Posts

Posted on

From my kayak 6/30 -7/7/2024

Jane and I have been out a few times together. On Sunday 6/30 we went to the Pompy.

Mallards on a log.
Almost adult Canada geese
Common merganser family.
Grackles.
Great blue heron.
Canada lily.
Virginia raspberry.
Basswood flowers
Purple loosestrife.
Joe Pye weed. Ompompanoosuc River 6/30/2024

After some family obligations, we returned to the Pompy on 7/5. Apparently the merganser family got separated. We saw the mama upriver from the youngsters. Like the wood ducks, merganser mama will often leave the young to hide while she tries to lead the predator away from them. The merganser duckling was keeping fairly close to a female mallard. We also found a doe and fawn in a setback.

Common merganser mama.
Merganser duckling.
Doe in the setback.
Fawn. Ompompanoosuc River 7/5/2024

Yesterday, we returned to the Connecticut River. When we got to the launch, we saw an eagle flying toward the dam and then heard many loon calls. We followed the eagle and found 4 loon adults. We went south by Kilowatt South, then followed the New Hampshire shore, paralleling the loons, seeing other things as we went along. The highlight was when we saw a loon swallow a fish about 10 inches long.

4 loons
Eagle
Black-eyed Susans.
Mallard family
Kingfisher
Loon with a fish
Getting it in right position
Swallow it
Stretch to settle it
Too stuffed to dive. Connecticut River 7/7/2024
Posted on

From my kayak 6/20-27

We have been out in our kayaks several times this week. Saturday we started out in a heavy mist, paddling out of Wilder.

Ducklings. Connecticut River 6/22/23
Mostly butts. Ducklings on a log. Connecticut River 6/22/23
Loon. Connecticut River 6/22/23
Loon. Connecticut River 6/22/24
Bald eagle. Connecticut River 6/22/23

On Tuesday we headed to Grafton pond. There were plenty of dragonflies and damsel flies. The goose family was near the boat launch. We only saw three loons: a single adult in the middle of the lake and a pair near the boat launch as we were taking out. We also found a turtle and some laurel and sundew.

Damsel flies. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Dragon fly. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Red dragon fly. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Canada goose. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Common loon stretching. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Common loon. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Laurel. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Sundew. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Painted turtle. Grafton Pond 6/25/24

This morning we headed back to the Connecticut and Mink Brook. We saw at least 5 families of ducks, mostly around Kilowatt park.

Mallard family. Connecticut River 6/27/24
Ms Merganser. Connecticut River 6/27/24
Flycatcher. Mink Brook 6/27/24
Ms Red-winged Blackbird. Mink Brook 6/27/24
Posted on

Back in the kayak 5/23-6/12

After a long winter and a short spring photographing the dogs at Kilowatt, Jane and I put our kayaks in the water. We have been to our usual spots (the Connecticut River out of Wilder, and the Pompy) as well as trips to Upper Baker Pond and MacDaniel’s Marsh. Unfortunately, the North Hartland Lake is still closed from the flooding last July.

Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24

The ducks and geese have little ones.

Canada goose family. McDaniels Marsh, 5/23/24
Canada geese families. Ompompanousuc River 6/1/24
The heron is coming! Mallard family. Connecticut River 6/11/24
People are coming! Wood duck family. Ompompanousuc River 6/5/24
Common merganser family. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24

We have seen other birds:

Common loon. McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Double crested cormorant McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Spotted sand piper. Connecticut River 5/26/24
Great blue heron. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24
Great blue heron Connecticut River 6/11/24
Green heron. Ompompanousuc River 6/5/24
Osprey. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24
Osprey. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24

and animals.

Muskrat. McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Painted turtle. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24
Painted turtle. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24

and flowers.

Pond lily. McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Pond lily. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24
Blue flag. Ompompanousuc River 6/5/24
Posted on

Eshqua Bog

This morning, Jane and I took our annual pilgrimage to Eshqua Bog in Hartland, VT to see the showy lady slippers and other bog plants.

They were plentiful, almost at peak. After last night’s rain, they still had droplets of water on them.

White showy lady slipper
showy lady slipper
Water avens
Posted on

From my kayak August-September-October

I guess it is past time to post. The kayaks have been put away for the winter, but we did have some fine paddles in the late summer and fall.

Bald eagle. Lake Tarleton 8/23/23
Osprey on top of a tree. Connecticut River 9/3/23
Osprey taking flight. Osmore Pond. 8/6/23
Osprey eating a fish. Osmore Pond. 8/6
Kingfisher. Ompompanoosuc River 9/1/23
Great Blue Heron. Ompompanoosuc River 9/1/23
Green heron pretending he is a stick. Ompompanoosu River. 8/12/23
Green heron. Connecticut River, 8/3/23
Cedar waxwing. Ompompanoosuc River 9/1/23
Phoebe fledgling. Connecticut River 8/29/23
Spotted sandpiper. Connecticut River, 8/3/23
Loon. Lake Tarleton 8/23/23
Jane and Suzy. Lake Tarleton 8/23/23
Ducks. Connecticut River 8/14/23
Merganser and mallard keeping company. Ompompanoosu River. 8/12/23
Loon. Osmore Pond. 8/6
Emily, Rick and Russ. Osmore Pond. 8/6
closed gentian. Connecticut River 9/3/23
Eagle near the on top of a tree, with wings spread. Connecticut River 9/5/23
Sand piper. Connecticut River 9/3/23
Wood ducks flying. Connecticut River 9/3/23
Wood ducks on a log. Connecticut River 9/27/23
Wood duck Connecticut River 9/5/23
Wood duck. Connecticut River 10/5/23
Mallards. Connecticut River 9/27/23
Cormorants. Connecticut River 10/5
Hairy woodpecker Connecticut River 9/5/23
Great blue heron. Long Pond 10/4/23
Dew covered web. Connecticut River 9/5/23
Wood turtle. Ompompanoosuc River9/14/23
Kayakers. Connecticut River 9/28/23
Rick, Suzy and Jane. Long Pond 10/4/23
Moon over the trees. Long Pond 10/4/23