We have had a lovely fall. Plenty of sun, reasonable temperatures, not much wind. We saw some of the standbys: cormorants, loons, mergansers, eagles, ospreys and mallards.
Cormorant Squam Lake 10/12/2020
Common loon getting winter plumage. Squam Lake, 10/12/2020
Common merganser. Ompompanoosuc River 10/11/2020
Mallard drake. Connecticut River. 10/5/2020
Osprey. Connecticut River 9/24/20
This time of year, we see some more unusual birds, many passing through.
Pied bill grebe. Connecticut River 10/5/2020Black ducks. Connecticut River. 10/5/2020
White throated sparrow. Connecticut River, 10/14/2020
Yellow rumped warbler. Ompompanoosuc River, 10/1/2020
Red tailed hawk with a snake wrapped around its leg. Hartford, VT, 10/1/2020
The foliage has been lovely.
Leaf. Connecticut River, 10/1/2020
Jane on Mink Brook. 9/24/2020
Lower Baker Pond, 10/3/2020
Railroad bridge. Ompompanoosuc River 9/28/2020
Great Island. Squam Lake, 10/12/2020River bend. Ompompanoosuc River 10/11/2020
We saw some unusual wildlife (for us) recently. At North Hartland Lake we came upon a bear swimming across the lake.
Black bear crossing the river.
North Hartland Lake, 8/15/2020
The next time we were there, we saw a couple of coyotes.
Coyote. North Hartland Lake. 8/22/2020Coyote digging. North Hartland Lake. 8/22/2020
They looked and acted so much like my dog Freya, it was uncanny.
Freya.
We have been watching green herons, both on the Connecticut and the Pompy.
Green heron. Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 8/24
Green heron yawning. Connecticut River 8/17/2020
We also saw some of the more usual wildlife: cormorants, ducks, geese, a merlin and of course, painted turtles.
Cormorants. North Hartland Lake, 9/15/2020
Wood duck.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 8/17/2020
Mallard beginning to get breeding colors. Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 8/13/2020Mallards preening. Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 8/23/2020“Sentry” Canada goose.
Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 8/20/2020Merlin. North Hartland Lake, 8/22/2020Painted turtles on a log.
North Hartland Lake, 8/15/2020
We have had some warmer weather and the water temperatures are now above 50, so we’ve taken to the water. The quarantine rules have relaxed some, so I am traveling a bit farther afield. I drove to Squam Lake, spent the day with my niece and her husband, washed a few windows and took a short paddle.
Water’s edge. Squam Lake, NH 5/20/20
The next day, Jane and I met her brother, sister, and brother-in-law for a delightful kayak on Upper Baker Pond in Orford. We saw a pair of loons, some white flowering bushes,
It has been a beautiful fall: some rain, some sun and dropping temperatures.
Storm’s a-coming. Connecticut River, Orford, NH 9/24/19
We continued to paddle a few times a week.
Reflections.
Connecticut River, Fairlee, VT 9/24/19Rick. Lake Katherine, Piermont, NH 9/21/19Barb with yellow tree. Squam Lake, Holderness, NH 10/13/19
Colorful trees across the cove.
Squam Lake, Holderness, NH 10/12/19
We haven’t seen a lot of wildlife: a few ducks, geese, a green heron…
Mallard flying. Connecticut River, Fairlee, VT 9/24/19
Green heron. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/18/19
Bald eagle. Squam Lake, Holderness, NH 10/13/19
Loon in winter garb.
Goose Pond, Canaan, NH 10/14/19
Hornet’s nest. Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 10/5/19
Chipmunk. Connecticut River, Norwich, VT 9/28/19
Geese flying.
Goose Pond, Canaan, NH 10/14/19
Moose Mountain. Goose Pond, Canaan, NH 10/14/19
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. The water is now below 50 and because we don’t have wet/dry suits, we have put the kayaks away for the season.