Tag: ducks

Posted on

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
Posted on

From my kayak 7/20-30

We have been out several times in the last few weeks. North Hartland Lake is now open for boating, after being closed for more than year after last year’s flooding.

Remains of last year’s flooding. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Bald eagle adult. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Immature eagle. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Two immature eagles leaving a tree. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Immature eagle flying. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Great blue heron. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Kingfisher. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Beaver. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24
Beaver splash. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24

The Connecticut River to Mink Brook is a favorite. It is easy to get to, and almost always has things to see (and there are places to pee).

Canada goose at the boat launch. Connecticut River 7/24/24
Canada geese. Connecticut River 7/24/24
Mallard duckling and mama. Connecticut River 7/24/24
Mama mallard and ducklings. Connecticut River 7/24/24
Mallards on a log. Connecticut River 7/25/24
Mergansers. Mink Brook 7/30/24
Wood ducks. Connecticut River 7/24/24
Female wood duck. Connecticut River 7/30/24
Male wood duck. Connecticut River 7/30/24
Cormorant. Connecticut River 7/25/24
Cormorant walking on water. Connecticut River 7/25/24
Hornet nest. Mink Brook 7/25/24
Eastern phoebe. Connecticut River 7/25/24
Kingbird. Connecticut River 7/30/24
Fledgeling robin. Connecticut River 7/25/24
Robin.
Connecticut River 7/30/24
Dog in Mink Brook. 7/30/34
Underwater water lily. Connecticut River 7/24/24

The Ompompanoosuc River is another favorite.

Song sparrow with lunch for the family. Ompompanoosuc River 7/20/24
Mergansers taking off. Ompompanoosuc. River 7/20/24
Young merganser. Ompompanoosuc River 7/20/24

We joined Jane’s brother and sister-in-law on Lake Fairlee and saw loons and pink water lilies.

Loon and chick. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Baby loon. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Loon and chick. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Loon family. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Loon. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Loon calling. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Loon parents. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Gull. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Kingfisher. Lake Fairlee. 7/28/24
Pink water lilies
Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Pink water lily.
Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Water lily.
Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Painted turtle. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
Posted on

From my kayak 6/20-27

We have been out in our kayaks several times this week. Saturday we started out in a heavy mist, paddling out of Wilder.

Ducklings. Connecticut River 6/22/23
Mostly butts. Ducklings on a log. Connecticut River 6/22/23
Loon. Connecticut River 6/22/23
Loon. Connecticut River 6/22/24
Bald eagle. Connecticut River 6/22/23

On Tuesday we headed to Grafton pond. There were plenty of dragonflies and damsel flies. The goose family was near the boat launch. We only saw three loons: a single adult in the middle of the lake and a pair near the boat launch as we were taking out. We also found a turtle and some laurel and sundew.

Damsel flies. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Dragon fly. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Red dragon fly. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Canada goose. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Common loon stretching. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Common loon. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Laurel. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Sundew. Grafton Pond 6/25/24
Painted turtle. Grafton Pond 6/25/24

This morning we headed back to the Connecticut and Mink Brook. We saw at least 5 families of ducks, mostly around Kilowatt park.

Mallard family. Connecticut River 6/27/24
Ms Merganser. Connecticut River 6/27/24
Flycatcher. Mink Brook 6/27/24
Ms Red-winged Blackbird. Mink Brook 6/27/24
Posted on

Back in the kayak 5/23-6/12

After a long winter and a short spring photographing the dogs at Kilowatt, Jane and I put our kayaks in the water. We have been to our usual spots (the Connecticut River out of Wilder, and the Pompy) as well as trips to Upper Baker Pond and MacDaniel’s Marsh. Unfortunately, the North Hartland Lake is still closed from the flooding last July.

Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24

The ducks and geese have little ones.

Canada goose family. McDaniels Marsh, 5/23/24
Canada geese families. Ompompanousuc River 6/1/24
The heron is coming! Mallard family. Connecticut River 6/11/24
People are coming! Wood duck family. Ompompanousuc River 6/5/24
Common merganser family. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24

We have seen other birds:

Common loon. McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Double crested cormorant McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Spotted sand piper. Connecticut River 5/26/24
Great blue heron. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24
Great blue heron Connecticut River 6/11/24
Green heron. Ompompanousuc River 6/5/24
Osprey. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24
Osprey. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24

and animals.

Muskrat. McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Painted turtle. Ompompanousuc River 6/12/24
Painted turtle. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24

and flowers.

Pond lily. McDaniel’s Marsh 5/23/24
Pond lily. Upper Baker Pond 6/2/24
Blue flag. Ompompanousuc River 6/5/24
Posted on

From my kayak — Fall 2022

We’ve been out several time a week this fall, mostly on the Connecticut and the Pompy (we miss North Hartland Lake which is closed to repair the culvert under the parking lot), but we also have been to Lake Armington, Upper Baker Pond, Grafton Pond, Long Pond and Indian Pond.

Mt Cube from Indian Pond, Orford, NH. 10/6/22
Jane’s family paddling on Upper Baker Pond, 8/28/33
Susy on Long Pond. 10/3/22

We have seen our usual ducks and have enjoyed seeing them changing into breeding colors.

Wood duck. Connecticut River 9/7/22
Wood duck in breeding colors. Connecticut River 10/5/22
Mallards. Connecticut River 9/21/22
Mallards. Connecticut River 10/4/22

Common mergansers. Ompompanoosuc River 9/16/22
Merganser taking a bath. Ompompanoosuc River 10/4/22

We have also seen a number of other birds.

Green heron in the fog. Connecticut River 9/17/22
Loon family. Grafton Pond 9/10/22
Loon with foliage. Indian Pond, 10/6/22
Eagle. Connecticut River 9/20/22
Immature bald eagle. Ompompanoosuc River 9/25/22
Broad winged hawk. Ompompanoosuc River 9/15/22
Sparrow bathing. Connecticut River
Cardinal. Connecticut River 9/7/22

As well as a variety of turtles.

Wood turtle. Ompompanoosuc River 9/16/22
Painted turtle. Grafton Pond 9/10/22
Painted turtle. Lake Armington 9/2/22

And flowers.

Closed gentian. Connecticut River 9/7/22
Jewel weed. Ompompanoosuc River 9/4/22
Jerusalem artichoke. Ompompanoosuc River 9/16/22