dragon fly – Nancy's Corner

September 17, 2019

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.

Green heron scratching — Connecticut River 9/6/19

Young eagle getting his adult feathers. Connecticut River 9/15/19

Butterfly on asters. Connecticut River 9/15/19

Closed gentian –Connecticut River 9/12/19

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.

Ducklings swimming.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 7/3/18

Ducklings following mama.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 6/30/18

August 12, 2016

Wildlife at Squam

I’ve been seeing a variety of wildlife on my paddles. Of course we’ve seen loons,

Loon -- Church Island, Squam Lake — Loon — Church Island, Squam Lake

but also other birds such as gulls,

Black-backed gull --Squam Lake — Black-backed gull –Squam Lake

Black-backed gull --Squam Lake, NH — Black-backed gull –Squam Lake, NH

mergansers,

and song sparrows.

Song sparrow -- Squam Lake, NH — Song sparrow — Squam Lake, NH

Song Sparrow --Squam Lake — Song Sparrow –Squam Lake

I also saw dragonflies and damselflies

and a squirrel.

June 7, 2016

Jane and I have made a couple of trips to Eshqua Bog, Hartland, VT this spring.The first on was on May 27. We had been hoping that the lady’s slippers would be in bloom, but it was too early. We did see other spring flowers.