Our Day at the Salisbury Fish Hatchery

This is what we do on a cold early spring day in Vermont. We visited the Salisbury Fish Hatchery a few weeks back, then drove to Lefferts Pond to release 250 Brook Trout… This is a photo collage of our day…

That’s Kay scooping out the Brook Trout (Brookies) from the tank…

Delivering the Brookies to the transport tanks…

Rainbow Trout… they were not being released on this day.

The transport truck…

That’s Seth… he manages the hatchery, and has been doing so for over 31 years!

On the way to Lefferts Pond…

Chittenden Reservoir adjacent to Lefferts Pond… That’s Pico Ski Mountain in the distance…

That’s Kay in action… releasing the Brookies into the pond. Before releasing the fish, one of the team members checks the water temperature. There cannot be more than a five degree difference between the water in the tank and the pond…

Hand-delivering the fish into the pond… it’s a little slower this way!

Watching an opportunistic fisherman at the right place and the right time!

Of course he got one…

From Our May 2024 Newsletter…

We visited the Salisbury Fish Hatchery a few weeks back, then drove to Lefferts Pond to release 250 Brook Trout… This is Vermont’s most historic hatcheries listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. They began raising fish in 1931 that produce approximately nine million trout eggs annually. The hatchery raises five different trout species—Brook Trout (Brookies), Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead Trout, and Lake Trout. The Brookies may be the most beautiful…

Kay joins me in thanking everyone at the Salisbury Fish Hatchery for an incredible visit and field trip… we’ll be back with many of our Pond Mountain Inn guests. This was truly an amazing experience that anyone visiting Vermont must take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

 

The Joy of Winter Birding in Vermont

Some winters we have been graced by snowy owls… enormously inconsistent visitors from the north make seeing one worth the bone-chilling commitment—but, I’m not so sure about that! Winter, however, brings a completely different set of birds… Common Redpolls, Tufted Titmouse or an Evening Grosbeak, all of which winter here in Vermont. Surely, we’ve seen them all, but identifying any one of them is certainly a different story. That said,  my nephew, Marc Parnell, ornithologist, author, and wildlife photographer is the second-most published ornithologist in the world makes identifying Birds of Vermont a little easier! The little guy in the photo is over at VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Science). Thank you VINS for your beautiful photograph—see you all in the coming months! And, we recently discovered the Birds of Vermont Museum… it’s amazing what Vermont and Pond Mountain Inn has to offer!

A Great Find Londonderry Vermont Beaver Pond

About an hour from Pond Mountain Inn, Kay and I stumbled upon this incredible beaver pond on a well-traveled dirt road in Londonderry, Vermont. The terrain prevented us from taking a better photo; I had to reach well over my head to even get this shot! The pond depth was 6-8 feet deep and the engineering by the beavers just mesmerizing. What a great find!

Check out our Inspiring Day Trips & Unique Itineraries for more exciting places to visit!

 

Wildlife in Wells Vermont – Porcupines

The Porcupine is mostly active at night and nocturnal. It spends most of its time finding food, and resting in trees. They have a natural craving for salt and will gnaw on the dropped antlers of deer to obtain minerals. When they are born their quills are very soft for just an hour. It is believed that a porcupine can throw its quills when confronted, but that is not true, the quills release when coming in contact with another an animal.

We watched this little guy in the photo stroll from the bottom of the property up the mountain behind us… porcupines are very “house” destructive. Quick story.. we heard one gnawing under our house one night at 12:30AM!

Learn More about the Porcupine

Find Out More About Pond Mountain Inn Bed and Breakfast

Merck Forest Event – Owl Presentation and Hike February 2020

Merck Forest Event – Owl Presentation and Hike. The evening begins with a presentation about the owls found in our region and then the group will hike out to find some of these magnificent raptors. Saturday, February 22 @ 4:00 – 6:00 pm ($5.00) Learn more Here

Merck Forest Farmland Center is a non profit educational organization located at Rupert, Vermont, only 30 minutes from Pond Mountain Inn. Their mission is to inspire and teach others about  natural and working lands sustainability.

See more events and presentations Here

Include a visit to Merck Forest on your Dorset/Manchester Day Trip!

There’s Something Special About This Beaver Pond and Lodge – Look Closely

During our recent trip to Waitsfield for yak meat we discovered this beaver lodge standing nearly seven feet tall! But, that’s not the entire story… the most interesting part of our discovery was the shallow beaver-engineered pond – just look at the lower left corner of the photo. This large family of beavers constructed an entire ecosystem to live and raise their pups! We’re always stumbling upon something fascinating here in Vermont!

Wildlife In Wells Vermont – Owls

Our Neighbor Just Over The Mountain from Pond Mountain Inn captured this little guy! It is always a treat to see Owls in our area of Wells, Vermont and we have a variety consisting of  the Short-eared Owl, Eastern Screech-owl, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Long-eared Owl and the Northern Saw-whet Owl.  Fact: Owls adaptation for survival in the winter is amazing! Some begin their nesting season here in February!

Learn more about Owls in Vermont

Thanks Jim for sharing this photo!

Wildlife In Vermont – Wild Turkeys

Down the road from Pond Mountain Inn, we spotted a group of wild turkeys while out for a chilly winter walk. Wild Turkeys in a group is called a flock , whereas a group of domesticated turkeys are known as a rafter or gang. The wild turkeys live and travel together primarily on foot, occasionally taking short flights to escape predators. Their long legs are strong enough to enable them to run 25 miles per hour. and they can fly at 30 to 35 miles per hour!

Learn More About Wild Turkeys  from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department

Learn More About Pond Mountain Inn Bed and Breakfast

Discover Nature and Wildlife At The Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences in Quechee Vermont

 

The Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences located at Quechee, Vermont is extraordinary!

The VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Science ) is a nonprofit environmental education, avian rehabilitation and research organization supported by members.

We spent a half day at their incredible 47 acre campus which is open year round, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. It offers “state-of-the-art raptor enclosures, exhibit spaces, classrooms, and interpretive nature trails”, and a beautiful Forest Canopy Walk.

See what else Quechee has to offer on our Woodstock / Quechee • Day Trip: Itinerary

A Birdwatchers Paradise In Vermont Minutes From Pond Mountain Inn

Pileated woodpeckers are the largest of the common woodpeckers found in most of North America. With a height of almost 20 inches and a 30 inch wingspan makes it easy to spot while hiking. A recent guest was looking for a nice hike that offered stunning views so we sent her to The Mount Equinox summit, only 35 minutes from Pond Mountain Inn!