Ice House to Fort Meadow Brook

Temperatures had recovered to near 40 degrees by the time I launched onto the Assabet River at Ice House Landing yesterday.  An earlier and disheartening look at my thermometer showed temps in the mid 20s before a breeze out of the south had time to warm things up.

Skies were mostly cloudy with some brightening to the southwest.
Heading upriver, near Crow Island, I encountered 8 mute swans, a belted kingfisher, and this family of hooded mergansers...

At Crow Island's west end was this less than heartwarming sight...an iced-over section...

Just below Sudbury Road was this osprey...

Reaching the river's confluence with Fort Meadow Brook...

...the decision was made to pass through the worm hole and enter the enchanted land...

I say "enchanted" because where else can one get this close to a wood duck?...

...and his friends...

Had it been any day of the week other than Sunday (when duck hunting is not allowed), I wouldn't have paddled anywhere near this enticing group...one of the better decoy presentations I've seen.

While in the brook the sun put in a brief low-angled appearance...

My ascension of the brook stopped at the beaver dam below the old Central Mass RR trestle where a mug-up of hot cocoa was enjoyed...

The brook was noted to be flowing a good rate and some of the debris piled against the trestle's upstream side looked to have been removed.

Back at Ice House Landing a small haul of trash gathered hullside...

There were 13 recyclable containers (9 redeemable) and 4 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish. 
YTD = 5516