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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,

Scarlet tanager –Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 5/27/17

Female scarlet tanager, Connecticut River 5/27/17

some spring flowers,

Columbine
pink flower

and had a chance to examine some of the beavers’ winter handiwork.

Beaver log

This morning we headed to North Hartland Lake. We were surrounded by birdsong but only saw a few birds.

Song sparrow –North Hartland Lake, 5/28/17

Spotted sandpiper –North Hartland Lake, 5/28/17
Mallards eating snails. –North Hartland Lake, 5/58/17
Common merganser family –North Hartland Lake, 5/28/17

The highlight was a porcupine in a tree.

Porcupine –North Hartland Lake, 5/28/17
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Spring?

March came in like a lamb and went out like a lion. The nice warm weather turned
cold and the Connecticut froze again.

Wood ducks — Connecticut River 3/24/17
Then Mother Nature played a cruel joke on April Fools Day.
About a foot of snow on the flat, about 3 feet in front of the door. April 1, 2017

Junco Hartford, VT 4/3/17

But the weather has turned. The ducks are looking for places to nest.

Goldeneye — Connecticut River 4/7/17

Common mergansers Connecticut River 4/8/17
Hooded merganser and Canada geese, Connecticut River 4/7/17
Eastern phoebe — Wilder, VT 4/8/17
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Spring is coming

We’ve seen our first robins, red-winged black birds, cedar waxwings.

American robin, eating sumac, 2/28/17 Hartford, VT

Cedar waxwings, 3/1/17, Hartford, VT

The ice is mostly gone from the Connecticut and the waterfowl are around.

Mallard pair, 2/28/17, Connecticut River, Hartford, VT

Chipmunks have joined the red squirrels at the wood pile (one at a time)

Red squirrel –3/1/17 Hartford, VT

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A few birds

The past few months (is it really that long since I’ve posted here?) I photographed a few birds.

A warbler- Kilowatt Park, 11/19/16

Mallards in the rain. Dothan Brook, 12/1/16
Blue jay — Kilowatt Park, 12/23/16
Turkeys in the snow– Hartford, VT 12/13/16
Tom turkey on the wood pile. Hartford, VT 1/9/17
Ruffed grouse. Hartford, VT 1/9/17

North of the Wilder Dam, the ice on the Connecticut River has been coming and going since mid December as the temperatures go above and below freezing, but below the dam, it has been ice free. This week I noticed about 100 mallards near the West Lebanon-White River Junction bridge. We’ve also seen them flying in smaller groups above Kilowatt Park.

Mallards –Connecticut River, 1/8/17

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Last of the this year’s kayaking

The last couple weeks the foliage has been beautiful. We have made trips to Grafton Pond,

Fog lifting. Grafton Pond 10/6/16
Fog lifting. Grafton Pond 10/6/16
Young loon. Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.
Young loon. Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.
Red leaf in fog. Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.
Red leaf in fog. Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.
Mt. Cardigan from Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.
Mt. Cardigan from Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.
Mirrored island Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.
Mirrored island Grafton Pond, NH 10/6.

Squam Lake,

Loon. Squam Lake, NH 10/11
Loon. Squam Lake, NH 10/11
Sunset. Squam Lake, NH, 10/10
Sunset. Squam Lake, NH, 10/10

Connecticut River,

Foliage, Connecticut River 10/11
Foliage, Connecticut River 10/11
Fluffy seeds. Connecticut River, 10/15
Fluffy seeds. Connecticut River, 10/15
Jane on the Connecticut. 10/18/
Jane on the Connecticut. 10/18
Connecticut River 10/18
Connecticut River 10/18

the Pompy,

Tranquil Pompy. Ompompanoosuc River 10/16
Tranquil Pompy. Ompompanoosuc River 10/16

and Mink Brook.

Mink Brook, NH 10/19
Mink Brook, NH 10/19

We haven’t seen many birds, and most were very skittish with the exception being the loons on Grafton Pond.

We did come across a horned grebe, a lifer.

Horned grebe. Connecticut River, 10/11
Horned grebe. Connecticut River, 10/11

Mallards. Ompompanoosuc River, 10/16
Mallards. Ompompanoosuc River, 10/16

The water and air temperatures are getting colder, and for safety’s sake, the kayaks have been put away for the winter.