Tag: Ompompanoosuc River

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From my kayak 5/28-6/15

We’ve kayaked a couple of times a week on the Connecticut River or on the Ompompanoosuc. The geese and ducks are out with their families.

Family of Canadian geese. Hanover, NH 5/28/2020
Canadian geese. Norwich,VT 6/13/2020
Mallard family. Wilder, VT 6/4/2020
Mallards 6/14
Mallard family eating snails. Lebanon, NH 6/14/2020
Merganser trying to lead us away from its nest. Norwich, VT 6/13/2020

Other birds are showing their colors.

Grackle. Wilder, VT 6/4/2020
Flicker. Norwich, VT 6/8/2020

The kingbirds have nested.

Kingbird in nest. Wilder, VT 6/4/2020

And the red-winged blackbirds are guarding their territory from predators.

Turkey vulture. Norwich, VT 6/8/2020
Mink. Wilder, VT 6/15/2020
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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 8/27-9/17

We’ve been in our kayaks often in the past few weeks and have see a lot.

Great blue herons have appeared in most the the usual spots, but doing some unusual things.

Great blue heron with pond lilies.–Ompompanoosuc River 8/27/19
Great blue heron displaying. North Hartland Lake 8/31/19

This heron landed near another heron and put on this display.

“What’s that invading my marsh?” Great blue heron –McDaniel’s Marsh 9/7/19
Great blue heron fishing from a perch. Grafton Pond 9/10/19

The heron was fishing from a branch a few feet above the water, dove into the water, missed the fish, struggled back up to the branch and ruffled his feathers to dry off.

Great blue heron drying off from a dip in the lake. Grafton Pond 9/10/19

We also saw an egret and several green herons, eagles, deer, dragonflies and butterflies, and flowers.

Egret. North Hartland Lake 8/31/19
Green heron. –Connecticut River 9/6/19
Green heron scratching — Connecticut River 9/6/19
Young eagle getting his adult feathers. Connecticut River 9/15/19
Cormorant –Connecticut River 8/26/19
Deer — North Hartland Lake 8/31/19
Dragonfly –Connecticut River 9/15/19
Butterfly on asters. Connecticut River 9/15/19
Closed gentian –Connecticut River 9/12/19
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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 6/7-10

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