Interesting evening on the Conneticut River in Monroe.

[Duane Cross]

I put my kayak in this evening at the Monroe NH, Barnet Vt bridge.paddled up river to do a little fishing.  First birds noted were some Swallows of some sort feeding on an insect hatch over the river. A little while later I was surprised to see that the swallows had been replaced by a good-sized flock of Cedar Waxwings. The waxwings were flying around feeding on some type of tiny insects over the river. I have seen them fly from a perch before and grab a flying insect but have never seen them feeding like swallows.

A short while later I bumped up what looked like a bittern along the Vermont shore. The bird flew inland. A little later a mature eagle flew over me headed up river. There were large flocks of grackles and black birds feeding in a patch of frag mites along the Vermont shore.

As dusk neared I turned around and headed back. In the same area that I saw the possible bittern fly off another flew to the New Hampshire side of the river. Likely the same bird. As it neared land an eagle that had snuck up behind me dive-bombed the bird and gave it a half-hearted swipe. It missed and the bird landed on shore while the eagle continued South. I was able to get close enough this time and photograph the bird. Looked it up later and found it to be a juvenile green heron.

A flock of 6 geese flew over as I ended my trip and evening on the river.

                                                                                                                  Duane Cross

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