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 6/23/26Mallard family. Connecticut River 6/23/26Blue flag. Ompompanoosuc River 6/25/26Not quite adult mallards. Connecticut River 6/30/26Cormorant on a log. Connecticut River 7/2/26Cormorant. Connecticut River 7/2/26Fawn. Connecticut River 7/2/26Jane with wispy fog. Connecticut River 7/2/26Molting mallard takes a stretch. Connecticut River 7/2/26Dragonfly. North Hartland Lake 7/3/26Immature eagle in flight. North Hartland Lake 7/3/26Adult bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 7/3/26Orchid (?) Lake Armington 7/5/26Sundew. Lake Armington 7/5/26Raft of ducks. Connecticut River 7/8/26Gull. Connecticut River 7/8/26Osprey Connecticut River 7/8/26Turkey vulture with the moon. Connecticut River 7/8/26Black eyed susans. Ompompanoosuc River 7/9/26Dragonfly. Ompompanoosuc River 7/9/26Mergansers. Ompompanoosuc River 7/9/26Bald eagle flying with a fish. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26Bald eagle with a fish. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26Belted kingfisher. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26 Great blue heron with a fish. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26Beaver. Connecticut River 7/14/26Song sparrow. Connecticut River 7/14/26Common merganser family. North Hartland Lake 7/12/26
Green heron, Connecticut River 9/10/25Great blue heron flying. Connecticut River 9/4/25Angry green heron. Connecticut River 9/4/25Young Green heron. Connecticut River 9/4/25Mallard stretch. Connecticut River 9/4/25Spotted sandpiper. Connecticut River 9/4/25Painted turtle with stuff. Connecticut River 9/4/25Bumble bee with jewel weed. Connecticut River 9/10/25Mallards flying. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25Common merganser. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25Common mergansers. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25Wood turtle. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25Monarch with goldenrod. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25Cormorant. Connecticut River 9/16/25Mallards in the fog. Connecticut River 9/16/25Ducks. Mink Brook 9/16/25Female wood duck. Connecticut River 9/16/25Cormorant flying. Connecticut River 9/17/25Cormorant stretch. Connecticut River 9/17/25Cormorant, Connecticut River 9/17/25Maple leaf reflected. Connecticut River 9/17/25Loon baby and parent. Indian Pond 10/4/25Loon preening. Indian Pond 10/4/25Loon stretch with splash. Indian Pond 10/4/25Some color. Indian Pond 10/4/25Susie. Indian Pond 10/4/25
Jane has had her hip replacement, and is healing well. The kayaks have been put away for the winter.
We paddled several lakes and rivers in mid August. Goose Pond had low water, still not completely full after a dam repair and a dry summer.
Low water. Goose Pond 8/17/25Goose eating. Goose Pond 8/17/25Canada goose. Goose Pond 8/17/25Common loon. Goose Pond 8/17/25Sandpiper.Goose Pond 8/17/25Canada geese. Goose Pond 8/17/25Bald eagle. Lake Tarleton 8/19/25Baby loon. Lake Tarleton 8/19/25Adult loon with fish. Lake Tarleton 8/19/25Green heron. Connecticut River 8/21/25Loon. Connecticut River 8/21/25Ducks sleeping on a log. Connecticut River 8/21/25Immature bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25Bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25Great blue heron flying. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25Great blue heron taking off. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25Painted turtles. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25Great blue heron “the morning after” Ompompanoosuc River 8/24/25“Geese over the Pompy” Ompompanoosuc River 8/24/25Thistle seeds. Ompompanoosuc River 8/24/25
Green heron. Connecticut River 8/7/25Wood duck and painted turtle. Connecticut River 8/7/25Mallard with web. Connecticut River 8/7/25Immature bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/9/25Great blue heron, North Hartland Lake 8/9/25Belted kingfisher, North Hartland Lake 8/9/25Kingfisher. North Hartland Lake 8/9/25Snapping turtle. North Hartland Lake 8/9/25Green heron and mallards on a log. Mink Brook 8/10/25 Broad-winged hawk. Connecticut River 8/13/25Broad-winged hawk. Connecticut River 8/13/25Merganser. Connecticut River 8/13/25Great blue heron. North Hartland Lake 8/14/25Green heron. Ompompanoosuc River 8/13/25Belted kingfisher. North Hartland Lake 8/16/25Painted turtle. North Hartland Lake 8/16/25Song sparrow. North Hartland Lake 8/16/25Immature eagle. North Hartland Lake 816/25
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, 6/29/25Adult 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, 6/29/25Painted 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 7/4/2025All 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 7/7/2025Barn 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 6/12/25Water 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 7/2/2025Mallard testing the water. Connecticut River 6/25/2025 Osprey landing. Connecticut River 7/2/2025Spotted sandpiper Connecticut River 7/8/25 Black locust. Connecticut River 6/17/25Columbine. Connecticut River. 6/11/2520 mallards on a log. Connecticut River 7/8/25
