Tag: mallard

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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
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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
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From my kayak: End of the season. 10/18-24

The kayaks are put away for the winter, but we had several trips out in late October, a couple with Jane’s family.

Rick and Susie. Crystal Lake, Enfield, NH 10/24/2020
Rick and Adam. Lake Fairlee, VT 10/18/2020
Connecticut River. 10/22/20
Rick and Jamie. Crystal Lake, Enfield, NH 10/24/2020
Reflections. Lake Fairlee, VT 10/18/2020

The water fowl are skittish, and harder to find.

Common merganser. Connecticut River, 10/22/2020
Hooded mergansers take off. Mink Brook 10/22/2020
Mallard. Mink Brook. 10/20/2020
Canada goose. Crystal Lake, Enfield, NH 10/24/2020

but there are other birds to be found.

Great blue heron. Mink Brook, 10/22/2020
White throated sparrow. Connecticut River, VT 10/18/2020
Immature eagle. Ompompanoosuc River 10/20/2020
Loon. Crystal Lake, Enfield, NH 10/24/2020
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From my kayak 9/24-10/12

We have had a lovely fall. Plenty of sun, reasonable temperatures, not much wind. We saw some of the standbys: cormorants, loons, mergansers, eagles, ospreys and mallards.

Cormorant Squam Lake 10/12/2020
Common loon getting winter plumage. Squam Lake, 10/12/2020
Common merganser. Ompompanoosuc River 10/11/2020
Mallard drake. Connecticut River. 10/5/2020
Osprey. Connecticut River 9/24/20

This time of year, we see some more unusual birds, many passing through.

Pied bill grebe. Connecticut River 10/5/2020
Black ducks. Connecticut River. 10/5/2020
White throated sparrow. Connecticut River, 10/14/2020
Yellow rumped warbler. Ompompanoosuc River, 10/1/2020
Red tailed hawk with a snake wrapped around its leg. Hartford, VT, 10/1/2020

The foliage has been lovely.

Leaf. Connecticut River, 10/1/2020
Jane on Mink Brook. 9/24/2020
Lower Baker Pond, 10/3/2020
Railroad bridge. Ompompanoosuc River 9/28/2020
Great Island. Squam Lake, 10/12/2020
River bend. Ompompanoosuc River 10/11/2020
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Ricker Pond 9/26

I joined Jane, her brother and two sons for a delightful paddle on Ricker Pond. The color was just about peak.

Reflections. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
Fall colors. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020

Jeremy took delivery of his new fishing kayak.

Jeremy in his new kayak. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
Jaimie. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
Rick. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
Jane and a loon. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020

We found a parent and young loon

Loons. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020

who dove when they spotted an eagle flying overhead.

Loons splash as they dive. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
Eagle. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
Mallard. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
An aster. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
The dam. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020
Returning. Ricker Pond State Park, Groton, VT 9/26/2020