It was a weekend for loons and lady slippers in Groton State Forest.
Groton State Forest
Kayaking 6/12-15
On Tuesday, we put in at Wilder. We saw a loon near the boat launch.
We were planning on going up Mink Brook, but a mama merganser with her tiny ducklings swam up the brook, so we continued back down the Connecticut.
We did find another family of ducklings, this one mallard.
The next day found us on North Hartland Lake. It was a day of turtles,
a merganser family.
a yellowthroat
and deer.
Yesterday we drove to Squam Lake for a paddle around Great Island.
We heard loons in the distance, but didn’t see them.
The lady slippers were blooming.
Maine Canoe Symposium
This weekend I attended the Maine Canoe Symposium at Camp Winona in Bridgeton, ME. Maine Canoe Symposium is a volunteer-run, non-profit weekend event held annually in June under the pines and along the shore of Moose Pond. Participants gain an appreciation of canoe heritage and develop canoeing and related skills. Saturday morning started with a “Parade of Canoes” where instructors (and others) showed a variety of paddling styles and canoes.
We then attended classes, some on water: eg. various types of poling, freestyle (almost dancing in a canoe), English gates (an obstacle course), to high kneel on SUP (like the stance they use in canoe racing) and some on land: photo walk, building a fire, setting up a camp kitchen, dehydrating and hydrating food for extended trips…
The instructors were excellent, many of them professional guides,and all experienced canoeists.
They keep you busy most of the day and evening, but there are a few minutes when you can get away and enjoy the setting.
Kayaking June 1-6
This week we have paddled on the Pompy, Mink Brook and the Connecticut River(twice).The highlight was seeing the mink again this year.
but we also saw some other old friends: mallards,
green heron,
red-winged blackbird
and barn swallows.
On the rivers again
After a cold and wet spring, the water temperature is high enough to allow safe paddling. Yesterday, Jane and I paddled the Connecticut from Wilder. The river was full of people: kayaks, canoes, motorboats, jetskis and not full of waterfowl. We did see some songbirds,
some spring flowers,
and had a chance to examine some of the beavers’ winter handiwork.
This morning we headed to North Hartland Lake. We were surrounded by birdsong but only saw a few birds.
The highlight was a porcupine in a tree.
