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I have been to Lows several times in late September and early October, and finding a campsite was never a problem. The NYDEC has 39 numbered campsites. The further in you go, the less crowded it will be.

The use of canoes and kayaks on the main body of Quabbin Reservoir has never been allowed since the reservoir first opened to boat fishing in 1952 (shore fishing was first allowed in 1946). Starting in 2002, canoe and kayak rentals were available from the Department of Conservation, the state...

I was in my canoe on the river between Long Lake and Tully Reservoir in Royalston, Massachusetts, yesterday when I stopped among the pickerelweed to take a picture of some painted turtles sunning themselves on a log, and I noticed a black bear climbing onto a beaver lodge across the river.

Here are a couple of pictures of the loon chicks in the photos above thirty days later on August 10. The initial pictures were taken on July 10. Their parents were nowhere to be found.

Good morning, Bill. My apologies, but after looking through some additional photos of my trips to Stillwater that I had archived, I realized I confused sites 25 and 26 in my initial response to your post. I guess age is catching up to my memory 🤬. Site 25, and not site 26, as accurately...

Hi Bill, sorry I am late to this thread. I paddled & camped on Stillwater in 2022 (mid-September) and 2024 (3rd week of August). On both visits, I stayed at site 23 and enjoyed it thoroughly. I saw very few canoers on both trips, especially from site 23 and beyond. I have checked out sites...

The New York DEC euthanized this nuisance bear yesterday per its black bear protocol. Sadly, this bear ultimately died because of its learned behavior caused by a small minority of people who failed to follow proper food security and storage procedures in a high-use backcountry area...

Eagle Eye Yesterday, while canoeing a small pond in north-central Massachusetts, I spotted a pair of bald eagles apparently building a nest in a large white pine tree near the water's edge, since I watched one of them fly off twice and return with branches. I was able to get a mediocre shot of...

Thanks, Al. It was one of those rare and awesome days when the chips fell into place while I had the camera with me. Thanks for sharing your observations on loon feeding. I was not certain that she actually consumed the brook trout. Once she had it in a headfirst position in her beak, she...

Yesterday, I portaged my canoe a short distance into a remote pond in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, in hopes of getting some loon pictures. I got lucky and then some. I found a loon and two good-sized chicks. While watching them from an ethical distance (using an...

Indigo Bunting, dragonflies, and a damsel fly that I spotted today along the Millers River in the Birch Hill Dam Wildlife Management Area in Royalston, MA.

Great trip report and photos, Al. Thanks for posting it.

Here are some photos I took of a hummingbird feeding in our flower garden today.

I believe this dragonfly is a Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa), a member of the skimmer family (Libellulidae). The picture was taken on June 24, 2026, near Harris Lake in Newcomb, NY.

Hi Glenn, I revisited Boreas Ponds on June 24th. Since I was last there in August 2025, the DEC has greatly improved the canoe access. There is now a wheelchair-accessible path from the access road down to the water at the base of the dam, so it is now possible to wheel a canoe on a cart all...

A newly emerged clubtail dragonfly (Gomphidae) that climbed onto my Duluth pack to fully expand, dry, and harden its wings on a recent Allagash River trip.

Hi Glenn: I am sorry for the delayed response, but I have been away. I agree with Brightraven that it is possible to drive a sedan to the Boreas Ponds Parking lot, particularly if one takes it carefully and slowly. I personally do not remember whether there are handicap-marked spots in the...

Brook trout caught in a pond in the Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont, with walk-in-only canoe access. It was safely released.

Yesterday, I took these photos of a pair of common mergansers perched on a log on the edge of a pond while paddling my canoe in north central Massachusetts. When I got inside their comfort zone, they jumped into the water and took flight, but only for a short distance. This fact, coupled with...

Hi Stripperguy, Sadly, canoes are not allowed on Quabbin Reservoir, which is unfortunate since it is a beautiful place.