Vermont Magazine Summer 19 | Page 58

high in the trees. (The island is closed to the public to protect the birds from disturbance). We navigated past fallen trees, their branches sticking out of the water, into an open marsh. A couple of large, long- legged white birds—Great Egrets— were visible among the tall grasses and arrowhead. From here we could see a motorboat whizzing by on the lake. It was only about a half mile to the Canadian border where it crosses Lake Champlain. Because it was late afternoon, we decided to turn around. It would take longer to paddle the three miles upstream. Just as we entered the tree-lined channel, there was a loud commotion overhead. We looked up and saw two adult Bald Eagles fly into a tall tree on shore. What a thrill! We got a good look at their classic mark- ings even without binoculars. Bald Ea- gles had disappeared from Vermont, but began nesting here again about 10 years ago due to a ban on the DDT insecticide, a reintroduction program, and habitat protection. On the trip back, a young man and his dog cruised past us in a small fishing boat and two men fished from another boat anchored near shore. Fishing is very popular on the Missisquoi, with An- glers catching Walleye, Northern Pike, Large Mouth Bass, Bullhead, White and Yellow Perch, and other fish. The wetland complex provides habitat for up to 20,000 migrating ducks in fall and is the most important waterfowl habitat in the Champlain Valley. Large flocks of Ring-Necked Ducks, Green- Winged Teal, Black Ducks, and Mal- lards feed here. In the summer, Wood Ducks, Common Goldeneye, and Hood- ed Merganser breed in the nest boxes provided to supplement natural cavities. There are several hiking trails 56