| Paddle Log — 2021 |
|---|
| LAUNCH SITE |
DATE |
WHO |
DISTANCE |
COMMENTS |
| Athens |
Mar 23 |
Both |
12 |
Clear early, light cloud cover late, warm. Many ducks, mostly mergansers & buffleheads. Eagle nests at SMG & NH are viable. A mysterious pair of eagles sat on a branch at Brickyard Bay. Is there a new nest nearby? |
| Vandenburgh-Dunsbach Ferry |
Mar 27 |
Both |
9 |
Wagers Pond, Erie Canal & lunch at Town Park. Muskrats, painted turtles, gbh's & a new eagle nest at Krause's. |
| Vandenburgh-Dunsbach Ferry |
April 4 |
Both |
9 |
Wagers Pond & lunch at Town Park. Access to Erie Canal blocked by a fallen tree. Access ramp to Vischer Ferry posted "do not use." Many gbh's at the pond & a muskrat dined on devil's heads at the launch site late. |
| Athens |
April 7 |
Both |
13 |
Head-to-wind in the morning, few photo ops, the Naval Militia at the put-in was the highlight. |
| North Germantown Landing |
April 8 |
Both |
10 |
A multitude of eagles present around Inbocht Bay & ospreys nesting on #116 again. Either a fox or coyote appeared briefly on an island in the Roe Jan. A pleasant day! |
| Round Lake |
April 9 |
Both |
5 |
Very high water, Anthony Kill marsh area completely flooded. Many high strung geese & impatient male rwb's. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
April 10 |
Both |
13 |
Bright sun, no wind, pleasant paddle. Some eagles, some ducks & a peregrine falcon. Lunch at SMG. |
| Coxsackie |
April 17 |
Both |
9 |
Cool breeze under a lowering sky. Stiff current on Stockport Creek. Lunch at SMG. |
| Athens |
April 24 |
Both |
13 |
Ospreys nesting on HA, an eagle threatened a goose near Stockport Creek but refrained from attack, map turtles taking the sun. Lunch at top of Brickyard Bay. |
| Vandenburgh-Dunsbach Ferry |
May 9 |
Both |
6 |
Wagers Pond & Erie Canal. Much wildlife, including a black-crowned night-heron & a woodchuck. |
| Vandenburgh-Dunsbach Ferry |
May 13 |
Both |
5 |
Repeat of preceding cut short by a sudden drop in water level & strong downstream current. Someone opened the dam! Much wildlife again, highlighted by many snapping turtles. |
| Ticonderoga State Boat Launch |
May 15 |
Both |
18 |
Exploration of flooded East Creek marshes (97.1 feet) to the source & a docile La Chute. Surprisingly sparse wildlife actiivty. Many loud unseen gallinules. |
| South Bay State Boat Launch |
May 20 |
Both |
14 |
Marsh exploration on a hot day to The Narrows of Dresden. Ospreys at 24, 26 & 28, a bowfin at Chubbs Dock. Water level 96.6 feet. |
| Athens |
June 1 |
M |
12 |
Many eagles present. An interesting convergence of two ospreys & two eagles below Gays Point to prey on a minnow. HA ospreys still building their nest. |
| 123rd Street |
June 5 |
Both & Cindy |
7 |
A pleasant paddle to C-1, off early to beat the wind & heat. |
| Coxsackie |
June 6 |
Both |
12 |
Stockport Flats paddle with two catfish sessions, one involving kleptoparasitism. Many other photo ops. |
| Peru State Boat Launch |
June 12 |
Both |
11 |
Circumnavigation of Valcour & Garden Islands, ravens on former & big gulls on latter. Splendid paddle. |
| Coxsackie |
June 17 |
Both |
13 |
Pleasant day, sunny & calm until the end. Quiet paddle. Lunch at RR village. |
| North Germantown Landing |
June 20 |
Both |
10 |
As usual eagles ever-present around Inbocht Bay. Also cormorants nesting on IB. Another pleasant day! |
| Athens |
July 4 |
Both |
13 |
Cloudy & breezy early, clearing somewhat in the afternoon. Great egret at SMG. |
| Coxsackie |
July 5 |
Both & Tony |
12 |
Reprise of last year's paddle. Fog early, cloudy & breezy late, fair in between. Many eagle photo ops. Lunch at Priming Hook. |
| Coxsackie |
July 7 |
Both |
12 |
Repeat of previous. Water level lower, more mud flats exposed, five young eagles gathered on one. An SMG chick left the nest, status of other unknown. Also a young falcon on SMG, and a river otter crossed near HA. Lunch at Priming Hook. |
| Henry Hudson |
July 16 |
Both |
8 |
Eagle chick at Papscanee nest, other chicks at Bear Island, four mature eagles. Break at 214. |
| Coxsackie |
July 20 |
M |
11 |
Water level up, fogbound early transforming into haze. There are three SMG chicks & two HA osprey babies. Stop at Priming Hook. |
| Coxsackie |
July 22 |
M |
12 |
Repeat of previous. Very active wildlife. Continual photo ops. Stop at Priming Hook. |
| Stockport Station |
July 24 |
Both & Rachel, Eddie |
5 |
Many egrets & the entire SMG eagle family, coming and going, also an immature little blue heron. Turnaround at top of Brickyard Bay. |
| Athens |
July 31 |
Both |
14 |
Extraordinary osprey-falcon encounter near HA (both immature, neither got hurt) & many green herons. Lunch at SMG. |
| Athens |
August 3 |
Both |
13 |
Slow beginning, lively return with much afternoon eagle activity on the river including a snatch. Lunch at Gays Point. |
| Coxsackie |
August 5 |
Both |
12 |
Pleasant day, persistent thin cloud cover, quiet paddle. Stops at SMG & Gays Point. M launch #1000. |
| Coxsackie |
August 9 |
Both |
16 |
Hot day, little activity, brisk current to MGF, tide slow to turn. Lunch at Priming Hook. |
| Athens |
August 15 |
Both |
14 |
A little breezy, many birds in flight, an eagle snatched a fish directly in front of J. Lunch at Gays Point. |
| Athens |
August 16 |
Both & Cindy |
10 |
Repeat of previous. Noteworthy events: a katydid hitching a ride on Cindy's hat, an egret on the causeway gormandizing on eels & a close-up SMG family feeding session. Lunch at east flat "development." |
| Coxsackie |
August 25 |
Both |
12 |
Foggy early, turning hot, return against the tide. Excursion into west flat. |
| Athens |
August 27 |
Both |
11 |
Early launch into mist, spellbinding tranquility for several hours. Eagles, ospreys, egrets, gbh's, green herons & a falcon. Off the water as the heat began to build. |
| Athens |
August 29 |
Both |
12 |
Repeat of previous with completely different conditions. No mist, overcast, south wind early returning after lunch at picnic site #1. Fun chop on the way back. |
| Coxsackie |
Sept 3 |
Both & Jillian |
11 |
Bracing morning unfortunately giving way to clouds. A nice variety of avian wildlife & activity. Lunch at Priming Hook. |
| Coxsackie |
Sept 4 |
Both |
13 |
Repeat of previous. Thick fog early, discouraged crossing, eventual clearing. Intense eagle activity all day long. Lunch at SMG. |
| Coxsackie |
Sept 5 |
Both |
10 |
Repeat of previous. Cloudy, at times blustery with periods of light rain. Highlight: a large yacht at Hudson Anchorage. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
Sept 18 |
Both |
15 |
Many eagles including the SMG pair near the mud flat engaged in a territorial face off against possible intruders. Lunch at Nutten Hook, too many mosquitoes. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
Sept 19 |
Both |
14 |
Repeat of previous. Clear skies, eventual brisk north wind, more spectacular eagle activity. Rest at SMG, no mosquitoes. |
| Ticonderoga State Boat Launch |
Sept 20 |
Both |
13 |
Wildlife activity again sparse in East Creek area, gbh's excepted, La Chute almost clogged with turtles including a mystery specimen. A pleasant day. |
| Indian Lake State Boat Launch |
Sept 25 |
Both |
13 |
Dead calm morning, wildlife presence limited to monarchs & a single loon. A few splashes of incipient fall color. Lunch at picnic area east side. |
| Athens |
Sept 29 |
Both |
12 |
Clear, crisp day, calm AM, usual crowd of large birds in the area. Mats are disintegrating. Lunch at SMG. |
| Glasco Mini Park |
Oct 3 |
Both |
12 |
Several interesting encounters – swans at South Bay, seal(s) in the Esopus & a peregrine falcon devouring prey on the jetty. Lunch at Tina Chorvas Park. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
Oct 6 |
Both |
13 |
Fast paddle downstream assisted by brisk current from runoff. Many eagles as usual & 100s of restless geese. Lunch at SMG. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
Oct 11 |
Both |
15 |
Repeat of previous toward evening. Still many eagles but no geese. Late lunch at Gays Point. |
| Stuyvesant Landing |
Nov 7 |
Both |
15 |
Launch into chilly fog, soon lifted, becoming clear & calm. Later an eagle snatched a large goldfish from Brickyard Bay. Lunch at Priming Hook |