March 4th, 2012
It was a crisp, clear overcast day on March 4th as 15 members of the Club boarded Captain Mark and Mindy’s RiverQuest boat from the Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, Ct on the lower Connecticut River. Our quest was to see some migrating eagles. We were all loaded down with warm clothes, snacks, high power cameras and our binoculars for the two and one half hour journey down the river. The trees had no foliage, so it was easy to see all the ducks, swans, geese, gulls and eagles as the perched in and by the river looking for their meals. There were two nesting pairs of eagles on the river. One eagle’s head could be seen sitting on the eggs at all times, while the other parent hunted for food. There were also six to eight juvenile eagles also in the neighborhood. We found out that eagles do not pair up and nest until there are five years old and also that’s when they get their trade mark white crown.
From January through March the eagles migrate from Northern Canada south to the warmer waters of the lower Connecticut River. Also we saw the Gillette Castle built in 1914 by the American Actor, William Gillette on his private 184 acres along the river. There were also saw a lot of amazing homes you wouldn’t normally see unless you were on a boat on the river. Our guide said they were all owned by Car Dealers!
After the cruise we all gathered together in Haddam at the La Vita Gustosa Restaurant for a late spontaneous lunch and an enjoyed afternoon was spent catching up.
Contrary to our usual history with the Connecticut River, we had a successful day.
Submitted by Lillian Orchard
