Monday, November 28, 2022

Assabet's Dales and Sudbury's Ghosts

 

My paddling week started on Tuesday by paddling the Assabet River up to Gleasondale...

...where the Route 62 bridge repair project continues.

On Friday another jaunt on the Assabet brought me upriver to a point below the Damondale Mill...
...at Westvale-Harrington Park.

The Assabet on Tuesday offered an updated view of the eagle nest that's gradually being rebuilt...

...as well as some recently completed human nests which now stand where formerly was only woods...

A duck-blind that looked to be well built proved no match for last week's 40-mph wind gusts...

Wrapped up the week yesterday with an upriver paddle on the Sudbury River to Fairhaven Bay.  Approaching the Elm Street bridge there appeared to be some repair work being done...

The Sudbury offered an encounter with this solitary American coot...
...as well as a game of peek-a-boo with a solitary river otter.  The otter was hanging around a beaver's lodge and seemed curious as to my presence.  Apparently feeling secure behind the many buttonbush plants the otter elevated itself numerous times from many different spots.  The many branches frustrated my attempts to get a photo.  This was the best I could do...
...where only his right eye, a bit of his nose/whiskers, and his torso are visible behind the branch in the foreground.  With all the signs warning of there being mercury in the fish I have to wonder how long a fish-eating mammal such as an otter can survive in these waters.

The Sudbury also boasts a well-built eagle nest...
Wonder if the eagles are also suffering the effects of the mercury.

The ghosts of the Sudbury were these well-camouflaged deer...

Trash for the week:
Tuesday's...
...which included 18 nip bottles.


Friday's...
...which included 5 nips and a non-deployed rescue throw-rope bag found below the Damonmill.  Will hold onto the bag for a while in the event someone recognizes it.

Sunday's...
....most of which was found at a shore-fishing hot spot.
 





4 comments:

Dan Foster said...

I passed word of the throw rope on to the local whitewater group and to OARS - they had a river cleanup this fall, and you and I have both noticed a bunch of tree work done on that stretch recently. Hope it gets back to its owner!

Al said...

Dan, Thanks for your help regarding the throw rope. It's in good shape and doesn't appear to have been in the river for a long time.

Anonymous said...

Are you the guy who parks at the end of Winter street in a grey Mercedes SUV? I live near there and seen you quite a bit. Thank you for you’re work

Al said...

Hello Anonymous, That's not my vehicle, though I do occasionally launch there. Best, Al