Kayaking on the CT River

Seven people attended in seven kayaks.  We started at the Sunderland bridge and kayaked north to the Montague town line and back again.   It was cloudy and calm, perfect conditions for a beautiful and peaceful paddle on the river.  The sun popped out, and in our eyes just 15 minutes before we got off the river.   It reminded us of how easy on the eyes it was to kayak during the overcast, but warm morning.  The trip took four hours.  We observed 17 species in all.

There were eight Common Mergansers taking turns resting on a sandbar and then taking a swim in the slight current.  We counted six Bald Eagles.  There were 50+ Bank Swallows perching along the wire that stretches across the river on the approach to the Montague line and flying high and low with acrobatic moves.  We had a Pileated and two Red-bellied Woodpeckers.  Seen in groups of two or three, we counted ten Spotted Sandpipers, plying the muddy flats along the banks of the river until we got too close, and then we watched as they flew off with their telltale stiff wing beats.  Two Kingfishers were seen and heard.  Two Carolina Wrens, a White-breasted Nuthatch, a Red-eyed Vireo, and three Goldfinch were spotted, a Raven was heard, and 5+ Cedar Waxwing were heard and seen sallying out over the river for insects, and then returning to their perches, high on bare branches that lined the river. Other than bird species were Monarch Butterfly and Gray Tree Frog.