Sudbury River - River Rd. to Heard Pond Outlet & Return

Any remnants of Hurricane Earl appeared to be long gone when I launched onto the Sudbury River in Wayland early this morning.  Almost immediately after snapping the photo at left, I heard the distinctive call of an osprey, from the trees along River Road.  There basking in the sunlight was the caller...

He was one of a pair that were working the area between Rt. 27 and Pelham Island Road.  I later watched this osprey scanning the river for fish...

In fact, the river was busy with fish catchers of all kinds today.  Between River Rd. and Route 20, I counted 7 cormorants; 2 blue herons; the aforementioned ospreys; and 3 small power boats with 2 fishermen each.  While running this "gauntlet for fish" I began seeing very tiny and shiny fish leaping out of the water.  One group of these sardine-size fish leaped en masse into the side of my boat.  Ouch!
Upstream of the railroad trestle, I noted the new outlet for Wash Brook was running strong with run-off from yesterday's rain.  It is creating new flow patterns in the area of the trestle.
The brook entering the river's east side upstream of Pelham Island Rd. bears an impressive beaver dam...

Proceeding towards Indian Point, I found the water to be just barely deep enough for my boat to slide over the bottom.  Turkey vultures patrolled the sky in this area and a green heron was seen near Heard Pond.    Moving past the outlet from Heard Pond, I was confronted with this blowdown blocking passage upstream...

This became my turnaround point and I began the trip downriver with some help from a building breeze.  Near this spot I found the deflated remains of a small raft and a plastic milk crate which were carried topside.
Perhaps it was such trash adorning my deck that acted as camouflage and allowed me to get very close to this woodchuck enjoying some black berries for lunch...

 Before making landfall at River Rd., I enjoyed seeing the ospreys again as well as a kestrel and a hawk (perhaps a broad-winged).
My trash load for the day posed alongside my boat...

They numbered 73.  Of these 37 were recyclable containers (19 redeemable) and 36 were miscellaneous rubbish such as a traffic cone, the inflatable raft, milk crate, styrofoam cups, plastic bags, etc.  My YTD total stands at 4635.