Winooski River Portrait 2022

Posted on January 9, 2022 by mattbeagle

Yesterday I participated in the annual Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey. My route was the Winooski River, from Waterbury to Lake Champlain. I have surveyed this route several years now. While I did not see even one eagle, I did get to see the river in winter.

Last year the day was warm and there was much less ice. Yesterday I started with single-digit temperatures. By the time I was finished in the early afternoon the temperature was considering hitting 20, but had not yet decided.

Here is my portrait of the Winooski River for January 2022.

Under the Waterbury Winooski Street Bridge

Looking west from DeForge Hydroelectric Dam, Duxbury

At Warren and Ruth Beeken Rivershore Preserve

From Bridge near Fontaine Canoe Access, Williston

Bike path bridge where Winooski River ends at Lake Champlain

Winooski River Portrait 2019

Posted on January 13, 2019 by mattbeagle

I took part in the mid-winter Bald Eagle survey today. Yesterday was the target day, but I have been out of commission with a cold for a week. I tried to go into work on Wednesday, but I left early. I felt like garbage. I stayed out the next two days. Today, finally, I felt OK. Yesterday I was on the mend but I am glad I rested.

I saw zero Bald Eagles. There were not a lot of birds out in general. The day started at -6º Fahrenheit. It got as low as -9º. It was 11:00 before I saw the thermometer rise into positive territory. Our high was 13º. I guess the eagles were not interested in the cold. As I have the past two years, I took photos along the way. Here is my Winooski River portrait for this cold day.

Mist over the river just after sunrise in Duxbury

Looking north from the Winooski Street bridge in Waterbury

Green Mountains from Deforge hydroelectric dam

Open water under the Long Trail foot bridge

Looking north from the Jonesville bridge

River ice in shadow at Warren and Ruth Beeken Rivershore Preserve

Pancake ice at the Winooski River mouth in Colchester

Winooski River Portrait 2018

Posted on January 15, 2018 by mattbeagle

Yesterday I participated in the Winter Bald Eagle Survey. My route was the Winooski River, from Waterbury to Lake Champlain. While I did not see any eagles, I got to see the river in its winter splendor. It was cold. The day started at 3 below zero and got all the way up to 6 degrees. Here is the Winooski River as I saw it yesterday.

Just after sunrise in Waterbury

Winooski Street Bridge, Waterbury

Deforge Hyrdoelectric Dam. Note the ice after high water earlier in the week.

From the Long Trail access point, Duxbury

Long Trail footbridge

From Jonesville bridge

Warren and Ruth Beeken Rivershore Preserve

Town park, Richmond

Near Fontaine Canoe Access, Williston

Overlook Park, Williston

Woodside Park, Colchester. The river is under all that ice.

Winooski River Walk, Winooski

Winooski, Vermont

Flooded fields at Ethan Allen Homestead

From the bike path bridge as the Winooski River ends at Lake Champlain

Winooski River Portrait 2

Posted on January 15, 2017 by mattbeagle

Yesterday I volunteered for the second time for the Mid-Winter Eagle Survey. My route was the Winooski River, from Waterbury to Lake Champlain. I stopped at several spots along the river, crisscrossing and paralleling as I went. Unlike last year, this year I did see one Bald Eagle, perched overlooking the mouth of the river. Like last year, I took photos as I went. Here is my January 2017 Winooski River Portrait:

River’s edge, Waterbury, Vermont

Winooski Street Bridge, Waterbury, Vermont

Bolton/Duxbury Dam

Duxbury, from Long Trail next to Winooski River

View of Winooski River from Long Trail Bridge

Pancake ice

Common Merganser, seen from Jonesville Bridge

From Warren and Ruth Beeken Rivershore Preserve

Looking west from Volunteers Green in Richmond, Vermont

Discarded television, Williston, Vermont

View of Winooski River from Woodside Park, Colchester, Vermont

Winooski, Vermont

Ice at Ethan Allen Homestead, Burlington, Vermont

Bald Eagle looking out over Winooski River and Lake Champlain

Winooski River Portrait

Posted on January 9, 2016 by mattbeagle

I recently volunteered for the Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey. The target date was today so I headed out early to look for our national bird. My route was the Winooski River, from Waterbury to Lake Champlain. This is a pretty long route and it meant lots of planning to figure out which spots I could stop along to river to try to find eagles. I ended up stopping at 14 points along the river. I saw no eagles. I did, however, get to see a lot of the river.

The day was cloudy, just above freezing, with snow showers and rain showers and a mix falling briefly. Following is a January portrait of the Winooski River, or, at least, part of the Winooski River. It was beautiful. I was lucky to get to see so much of it in one day.