North Hartland Lake – Page 4

May 27, 2019May 27, 2019

First paddle of the season

Yesterday Jane, her son Jaimie, and I went to North Hartland Lake for my first paddle of the season. Turtles, turtles everywhere! On the boom near the dam. On logs up and down the river. On twigs floating in the river. On the mud flats. On rocks… The water was cold (in the 50’s) and the sun was warm.

Some of the turtles on the boom.
Painted turtles on some sticks
Painted turtle
Painted turtles on a log

We also saw eagles, young and old, in the trees and in the air. A hawk in the air. Not many water fowl and only in the distance. A few warblers and sandpipers.

Eagle with nesting materials
Eagle in a tree
Yellowthroat
Spotted sandpiper

August 28, 2018August 28, 2018

From my kayak 8/19-28

We’ve paddled the usual places the past 10 days. The mornings are getting colder and more foggy. We’ve seen great blue herons, green herons, cormorants, loons, ducks and other creatures. Loons do fly, they just take a long runway to take off.

*Jane paddles in the fog. North Hartland Lake, VT 8/25/18*

*Great blue heron Grafton Pond, NH 8/28/18*

*Great blue heron taking off. Connecticut River 8/24/18*

*Green heron. Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 8/27/18*

*Cormorant drying his wings. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 8/27/18*

*Loon launching. Grafton Pond, NH 8/28/18*

*Mallards on a log Connecticut River 8/20/18*

*Troll. North Hartland Lake, VT 8/25/18*

*Birch bark reflection. Connecticut River 8/20/18*

July 22, 2018

North Hartland, Connecticut River and my backyard. 7/7-21

This week we paddled our usual spots: the Connecticut from Wilder and North Hartland Lake.

Reflections of the East Wilder boat launch.
Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/21/18

We spent some time watching a great blue heron fishing,

Great blue heron in tree. North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

Great blue heron fishing
North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

Great blue heron preparing to swallow a fish.
North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

Great blue heron trying to swallow a large fish.
North Hartland Lake, 7/20/18

a cormorant,

Mardrey watching the cormorant
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/21/18

a couple of muskrats,

Muskrat
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/21/18

a swallowtail butterfly.

Swallowtail on milkweed.
Wilder, VT 7/19/18

and some flowers.

Virginia raspberry with a green insect.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 7/21/18

July 15, 2018July 15, 2018

Connecticut River and North Hartland Lake 7/14-15

On Saturday, Jane and I headed to the Connecticut River in Wilder. We started in a light rain, which stopped by the time we got to Mink Brook and cleared by the time we returned to Wilder.

The ducklings are growing. One family is nearly adult sized.

Ducks
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/14/18

We watched a couple of muskrats snacking, sitting on a log, then leaving to get some more goodies.

2 muskrats.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/14/18

Mallard.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 7/14/18

We returned to the Wilder boat launch to find a family of young ducklings settling in for a nap.

Time for a nap. Mallard ducklings.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 7/14/18

Sunday, we went to North Hartland Lake.

Jane Svetaka spots a great blue heron.
North Hartland Lake, NH 7/15/18

Great blue Heron
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/15/18

Pickerel weed
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/15/18

Song sparrow
North Hartland Lake, NH 7/15/18

Spotted sandpiper.
North Hartland Lake, NH 7/15/18

July 9, 2018

View from a kayak 6/23-7/8

The past few weeks we have continued to paddle the Connecticut River between Wilder and Hanover including Mink Brook, and North Hartland Lake. We have seen beaver and muskrat on both lakes,

Beaver raising its tail to splash.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/23/18

beaver splash.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/23/18

as well as great blue herons,

Great blue heron.
Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 7/7/18

eagles,

Immature bald eagle being chased by a kingbird.
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/8/18

dragon flies,

Dragon fly.
North Hartland Lake, VT 7/5/18

damsel flies,

Water lily with a damsel fly.
Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 7/3/18

and plenty of ducklings.