CALENDAR, DAILY CRUISES, SUNSET CRUISES AND SPECIAL CRUISES

Contact Us anytime or call us at 860-662-0577 to book a Private Charter (click for details)   RiverQuest and crew is happy to again search for eagles and other wildlife....please CALL US!!   ęęęCheck CALENDAR and description below for EAGLE CRUISE informationęęę 2010 Eagle Cruises will leave from Haddam, CT   Please Join Our Email List Email:   RiverQuest  leaves from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, CT.     DIRECTIONS

                 Following is a description of the Special Cruises we plan to offer on RiverQuest in 2010

Eagle Cruises                           OUR SIXTH YEAR!!! During the months of February and March.

                                                         All pictures taken from RiverQuest

For 2010, our sixth, "Eagle Season", cruise aboard RiverQuest from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam. Enjoy winter and very early spring while experiencing the beauty and solitude of the lower Connecticut River. Although our primary mission is to observe migrating and resident Bald Eagles, we will also search for many other varieties of local winter wildlife. In the six years that we have been running these popular Eagle Cruises, we have seen:

• Hawk species: Red Tailed, Red Shouldered, Rough Legged (both light and dark morph), Sharp Shinned, Northern Harrier and Cooper.

• Duck species: Common and Hooded Mergansers, Coot, Black, Wood, Ruddy, Scaup, Ring neck, Long Tail, Mallard and American Widgeon.

• Also: Great Cormorant, Grebe, Tundra Swan, Trumpeter Swan, Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle, Harbor Seal, Herring Gull, Great Black Backed Gull, Ring Billed Gull, Mute Swan

An experienced, seasoned naturalist will talk about eagle biology and ecology, and about the other wintering birds and wildlife that will be seen on our cruise. We may also be covering new "river" from Haddam, heading north to experience Haddam, East Haddam and Higganum.

 

RiverQuest has a fully enclosed comfortable cabin with large windows for viewing and heat, enough to take the chill off, but, dress warm because you will want to be outside for most of the journey observing our wintering wildlife up close.

 

Bring a snack with you or enjoy lunch before or after the cruise at the local eateries in Haddam or East Haddam. These include, La Vita Gustosa, The Gelston House, Haddam Pizza, The Cooking Company and Subway.

 

Aboard RiverQuest there will be complimentary coffee and tea.

2010 Eagle Cruises will be sponsored by Connecticut River Expeditions (US! RiverQuest and Adventure) and Connecticut Audubon EcoTravel. To make a reservation or for further information, please e-mail us Contact Us (click on contact us). Also, please add your name to our mailing list at the top of this page!

Thank you! 

Captain Mark and Mindy.

 

Due to the popularity of our Eagle Cruises, Reservations are suggested. Occasionally we can take walk-ons and last minutes.

 

NOTE: Also, we want to remind everyone, this is a nature cruise. There can be ice, wind, fog and heavy snow. We may have to cancel one cruise or an entire day. We will try to give as much notice as possible, but, there are times when the cancellation may be very last minute; the wind, etc, can change in minutes. We only cancel when there is a safety issue or wildlife viewing will be affected. So please, be patient and understanding with us. Thanks!

 

Please e-mail us at Contact Us or call RiverQuest at 860-662-0577.

 

2010 Price:

Cost is $40 all passengers (no one under 8 years old), includes complimentary coffee and tea.

 

Please see calendar above for days and times.

 

Check this out!  Eagle and Osprey Cam  Top left, click on Raptor cams

                

          Female and Male Bald Eagle                                   Harbor Seal on Ice Flow

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Selden Island Exploration

RiverQuest will leave Haddam and cruise south down the Connecticut River to Selden Island where passengers will disembark onto this 610 acre island, the largest island in the state of Connecticut. In the late 1800’s, a huge granite quarry, that primarily supplied paving stones to New York City and Philadelphia, operated on Selden Island. A naturalist/historian will guide a hiking tour on the island pointing out wildlife, plant life and geology and explain the fascinating stone quarrying history of the island. At the "top" of the island we will pause so that you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Connecticut River. The hike portion of the trip lasts about two hours (this includes stopping at points of interest) and is fairly strenuous, dress appropriately. There will be complimentary coffee and tea. Bring lunch or a snack for the cruise back.

CRUISE DATE: May 29, 2009, 9am to 12:30-ish-pm Join our e-mail list! Please call Lyme Public Hall or Contact Us. 

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Selden Island Circumnavigation

Selden Creek borders Selden Island, an island that is an untouched, pristine 610 acre Connecticut State Park, located in the town of Lyme. RiverQuest will cruise south down the Connecticut River from Haddam into Selden Creek for a circumnavigation of Selden Island. While slowly cruising through this serene, peaceful creek, a naturalist/historian will point out flora and fauna and discuss the geology and history of the island and the bordering mainland. Cruising through the creek today is not much different than it was several hundred years ago. Enjoy the magic of the area. Look for bald eagles and other bird/wildlife. There will be complimentary coffee and tea.

CRUISE DATE: June 12, 9:30am to 12:30pm. Sponsored by the Connecticut Audubon Ecotravel: http://ecotravel.ctaudubon.org/ Please call 860-767-0660 or Contact Us.

Group Cruise:  Schedule your own group.

Please e-mail us at Contact Us or call RiverQuest at 860-662-0577 for price.

Osprey Cruise

Cruise quietly from RiverQuest's home berth at Eagle Landing State Park to view many Osprey nests located along the lower Connecticut River. Osprey's return from their South and Central America wintering homes around March 20th. They rebuild their nests on the many nesting platforms, day markers and trees along the river. Come aboard one of RiverQuest's cruises and watch the progress as the Ospreys rebuild their nests and begin nesting (early April), to the chicks as they evolve from newly hatched chicks (Mid-May), to adolescent chicks/fledglings (early July), flying proudly with their new found power of flight (August). We will see the immature birds and their parents until the end of September when they head south. A naturalist will be on board each cruise to educate you on the Osprey and any other bird/wildlife we may see on our journey. 

CRUISE DATE: July 10, 2010  http://ecotravel.ctaudubon.org/. Please call 860-767-0660 or Contact Us. Or come aboard a regular Daily Cruise or on a  Sunset Cruise.                             

Foliage Cruises

Join us aboard RiverQuest for our Fall Foliage Cruises. The foliage begins to change in late September and there will be color all through October. Check out our calendar for the our "special" two hour foliage cruises. On these cruises, we will go north, towards Middletown. Bring your own picnic basket as you would on our Sunset Cruise. Check Calendar for details and prices.

On our regularly scheduled Daily Cruises, we will still cruise south, where you will also see the beautiful changing foliage on the many varieties of trees along the lower Connecticut River. The cost for the daily 1:30pm is $20 adults, $15 children. The cost for the weekend 12pm will be $15 adults, $10 children.

Always please check our Calendar to confirm departure days and times. Private charters take precedence.

Swallow Spectacle

    Swallows Funneling in the am                          Tree Swallow                     On a Moonlit September Evening

Through September into October, tens of thousands of birds congregate in the lower Connecticut River Valley on their migration route. One flock of birds, primarily comprised of Tree Swallows (there may also be Barn Swallows and Purple Martins), come nightly to an island in to roost. It is speculated that these birds fly in from as far as 25 miles away and come in numbers as high as 250,000+. At dusk they converge near and over the island, often creating a “ballet” in the sky and eventually forming a “funnel” or "rain" just after sunset as they settle down into a communal roost in the Phragmites for the night. We will educate you on this phenomena, answer questions and point out other wildlife we may see. Bring a picnic basket, your favorite beverage and your binoculars and enjoy the evening as we wait for the swallows. Please no children under 8 years old. Cruise length is approximately three hours. Price: $35 per person.

CRUISE DATES:  Done for 2009. Will have 2010 schedule soon! Please check out our Calendar or call 860-767-0660,     

                       Connecticut Audubon Ecotravel Division, directly. Also, join our E-mail List (see our home page) OR

GROUP CRUISES: Schedule your own as a fundraiser or as a great evening with friends.                                 

                         Please e-mail us at Contact Us or call RiverQuest at 860-662-0577 for price.