A New Hampshire Retreat

 

Someday I'll get a selfie face right

   I spent the last two and a half days in New Hampshire. The main dish was going to be smallmouth with a side of birding and a back up of trout. The plan was to drive up after work on Tuesday night. Lack of motivation, the thought of a warm bed, and then a terrible restless night's sleep meant I didn't get to my first lake until 12:30 pm Wednesday. 

   I fished one of the smaller lakes in the Lakes Region. It was just off of exit 23 so the ride wasn't bad. Despite the bright sun, I caught a fish on my second cast. I caught another five minutes later. Both fish were caught on topwater and I thought I was in for a hell of a day. 

   That last sentence wasn't a prelude to an awful day. I did end up catching nine fish but I didn't smoke them like the beginning of the trip would suggest. The only thing I could get fish to hit was a topwater spook. They wouldn't touch anything else ( except for one little bass that ate a grub). I found it frustrating that they would only hit topwater. I knew the bigger fish would be on a different pattern. I really went on this trip in the hopes of catching a big one. I wanted a four pounder or bigger. Spoiler that didn't happen. 

   I tried fishing grubs, Ned Rigs, and jerkbaits. I hit points and rocky flats but they only wanted topwater. My biggest fish was decent. It was over seventeen inches. I didn't weigh it but roughly three pounds.

 

Brook Trout

 After fishing for five hours I drove north to the mountains. On my way through Franconia Notch I stopped at Echo Lake. I caught one trout and had three others hit in an hour. All my hits were on a a casting bubble and a fly. Another guy limited out on Powerbait. After fishing I went further north and found a campsite.

   Another terrible night sleep despite a nice campsite. I don't think I fell asleep until 3 am. I know it was well past 2 am for sure. Lying there, I was pissed I knew that once I fell asleep I'd be horizontal most of the morning if not into the afternoon. For better or worse, Least Flycatchers had other plans. Sometime around 5 am they woke me up with their loud singing that did not stop. So I dragged my ass out of bed and went birding at Pondicherry. I was really hoping to see a bear which was my whole reason to get up near dawn. Mother Nature and her children of mosquitoes made Pondicherry borderline unbearable. Any pause in my gate and I'd be swarmed by the mosquitoes that were following me.

 

White Lady Slippers

 Because of the biting pests, I left Pondicherry an hour soon than I had planned in my time budget. I went fishing at Moore Reservoir and was at the water before 10 am. The wind was picking up and I thought better of putting the canoe in the water. Last year near this boat ramp I caught ten Smallmouth from shore so I figured my chances were decent I'd still catch fish. I was mostly wrong. I got two small fish and one Rock Bass. I did catch the Rock Bass on a Ned Rig which was fun. I went back to camp about noon and took a four hour nap.

 

 It is amazing how much you can do in a day when you get up at 5 am. I'd already birded five miles, fished almost two hours and took  a four hour nap. When I woke up I still had almost five hours of daylight. I made myself a lunch and ate it in the car. From there, I went trout fishing again. The lake was windy and it took me a whie to find the fish. I almost gave up after half an hour but figure I had nothing better to do, So I kept searching for fish. Eventually I found some and caught five on a casting bubble/ tan Hare's Ear before calling it a day. I went back to camp and got a more normal night's sleep.

Rock Bass caught on Uncle Ned

   I did get up early on Friday to enjoy my last hours in New Hampshire. My plan was to fish five or six hours then get home before the afternoon traffic started. I researched the smaller lakes in the region before bed the night before but decided to fish the same lake as Wednesday. After breaking camp and an hour drive I was fishing by 7 am. I had to be careful because I knew my trolling motor battery was low on energy so I didn't go too far from the ramp. 

 

  I worked a cove hard fishing every boulder and boat dock picking up a couple fish including my biggest fish of the day, roughly sixteen inches. I caught it on a Ned Rig. The fish were more active this morning than Wednesday and I caught other fish on a spook and jerkbaits. I had three hits on a point and caught two of them. However, after 10:30 am despite some cloud cover I stopped catching fish. If I'd have known that my fifth fish would be my last, I'd have left. But I tried all kinds of lures at different depths and bottom with different bottom structure. I gave up at 12:30 and headed home.

  All in all it was a fun but not extremely memorable trip to the Granite State. I caught fish everywhere I went but never got big numbers. I had hoped for a trophy Smallmouth but never hooked a giant.Most of the ones I caught were quality fish between 12-16 inches with the three pounder. The woods were tough due to the mosquitoes but it isn't a bad Black Fly year. Choke it up to another chapter of many to New Hampshire.

Totals-   14 Smallmouth,  6 Trout

              Good Birds heard- Canada, Chestnut Sided, and Magnolia Warblers

                                   seen- Alder and Least Flycatcher, Bald Eagle flyby while fishing, Loons checked me out at every lake I was at getting too close and I had to wait for them to pass to cast. 

              No mammals to mention

              One frog at Pondicherry with weird coloration that could have been a Mink Frog but it jumped in the water before I could get a photo so I will never know.

Amoskeag Fish Ladder

    I had plans to hang with my friend Nicole on Monday. We had hoped to go birding on Plum Island but the forecast was for really strong wind so we ditched those plans. A few rare birds showed up at Swan Point Cemetery so we went there early hoping to see them. We did not see any of the three rare birds reported but did see three other rare species (Lincoln's Sparrow, Yellow Bellied Flycatcher, and Least Flycatcher).

   From there we went to the Amoskeag Fish Ladder in Manchester, NH. The fish ladder side steps a dam on the Merrimack River making it easier for species like herring and shad to reach breeding grounds. I wen t last year and saw a Smallmouth Bass and a Sea Lamprey besides seeing the herring. 

   The viewing area of the fish ladder is open Monday-Friday 9-3 pm. It is weird to me but it is closed on weekends. It is free. There are two windows where you can watch fish in resting steps on the ladder. The room isn't very big and each window is about ten feet across. 

   The water was a little cloudier than when I went last year. We couldn't see the bottom or the other side of the wall. Still, we saw tons of herring. The only other species we saw was one bluegill. We spent about an hour looking at the fish.

   If this is something that interests you the season runs only in the spring while fish are making their way upriver. Check out the Amoskeag Facebook page for dates. The viewing is best on a sunny day because the light penetrates the water and makes it easier to see the fish.

Revenge Tour

Yellow Billed Cuckoo

    Last year I kept a list. While every species only count as one check on the list, some species mean more than others. Obviously any lifer is special as is any state bird. There are other species that I also want to see more than others for various reasons. A bird could be really pretty or it could remind me of a special memory. Some species I have only seen a few times and usually only count them as "heard only". It is nice to see those hard to find birds.

   My friend Richard Tucker uses the term "revenge tour" when it comes to seeing species that he missed the year before. In most instances, I don't care too much if I miss a bird or even a mammal. I missed moose last year and would have loved to see one, but I have seen many and am okay that I missed it. However, there were some species of birds that I really wanted to  see that I missed. Though I'm not keeping any lists this year, I still know what species I wanted but missed last year. So I am on my own personal revenge tour. 

   There are six species of birds (Don't get me started on Northern Pike!) that I missed last year that I really wanted. These are species that I enjoy seeing. But also selfishly, if I would have seen any one of the six I wouldn't have driven to the New Hampshire coast to see American Pipits in December. Pipits were my 300th bird. Any of those other six would have saved me the drive.

   Of the six species, four are woodland birds and two are shorebirds. The two shore species are Western Sandpiper and Black Tern. If they show up, they will be during the late summer.

   The other four species are as follows...Cape May Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Black Billed Cuckoo, and Yellow Billed Cuckoo. This spring I have seen three of the four. The Wilson's has eluded me. 

    I got the Cape May early in the month at Miantonomi in Newport. It was high in a tree (where they usually are). I got a great look at it on my best day of birding for the year. No photos. Despite many days looking for migrants, I did not come across a Wilson's even when one was reported.

   After seeing virtually nothing at Mia except for good friends on Saturday we went to Francis Carter Preserve.  Carter was great for nesting birds. We had Orchard Oriole, Prairie Warbler, Brown Thrasher, and Grasshopper Sparrow. We also heard both species of Cuckoos. I love hearing Cuckoos so just hearing them would have been mildly satisfying. But I was hoping to see one (or both). So when the group moved on the path Laurie and I stayed in the area he heard them. 

   We had turned a corner looking at the edge of the woods when a Black Billed called. We went to that area and I found it in a pine along the edge of the trail. I whispered Laurie over and watched it until it decided to fly across the field.

Black Billed Cuckoo

   A few minutes later the Yellow Billed started calling regularly. It sounded very far back to me but somehow Laurie spotted it through a hole in the branches in a tree about five layers back from the path. We watched it for ten minutes and could see it make noise with its throat. The little opening was only big enough for each of us to look one at a time. Both birds were hard to get photos of due to branches but am quite happy I got some not awful proof shots. 

    On my revenge tour I got three of the four woodland birds with little chance of the Wilson's. It is unlikely but possible I see one in the fall. I am happy with three out of four. Hopefully the sandpiper and tern make an appearance when I'm not working in August. 

Last thought- I don't know how many species I've missed this year and I doubt I will end up with a number. BUT I do know some of the species I haven't seen that do mean something to me. I still don't have the Wilson's. I also haven't seen a Cerulean Warbler or a Tennessee. Always trying to figure out my own head... I wonder if I will care next year if I do miss them. Will I even remember and brood all winter and go on another revenge tour next spring?

Possum and a Prothonotary

  Prothonotary Warblers are a pretty rare warbler in New England. They nest in the south so when one shows up here it is usually an "overshoot". These are birds that get driven past their destination, usually by strong winds while they are migrating. A couple of Prothonotary Warblers show up in Rhode Island every year. If you are keeping a state list, this bird is worth the chase when one is reported. Not only do less than five show up each year but they are beautiful. They are kind of tough to photograph because they tend to stay in dense undergrowth. 

   I am not keeping a list this year so a "tick" on my checklist means nothing to me. Also, I probably can not get a photo upgrade because they are actually very common in North Carolina and I got great photos of multiple individuals. Last year, when I kept my vertebrate list I got to see a Prothonotary very early in the spring in Marshfield, MA. It was right out in the open in a swamp for fifteen minutes. I got a fantastic  look at it. When one showed up in RI, I didn't chase it because of the Mass bird. 

   A Prothonotary Warbler showed up in Smithfield, RI a few days ago. It was a male and it is building a nest hoping to attract a female. They have bred in Rhode Island before so it is possible some lost female could stumble upon him. I really didn't plan on going to see it. However, on Monday I spent many hours at Miantonomi Park in Newport birding. It was a good day and I saw a bunch of birds. After five hours I was getting bored. When someone asked if I'd seen the Prothonotary I thought I might as well. I had to work at 3 pm so I had about a half hour to look for it.

 

 The bird was right next to the parking lot. It was singing its little heart out. I was glad to see it and if I could get a photo all the better. As I said, I knew I wasn't going to get any photo upgrades.

    After less than a minute of watching this guy I noticed some rustling in the leaves. It was an Opossum. Now, a photo upgrade of an Opossum is a different matter all together. I don't have any good photos of an Opossum. The best I had was a blurry photo of the only one I saw last year at Great Swamp through sticks and brush.

   This little guy was walking along the edge of the water following the shoreline. The path was between twenty and forty feet from the water. I followed parallel to it. Every time there was an opening in the brush, I'd stop and take photos. I'd then move a little ahead and find the next opening. I had no idea if any of my photos would come out. I finally downloaded them to the computer and they are way better than I expected shooting into a dark swamp.

   After the Opossum  moved out of view I did watch the beautiful Prothonotary take a bath and stay into view until it was time to head to work. But I'd be lying if I said the warbler was the star of the show.

Trying to take in May

 

 There is so much to see and do in May that I really don't know how to do it all. FOMO (fear of missing out) is real this month. No matter what I am doing, I wonder if I should be somewhere else. With so much to see and do, I really love May. 

   So far I have fished for trout four times. I've done well twice (over ten each trip) and blanked twice. I've gone birding twice (more on yesterday below). I have only went striper fishing once so far which is my biggest regret of the spring to this point. Almost every shift I've worked lately has been a night shift so finding time for our seven lined friends has been hard. I've tried to get out bass fishing for largemouths but either wind or the search for birds has limited that endeavor. 

By far, my best photo of a Nashville Warbler.
Possibly my first photo upgrade of 2025

  Last Saturday I went birding at Miantonomi in Newport with Laurie and just about every RI birder. It was a fun day but the highlight for me was a picnic right in downtown Wakefield where we had chicken salad and chips. In the Saguatucket River we saw a Musk Turtle. 

Musk Turtle on top

   We also went to East Farm which is in full bloom. There are many species of crabapple trees all with their own flowers. The birds love the trees and seeing Baltimore Orioles is a sure bet.

   

Non-breeding male Scarlet Tanager

Yesterday was my best day birding in Rhode Island in years. I had planned on fishing all day because it was calm but since a couple good birds were reported at Mia, I went there first. Birding was so good, I didn't leave until 1:30 pm. My highlights were Blackburnian Warbler, Black Throated Greens and Blue. I saw both Summer (rare) and Scarlet Tanager. I also got to hang around with some friends I ran into. 

   Later on I went to Great Swamp which was also on fire with birds. I saw an Orchard Oriole, many common species of warblers, Veery and others. All told, I got fifteen species of warbler on the day. If I actually tried to do a warbler big day, I could have gotten a few more. 

  I got out trout fishing this morning and landed thirteen Brook Trout. All were caught on a float and a fly. I was surrounded by a dozen other guys. They weren't catching at all on Powerbait. One guy landed a couple on a spinner.

Despite the awful photo
This trout swam away with 
nothing more than a sore lip

   As spring goes on, I'll try to write more. If you read this, hopefully I can be useful in telling you what baits are working or what birds are around closer to real time. As for myself, I should write more anyway. This is basically my journal. If I go a month without writing, that is a moth worth of memories that I don't post and can only look back on in my head.

East Farm photos below

A day with Gene Ellison

  As president of my bird club, one of my jobs is to run the annual meeting. At our meetings after the business portion we have a presentation. Sometimes the presentation is done by a member or board member. Other times we hire out a guest speaker. Last year we had Greg Miller who is one of the most famous birders in America thanks to Jack Black playing him in the movie "The Big Year". 

   This year we got Gene Ellison. Gino (as most people call him) did a big year in 2023 seeing 801 species of birds in  USA, Canada and Hawaii. His job throughout his life was a professional fisherman. As president, it is my job to arrange the travel and itinerary for the day. 

   The plan was for Gino to do a morning walk with club members then go to the meeting later in the day with time in between to get some food. Mother Nature canceled the walk so Gino, Michael Gow (our treasurer) and I had breakfast in Middletown. After breakfast, Michael went home for a while and Gino and I drove around Newport. The weather was lousy so we just drove around the sights and talked. We drove by the church JFK got married in. We went down Bellevue Ave and looked at the mansions. The ocean was rough when we went down Ocean Drive and Breton Point.

   Mostly we talked. More precisely I asked questions, he talked, I listened, I soaked in info...repeat. It is not too often that a fisherman has the ear of a professional BASS angler so I made the best of my time. Gino is an extremely interesting guy. He was the original executive director of the PAA (Professional Anglers Association. This means that after they unionized ALL of the anglers or their reps went through Gene. He is on a first name basis with every bass angler in the country from Kevin Van Dam, Roland Martin, and Tim Horton. They may be more famous fishermen but they came to Gene for financial advice! 

He is also a very dedicated hunter. We spent a good amount of time talking about some really hard hunts in some really beautiful locations.The guy just loves the outdoors!

   Because of his tournaments and association with the PAA, I got a first hand account of what goes on behind the scenes at tournaments. How they are won and strategy. It was all really interesting. One answer would lead to the next question and the next. I got to hear what Roland Martin is like. Gene would room with Keven Van Dam (KVD) when at tournaments and on promotional tours. Both Kevin and Gino are sponsored by Bass Pro Shops so they would have to be at events together. Rooming with KVD if you are a fisherman is the equivalent of rooming with the Babe, Jordan, or Ali. No one in the professional bass game is more famous or won more money.

   I was asking questions about the KVD rod and how it was designed. Gene gave me the in and outs of how Kevin had input on the actual rod design. He explained how Kevin would make adjustments to prototypes. It was also  interesting to hear how KVD prepares for tournaments, how he fishes practice days, and tournament strategy.

   By no means was Gino a slouch. He won a $100,000 grand prize tourney of Lake Champlain and another tournament on Lake Erie. On Erie, he fished so far from the shoreline each day that he couldn't see land! Hearing about his approach in those tournaments was fascinating and I was mesmerized.

   The whole point of the day was for Gene to be our guest speaker at the bird club meeting. The guy saw over eight hundred birds during his big year. We talked very little about birds before the meeting. I think he was prepared to talk about birds all day, but I started talking about fishing and asking questions. Gene was kind enough to pivot and stay on that conversation for hours ( there are infinite avenues to go down talking about fishing)

   As you can imagine, I had a great day. Gino's presentation was awesome. He had the entire crowd's attention for ninety minutes. He was interesting, he gave a lot of great info, his photos are awesome, and he is funny. After the meeting, we went for a quick drink with a couple board members and a couple club members. It was fun but the best part of my day was the one on one time where I soaked in so much info and heard some great stories.

Blue Winged Teal

   

Sunday Laurie and I went out and did some birding in the morning. Our first goal was in Plymouth where I hoped to see an Evening Grosbeak. We did not see it despite an hour of looking for it.

   It was still early when we left so we decided to go to Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield. There had been a pair of Blue Winged Teal there. It didn't take us long to find them. They were in the small pond flanked by blinds. From our blind we could watch the teal. 

   Blue Winged Teal are a pretty rare duck in the northeast. They show up every year but not many of them. For my birder friends in Rhode Island other than Great Swamp in late March/ early April there really isn't a reliable spot to see them. So when they show up you got to go see  them before they leave.

I was very happy to see them. Now, if this wind would just stop!