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Eshqua Bog

Jane and I took our annual pilgrimage to Eshqua Bog in Hartland this week. The showy lady slippers were in full bloom.

Pair of showy lady slippers. Eshqua Bog, 6/16/26
  • Showy lady slippers. Eshqua Bog, 6/16/26
  • White showy lady slippers. Eshqua Bog, 6/16/26
  • Showy lady slipper. Eshqua Bog, 6/16/26
  • Showy lady slipper. Eshqua Bog, 6/16/26
  • Ruffed grouse on the road. 6/16/26
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Foxes at Kilowatt

The foxes are visible! Last fall the power company prepared for replacing the power lines this spring by chewing up all the vegetation under the lines. The foxes dug their den at Kilowatt North in sight of the parking lot. In April, on a warm day we saw the foxes.

Mama fox grooming a kit. 4/15/26
Fox kits 4/18 26

Then the power construction crew dragged some of their new metal poles within 15 feet of the den and we didn’t see the kits for a few weeks.

The next time we saw them, was on 5/5 at the parking lot for the boat launch.

Fox kit at the mouth of the south den. 5/5

For the past couple of weeks, we have seen a couple of kits at a time, often supervising the archeological dig between Kilowatt North and South.

Kit looking 5/21/26
Ready to pounce 5/21/26
Kits playing 5/21/26
Fox kits 5/12/26
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From my kayak 9/4-10/4/2025

Green heron, Connecticut River 9/10/25
Great blue heron flying. Connecticut River 9/4/25
Angry green heron. Connecticut River 9/4/25
Young Green heron. Connecticut River 9/4/25
Mallard stretch. Connecticut River 9/4/25
Spotted sandpiper. Connecticut River 9/4/25
Painted turtle with stuff. Connecticut River 9/4/25
Bumble bee with jewel weed. Connecticut River 9/10/25
Mallards flying. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25
Common merganser. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25
Common mergansers. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25
Wood turtle. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25
Monarch with goldenrod. Ompompanoosuc River 9/11/25
Cormorant. Connecticut River 9/16/25
Mallards in the fog. Connecticut River 9/16/25
Ducks. Mink Brook 9/16/25
Female wood duck. Connecticut River 9/16/25
Cormorant flying.
Connecticut River 9/17/25
Cormorant stretch. Connecticut River 9/17/25
Cormorant, Connecticut River 9/17/25
Maple leaf reflected. Connecticut River 9/17/25
Loon baby and parent. Indian Pond 10/4/25
Loon preening. Indian Pond 10/4/25
Loon stretch with splash. Indian Pond 10/4/25
Some color. Indian Pond 10/4/25
Susie. Indian Pond 10/4/25

Jane has had her hip replacement, and is healing well. The kayaks have been put away for the winter.

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From my kayak 8/30-9/1

We paddled North Hartland Lake twice on their closing weekend (Labor Day). We will miss seeing the eagles, herons, kingfishers and turtles until next year.

Bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/30/25
Young bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/30/25
Migrating birds. North Hartland Lake 8/30/25
Wood ducks flying. North Hartland Lake 8/30/25
Adult bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 9/1/25
Immature bald eagle fluffing it’s feathers North Hartland Lake 9/1/25
Belted kingfisher North Hartland Lake 9/1/25
Osprey, North Hartland Lake 9/1/25
Spotted sandpiper (?). North Hartland Lake 9/1/25
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From my kayak 8/17 – 8/24

We paddled several lakes and rivers in mid August. Goose Pond had low water, still not completely full after a dam repair and a dry summer.

Low water. Goose Pond 8/17/25
Goose eating. Goose Pond 8/17/25
Canada goose. Goose Pond 8/17/25
Common loon. Goose Pond 8/17/25
Sandpiper.Goose Pond 8/17/25
Canada geese. Goose Pond 8/17/25
Bald eagle. Lake Tarleton 8/19/25
Baby loon. Lake Tarleton 8/19/25
Adult loon with fish. Lake Tarleton 8/19/25
Green heron. Connecticut River 8/21/25
Loon. Connecticut River 8/21/25
Ducks sleeping on a log. Connecticut River 8/21/25
Immature bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25
Bald eagle. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25
Great blue heron flying. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25
Great blue heron taking off. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25
Painted turtles. North Hartland Lake 8/23/25
Great blue heron “the morning after” Ompompanoosuc River 8/24/25
“Geese over the Pompy” Ompompanoosuc River 8/24/25
Thistle seeds. Ompompanoosuc River 8/24/25