Tag: loon

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Paddles 5/20-23

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,

Loon. Upper Baker Pond, NH. 5/21/20
Shad bush (Service Berry?) Upper Baker Pond, NH 5/21/20

and one mallard drake. Is the hen sitting on a nest?

Mallard drake. Upper Baker Pond, NH 5/21/20

We kayaked on the Connecticut River out of Wilder on Saturday. We came across a family of geese.

Canada goose family. Connecticut River, NH 5/22/20

It was finally warm enough that we heard the frogs singing.

Frog. Connecticut River, VT. 5/22/20
Spotted sandpiper. Connecticut River, VT. 5/23/20
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From my kayak 9/17-10/14

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 9/24/19
Rick. Lake Katherine, Piermont, NH 9/21/19
Barb 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.

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From my kayak 7/27-8/11

We have spent the month on our local lakes/rivers with an occasional foray to more distant bodies of water.

  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake -7/27/19
  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 7/27/19
  • Great blue heron. — Ompompanoosuc River 7/28/18
  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Green heron –Connecticut River 7/29/19
  • Common loon –Grafton Pond 7/30/19
  • Common loon. –Grafton Pond 7/30/19
  • Fish for baby. Common loon– Grafton Pond, NH 7/30/19
  • Loon on display –Grafton Pond 7-30-19
  • White great heron –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Bald Eagle –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Osprey –North Hartland Lake 8/10/19
  • Wood duck –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Spotted sandpiper –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Bee on pickerel weed. –North Hartland Lake 8/10/19
  • Butterfly on Joe Pye weed.–North Hartland Lake 8/10/19
  • A dragon fly –Grafton Pond 7/30/19
  • Twelve spotted dragon fly –Connecticut River 7/29/19
  • Pond lily with damsel fly –Ompompanoosuc River 7/28/19
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From my kayak 6/22-7/11

We have spent several days a week in our kayaks for the past few weeks. We have just seen a few ducks and geese this year, but a wide variety of other wildlife.

Birds

  • Loon. Upper Baker Pond, NH 6/22/19
  • Loon family with newborn chicks. Lake Armington, NH 6/22/19
  • Loon with baby. Grafton Pond 7/2/19
  • Loon by Ledyard bridge. Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/10/19
  • Sandpiper chick. North Hartland Lake 6/23/19
  • Belted kingfisher fledgling. North Hartland Lake, VT 7/4/19
  • Kingbird nestlings. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/10/19
  • Bath time. catbird, Connecticut River Wilder, VT 7/11/19
  • Red-winged Blackbird on a cattail. Ompompanoosuc River 7/5/19
  • Spotted sandpiper. North Hartland Lake 7/4/19
  • Bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 6/23/19

Mammals

  • Beaver. North Hartland Lake 7/4/19
  • Muskrat. Connecticut River 7/7/19
  • Deer down by the river. Ompompanoosuc River 7/8/19

Other animals

  • Painted turtle. Mink Brook, NH 7/7/19
  • Swallowtail butterflies. Upper Baker Pond, 6/22/19
  • Pond lily with dragon fly and 2 damsel flies. Squam Lake, NH 7/9/19

People

  • Jane under the arch. Connecticut River, Norwich, VT 7/1/19
  • Jane and Rick on Lake Armington, 6/22/19

And a couple of other things not from a kayak.

Milkweed flower. Hartford, VT 7/6/19
Sunset after a storm. Hartford, VT 7/6/19
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From my kayak 6/7-10

We had 4 days of beautiful weather– bluebird skies, air temperatures around 80º, water temps in the mid to upper 50’s, so we headed for some of our favorite rivers.

We didn’t find any herons and only a few ducks and geese, but there was still a lot to see and hear. The frog sounds were so loud that it drowned out the traffic noise on the Pompy.

  • Grackle. Mink Brook, NH 6/7/19
  • Loon stretching – Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 6/7/19
  • Luna moth — Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 6/8/19
  • Large rodent (woodchuck? muskrat? beaver?) grooming. Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 6/8/19
  • Frog Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 6/9/19
  • Frog singing. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 6/9/19
  • Red-winged blackbird. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 6/9/19
  • Deer –North Hartland Lake, VT 6/10/19
  • Frog –North Hartland Lake, VT 6/10/19
  • Mallard with ducklings –North Hartland Lake, VT 6/10/19