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
We got out a few times in October, before the weather turned too cold. We saw some of our usual suspects: Common mergansers and mallards, loons, blackbirds and kingfishers, a hawk or two, a painted turtle and a beaver.
Loon. Kettle Pond 9/27/24
Common mergansers. Grafton Pond, 10/4/24 Common mergansers. Squam Lake 10/13/24Mallard flying. Ompompanoosuc River, 10/3/24Flock of mallards. Connecticut River 10/2/24Common loon. Grafton Pond, 10/4/24Common loon. Long Pond, 10/6/24Red winged blackbirds. Ompompanoosuc River, 10/3/24Kingfisher Connecticut River 10/2/24Hawk. Ompompanoosuc River, 10/3/24Young ring-billed gull. Grafton Pond, 10/4/24Beaver. Kettle Pond 9/27/24Painted turtle. Grafton Pond, 10/4/24
We also found a few interesting things: rocks that look like elephants, a large black ball with a handle, a log that looks like a wolf. The foliage turned colors and the leaves fell. The mornings were cold and the valley was full of fog.
Rock that looks like an elephant . Kettle Pond 9/27/24Connecticut River. 10/21/24The wolf log. Squam Lake 10/13/24Mt. Cardigan. Grafton Pond, 10/4/24Kettle Pond 9/27/24 Color on the point. Squam Lake 10/13/24 Long Pond, 10/6/24Paddle to Great Island. Squam Lake 10/13/24Sun thru the fog. Connecticut River 10/2/24Rowing in the fog. Connecticut River 10/2/24Jane in the fog. Connecticut River 10/2/24
Most of the birds have flown, and the kayaks have been put away for the winter. It was a good season.
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 9/4/24Mallard on a log. Connecticut River 9/24/24Ducks on a log, Mink Brook 9/11/24Mallard on a log. Connecticut River 9/17/24Mallards. Connecticut River 9/21/24Mallard. Ompompanoosuc River 9/19/24Mallard flying. Ompompanoosuc 9/5/24 Wood duck taking off. Mink Brook 9/11/24Male wood ducks. Mink Brook 9/11/24Mallard and green heron share a log. Mink Brook, 9/17/24Green heron– stare down. Mink Brook 9/17/24 Green heron. Connecticut River 9/11/24Green heron. Mink Brook 9/24/24 Bald eagle. Mink Brook 9/24/24Bald eagles. Connecticut River 9/17/24Peregrin falcon. Ompompanoosuc River 9/5/24White throated sparrow. Ompompanoosuc River 9/19/24Cedar waxwing. Ompompanoosuc River 9/5/24 Kingfisher. Indian Pond 9/8/24Hay bales from the setback. Ompomanoosuc River 9/5/24 Web. Mink Brook 9/17/24Not an owlet (cat tail seeds) Ompompanoosuc River 9/19/24Leaf reflected. Connecticut River 9/12/24
We haven’t be out much this month what with appointments, bad weather and being down with a respiratory infection, but when we did go out, we enjoyed what we saw. We went to North Hartland Lake several times, seeing eagles, herons, turtles as well as some other birds, animals and plants. Unfortunately, the recreation area is now closed for the season.
Cormorant. North Hartland Lake 8/3/24Humming bird, North Hartland Lake 8/3/24Common merganser. North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24Mergansers watching for eagles(?) North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24Egret, North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24Painted turtle. North Hartland Lake 8/3/24Painted turtles. North Hartland Lake 8/1
3/24Great blue heron. North Hartland Lake 8/3/24Great blue heron landing near the dam. North Hartland Lake 8/13/24Great blue heron landing in a tree. North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24
Great blue heron. North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24Great blue heron by the dam. North Hartland Lake, 8/29/24Yellow flowers,North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24Red leaves. North Hartland Lake 8/13/24Immature eagle stretching. North Hartland Lake, 8/29/24Eagle changing directions. North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24Immature eagle flying over me. North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24Immature eagle flying. North Hartland Lake, 8/31/24 Immature eagles. North Hartland Lake 8/13/24Adult eagle. North Hartland Lake, 8/29/24
We also paddled out of Wilder a few times and the Pompy.
Mallards at the boat launch. Connecticut River 8/25/24Turtlehead. Connecticut River 8/28/24Osprey diving. Connecticut River 8/23/24 Foggy morning in Wilder. Connecticut River 8/23/24Kingfisher, Mink Brook 8/15/24 Bittern. Ompompanoosuc River, 8/22/24Mallards. Ompompanoosuc River 8/22/24Green heron. Ompompanoosuc River 8/22/24Butterfly on Jeruselam artichoke. Ompompanoosuc River 8/22/24Hawkweed (?) going to seed. Ompompanoosuc River 8/22/24Joe Pye weed. Ompompanoosuc River 8/22/24
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 7/27/24Bald eagle adult. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24Immature eagle. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24Two immature eagles leaving a tree. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24Immature eagle flying. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24Great blue heron. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24Kingfisher. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24Beaver. North Hartland Lake 7/27/24Beaver 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 7/24/24Canada geese. Connecticut River 7/24/24Mallard duckling and mama. Connecticut River 7/24/24Mama mallard and ducklings. Connecticut River 7/24/24Mallards on a log. Connecticut River 7/25/24Mergansers. Mink Brook 7/30/24Wood ducks. Connecticut River 7/24/24Female wood duck. Connecticut River 7/30/24Male wood duck. Connecticut River 7/30/24Cormorant. Connecticut River 7/25/24Cormorant walking on water. Connecticut River 7/25/24Hornet nest. Mink Brook 7/25/24Eastern phoebe. Connecticut River 7/25/24Kingbird. Connecticut River 7/30/24Fledgeling robin. Connecticut River 7/25/24Robin. Connecticut River 7/30/24Dog in Mink Brook. 7/30/34Underwater 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 7/28/24Baby loon. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Loon and chick. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Loon family. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24 Loon. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Loon calling. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Loon parents. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24 Gull. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Kingfisher. Lake Fairlee. 7/28/24Pink water lilies Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Pink water lily. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Water lily. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24Painted turtle. Lake Fairlee 7/28/24
