Tag: ducks

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From my kayak late summer 7/24-8/24

We’ve been kayaking fairly often this summer, taking time out for the Bugbee games and various appointments. We’ve seen a lot, but it seems as if the bird populations are smaller, not as many kinds of birds and animals as well as fewer numbers.

We did most of our paddling on the Connecticut River (and Mink Brook) out of Wilder, VT, North Hartland Lake and the Ompompanoosuc River in Norwich, VT. with a side trip to Upper Baker Pond.

Loon and chick.
Upper Baker Pond 7/26/26
Upper Baker Pond
7/26/26
Mallards.
Upper Baker Pond 7/26/26
Sailboats at the camp
Upper Baker Pond
7/26/26

North Hartland Lake is home to many eagles, great blue herons as well as sandpipers and red winged blackbirds, song birds and an occasional deer. We used to see dozens of painted turtles every time we paddled there, but this year we have been lucky to see one.

Immature eagle diving off branch. North Hartland Lake 8/1/26
Eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/8/26
Red tailed hawk. North Hartland Lake 8/8/26
Painted turtle. North Hartland Lake 8/1/26
Great blue heron in the fog. North Hartland Lake 8/8/26
Cedar waxwing.
North Hartland Lake 8/16/26
Spotted sandpiper. North Hartland Lake 8/8/26
Deer.
North Hartland Lake 8/1/26

We usually can find ducks and herons on the Connecticut as well as other birds.

Mallard with an itch.
Connecticut River 8/9/26
Mallard with duckling.
Connecticut River 7/28/26
Male wood duck getting his breeding colors. Connecticut River 8/18/26
Great blue heron
Connecticut River 8/4/26
Mourning dove. Connecticut River 7/28/26
Green heron.
Connecticut River 8/4/26
Kingfisher. Connecticut River 8/18/23
Osprey. Connecticut River 8/18/26

The Ompompanoosuc River in Norwich is our other regular. We never know what we are going to find there. Sometimes ducks, geese, herons etc. Other times just flowers.

Water lilies Ompompanoosuc River 8/5/26
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From my kayak 6/24- 7/14

We have been out on various local lakes and rivers a couple of times a week and have seen a lot: ducks, herons, other birds, deer, beaver, and flowers etc.

Cormorants.
Connecticut River 6/23/26
Mallard family.
Connecticut River 6/23/26
Blue flag. Ompompanoosuc River 6/25/26
Not quite adult mallards.
Connecticut River 6/30/26
Cormorant on a log. Connecticut River 7/2/26
Cormorant.
Connecticut River 7/2/26
Fawn.
Connecticut River 7/2/26
Jane with wispy fog. Connecticut River 7/2/26
Molting mallard takes a stretch. Connecticut River 7/2/26
Dragonfly.
North Hartland Lake 7/3/26
Immature eagle in flight. North Hartland Lake 7/3/26
Adult bald eagle.
North Hartland Lake 7/3/26
Orchid (?)
Lake Armington 7/5/26
Sundew.
Lake Armington 7/5/26
Raft of ducks.
Connecticut River 7/8/26
Gull.
Connecticut River 7/8/26
Osprey
Connecticut River 7/8/26
Turkey vulture with the moon.
Connecticut River 7/8/26
Black eyed susans. Ompompanoosuc River 7/9/26
Dragonfly. Ompompanoosuc River 7/9/26
Mergansers. Ompompanoosuc River 7/9/26
Bald eagle flying with a fish. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26
Bald eagle with a fish. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26
Belted kingfisher. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26
Great blue heron with a fish. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26
Beaver. Connecticut River 7/14/26
Song sparrow. Connecticut River 7/14/26
Common merganser family. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26
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Springtime from my kayak.

We were late starting kayaking this year, what with rain, cold water temperatures and doctors’ appointments, but on May 23 we made it to McDaniels Marsh. It was a chilly morning. We were hoping to see the frogs that Jane had seen a few days earlier when it was up to around 80 F, but it was too cold for them.

Spotted sandpiper. McDaniels Marsh 5/23/26
Yellow legs.
McDaniels Marsh 5/23/26
Red winged blackbird. McDaniels Marsh 5/23/26
Canada geese. McDaniels Marsh 5/23/26

We did go out on North Hartland Lake, the Connecticut and the Pompy a few times in June. In mid May we saw a large family of mallards from the shore and again a few weeks later from the kayak.

Mallard ducklings. Connecticut River 5/18/26
Mallards. Connecticut River 6/8/2026
Ducklings preening.
Connecticut River 6/10/26
Mallard and ducklings.
Connecticut River 6/17/26
Canada geese with goslings
Connecticut River 6/17/26
Red columbine.
Connecticut River 6/8/26
Yellow Warbler. Connecticut River 6/8/26
Hooded merganser with chick. Ompompanoosuc River. 6/5/2026
Hooded merganser and chick.
Ompompanoosuc River 6/5/26
Tree swallow. Ompompanoosuc River. 6/5/26
Painted turtles.
North Hartland Lake 6/13/26
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Spring kayaking, 6/4 – 7/11/2025

After a very wet and cool May, we finally got on the water on June 4 at Upper Baker Pond. It was a nice day, Jane’s sister Suzy was with us.

Swallowtail butterflies. Upper Baker Pond, 6/4/2025
Jane and Suzy. Upper Baker Pond 6/4/25
Lady slipper. Upper Baker Pond 6/4/25
Blueberry flowers. Upper Baker Pond 6/4/25

Our next trip was to the North Hartland Lake. Because of government cutbacks, the boat launch is only open on weekends and holidays from 9-6. We miss not being able to go on weekdays, early when it is still foggy and the animals are more apt to be around. That being said, we still see flowers, eagles, herons, flycatchers, kildeers and turtles there.

Adult bald eagles. North Hartland Lake, 6/29/25
Adult bald eagle. North Hartland Lake. 6/8/25.
Immature bald eagle. North Hartland Lake. 6/8/25.
Immature bald eagle. North Hartland Lake, 6/29/25
Red tailed hawk. North Hartland Lake. 6/8/25.
Lupin. North Hartland Lake. 6/8/25.
Flycatcher. North Hartland Lake, 6/29/25
Kildeer. North Hartland Lake, 6/29/25
Painted turtle. North Hartland Lake, 6/29/25
Great blue heron caught a fish. North Hartland Lake 7/4/2025
He orients the fish for swallowing.
North Hartland Lake 7/4/2025
All swallowed! North Hartland Lake 7/4/2025
F-35 flyby for July 4th. North Hartland Lake 7/4/2025

One of our favorite spots is the “Pompy” we often see a variety of ducks, as well as a lot of flowers and small birds.

Gadwall (?) Ompompanousuc River 7/7/2025
Barn swallow on bridge. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/25
Green Heron. Ompompanousuc River 7/7/2025
Kingbird. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/25
Dragonfly. Ompompanousuc River 7/7/2025
forget-me-not. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/25
Water lily Ompompanousuc River 7/7/2025

The place we return to most is the Connecticut River out of Wilder, and Mink Brook. We find the most variety: from eagles, to herons, to a variety of ducks and small birds as well as mammals, insects and plants. We never know what we will find.

Mallard with ducklings. Connecticut River 6/17/25
Mallard ducklings eating water bugs. Connecticut River 6/17/25
Mallard “bachelor” group on a log. Connecticut River 6/19/2025
Dragonfly Connecticut River 6/19/2025
Great blue heron. Connecticut River 6/19/2025
Great blue heron. Connecticut River 6/21/2025
Kingbird. Connecticut River 6/21/2025
Mama mallards with many ducklings. Connecticut River 6/21/2025
Muskrat. Connecticut River 7/8/25
Squirrel swimming. Connecticut River 6/21/2025
Mama merganser acting as decoy
Connecticut River 6/21/2025
Baby merganser hiding. Connecticut River 6/21/2025
Mallard with older ducklings. Connecticut River 6/25/2025
Wood duck with ducklings. Connecticut River 6/25/2025
Wood duck with ducklings. Connecticut River 7/2/2025
Mallard testing the water. Connecticut River 6/25/2025
Osprey landing. Connecticut River 7/2/2025
Spotted sandpiper Connecticut River 7/8/25
Black locust. Connecticut River 6/17/25
Columbine. Connecticut River. 6/11/25
20 mallards on a log. Connecticut River 7/8/25
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From my kayak 9/1-24

The end of the summer has come. Many mornings are foggy, the leaves are changing color, and we are using coverings on our legs to keep warm. We paddled several times on the Connecticut and the Pompy and once on Indian Pond, seeing the usual suspects.

Mallards in fog. Connecticut River 9/4/24
Mallard on a log. Connecticut River 9/24/24
Ducks on a log, Mink Brook 9/11/24
Mallard on a log. Connecticut River 9/17/24
Mallards. Connecticut River 9/21/24
Mallard. Ompompanoosuc River 9/19/24
Mallard flying. Ompompanoosuc 9/5/24
Wood duck taking off. Mink Brook 9/11/24
Male wood ducks. Mink Brook 9/11/24
Mallard and green heron share a log. Mink Brook, 9/17/24
Green heron– stare down. Mink Brook 9/17/24
Green heron. Connecticut River 9/11/24
Green heron. Mink Brook 9/24/24
Bald eagle. Mink Brook 9/24/24
Bald eagles. Connecticut River 9/17/24
Peregrin falcon. Ompompanoosuc River 9/5/24
White throated sparrow. Ompompanoosuc River 9/19/24
Cedar waxwing. Ompompanoosuc River 9/5/24
Kingfisher. Indian Pond 9/8/24
Hay bales from the setback. Ompomanoosuc River 9/5/24
Web. Mink Brook 9/17/24
Not an owlet (cat tail seeds) Ompompanoosuc River 9/19/24
Leaf reflected. Connecticut River 9/12/24