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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.

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Sept. 26 – Oct.4

Fall has come.

Red trees --Ompompanoosuc River 10/4/16
Red trees –Ompompanoosuc River 10/4/16

Duck hunting season has started and the ducks seem to know it. For the most part, they are more skittish and more adept at hiding, but there were a few exceptions. A female merganser let us get quite close and even followed us when we paddled downriver.

Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16

Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Wood ducks --Connecticut River , NH 10/3/16
Wood ducks –Connecticut River , NH 10/3/16
Mallards taking flight. Connecticut River, NH, 10/3/16
Mallards taking flight. Connecticut River, NH, 10/3/16
Mallard splashing --Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 10/3/16
Mallard splashing –Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 10/3/16

We also saw a great blue heron,

Great blue heron --Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 10/4/16
Great blue heron –Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 10/4/16

a cormorant,

Cormorant -- Connecticut River, NH 10/3/16
Cormorant — Connecticut River, NH 10/3/16

and some song birds.