Clear Sailing on the Assabet and Nashua

This past week provided two warm and sunny days out on the water.  On Monday it was the Assabet River (above photo) between Maynard, MA and Gleasondale and yesterday the Nashua River...

...between Petapawag in Groton, MA and the Squannacook River.

One of Monday's objectives was to check-in on the Assabet eaglet...

...who's getting bigger by the day.  A parent kept watch from four trees away...

...which was closer to the eaglet's food supply on the ground below...

"Don't look up" seems to be their policy.

Yesterday the Nashua River was amazingly quiet for such a splendid day.  I saw only one other boat while heading up the river.   Shortly before reaching the Squannacook I noted a flag planted on a small islet...

  A closer look at the skull and cross paddles flag...

Then it was under the abandoned railroad trestle...

...to the Nashua/Squannacook confluence...

...Nashua to the left and Squannacook to the right.  While in the Squannacook at a shady bend I threw out a few casts of my hook-less jitterbug lure which got bounced around a bit by the fish.

Nearby a canoe was tied off to the shore awaiting the return of its owner...

Trash from Monday on the Assabet...

...included this odd looking creature which may be some kind of leech...

...that didn't want to give up its attachment to a DD container.

Yesterday's trash from the Nashua River...

...included 86 miniature alcohol bottles which brings my 2023 year-to-date total of these containers to 1,107.  Considering we're only half way through the year it looks as though 2023 is on a pace to easily exceed 2022's total of 1,432.

Most of the trash found on the Nashua was collected from this mid-river trash trap at the Rt. 111/119 bridge...

...providing one stop shopping.