After a recent trip to Lake Umbagog State park and National Wildlife Refuge, I am already planning my return. This trip was a great scouting opportunity and I’ll be able to leverage the knowledge I gained when I go back next year a little earlier in the season. Since it was the third weekend in October, the colors were a bit past peak and a lot of the birds were gone for the season, but there were still some nice viewings including six bald eagles. Of the six, two were juveniles without the distinctive white head and tail feathers. One of the juveniles had recently caught something and we got to watch him/her feast on it’s bloody catch.

In addition to the birds of prey, Umbagog has a variety of other birds and waterfowl. We happily watched geese, warblers, and ducks.

Shhhhh… don’t tell anyone, but the way to see Umbagog is by kayak. Just kidding, everybody knows! We took kayaks to our island campsite and were able to quietly drift on the glassy waters for great access and viewing.

A combination of mostly clear skies and calm winds provided for a lovely sunset and sunrise and also for some beautiful reflections on the water during the day.  At night, the clear skies allowed for some star-trail photography.