Heard Spring Was Approaching

 

On President's Day I joined with fellow year-round paddlers for some Sudbury River paddling in Wayland, MA.  In the photo above Oz and Roger are seen re-entering the river following a side trip into Heard Pond.  Back on the river...

Thursday provided an opportunity to venture out onto the Assabet River in Stow, MA where I found the eagle nest occupied by an adult eagle (hopefully sitting upon an egg or two)...

The eagle's mate was seen perched a few trees over...

A third adult eagle would later be seen about a mile downriver from the nest...

Also saw a blue heron, more red-winged blackbirds, hooded and common mergansers, wood ducks, mallards, kingfishers, and this red-tailed hawk...

Fort Meadow Brook sports a new bridge perhaps related to the Central Mass. power line/bike trail project...

It appears someone is staging some items removed from the river.  Not being sure of their future intentions, it was left alone...

Monday's trash from the Sudbury...

Thursday's from the Assabet...

The most wintry looking spot I saw all week...

Considering all the birdsong in the air on Thursday either spring has sprung or my hearing aids were affected by the day's solar flare-ups.

The Overhyped Storm That Whiffed

 

This past Monday I took advantage of relatively pleasant conditions to sneak in a paddle on the eve of a much ballyhooed snowstorm.  The storm had been in the news for the previous four days, and in my opinion had cast a pall over these otherwise beautiful mid-February days.  Instead of enjoying the decent weather at hand many folks were busy getting ice-melt, snow shovels, bread, and milk.   

So as I paddled the Assabet River up to Damonmill in West Concord, MA I wondered how drastically different things would look under a foot of snow...

Trash was light (perhaps in hiding from the snow)...

By the way, the big storm did arrive on Tuesday and left a whopping 1.5" of wet snow in my area.  My hope is that meteorologists will, in the future, focus more on the weather at hand rather than on the possibility of a storm four days out (end of my rant).  Oh, and just to be clear, I never mind a missed snowstorm, especially this close to the start of meteorological spring. 

A Preview of Spring

 

The latter part of this past week provided a welcome preview of springtime.  Thursday offered temperatures around 45 degrees F. with light winds.  The Nashua River in Harvard, MA had both the look and feel of spring (photo above).

  

A small tributary was briskly moving past a beaver-built structure to reach the river...

Evidence of just how high the river had been is this purple orb...

...seemingly suspended in mid-air.

Re-visited the very efficient natural trash trap downstream of the Oxbow NWR boat launch...

Later came upon a freight train parked on the bridge and alongside the river...

The train's head end was stopped where the Still River Depot once stood...

...perhaps awaiting a new crew for the rest of the trip to northern Maine.  Brings to mind the old Roger Miller's hobo song "King of the Road".  In particular, the lyrics "Third boxcar, midnight train, destination Bangor, Maine....I'm a man of means by no means King of the Road."

Mount Wachusett silently watched over all of this activity...

Trash from the Nashua included 70 miniature bottles (aka "nips")...

Two days later, on Saturday, when the thermometer would flirt with 60 degrees F., I paddled to Egg Rock and vicinity in Concord, MA...

...where water levels continue to gradually fall and now expose a good portion of the inscription.

Unlike the Nashua, trees along the lower Assabet are mostly deciduous...

Saw what I believe to be my first red-winged blackbird of the year...

Two other kayakers were seen on the Concord River...

The high water levels of late look to have led a few boats astray:

This one on the lower Sudbury River...

...and this one on the Concord River just downstream of Monument Street...

Trash from the area's waters (Assabet/Concord) included 19 miniature bottles (aka "nips")...

Unfortunately, cold temperatures, wind, and snow are predicted to return tomorrow.  Glad to have had the brief peek.

February's Quiet Entry

 

Happily turned the page on my calendar before heading out on the river to greet February.  The new month arrived with little fanfare...light winds, cloudy skies, and temperatures in the upper 30s.  As I write this on February 2nd it can be said with confidence that our local groundhogs are definitely not being frightened by their shadows.  Meteorological spring is only 29 days away!

Yesterday the Assabet River in Stow was a peaceful place with plenty of robins, a few bluebirds, one or two kingfishers, a red-tailed hawk, many ducks, and this mute swan pair...

A lone coyote was also seen patrolling the shoreline

Snow draping some tree limbs make this mature eagle less conspicuous than usual...

He was busy finishing a meal of what looks to be duck, and came into clearer view as I passed by...

Trash for the day included 10 miniature aka "nip" bottles...

...and was kept on ice.

Ice Art on the Assabet

 

The Assabet River's ice art was on display earlier this week following 5 days where the temperature stayed below the freezing point.  It was seen on the way upriver to Damonmill in West Concord, MA...

There were multi-layered ice shelves...

and...

 

...

Seething teeth...

and crystal-clear columns...

Finally this one stood out...

...and tempted me into getting perpendicular to the current in order to get a better photo.  This resulted in my taking a not-on-the-schedule Polar Plunge.  Fortunately I was dressed for immersion and able to get to shore.  Note to self: NEVER, EVER get perpendicular to the current in order to snap a better photo.  Sim card survived, verdict still out on camera.

Paid a second visit to the same general area of the Assabet yesterday under much milder conditions...

...and found nearly all of the ice gone.

Temperatures were in the upper 40s F. which may have caused this fly to awaken earlier than usual...

A pair of bony hands beneath the surface resulted in this bit of plastic...

It sort of summed up my week.

Trash gathered up included 6 miniature aka "nip" bottles...

Paddling past the Concord Reformatory's power plant...

...brought to mind the recent announcement of the facility being shut down by this summer.  There's quite a bit of property related to this facility which has been a prison since 1878.  Quite a bit along the Assabet River.

Disoriented On the River

 

Ordinarily I wouldn't gain access to the Sudbury River by launching into Heard Pond in Wayland, MA...but these are not ordinary times.  January is impersonating March and river levels are high enough that many bridges are short on headroom.  Thus, this past Thursday, Heard Pond gave me access to a good bit of the Sudbury River without having to navigate bridges.

After launching into the almost completely ice-free pond, a short paddle brought me to the pond's southern end where it was difficult to determine where the pond ended and river began...

Once out on the newly widened river the main channel couldn't be discerned...

It was disorienting to have many of the usual markers submerged and reminded me of the feeling one gets when enveloped in fog on the ocean.  Nonetheless, I was very happy to be paddling in January under blue skies with a temperature near 40 degrees F.

The Pelham Island Road Bridge confirmed I'd made the right decision in launching at Heard Pond...

The only ice I came across that day was on the far western side of the pond...

The following day, Friday, delivered more sun, less wind, and even warmer temperatures...45 degrees F.  I launched from a flooded Calf Pasture at Lowell Road in Concord, MA...

...and after visiting the fully submerged inscription at Egg Rock...

...headed downstream on the Concord River.  Enjoyed a hot cup of cocoa while just sitting in my boat riding the current which was moving me along at close to 2 mph.  The Old North Bridge had ample headroom...

...as did the Monument Street bridge around the next bend.  Nearly all of last Sunday's snow was nowhere to be seen.

The Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge impoundments could have been accessed by boat (though doing so is not allowed)...

...and the Dike Trail/Landing area was also submerged...

High water allowed taking a shortcut straight across the Holt rather than following the river's jog around it.  I emerged back into the river below Buttrick's Hill and came across this Common Goldeneye pair...

More rain last night was accompanied by even more milder air with temperatures near 60 degrees F. today.  Perhaps this is our "January Thaw"? 
 

Trash encountered Thursday on the Sudbury (in areas not usually accessible) included 104 miniature bottles (aka "nips")...

Trash found Friday on the Concord (in areas not usually accessible) included 15 miniatures...

Good article in today's Boston Globe by Beth Treffeisen about the Town of Plymouth, MA where  voters will decide whether or not to ban the sale of miniature alcohol bottles.  What would the Pilgrims have thought of these troublesome little containers being all over the place?