Tag: kingbird

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From my kayak 7/25-8/11

We have been to our usual rivers in the last few weeks and have seen some changes. We found a kingbird and its nest on 7/19 and have seen the nestlings grow and leave the nest.

Kingbird and nest. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/19/2020
Kingbird with nestlings. Connecticut River 7/25/2020
Kingbird fledglings. Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 8/2/2020

We’ve seen cormorants.

Cormorant on the boom. North Hartland Lake, VT 8/1/2020
Cormorant taking off. Connecticut River, Lebanon, NH 7/25/2020

The red-winged blackbirds are out of their nests.

Young red-winged blackbird. North Hartland Lake, VT 8/1/2020
Wood duck with 3 mergansers Connecticut River, Hanover, NH 8/10/2020

The herons are always fun to watch. On the Pompy the other day we came across what looked like a log, but wasn’t. We stopped paddling and drifted about the same speed as the green heron was walking. At first it was a little annoyed with us, but soon relaxed and continued fishing. By this time I had drifted into shore and it walked within just a few feet of me.

Green Heron disguised as a log. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 8/11/2020
Green heron with a snack. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 8/11/2020
Green heron. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 8/11/2020
Green heron. Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 8/10/2020
Great blue heron North Hartland Lake, VT 8/1/2020
Egret taking off. North Hartland Lake, VT 8/1/2020
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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
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From my kayak 7/4-9

We visited our usual haunts this week: the Connecticut River out of Wilder, the Ompompanoosuc River and the North Hartland Lake. The wildlife did not disappoint.

The kingbirds on the Connecticut are sitting on their nests again.

Kingbird with nest. Lebanon, NH 7/5/20

The young mallards are nearly full grown and seem to enjoy snails for lunch.

Nearly grown mallards. Lebanon, NH 7/5/20
Snails for lunch. Mallards. Wilder, VT 7/7/20

We saw a couple of mammals on the Pompy.

Beaver (?). Norwich, VT 7/6/20

We rounded a corner and came across this doe only about 15 feet away.

White tailed deer. Norwich, VT 7/6/20
Butterflies on milkweed. Norwich, VT 7/6/20

North Hartland Lake presented some of its usual suspects. Both adult eagles were near the nest, but we only saw one juvenile.

Eagle parents. North Hartland, VT 7/9/20
Immature eagle with nest. North Hartland, VT 7/9/20

We also saw a couple of great blue herons.

Great blue heron. North Hartland, VT 7/9/20
Great blue heron. North Hartland, VT 7/9/20

and of course a painted turtle.

Painted turtle North Hartland, VT 7/9/20
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From my kayak 6/25-27

One of our favorite paddling spots, North Hartland Lake, is now open Wednesday-Sunday! The eagles have built a nest, but we didn’t see any evidence of eaglets.

Bald eagle. Hartland, VT 6/25/20

We saw the usual painted turtles and spotted sandpipers and were treated with some deer.

Painted turtle. Hartland, VT 6/25/20
Spotted sandpiper on the boom. North Hartland Dam, Hartland, VT 6/25/20
Deer. Hartland, VT 6/25/20

The next day, on the Connecticut River, we came across a large snapping turtle sunning himself. Over the years, we have seen him a few times before, but always underwater.

Snapping turtle and dragon fly. Lebanon, NH 6/26/20

The kingbirds are trying for a second clutch of eggs in at least two nests.

Kingbird with nest. Hanover, NH 6/26/20

And the damselflies are out and about.

Damselfly on my kayak. Hanover, NH 6/26/20

Today on the Ompompanoosuc, we found the family of geese, now getting their adult feathers.

Canada goose with half grown goslings. Norwich, VT 6/27/20

We also saw a family of common mergansers.

Common merganser family. Norwich, VT 6/27/20
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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