see and hear. The frog sounds were so loud that it drowned out the traffic noise on the Pompy.

Grackle. Mink Brook, NH 6/7/19
Loon stretching – Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 6/7/19
Luna moth — Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 6/8/19
Large rodent (woodchuck? muskrat? beaver?) grooming. Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 6/8/19
Frog Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 6/9/19
Frog singing. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 6/9/19
Red-winged blackbird. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 6/9/19
Deer –North Hartland Lake, VT 6/10/19
Frog –North Hartland Lake, VT 6/10/19
Mallard with ducklings –North Hartland Lake, VT 6/10/19

May 27, 2019May 27, 2019

First paddle of the season

Yesterday Jane, her son Jaimie, and I went to North Hartland Lake for my first paddle of the season. Turtles, turtles everywhere! On the boom near the dam. On logs up and down the river. On twigs floating in the river. On the mud flats. On rocks… The water was cold (in the 50’s) and the sun was warm.

Some of the turtles on the boom.
Painted turtles on some sticks
Painted turtle
Painted turtles on a log

We also saw eagles, young and old, in the trees and in the air. A hawk in the air. Not many water fowl and only in the distance. A few warblers and sandpipers.