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From my kayak 7/25-8/1

We have not been out kayaking much this summer thanks to predicted thunder showers, flooding and various appointments. One of our favorite locations, North Hartland Lake, has been closed for the rest of the summer because of the floods in mid July. But we have managed a few outings.

Mt Cardigan. Grafton Pond 8/1/23
Loon. Grafton Pond 8/1/23
Great blue heron. Grafton Pond 8/1/23
Great blue heron. Grafton Pond 8/1/23
Great blue heron on top of a pine. Ompompanoosuc River 7/26/23
Turkey vulture. Ompompanoosuc River 7/26/23
The sentry. Ompompanoosuc River. 7/26/23
Hooded mergansers. Connecticut River 7/25/23
Cardinal. Mink Brook 7/25/2023
Wood ducks. Connecticut River 7/25/23
Painted turtle on a log. Grafton Pond 8/1/23
Dragonfly. Ompompanoosuc River 7/26/23
Pond lilies. Grafton Pond 8/1/23
Roots. Grafton Pond 8/1/23
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Squam Part 2

Flotilla for a trip around Great Island
Nabil
Juniper
Juniper and Isaac
Phil working on the gutter.
Around Great Island
Sundew
Painted turtles
Ring-billed gull
Great blue heron
Dragonfly
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Squam 2023

July 9-11

The Bowden sisters
The Burnham Bowdens came to visit
The sisters
Phil, Juniper and Isaac in a canoe
Susan and Rebecca at Great Island
Barb practicing towing other kayaks
Rebecca and Susan
Jennifer serving supper
Isaac
Damsel fly
Common mergansers
Common merganser family
Dragon fly
Spider
Wild Rose
Water lily

July 14-15

The guys
The gals
The sisters
Barb around Great Island
Rebecca eating blueberries
Rebecca around Great Island
Our friendly North American water snake
Snake hiding
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Kayaking 6/15-7/1

The weather has been iffy, with threats of thunderstorms almost daily, but we did get out in our kayaks a few times, mostly in our usual places but also in Molly’s Pond in Vermont.

Tim, Eric and Rick paddling in the smoke at Molly’s Pond 7/1/23

The birds have babies.

Canada geese with goslings. Ompompanoosuc River, 6/22/23
Wood ducks. Connecticut River 6/29/23
Mama merganser splashing to draw our attention away from her chicks. Connecticut River 6/29/23
Merganser family. Connecticut River 6/29/23
Loon with baby chick. Molly’s Pond 7/1/23
Loon chicks swimming towards us. Molly’s Pond 7/1/23
Eagle eyeing the loon’s nest. Molly’s Pond 7/1/23
Immature eagle taking off. North Hartland Lake 6/20/23

We also saw some other birds and animals.

Great blue heron. Mink Brook 6/15/23
Yellow throat. North Hartland Lake 6/20/23
Yellowthroat. North Hartland Lake 6/20/23
Painted turtle. North Hartland Lake 6/20/23
Mink. Connecticut River 6/15/2023
Mink. Connecticut River 6/15/2023
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Eshqua Bog 2023

Jane and I made two trips to the Eshqua Bog in Hartland, VT this year: one in early June and the other a few days ago. The bog has many unusual plants, including a couple of types of lady slippers. The yellow ones bloom in early June.

Yellow lady slipper. Eshqua Bog, 6/8/2023

The showy lady slippers bloom in late June.

Showy lady slippers. Eshqua Bog. 6/26/2023
A patch of showy lady slippers. Eshqua Bog. 6/26/2023

We found a white lady slipper among the showy lady slippers, a mutation?

White lady slipper. Eshqua Bog. 6/26/2023

There are other bog flowers present:

Water avens with a bee. Eshqua Bog. 6/8/2023
Butterfly. (Northern Crescent?). Eshqua Bog. 6/25/23