9/16-30

We are still kayaking, though more in the afternoons and are still seeing wildlife; some migrant and some resident. 

 

Mallard with breeding plumage. Connecticut River 9/16/18
Common mergansers. Ompompanoosuc River 9/30/18
Common mergansers. Ompompanoosuc River 9/30/18
Hooded merganser taking off. Mink Brook 9/23/18
Common loon with a fish for baby. Grafton Pond 9/29/18
Young loon. Grafton Pond 9/29/18
Great blue heron. Grafton Pond 9/29/18
Bald eagle. Connecticut River 9/17/18
Swimming squirrel. Connecticut River 9/17/18
Deer in the garden. Hartford, VT 9/20/18
Floating leaf. Connecticut River 9/27/18

From my kayak 9/7-15


We have been out a few times this week, on the Connecticut River and the Pompy. (North Hartland Lake is closed for the season.)

Jane and Mardrey.  Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/15/18

We saw a few mammals, great blue herons, mallards, mergansers, some turtles, and a hornets’ nest.

Chipmunk.
Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 9/7/18
Grey squirrel .
Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/15/18
Great blue heron caught a big fish.
Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT. 9/15/18
Great blue heron flying off with his catch. 
Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/15/18

Mallard clapping?.
Connecticut River. 9/13/18
Common merganser with a muddy face. 
Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/15/18


Painted turtle.
Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 9/13/18
Hornet nest.
Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 9/7/19

Squirrels

There have been an overabundance of squirrels this year after last year’s bumper crop of pine cones and acorns. They have been migrating across roads and rivers, looking for greener pastures. This week we have seen them swimming the Connecticut almost every day we have been out.

Grey squirrel swimming. Connecticut River, 9/8/18

This grey squirrel landed on the pile of logs in the middle of the river for a rest before continuing on to the Vermont side.

Squirrel still soggy after his swim. Connecticut River, 9/9/18
Even squirrels shake the water off. Connecticut River, 9/9/18

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
Loons flying Grafton Pond, NH 8/28/18
Wood duck. Connecticut River 8/20/18
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

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

Orange day lily.
Hartford, VT 7/20/18