Tag: spotted sandpiper

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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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Paddles 5/20-23

We have had some warmer weather and the water temperatures are now above 50, so we’ve taken to the water. The quarantine rules have relaxed some, so I am traveling a bit farther afield. I drove to Squam Lake, spent the day with my niece and her husband, washed a few windows and took a short paddle.

Water’s edge. Squam Lake, NH 5/20/20

The next day, Jane and I met her brother, sister, and brother-in-law for a delightful kayak on Upper Baker Pond in Orford. We saw a pair of loons, some white flowering bushes,

Loon. Upper Baker Pond, NH. 5/21/20
Shad bush (Service Berry?) Upper Baker Pond, NH 5/21/20

and one mallard drake. Is the hen sitting on a nest?

Mallard drake. Upper Baker Pond, NH 5/21/20

We kayaked on the Connecticut River out of Wilder on Saturday. We came across a family of geese.

Canada goose family. Connecticut River, NH 5/22/20

It was finally warm enough that we heard the frogs singing.

Frog. Connecticut River, VT. 5/22/20
Spotted sandpiper. Connecticut River, VT. 5/23/20
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From my kayak 8/13-26

We have been out eight times in the past two weeks to our usual haunts: North Hartland Lake, Grafton Pond and the Connecticut River near Wilder, VT. We have seen birds:

  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 8/18/19
  • Duck swimming between me and Jane’s kayak. Connecticut River 8/19/19
  • Ducks –Connecticut River 8/19/19
  • Wood ducks — Connecticut River8/13/19
  • Young loon –Grafton Pond 8/20/19
  • Sandpiper –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • 2 eagles — North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Bald eagle — North Hartland Lake 8/24/19
  • Cedar waxwing — Connecticut River 8/26/19

as well as other animals and plants.

  • Deer drinking –Connecticut River 8/13/19
  • 3 painted turtles –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Painted turtle with a peeling shell. North Hartland Lake 8/24/19
  • Fishing –Grafton Pond 8/20/19
  • Purple loosestrife with 2 types of bees. North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
  • Arrowroot — North Hartland Lake 8/18/19
  • Redosier dogwood– Connecticut River 8/13/19
  • Log in the fog –Connecticut River 8/26/19
  • The some falls at the base of Quechee Gorge. –North Hartland Lake 8/25/19
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From my kayak 7/27-8/11

We have spent the month on our local lakes/rivers with an occasional foray to more distant bodies of water.

  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake -7/27/19
  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 7/27/19
  • Great blue heron. — Ompompanoosuc River 7/28/18
  • Great blue heron –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Green heron –Connecticut River 7/29/19
  • Common loon –Grafton Pond 7/30/19
  • Common loon. –Grafton Pond 7/30/19
  • Fish for baby. Common loon– Grafton Pond, NH 7/30/19
  • Loon on display –Grafton Pond 7-30-19
  • White great heron –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Bald Eagle –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Osprey –North Hartland Lake 8/10/19
  • Wood duck –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Spotted sandpiper –North Hartland Lake 8/2/19
  • Bee on pickerel weed. –North Hartland Lake 8/10/19
  • Butterfly on Joe Pye weed.–North Hartland Lake 8/10/19
  • A dragon fly –Grafton Pond 7/30/19
  • Twelve spotted dragon fly –Connecticut River 7/29/19
  • Pond lily with damsel fly –Ompompanoosuc River 7/28/19
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First paddle of the season

turtles on log

Yesterday Jane, her son Jaimie, and I went to North Hartland Lake for my first paddle of the season. Turtles, turtles everywhere! On the boom near the dam. On logs up and down the river. On twigs floating in the river. On the mud flats. On rocks… The water was cold (in the 50’s) and the sun was warm.

  • Some of the turtles on the boom.
  • turtles on log
  • turtles on twigs
    Painted turtles on some sticks
  • painted turtle
    Painted turtle
  • 3 turtles
    Painted turtles on a log

We also saw eagles, young and old, in the trees and in the air. A hawk in the air. Not many water fowl and only in the distance. A few warblers and sandpipers.

  • eagle with nesting materials
    Eagle with nesting materials
  • Eagle in a tree
  • Yellowthroat
  • Spotted sandpiper