From my kayak 7/13-21

The young birds are all around. Some are still in the nest.

Loon on nest. Grafton Pond, Grafton, NH 7/21/2020
Kingbird and nest. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/19/2020

Some have just left the nest and are watched over by a parent.

Mama mallard. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/19/2020
Mallard ducklings. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/19/2020
Loon parent and baby. Grafton Pond, Grafton, NH 7/21/2020
Canadian geese with two different sets of goslings. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 7/18/2020

Others are off on their own.

“Where’s Mama?” Mallard duckling separated from its family. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/19/2020
Young great blue heron. North Hartland Lake, VT 7/16/2020
Young green heron. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 7/18/2020
Wood ducks. Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 7/13/2020

And there are a few adults, too.

Eagle flying just overhead. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/13/2020
Bald eagle. North Hartland Lake, VT 7/16/2020
Loon. Grafton Pond, Grafton, NH 7/21/2020

Dragonflies and butterflies put in their appearances too.

Tattered swallowtail butterfly on pickerel weed. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 7/18/2020
Dragonfly. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 7/18/2020
Dragonfly. Grafton Pond, Grafton, NH 7/21/2020
Damsel flies(?). Grafton Pond, Grafton, NH 7/21/2020

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

From my kayak 6/7-10

We had 4 days of beautiful weather– bluebird skies, air temperatures around 80ยบ, 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.

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

Views from a kayak 6/16-19

The ducklings have arrived this week,

Ducklings by the benches.
Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 6/16/18

Ducklings.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/19/18

Mama with ducklings in the rough water.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/19/18

along with other birds,

Kildeer.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17/18

Northern waterthrush.
Ompompanousuc River, Norwich, VT 6/18/18

Female hooded merganser.
Ompompanousuc River, Norwich, VT 6/18/18

a variety of turtles,

Snapping turtle.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17/18

Painted turtle.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/17/18

swimming mammals,

Swimming red squirrel.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17/18

Beaver.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/16/18

and flowers.

Blue flag.
Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 6/16/18

Yellow flag.
North Hartland Lake. 6/17, 2018

The first water lily.
North Hartland Lake, VT 6/17/18