| Paddle Log — 2019 |
|---|
| LAUNCH SITE |
DATE |
WHO |
DISTANCE |
COMMENTS |
| Coxsackie |
Mar 14 |
Both |
9 |
Vast numbers of nervous geese, scads of skittish mergansers, two immature eagles. Stop at Bronck Island. Wind picked up a bit. |
| Coxsackie |
Mar 24 |
Both |
11 |
Eagle extravaganza, 20-25 on the day, main concentration at Brickyard Bay. Elsewhere nests at SMG & NH are active. |
| Coxsackie |
Mar 27 |
Both |
10 |
Many buffleheads at SMG & PH. Calm beginning, following wind on return. |
| Coxsackie |
April 7 |
Both |
17 |
Warm, calm, pleasant day. Round trip MGF to observe two eagle nests. Otherwise sparse wildlife, more mergansers than geese, one grebe. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
April 11 |
Both |
14 |
Double-crested cormorants at RI early, a great-crested cormorant on 166 near RI late under lowering skies. Lunch at PH. |
| Athens |
April 17 |
Both |
11 |
Very high water, intermittent breeze, several osprey encounters, serene conditions late. |
| Flight Lock Road |
April 22 |
Both & Alan |
14 |
Warm & windy, water bouncy at times. Few raptors & waterfowl, many turtles & some muskrats. Lunch at town park. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
April 23 |
Both |
14 |
Warm & calm, strong ebb flow. Many turtles rising from the mud. Lunch at HRISP. |
| Athens |
April 25 |
Both |
12 |
Quiet day, little activity except for an encounter with a beaver on the shore at Rogers Island. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
May 6 |
Both |
17 |
Pleasant day on elevated water — a goose taking a bath, an osprey circling with a fish & mergansers repeatedly taking off. Lunch at PH. |
| Lock 7 |
May 9 |
Both |
12 |
Calm at launch, blustery return. Eagle, rt hawks, spotted sandpipers, falcon feasting on a jay & greater yellowlegs. |
| Aqueduct Park |
May 11 |
J |
2 |
Pedal, paddle & run triathlon. Windy one way. |
| Coxsackie |
May 16 |
M |
11 |
Windy early, calming down, water level very high, stop at flooded Bronck Island. Many turtles at Rattlesnake Island, eagle parent with chicks in the nest. |
| Coxsackie |
May 18 |
Both |
12 |
Morning launch against tide to PH, exciting eagle activity at four mile point. Windy interludes while returning, eventually calming down, water level high. |
| Coxsackie |
May 22 |
Both |
10 |
Day of sporadic activity, some eagles & gbh's, also busy bank swallows at SMG. Windy interludes throughout, tapering off by end. |
| Krumkill Road Bridge |
May 24 |
J & Elvira |
5 |
Muddy Normanskill. Take-out at New Scotland Avenue. |
| Athens |
May 27 |
Both |
16 |
Windy morning calming down after lunch at Nutten Hook. Many eagles. Met David at SMG. |
| North Germantown Landing |
May 30 |
Both |
9 |
Inbocht Bay & Roe Jan. Calm, gray day. Relocated eagle nest on Inbocht Island, new eagle nest on west shore & a mural depicting a time traveler on a barn wall. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
May 31 |
Both |
10 |
Windy start, calm finish, explored Schodack Creek marshes, stop at RR village. Few photo ops. |
| South Bay State Boat Launch |
June 7 |
Both |
14 |
Marsh exploration to The Narrows of Dresden. Much wildlife activity including large beaver & snake. Lunch at Chubbs Dock. Dead calm morning followed by head-to-wind all the way back. |
| Athens |
June 9 |
Both |
14 |
Early launch into a serene setting, not much wildlife activity. Highlight was an extended canada goose family plus one greylag. |
| Coxsackie |
June 17 |
Both |
11 |
Quiet beginning, more activity on return, many gbh's in Brickyard Bay. Both SMG & NH eagle chicks are big. |
| Athens |
June 24 |
Both |
13 |
Early launch into a serene setting, ospreys still building the nest on HA! Later orioles at SMG harassed an eagle drying out from a bath. Some carp mating activity. |
| Athens |
June 26 |
M |
11 |
Another serene paddle on high water, many canoes & kayaks, five eagles at mouth of Stockport Creek. No sign of carp mating activity. |
| North Germantown Landing |
June 28 |
Both |
11 |
Three eagle chicks in Inbocht Island nest, many cormorants nesting on IB. Explored west side marshes, day turned hot, pleasant light breeze from the south. |
| Lock 7 |
July 1 |
Both |
12 |
Warm, quiet day, very little happening, Alplaus particularly somnolent. One falcon both ways, doing nothing, chicks (if any) not to be found. |
| Coxsackie |
July 3 |
Both |
12 |
Late morning launch to HA, steadily increasing activity on return highlighted by both NH chicks sitting on a branch outside the nest. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
July 5 |
Both |
13 |
Lively, breezy day. RI chicks are out of the nest & flying. Many gbh's & a group of 13 motherless baby wood ducks. |
| Athens |
July 8 |
Both |
14 |
Pleasant day on very high water. Many gbh's & a dead spotted turtle. |
| Henry Hudson |
July 9 |
M |
8 |
Morning paddle to Papscanee to observe chicks at the empty nest. Both are in flight around the Papscanee/Moordener Kill area. |
| Athens |
July 13 |
M |
14 |
Observed chick in osprey nest on HA, NH chicks in flight & a solitary egret. Many gbh's. |
| Athens |
July 15 |
Both |
14 |
Observed second chick in osprey nest on HA & a solitary SMG chick in flight. Many other eagles. Met Alan at SMG on the way back. A windy day. |
| Athens |
July 21 |
Both |
13 |
Very early launch to beat intense heat. All known eagle chicks have left their nests, at least two egrets in the area. |
| Athens |
July 24 |
Both |
15 |
A tug turning around by the tank farm at launch, another tug & fuel barge same place at takeout and Clearwater docked at Coxsackie at lunchtime. Also a Bonaparte's Gull in breeding plumage near MGF. |
| Coxsackie |
July 25 |
M |
13 |
Eagle in tree & swan in bay at launch, eight point buck near Rattlesnake Island. Many other eagles. |
| Henry Hudson |
July 26 |
M |
5 |
Vlomankill, Castleton & Papscanee on a hot, still day almost devoid of activity. Highlight — common whitetails in reeds near tracks. |
| Coxsackie |
July 30 |
Both |
11 |
Morning paddle to Stockport Flats with many photo ops, mostly young eagles. Off early to beat heat. |
| Coxsackie |
August 1 |
Both |
11 |
Repeat of previous, fewer eagles, turkeys on the tracks & a hummingbird. Lunch at PH. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
August 4 |
Both |
13 |
Midday paddle with many photo-ops including numerous butterflies at SMG. |
| Athens |
August 5 |
Both |
12 |
Early launch into a cool morning. Green herons at SMG & bank swallows gathering en masse at Gays Point. |
| Athens |
August 11 |
Both |
14 |
Lively Sunday distinguished by many great egrets, at least a dozen. Cloudier than expected and wind picked up for a bit. |
| Coxsackie |
August 12 |
M |
10 |
Serene AM paddle, ideal conditions, many egrets & eagles. Highlight – ospreys meancing eagles in two separate incidents. Break at SMG. |
| Coxsackie |
August 15 |
Both |
11 |
Several commercial ships, interesting encounters with a drowsy beaver, a swimming garter snake & an rbg chasing a jumping fish. Break at SMG. |
| Coxsackie |
August 20 |
Both |
13 |
Uneventful paddle on a hot day devoid of photo ops. Lunch at Priming Hook. |
| Athens |
August 23 |
M |
12 |
Calm with persistent cloudiness, otherwise pleasant, egrets suddenly skittish. |
| Athens |
August 24 |
M |
10 |
Early calm giving way to a stiff breeze, many ospreys aloft, egrets sleeping in the cove near PH, eagles hardly present. |
| Ticonderoga State Boat Launch |
August 25 |
Both |
16 |
Mostly clear & calm with abundant wildlife, highlighted by a common gallinule, cedar waxwings & a turkey vulture on a rocky shore, unwilling to part with his meal. |
| North Germantown Landing |
August 26 |
Both |
10 |
Inbocht Bay & Roejan, many egrets at former & flowers at latter. Explored Duck Cove first time, eagles & green herons, will return when mats break up. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
August 31 |
Both |
15 |
Pleasant morning turning blustery on return head-to-wind. Egrets still prominent, may outnumber gbh's. |
| Coxsackie |
Sept 3 |
M |
10 |
Many egrets & rbg's. Where is everybody else? A mere two eagles, two ospreys & a handful of gbh's. |
| West Lake |
Sept 5 |
Both |
13 |
West Lake, Lily Lake & Stewart's Landing. Loon photo ops early, many odes all day. |
| Ticonderoga State Boat Launch |
Sept 8 |
Both |
13 |
Exploration of East Creek & La Chute highlighted by a water snake in the former & a green heron fishing in the latter. |
| Stockbridge Bowl Boat Ramp |
Sept 15 |
J |
5 |
Josh Billings RunAground Triathlon. |
| Coxsackie |
Sept 15 |
M |
12 |
Many egrets & gbh's, also five mature eagles, no juveniles. Osprey nest at HA is destroyed. Monarchs all day long. A float plane landed & took off late. |
| Athens |
Sept 19 |
M |
11 |
Cool launch into dense fog. Tug anchored at HA, followed by many nautical encounters. Also a few immature eagles & hundreds of tree swallows. |
| Athens |
Sept 21 |
M |
13 |
Warmer launch into thicker fog, persisting past four mile point, then clearing. Two pairs of adult eagles faced off near Fitch's Wharf. A pair of swans at PH. |
| Athens |
Sept 22 |
Both |
14 |
Launch into light fog, quickly clearing. Swans still present at PH and the float plane returned. |
| Athens |
Oct 5 |
M |
12 |
Sunny & cold, many eagles, egrets & gbh's. Also a peregrine falcon & a disabled CG buoy tender under tow. |
| Athens |
Oct 8 |
M |
7 |
Blustery with intermittent clouds, more so than expected, turned back early. A few eagles. |
| Coxsackie |
Oct 12 |
M |
11 |
Several photo ops during a tranquil early fall paddle. |
| Coxsackie |
Oct 13 |
M |
12 |
Repeat of previous. More sun, more photo ops, very lively Brickyard Bay early, more fall color. |
| Coxsackie |
Oct 15 |
M |
9 |
Repeat of previous. Dead calm conditions all day. Possible eagle nest building at Gays Point, also two pairs of mature eagles faced-off in Brickyard Bay. |
| Coxsackie |
Oct 19 |
M |
10 |
Repeat of previous including eagle face-off in Brickyard Bay. Duck hunters in evidence but very few ducks. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
Oct 20 |
Both |
11 |
Pleasant beginning giving way to deteriorating conditions, rain all the way back from SMG. Many mature eagles, a lame fox near Coxsackie Creek. |
| Henry Hudson |
Oct 26 |
Both |
8 |
No other boats. Eagles rebuilding their nest on Cow Island, almost trapped up Papscanee Creek by fast rising water, gbh all but posed on the Vlomankill. |
| Coxsackie |
Oct 30 |
M |
10 |
Very quiet gray day in Stockport Flats. |
| Coxsackie |
Nov 3 |
Both |
10 |
High water, strong ebb current entire paddle overwhelming the flood. A few eagles & gbh's, lunch at SMG. |