Tag: wood ducks

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From my kayak, summer 2022

Jane and I have been out in our kayaks a 3-4 times a week all summer, mostly on the Connecticut River out of Wilder, VT; the Ompompanoosuc River in Norwich, VT; or North Hartland Lake in Hartland, VT. We also made trips to Goose Pond, Grafton Pond, Squam Lake, and Lake Tarleton.

We’ve seen the usual wildlife.

Ducks

Wood ducks. Ompompanoosuc River 8/13/22
Wood ducks hiding near the shore. Connecticut River 7/27/22
A pile of common mergansers sleeping on a rock. Ompompanoosuc River 8/13/22
Momma mallard with young duckling. Connecticut River 7/8/22

Some herons

Green heron. Connecticut River 8/21/22
Great blue heron. North Hartland Lake 7/31/22
Great blue heron in a pine tree. North Hartland Lake 7/29/22

Some loons and cormorants.

Fish for breakfast. Adult loon feeding its chick. Grafton Pond. 8/5/22
Cormorant drying its wings. Connecticut River. 8/16/22

Some shore birds

Sandpiper. Connecticut River 8/20/22
Ring-billed gull. Goose Pond 8/3/22
Belted kingfisher. Ompompanoosuc River 7/30/22

Eagles

Bald eagle diving. North Hartland Lake 8/7/22

Some turtles.

Painted turtle. Grafton Pond 8/5/22

Some mammals

Muskrat with leaves. North Hartland Lake 7/31/22
Doe behind the pickerel weeds. North Hartland Lake 7/29/22
Paraglider. Connecticut River 8/20/22

We also saw some insects.

Hornet on a lily pad. Connecticut River 8/21/22
Hornets’ nest. Connecticut River 8/10/22.
Monarch butterfly on Joe Pye weed. North Hartland Lake 7/31/22
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Mostly from my kayak 9/5-14

It has been an interesting few weeks since my last post. My sons visited from Portland, OR. My husband had a heart attack (he is doing well). Instead of a week at Squam Lake we had planned, I was there for just 2 days. But I have been able to paddle my kayak and see some wildlife.

North Hartland Lake closed for the season on Labor Day. We went out on that Saturday and caught our last peeks at the eagles, cormorants and of course turtles.

Cormorant on the boom at North Hartland Lake. 9/5/20
Immature eagle and its parents. North Hartland Lake, VT 9/5/20

Painted turtle. North Hartland Lake, VT 9/5/20

The ducks are molting into their breeding colors.

Wood ducks. Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 9/13/2020

We found herons on all 3 of the rivers we paddle.

Green heron. Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 9/13/2020
Green heron. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/10/20
Great blue heron. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/10/20

and small birds and large.

Phoebe with web. Mink Brook, Hanover, NH 9/13/2020
Broad winged hawk. Ompompanoosuc River, 9/8/20

We saw a muskrat for the first time this year on the Pompy.

Muskrat. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/10/20

and a young deer running across the playing field at Kilowatt Park.

Deer. Kilowatt Park, Wilder, VT 9/14/20

The most unusual animal we saw was a Northern phalarope as it was passing through. It nests in the Arctic and winters to the south.

Northern phalarope. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/10/20
Northern phalarope. Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/10/20
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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 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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Sept. 26 – Oct.4

Fall has come.

Red trees --Ompompanoosuc River 10/4/16
Red trees –Ompompanoosuc River 10/4/16

Duck hunting season has started and the ducks seem to know it. For the most part, they are more skittish and more adept at hiding, but there were a few exceptions. A female merganser let us get quite close and even followed us when we paddled downriver.

Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16

Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16

Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16

Merganser -- Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16
Merganser — Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 9/26/16

Wood ducks --Connecticut River , NH 10/3/16
Wood ducks –Connecticut River , NH 10/3/16

Mallards taking flight. Connecticut River, NH, 10/3/16
Mallards taking flight. Connecticut River, NH, 10/3/16

Mallard splashing --Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 10/3/16
Mallard splashing –Connecticut River, Wilder, VT 10/3/16

We also saw a great blue heron,

Great blue heron --Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 10/4/16
Great blue heron –Ompompanoosuc River, Norwich, VT 10/4/16

a cormorant,

Cormorant -- Connecticut River, NH 10/3/16
Cormorant — Connecticut River, NH 10/3/16

and some song birds.