Kayak Paddle Tales and Birdography

Spoonies at the Refuge!

2011-09-25T13:32:00.002-04:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth

seeking the successive autumns.

~George Eliot

First, you may have noticed that I have appended the title of this blog. My paddling is still on a bit of a hiatus, but the bird photography isn't, and I tend to want to put those photos here, even though they were not taken from the kayak. So I have just extended the parameters of this blog, and now those photos will have a proper home.

DH and I went to the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge yesterday, as we often do on Saturdays. Too hot for biking, but tolerable for a walk.

We were astounded to see 5 roseate spoonbills in the pond near the lighthouse. I knew that they had appeared before at this time of year, but reports were always from dawn sightings. This was at about 1:30. They were at the far side from the road, so we quickly walked over to that area. Two women had taken advantage of the low water level in the pond and had walked off the path and onto the (wet, mucky) sand at the edge, which put them very close to the spoonbills. So of course we went down there, too.

The birds did not seem to mind our presence at all, and in fact two of them eventually fell asleep, bills over their backs, while we were there. The others continued to feed in the shallow water.

DH had never seen spoonbills other than in the photos I have brought home from Sanibel and Cedar Key, so this was wonderful.

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The pond was full of different types of birds. Little sandpipers (?) gathered around the spoonbills.

There were hundreds of gull/tern-type birds in the middle of the pond. While we were watching the spoonies, they all took off, flew in a tight circle, and settled back exactly where they had been. I'm not sure what the point of that was.

On our way to the spoonbills, we passed the pilings that pelicans like, and the pelicans were lined up on them. Once we had finished gawking at the spoonbills, we headed back there to see them.

This one was soaring overhead for a while, watching the water. They have such an amazing wingspread.

Spotted something of interest...

And so it came in for a landing.

Little bit of a hop to slow itself down...

and it's down!

While I was standing on the sandy strip of land at the water taking those, a cute little sandpiper-like bird (as usual, I don't know exactly what this is) landed nearly at my feet and started walking along the shoreline.

We left the Gulf area and drove to one of the ponds alongside the road to have a snack. Monarch butterfly time is approaching (when they stop at the refuge in huge numbers on their migration south, commemorated by the Monarch Festival), but for now there were just many, many Gulf Frittilaries flitting about.

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There was a group of snowy egrets in the water. The photo was kind of bland, but I liked the general look of it, so I decided to simply make it painting-like (which is kind of what it resembled in the first place).

Hopefully this blog will go back to being active, now that I have decided to widen its scope beyond just paddling photos. While our weather hasn't cooled at all, eventually it has to (doesn't it?) and perhaps I will get back to paddling. Regardless, there will always be birds to photograph. Stand by.

Back to Lake Santeetlah in North Carolina!

2011-08-15T16:01:00.006-04:00

Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way.

~Dr. Seuss

This is the third summer that has had me journeying to Lake Santeetlah near Robbinsville, NC, and while each one was a joy, when it comes to lodging, clearly the third time is the charm! More on the house later.

I spent the first afternoon sitting in the shaded gazebo down by the water. I was pleased to discover that a large family of ducks lives in this little cove. Of course I had to photograph them!

The lake slopes gently up to the shoreline here. The water is very, very clear, as you can perhaps tell from this photo of a duck swimming by.

The next day I took the boat out. This group of ducks came to see me off...

At the opening to the cove, I had to go either right or left. This house is in a new area for me, so I wasn't sure what I would find at that opening. Hmmm, to the left is another small cove and an end of the lake.

So that leaves going to the right, which would take me under Ted Jordan bridge (which is part of Hwy 129).

Lakes are funny...one minute they are smooth and then for no discernible reason you will find yourself paddling through waves. And then they smooth out again. Keeps it interesting. This lake is a fantastic place to paddle. There's very little wildlife, but since more than half the shoreline is national forest land, there also are more trees than houses. The combination of wooded shoreline and a backdrop of mountains no matter which way you turn makes for some very relaxing paddling!

I was staying fairly close to the shoreline. And what's this I see? Shades of my last trip to this lake--is that a noodle over there, far from any house?

Of course I paddled over to get it, just in case I decided to stop for a float before returning to the house. And then off I went, my prey strapped to the hood...

(I didn't get around to using it, but I did leave it at the house in case anyone else might want it...)

Back at the house, I caught this duck at bath time.

More splashing....

And then a final tail shake to wrap it up...

The next day I drove over to Cheoah Point Recreation area. I took some lake photos from the boat ramp area.

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Part of this recreation area is a beach.

There is a sign that says "No Launching," but I recalled that on my first trip to this area, I did in fact launch my kayak over on the right side of the beach, outside of the roped-off swim area. It didn't seem to bother anyone.

I was surprised to find a campground here,

and even more surprised to find that (a) it was nearly full, with mostly tenters but a few RVs--while the weather was far, far cooler than here in Florida, it still seemed a bit warm for tenting (to me), and (b) there were power hookups at each site. Water is not provided at the sites, but there are at least two spigots in the campground for use by campers. There was also a bath house with toilets and showers (I came across a website when I got home that indicated that there are no showers at this campground, but I saw them through an open door). I took a photo of one of the campsites.

This campground is located far above the lake. I believe there is access down steps, or you could walk, bike, or drive to the beach area pictured above. But there is no lake view from any site; the height and the trees obscure it.

When I got back to the house I decided to spend a little time floating in the lake, one of my favorite activities of the last trip here. I made these travel plans several months ago and have been talking somewhat endlessly to various email friends about how I looked forward to spending time just lolling around on my water hammock in the lake. I'd really like to share photos of me doing just that....what a shame there was no one there to take those photos. However, through the magic of Photoshop, I can provide a representation of me floating in the lake on my water hammock. This is the area in which I did this floating--near the dock, with the gazebo over on the left--and this is exactly what my water hammock looks like, even the color. People who have met me in person are probably astounded by the degree of similarity between me and the (not-me) person on the hammock....

(You may interpret "degree of similarity" as you wish.)

The next day I took a trip to Stoney Hollow Farm, which is quite near the rental house. I had fun there! I hand-picked ripe peaches, nectarines, and concord grapes. I discovered how easy it is to get carried away with the fun of picking fresh fruit (I brought home a lot of fruit).

I also bought locally-made blueberry jam, a jar of local honey with some of the comb in it, and a bar of homemade soap. The farm had a lot of things growing that I did not pick--blueberries were ripe, they had tomatoes, and they also had a large garden of colorful flowers that could be cut. They make fresh bread in the kitchen, but I got there too late to nab any of that--it's a very popular item. I highly recommend a visit to this farm if you are in the area.

Last summer I posted here about my trip, and someone wrote to ask me about the rental house I had been in. I replied that I honestly could not recommend that house (and in fact it seems the owner no longer rents it out). This year it's a different story. This house was fantastic. Click here for a link to the rental site (if that doesn't work, the agent is Diana Hutto, the house is called "Hilton's Lakefront"--that should get you there). The site has so many photos of the inside and outside of the house that I did not take any myself. This is a larger house than I usually rent for myself (and slightly more expensive than usual as well). Two couples could easily be comfortable sharing this house, or even 3 couples. It is extremely kid-friendly (almost to a fault). The living room chairs are comfortable (and it's well-lit....not always the case), the bed was comfortable, the AC worked well. Very easy access, no steep hills or one-lane winding gravel roads to navigate. (I do, however, suggest you back into the driveway, you'll be glad you did when it's time to pull out.) There is a garage to park in, but like others I have encountered, it was too short for my Xterra to fit into. The house is ideally situated in terms of neighbors--the houses are staggered in such a way that while the lots are small, you can't see either neighboring house from the deck. I believe the one on the left may be a vacation rental as well; the one on the right was occupied by the owners while I was there but I do not think they live there year-round. The house is close to Robbinsville and its grocery stores, the Cherohala Skyway entrance is not far down the road (or up the road, in this case). Calderwood Lake, an excellent paddling spot, is also close by.

A note: In attempting to view this blog on my other computer, I see that Photobucket, which is where I presently store my photos (and then link to them in my posts) is failing to deliver several photos in this post. Reloading the page will bring some missing ones in, but others will not appear. If one (or more) is missing, it's not actually missing, it's just not showing up when the page loads on your computer. I am tending to blame Photobucket rather than Blogger since I had a very hard time uploading the photos to them this afternoon. If this continues, I'll just switch to another host site for future posts.

I'll let you know when I get back out paddling! Stand by.

Not Paddling in Sanibel, Florida

2011-06-25T18:49:00.004-04:00

If anyone had been paying attention to the signs,
they would have realized that air turns white when
things are about to change, that paper cuts
mean there's more to what's written on the page
than meets the eye, and that birds are always
out to protect you from things you don't see.

~Sarah Addison Allen

The Peach Keeper

I have been meaning to get to Sanibel Island for a long time, for the sole reason that that is where J. N. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge is located. I've been hearing about this refuge for a long time. I know that summer is not the ideal time to go in search of birds, but summer is when I have time for such things (because I'm not camping).

I stayed in Periwinkle Cottages, in Sandpiper cottage, which was ideal for me! It has a very small back yard that is next to a very small pond. The owner was there when I arrived and he pointed out the night heron nest in a tree branch over the pond--and the three young herons that occupied it! So I spent a lot of time the first day I was there photographing them. Unfortunately, the nest was well hidden behind the leaves.

While I was trying to find a spot to stand for a better view, I noticed this one watching me very closely...

There was a dead tree trunk visible from the back yard that always had at least one red bellied woodpecker in it--more often two or three of them. Their tapping and calls were a regular background sound.

Early the next morning I took my chair down to the beach. There were the usual pelicans and gulls, and I spotted two dolphins swimming by. I was thrilled to see a rather large flock of frigate birds circling overhead for a while. I'm not sure where this great blue heron came from; when I looked to my right, there he was.

I watched him for a while; he was very interested in a guy who was fishing nearby. No fish appeared, so off he went.

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And then I saw two ibis fly by me from left to right. They landed farther down the beach and began fishing around in the surf. I watched them for a while, trying to decide whether I wanted to walk over to see if I could photograph them. I finally decided that I should take a stroll down there, since ibis in surf is an image that has never appeared on this blog. I was surprised that they let me get fairly close....and in fact, they stayed there long after I was once back again sitting in the shade.

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This is certainly a beautiful beach, but I have to say that I prefer St. George Island's beach--only because of the sand. The sand at Sanibel looks like ground-up cement blocks (which may be close to its real composition). So the beach isn't as pretty as St. George's white powder sand, and when the waves break at the shore, the grayish sand tumbles with them, which isn't as pretty to me as white sand doing the same thing. But the water color is the same gorgeous blue-green and it is just as clear. And of course there are a lot more shells on this beach!

When I got back to my cottage, I checked on the night heron babies. They were on the ground by the pond--this may have been one of the first times they left the nest.

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This one was very shy and stayed back behind the bush.

I saw one of the adults on a low branch, with its wings out in drying position. It was looking very intently at one of the youngsters.

Hmmmm, heron see, heron do, I guess!

One more image of them, this one of a fuzzy young head:

I had driven through the refuge on my arrival in Sanibel, before even checking in at the cottage. I saw a few cormorants and a great blue heron. This was at about 2:00 in the afternoon. I had been prepared for disappointment because of the time of year, but that was kind of sad. Well, on my last day I decided to give it another try, this one in early morning. They open at sunrise. I got there at about sunrise-thirty.

I saw an ibis while driving in, and several herons in some water. Then I passed an osprey in a nest on a platform.

Ok, this was better! The bird I had most wanted to see was a roseate spoonbill. A group of five had flown overhead at the cottage (which is across the road from the refuge). Five spoonbills! So I knew they were here. If only I could find just one of them....

I took a turn and saw many cars parked at the side of the road near a spot with open water. At our refuge here, this is always a sign that there is something worth seeing....

Spoonbills!! Lots and lots of spoonbills! Maybe 40 or so.

I took a lot of pictures. No, really, a lot of pictures. I have taken out my favorites to post here.

Let's start with the bathing ones. Evidently spoonbills prefer to take their baths in the morning; there was a lot of splashing going on.

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Suddenly...an interloper in the group. One of these birds is not like the rest...

Oh well, no reason to let that interrupt bath time!

And the egret left.

A little off to the side of the pink group, a little reddish egret (thanks, Caroline!) was fishing.

Later he showed up in the midst of all the pink, fluffing himself up, maybe to get some attention from the humans with cameras standing on the shore...

A spoonbill decides to leave the group.

And off he goes--

Meanwhile, this one started to make a fuss in his little section.

Still fussing, but with a smaller audience...

And he leaves as well.

I really liked this little one, off by himself in the early morning sunshine.

While everyone was focused (literally) on the spoonbills, I saw this bird fly overhead. It seems like it has a lot of white to be an osprey, but perhaps that's what it was. I like this image because of the bird's symmetry.

I finally (finally) managed to tear myself away from the spoonbills, which was very difficult! On my way out of the refuge I saw this--I envy the woman in that car! She had stopped, and the two were just looking at each other for a long time, and then she drove away and the bird flew back to the water.

So this was a successful trip!

This blog isn't getting a lot of action these days since I am not doing as much paddling lately (but I think this post clearly belongs here). The camping blog is of course dormant until cooler weather returns. But I continue to take photos--they are just finding a home on my Photo Miscellanea blog. I hope you will pop over there now and then!

And continue standing by here...

Flying Kites on the Wacissa

2011-05-22T13:24:00.003-04:00

The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us
by our ancestors who...looked enviously on the birds
soaring freely through space...on the infinite highway of the air.

~Wilbur Wright

DH and I decided to put up with the airboat fest that is the Wacissa on a Saturday and so we loaded up the boats and headed for the river.

And it was very loud.

But the birds were out, there was a slight breeze at times to cool us, the water level was good, and the current very light. And the swallowtail kites were riding the thermals and circling over us for much of the trip.

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And the snowy egrets! It seems like they have been mostly absent for the last couple of years but they are back!

This one was fishing in the greenery as we drifted by.

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Once we passed Blue Spring, there were few other boaters on the river and for the most part it was very quiet and peaceful. Smelled good, too. I saw a few night herons flying back and forth across the water before we finally came to one perched in a tree.

The juvenile little blue herons are in the process of changing color from the white feathers they are born with to the dark gray-blue ones of adults.

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I only saw one great blue heron; it was at Duck Island near the boat ramp and too far away to photograph. We passed a family of wood ducks--Mom, Dad, and the babies, but they saw us coming as well and ducked into the reeds. We also saw a few large great egrets. This one was posing.

We turned around after drifting downstream about two and a half miles. We were approaching another great egret (the same one?), which took off as we got close.

The kites continued to circle overhead. This one dropped down close as it whizzed by, making for a bit of a blurred action image...

This was the first paddling trip for a long time. My winter and spring were taken up with camping, which led now and then to bird photos that would fit well on this blog (those posts are on the camping blog). While I prefer the cooler weather for paddling, I will hopefully spend some more time on this river in the summer months to come. Stand by.

A Windy Saturday on the Wacissa!

2011-03-06T12:13:00.002-05:00

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Dr. Carl Sagan

Long time no post! I have indeed been outdoors for the last few months, but on a bike or in a campground instead of on the river. Yesterday was a beautiful Saturday and DH and I decided to take the kayaks to the river.

Beautiful, but windy! It was blowing upstream, so the usual drift to Blue Spring was an effort that I am feeling today in my unaccustomed-to-paddling shoulders! Of course, it made the trip back upstream to the boat ramp go very quickly.

We thought that despite the wind, the river would be crowded on such a pretty day. However, there were only two cars in the lot when we got there, and we saw only two other boats, both powerboats. There were also surprisingly few birds on the river.

We ducked into the Blue Spring inlet to escape the wind and look around. This little gator was sunning on a log:

We spent a lot of time at the spring just meandering around looking into the water and into the woods. And then back to the river to face the wind for a little longer.

On the way back to the ramp I saw this turtle, who was also enjoying the warm sunshine.

As I said, there were very few birds, and the ones that were there were very shy; they may have been just passing through. So I was surprised to drift (quickly) past this green heron, who had just caught some lunch, and have it not fly off.

As we continued upstream I was considering whether or not to post this trip, since I had only gotten three photos. And then ahead and on the other side of the river I saw what looked like the distinctive white markings of a male wood duck's head. Hmmm, that could be interesting. So I ruddered the kayak over that way (no need to paddle, the wind was providing the forward momentum!). It was pair of woodies, swimming around near the edge.

I took many, many photos of them, particularly the male, and decided to finish this post with a short wood duck study:

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This is still prime camping season and ideal bike-riding weather, so it may be a while until my next paddling trip, but I am still getting out on the water now and then! Stand by.

Wacissa Afternoon

2010-10-21T13:09:00.003-04:00

If we didn't learn a lot today,
At least we learned a little!
And if we didn't learn a little,
At least we didn't get sick!
And if we got sick, at least we
weren't plucked naked and
served on a platter with
roasted potatoes!
So, let us be thankful!

~Harriet, the Zen Hen

What a great day to go paddling! I got there just as the Wilderness Way group was returning, so I had the river to myself almost the entire time I was out.

As I was drifting downstream (this is a downstream-first river), I spotted this egret along the shoreline, highlighted in the sun.

He made his way forward at about the same pace as my drift. Apparently he didn't want company, as off he went; up,

up,

and away!

I don't normally photograph coots or moorhens or gallinules, but this young one was posing so nicely on a stump in the water, I couldn't resist.

The sun was beaming down on this great blue heron doing a plausable swan imitation (this is a shallow river, it was no doubt actually walking on the bottom).

There is a tree branch near the Blue Spring inlet that almost always has some kind of bird perched on it. On this day it was a tricolored heron, with one leg tucked up.

Speaking of Blue Spring, of course I paddled to it. Very pretty, very quiet, and very without birds when I was there. So, back to the river proper.

There were, as last time, a lot of white birds--egrets, ibis, and juvenile little blue herons. I was approaching a very pretty snowy egret fishing in the surface greenery and wanted to show you how great he looked in the sun against all the green leaves. But, er...well...these things don't always work out. Here he is, anyway....

I was sitting back in the kayak enjoying the ride, and almost didn't see this young ibis--talk about effective camouflage. He was blending in very well.

I came to a juvenile little blue heron doing that wing thing where they spread their wings to create shade over the water, which attracts the little fish that they are after. I watched this one do it for a long time.

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And then he left to try somewhere else...

I also very rarely photograph cormorants. They are as common as moorhens. But this one was just sitting there, and I liked the red leaf behind him, so I raised the camera.

Uh oh, a shy cormorant, guess he didn't like being photographed.

Once again, as happened last time, I was pleasantly surprised to come up on a group of wood ducks that included males.

I was about to turn around and head back upstream when I saw the unmistakable outline of a great blue heron on a little vegetation island ahead of me. Ok, maybe I will drift just a little while longer.

Here's the thing, though. The current is a little stronger as you get to this point and so I was moving closer to him as I set up and captured that image. There was a nice little break in the greenery for me to pass by him on the right, but I didn't think he would like me being so close. Sure enough, he began his escape,

achieved liftoff,

and off he goes.

I turned around then and paddled upstream. This tricolored heron was standing at the edge of the water.

As I was coming to Duck Island, near the boat ramp, I came to more woodies!

My car was the only one in the parking lot when I got back to the boat ramp--this is definitely my favorite time of year to paddle this river!

I've got a lengthy camping trip coming up but will get back out paddling after I return. Stand by.

Back on the Water!

2010-10-01T18:15:00.002-04:00

I saw old autumn in the misty morn
Stand shadowless like silence, listening
To silence

~Thomas Hood

Hi there. Remember me? Been awhile, eh? Well, summer is finally packing up and leaving and it's cool enough to enjoy being out on the water again. So back to the Wacissa!

I was glad I had waited so long to return; waited until it would be comfortable enough to be fun. What a great day it was. A bit of a brisk downstream wind, so I didn't go far, but I spent about 3 hours on the water.

There are a lot of white birds along the river, egrets (both great and snowy), juvenile little blue herons, and ibis.

Shortly after leaving the boat ramp, I was thrilled to see a great blue heron, standing with the wind ruffling its feathers.

There's a lot of surface growth on the water, as happens every summer. The water level is down considerably.

This egret was standing on a log; it had just raised its one leg up just before I took this picture.

As I was drifting along, kind of wondering where the night herons were since there were so many young ones out and about last time I was on the river, I was thrilled to see this somewhat rare sight:

Such striking birds. And of course the reptiles were enjoying the day, some of them lined up on this log.

I saw a large egret perched by the side of the river and paddled over in that direction. As I drifted closer, I could see through my camera's viewfinder that it was about to leave. Sure enough, it did.

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I turned around shortly after seeing that one and headed upstream into the wind. It's not that difficult to paddle directly into the wind, but there is a problem if you want to stop paddling to take a photo. Before you know it, you are drifting backwards at a good clip! I parked in the surface greenery to prevent that and got this photo of an ibis.

Off to the right of the ibis was a snowy egret posing nicely along the shoreline.

There were several tricolored herons here and there along the river. This one watched me paddle by.

I took the route back that goes to the left of Duck Island. Aptly named; I was again surprised to see a male wood duck, this one with two females nearby, swimming toward the island.

And off they go, into safe seclusion.

I was about to pack up the camera since I was very near the boat ramp when I spotted what might have been that same great blue heron that I saw at the beginning of this trip. I wedged the boat into some greenery and eased off on the lens since I assumed it was going to fly off--they are usually pretty shy. It didn't leave. I waited. It didn't leave. So I took this one of it standing there, and then I moved on.

It still hadn't left when I had moved a fair distance away. Must be used to paddlers.

It was a good start to the paddling season here, and I can't wait to get back out. This is also the start of camping season. It's wonderful to be active again! I'll be back. Stand by.

Lake Santeetlah from Robbinsville, NC

2010-07-25T17:20:00.004-04:00

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can
adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

~Jimmy Dean

It's been five years since I last paddled this lake--way too long! I rented a house right on the lake with a little beach in front, perfect for kayak launching. My friend Deb from Indiana drove down to join me for a couple of days. I got there several hours before she did. I unloaded the car and then took my water hammock down to the lake for some peaceful floating to cool off (of course it was significantly cooler and less humid than the weather I left behind). Here in Florida there are very few, if any, lakes that you would want to flop down in on a water hammock with your legs and arms dangling over the sides into the water, totally unconcerned about drifting away from the dock as the waves rock you back and forth....there's always that pesky possibility of a gator mistaking one of your limbs for a tasty treat. I floated in Santeetlah for over an hour, just occasionally making an effort to not end up in the middle of this large lake. What a joy.

Lake Santeetlah is crystal clear and, even in the heat of July, comfortably cool--not too cold, not too warm. The shoreline is 80% national forest, with no houses or other development, just woods, with a few primitive campsites available here and there. It is surrounded by mountains.

Before we begin with the photos, I want to mention that if your monitor tends to favor greens, some of these photos will likely seem oversaturated with green. The leaves were green, the water was green, the shoreline reflections were green. There's not much I can do about how that green appears on your screen except hope it isn't too bizarre. It's really green around there!

Here is the view from the porch of the vacation rental:

Deb arrived safe and sound. The following morning we headed out paddling. We quickly left the houses and docks behind and had only woods and mountains around us.

This lake has many coves and narrow fingers to explore. We followed along the shoreline, making our way generally clockwise. We came to an area that showed signs of being one of those campsites; there were remnants of a campfire laid out near the water. In most places the bottom of the lake rises gradually and so it's simple to get out of the boat. So we got out there. We had found a styrofoam "noodle" along the edge prior to getting to this point. We took turns using the noodle for flotation and our life vests (which we were both pleased to find would actually support us while floating....good to know....), and were in the water for quite a while. Suddenly we heard a loud splash, and a chocolate lab started swimming toward us. A woman had come walking down a trail carrying a tent and two bag chairs. Evidently you can set up your stuff at one of these primitive sites early, as a way of reserving it. She was going to be camping there the next night with two others and had come in to claim the spot. We talked for a while, she set up her tent and left. We paddled out shortly afterward.

This lake has water-skiers, jet skis, and other motorized traffic on it, but they don't tend to come into the coves, so we had no trouble from them. Aside from their wakes, the lake was very smooth and very easy to paddle. Smelled good, too.

Back at the house, we had a pretty sunset that night.

The next day we headed out to paddle Calderwood Lake, about 15 miles away. There isn't a lot of info with photos out there about Calderwood, so I have decided to post all that separately, so that anyone specifically interested only in the Calderwood post, coming from a Google search, doesn't need to page through all the Santeetlah stuff to get there. The Calderwood post follows this one (or, if you are only seeing this post on your browser page, it's here).

On our way back from Calderwood, we stopped at a scenic overlook with a view of Santeetlah. It was fairly well obscured by the growing trees, but still scenic.

Deb left after those two days. I decided to take a drive along the Cherohala Skyway, which is similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway, only shorter. There are several overlooks you can pull into, each one marked as to whether it provides a hiking trail, picnic area, or photo opportunity (or all three). There was a place to pull over en route to the actual Skyway that offered another, less obscured, view of the lake.

I drove for several miles, stopping now and then. I reached an overlook that offered both a hiking trail and a picnic table, so I stopped to have the lunch I had packed. There were some pretty orange flowers near the picnic table (I'm about as clueless about flower names as I am about songbird identification).

I took the hiking trail to the overlook, which was, again, nearly totally obscured by new tree growth. On the way back, I noticed how full and verdant the woods to my left looked. I have been wanting to get a photo of just greenery to print in a large size, mat, and frame, and this seemed like a good opportunity for that. This is my favorite of the bunch that I took:

I continued on. This was the view at an overlook:

It was getting late and so I decided to turn around at the next overlook. Shortly before the turn-in, I saw this view off to the right side. I pulled into the overlook and walked back to capture this, my last photo on the Skyway:

Lake Santeetlah is a fantastic lake any time of the year, but particularly nice for a Floridian in summer. Cool temps and low humidity, no biting insects, no gators in the water. I know I will be going back next summer... In the meantime, check out the Calderwood post after this one.

If you are going to be in the Robbinsville area and would like to paddle this lake, I know of two public access points (I'm sure there are many). There is a marina north of town---head out 129 about 7 miles from town until you come to a set of two signs that say Lake Santeetlah and Thunderbird Mountain and turn where they indicate. The marina is a right turn just ahead; you will be able to see it when you have the choice of turning right or left. You can also head up 143 toward the Cherohala Skyway (turn off 129 at the Chevron gas station about 2-3 miles north of town). There is a really nice little public access boat ramp on the right that is in a very quiet cove.

Since our days are all going to over 95 degrees as far as the forecast predicts, it could be a while before the next post! Stand by.

Calderwood Lake near Robbinsville, NC

2010-07-25T16:47:00.006-04:00

The simplification of life is one of the steps to inner peace.
A persistent simplification will create an inner and outer
well-being that places harmony in one's life.
~Peace Pilgrim

My last visit to Calderwood Lake was in 2005 (link to that post is below). I have been waiting for five years to get back to this lake. And this time around I took a lot more photos (last time I was with someone who freaked out at the depth of the lake (400 ft.) and the water temperature (about 50 degrees) and insisted on getting out after about 15 minutes, hence the few photos)!

My friend Deb, a far more intrepid paddler, joined me in NC for some paddling. I was very excited at the prospect of finally returning to Calderwood to go farther than a few hundred yards. I made a point of warning her about the cool air temperature and bone-numbing water temperature I had encountered last time.

A quick note about the photos in this post: It's very green on this lake. The trees are green, the water is green, the foliage reflections in the water are green. If your monitor tends to favor green, these may look oversaturated. Not much I can do about that, but I did want to mention it in case these photos look strangely tinted. They look fine on this end.

We got to the lake and pulled up to the large, gradually-sloped boat ramp.

I hopped out of the car and walked over to put my foot gingerly in the water. Wait....what is this? The water was no colder than the Wacissa on any average day. I had also noted that although we got there at the same time of day and the same time of year as last time, the mist that had been rising off the water last time was also absent. Interesting, and I felt foolish for all my warnings about it.

We launched easily, with no worries about cold water. The bottom of the boat did not chill my feet, as it had last time (I recalled having to wrap them in my paddling towel--I always paddle barefoot).

Calderwood Lake is 8 miles long. The shoreline is completely undeveloped, with a few primitive campsites here and there. There is no discernible current. The water is supernaturally clear. Off we went.

After a short time of paddling, we came to the sound of waterfalls coming from an inlet. We paddled down it to investigate. It was on the left side and turned out to be Slickrock Creek. The water gets shallow and the inlet is fairly narrow. Here are the falls as we approached them:

We had the little creek to ourselves and paddled closer to the falls, hovering around there just enjoying the sound and scenery.

Deb decided to get out and maneuvered her boat into a rocky area. I have discovered that the shorter you are, the harder it is to get out of a kayak in water of any depth. I'm short; it was obvious that I was not going to be able to just swing a leg over the side of my boat and step out, so I stayed in the kayak and enjoyed the view from there. As I recall, Deb decided not to get out after all--there's a reason for the name Slickrock. We finally paddled out of the inlet to continue on the lake.

As I mentioned, this water is incredibly clear. I dipped my paddle in and took a photo of it to try to demonstrate this. You can't really tell, but my paddle blade is about two feet into the water.

The shorelines of this lake are forest and slope steeply upward, with some very rocky areas.

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We passed what looked like a picnic table on the left side of the lake; we were paddling on the right. We turned around to head back shortly after that and pulled up to the spot with the table. It turned out to be a campsite, complete with the table, two tent pads, a metal fire ring, and a metal hanger that was not tall enough to keep food away from a bear, but might work against a raccoon. Not sure what that was for. There was even a rope by the water to tie up a boat.

I would estimate that campsite to be approximately 3-4 miles from the boat ramp.

The views on this lake (which is really just like an 8-mile river with no current) vary with every bend and of course change completely when you turn around. It's a beautiful paddle for every minute.

We stopped again in Slickrock Creek on our way back--I had noticed a very shallow area that even a shortie like me could get out in. This time there was a tent set up on what we now saw was a tent pad. There was a canoe on shore as well. We wanted to stretch our legs so we chanced intruding and got out. While we were sitting in the water (which was still Wacissa-temperature), a man and his dog walked back from the falls area. We chatted briefly (this was the gentleman who told us the lake was a mile and a half long and his dog, still sporting puppy fuzz, was six years old) and then got back in our boats and headed out. I would choose that as a camping spot because of the falls and shallow water, Deb preferred the other campsite.

Speaking of camping, you can set up a small camper right near the boat ramp, basically along the side of the road. When I was there in '05, the roadside was lined with campers (some people even had tents set up there). This time there was only one camper:

Here is the boat ramp as seen from the lake:

As we approached the ramp, still a short ways out, I noticed my feet getting cold. I put my hand in the water. It was freezing. The cold was coming through the bottom of the boat. We got out at the ramp and I walked back into the water. My ankles almost immediately stiffened up from the icy water. Ok, that's what I was talking about! Deb barely experienced it at all, which I see as a good thing. I mentioned this to several people over the next few days and the general consensus was that the power company, which owns and is located on this lake near the boat ramp, must have released warm or hot water at about the time that we launched, and that water, perhaps aided by the sun, warmed the lake near the surface for as far as we paddled, only dissipating at about the time we got back to the ramp. Very strange.

To get to Calderwood Lake from the south, follow Hwy 129 north towards Tail of the Dragon, heading north from Robbinsville. You will pass Tapoco Lodge (to reopen in 2011!) on your left. Shortly after that you will go over a bridge and see the large power plant on your right. Immediately after crossing that bridge (start braking when you are on it), turn onto the unmarked road to your left. No sign is visible from the road but after you make your turn, you will see a white sign to the left, and the lake to your left. This is how the road looks, though this is the view as you drive out toward 129:

If you are coming on 129 from the north, first: congratulations on making it down Tail of the Dragon. I have never been farther north on 129 than Calderwood, so I don't know what landmark there may be to tell you that road is coming up on your right. Hwy 129 will be curving left at that point and it may be hard to spot. However, you will see the bridge and power plant and can turn around before or at Tapoco Lodge, if you miss the turn into Calderwood. When we were there this time, there was a porta-potty set up, and of course a woodsy trail. When I was there in '05, the cold air coming off the lake made a light jacket necessary.

The previous post from this lake is here.

A Surprise Rookery!

2010-07-13T17:57:00.003-04:00

I'm youth, I'm joy,
I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg.

~Sir James M. Barrie

I spend a fair amount of time driving on Hwy 90 east of Monticello, Florida, which is near my home. At some point last year I noticed that there was this one patch of trees alongside the road that always held a lot of egrets. I noticed recently that there were even more this year....in fact, hundreds. They appeared to be mostly cattle egrets.

This afternoon I was driving by again and, since I had my little point-and-shoot camera in the car, I stopped to take a photo or two of them. Apparently they are used to cars whizzing by but not people walking along the roadside; several flew from their perches. I discovered that there were not only nests in the trees, but a few seemed to have baby egrets in them!

It's difficult to get a good photo of an egret with a point-and-shoot camera, particularly in the sunshine. They usually come out overexposed due to the white feathers. So I got back in the car and drove home, got the big camera, and went back.

There was a lot of greenery between me and the birds, and the nests were obscured by branches, but I was able to get a few photos.

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These three were perched on top of a tree, perhaps on guard duty.

Now that I know that this is an actual rookery, I will keep an eye on it next spring, when there might be more young ones in the nests.

Meanwhile, I'm off to NC soon. Stand by.

Herons on the Wacissa

2010-07-11T18:01:00.002-04:00

High from the earth I heard a bird;
He trod upon the trees
As he esteemed them trifles,
And then he spied a breeze,
And situated softly
Upon a pile of wind
Which in a perturbation
Nature had left behind.

~Emily Dickinson

I read an article online recently that offered tips on avoiding boredom in your outdoor activities. The item related to paddling suggested that you not return too often in too short a time to the same place to paddle. Hmmm. I can't agree with that. I can see how burnout could occur if you kept going someplace that had nothing particularly new to offer from one visit to the next...but how many bodies of water are like that?

As it turned out, we changed our Wakulla plans (see previous post) because we couldn't time it quite right for the tide, and we returned to the Wacissa. We are far from bored with the Wacissa. And the birds are coming back! Actually...only some of the birds, but in numbers. I was amazed at all the green herons on the river. Normally I can take six paddling trips and not see even one, and on the seventh trip, I'll see one but it will fly away long before I can get a photo of it. Not only were they everywhere on this trip, but they were not shy at all. This one became a bit alarmed when a little blue heron landed near it, and up shot that long neck!

I love it when these long-necked birds look right at me.

Another bird that we saw often on this trip was the juvenile night heron--lots of them. This one peered at me from the shoreline.

We drifted downstream, this time under clear blue skies. I had just finished saying that I wondered if there were any great blue herons around when I spotted this one across the river and went over to it. It was drying its wings as I approached.

As I got closer, it folded its wings and watched me--

--and then flew into a nearby tree and posed some more.

I saw an adult moorhen with chicks around it swim into the shoreline vegetation, and a little farther downriver spotted this mother wood duck with its babies.

After we turned around and headed back upstream, I saw this pair of female woodies perched on a log that is very popular with them--it's not uncommon to see several woodies in this spot.

This immature tricolored heron (adults are not as red) was fishing near the back entrance to Blue Spring.

This was apparently a good day for wing-drying. This young night heron was a little more shy about it.

It was great to see so many birds again on this river. The next paddling trip(s) will be during an upcoming visit to North Carolina. Stand by.

Finally back to the Wacissa!

2010-07-06T17:48:00.003-04:00

Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been
the two most beautiful words in the English language.

~Henry James

DH is on vacation this week and we decided to go paddling on the Wacissa. We have had a break in the weather humidity-wise, so this seemed like a good idea. It might have been slightly better had we gotten an earlier start.

When we got there, around 2:00, we put my kayak in the water first. When it was settled nicely, the thunder began. Gray storm clouds appeared overhead. We stood around a while trying to decide what to do. Three-fourths of the sky was blue with white clouds...should we just look at those and ignore the others? At about that time a limpkin landed nearby. I was flabbergasted but thrilled--maybe they are returning to the river! The camera was still in the car, and we were deciding what to do, so no photo of the limpkin.

The thunder quit so we decided to head out but not go far from the ramp, just in case. We got the other kayak in the water and headed out downstream.

The first bird we came to was a tricolored heron. Given the lack of birds last time I was here, I wasn't going to pass any by without a photo, so I took one of this guy while I was still at a distance.

He stayed there (as you may already know, all birds are "he" to me, for simplicity) as I drifted past, showing off his gorgeous colors.

There were quite a few snowy egrets out and about--all of which seemed to be doing more flying than fishing. They may be new to the river and not used to boaters; and there were a lot of paddlers and motorboaters out today. We passed this less-timid snowy standing in a spot of sunlight while we meandered downstream.

As we were passing a section of grassy reeds, I spotted a yellow crowned night heron near the river's edge and paddled into the lagoon-like area for a closer look. It was drying its wings, in that most peculiar pose they strike.

I thought I would try to get a little closer, so I continued forward. Over to my left I saw this very young little gator stretched out on a log, no doubt watching me out of the corner of its eye (while looking oh-so-unconcerned).

By the time I got to the vicinity of the heron, it had tucked its wings in and just stood there watching me, looking very skinny.

While there had been no more thunder, the sky was getting quite dark and it seemed like a good time to turn around and head back. So we did.

We came to another snowy egret fishing in some of the surface greenery. This was one of the more timid ones, and at about the time I got the camera up and ready, it decided to take off.

It headed across the river,

and landed on the other side, well away from us.

We heard a noise behind us and glanced downstream. We could actually see the rain approaching, a gray curtain drawn between the sky and the water and moving upstream. Paddling in a thunderstorm is a very scary thing. However, paddling in rain without thunder (or, hopefully, lightning) is wonderful, particularly on a hot summer day. The camera had to be tucked under the kayak deck, wrapped in towels, so I didn't get photos of the other night heron or any of the turtles we passed, but it was fun being on the river in the rain. It had quit by the time we got back to the ramp, but the sky was still very threatening, so we loaded the kayaks in the truck and called it a day. I looked for the limpkin but no luck.

DH seems to be in full paddling mode now and is talking about getting to the Wakulla River sometime this week, weather permitting. We'll see. Stand by.

Not Paddling at Cedar Key

2010-06-22T13:12:00.002-04:00

There is no rhyme that is half so sweet
As the song of the wind in the rippling wheat;
There is no metre that's half so fine
As the lilt of the brook under rock and vine;
And the loveliest lyric I ever heard
Was the wildwood strain of a forest bird.

~Madison Cawein

Thanks to those who told me in comments and email that they don't care if the photos posted here are taken in a kayak or not! That will certainly lead to more posts, since paddling is a bit on hold for now.

So off I went to Cedar Key, despite my intention to never visit there in summer again (as it turned out, it was cooler there than at home. Go figure). This time I stayed in a vacation rental north of town, a new area for me. There was a large porch overlooking the water, along with a grassy yard and a walkway that led to a dock.

What a total joy to finally see birds! Lots of ibis; they flew by in flocks back and forth over the water and many came in to fish at low tide.

And there were egrets as well, one in particular that spent a lot of time near the dock. A very shy one--it took me until the second day to be able to get any photos of him.

I walked to the edge of the water to get closer. He looked back at me, wondering what I was up to....

There was a good sunset the first night.

On my second day, I went in to town to walk around a bit. As usual, I checked out the fish-cleaning station at Fenimore Mill (again...what sign?). My timing was good, a foursome had just come back from a fishing trip and were busy cleaning their catch. It didn't take long for the pelicans to spot them and come in to investigate.

It was a fun little mini-trip. I hadn't taken the kayak or the bike due to the heat. While it was indeed a little more breezy there than at home, it is still not ideal biking or paddling weather in Florida now. Great weather for reading and seafood, though!

I'll be back next time I get out and about. Stand by.

Lake Seminole from Seminole State Park

2010-06-04T17:49:00.004-04:00

I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer.
My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music.
It is a fire that solitude presses against my lips.

~Violette Leduc

I decided it was time to head back to Seminole State Park in Georgia, this time staying in one of their cottages rather than the campground. I arrived at the cottage at about 2:00, kayak and bike in tow.

We are already having some intense daytime heat and humidity and I was not inclined to paddle after getting everything unloaded and in place outside and in the cottage. I was going to be there two nights, so I spent the first afternoon reading on the porch and enjoying the lake view. While doing that, a group of Canada geese showed up. I'm not sure how often it comes up in this blog, but I am very fond of Canada geese. I took the camera down to get some photos.

I had been encountering geese with goslings in recent camping trips, but I assumed when seeing these adults that perhaps it was too late to see any with babies.

It occurred to me before going to bed that night that the only way paddling was going to be comfortable would be if I got out ridiculously (for me) early. I am not a morning person, to the point of stubbornness about it. But there was no getting around this heat problem.

So, in an unprecedented event, I was heading down to my kayak the next morning at about 6:45. The sun was just hitting the clouds, and mist was rising off the lake.

I had a little trouble in the beginning with my glasses fogging up. When that was finally resolved, I discovered that the camera, which had been kept in the car so as to be in the ambient temperature overnight, had a very steamed-up lens. That took quite a while to clear up. I found myself in a little cove as the sun was climbing higher in the sky. It was very mystical looking, with steam still coming off the water around these trees.

And again, as here at home, there were no birds. The only ones I saw were two coots. That was disappointing, to say the least. So, since I was out at that unreasonable hour with the camera, I turned it on the water lilies (or lotus?), which were blooming along the edge of the water. I got this one when the sun was just high enough to illuminate it:

and this one later in the trip.

I was out about 90 minutes. It was getting warm and I was ready to have some coffee and breakfast, so that was it for the paddling trip.

I spent some more time reading on the porch. I happen to look up at one point and was more than pleased to see a Canada goose family walking around the side of the cottage! I waited for them to get far enough away that I would not startle them, and then went out to get the camera (back in the car). They saw me, and surprised me by all turning around and walking toward me.

These geese are very protective parents and if only one had come my way, I probably would have retreated to the porch. But they were bringing the little ones with them....very odd. I had nothing whatsoever to offer them in the way of food, but I did get lots of photos of the babies!

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So cute!

I didn't get out paddling again, but I did get in some bike-riding, and took a long hike on a very well-maintained trail that led to some (bird-free) wetlands.

It's interesting--here at home, in a fairly woodsy environment, we can't go outside these days without covering head to toe to avoid bites from the dreaded and vicious yellow flies that are swarming. Given the heat and humidity, having to wear long pants and long sleeves is a bit of a problem. I found it very odd that there were no bugs at all, not even mosquitoes, and not even along the trail in the woods, at this park, which is perhaps a 90-minute drive from my home. The ability to be outside in shorts and short sleeves made this trip well worth it, even though the paddling was a little short.

I think paddling may continue to be something I do only occasionally through the summer. So the question is, do I let this blog languish, or do I stretch it to include trips near water that I could paddle but I don't? Hmmm. Something to ponder. Meanwhile, stand by.

Back to the Wacissa

2010-05-21T20:53:00.002-04:00

There is nothing bad from which good doesn't come.

~Unknown

I haven't been out paddling for a long time (as you may have noticed)! Camping has taken up a lot of time, and few trips have offered paddling opportunities and suitable weather for them. Camping is over for the season so I planned to get out paddling again.

My recent trip to the Wacissa was peaceful and pleasurable, and there were a few birds here and there (mostly moorhens and little blue herons), but it didn't whet my appetite for more, as I thought it would. I came back with only two photos to post! This may indicate a trend, which explains in advance why this blog may either become somewhat inactive for a time or will be a place that I post bird photos obtained while not paddling (as I have been doing for a while anyway). With temps hitting the 90's now, I need to be pretty motivated to make the drive to the river. I have upcoming trips planned--to a lake in Georgia early next month and later a lake in NC, and I expect that those trips will yield some proper paddling photos to post.

In the meantime, on this trip I passed this tricolored heron, a type that I did not see on my last time at this river. And between me and the bird, a gator!

I had hoped to see baby wood ducks, though I worried I might be too late for the really small ones. The river level is still very high, and the river extends far into the woods on either bank, providing excellent privacy and shelter for a mother wood duck to raise her young. I spotted both a male and female in the channel leading to Blue Spring, but the photos were not up to par so they aren't posted here. After leaving there, however, I saw this large gathering. I wonder if these are actually a combination of adult females and growing youngsters.

I'll be back when I have more photos to post! As always, stand by.

The Rookery in St. Augustine--Chapter 2

2010-04-09T18:14:00.003-04:00

April is a promise that May is bound to keep.

~Hal Borland

It was time to go back to the rookery and see what was up. Even though these are never paddling trips, I traditionally post them here since they are all about egrets (and other large birds)!

So off we go! I took 163 photos. I reduced those in the camera (getting rid of obvious duds) to 141. I reduced those for 38 to post, and then further reduced those to 33. That's all the reducing I can do--I want to post all of these! But I don't want to be redundant or you-had-to-be-there. So now off we go...

Let's start at the beginning. This was during spring break, and there was a line to get into the place. No worries, I assumed those folks were all at the Alligator Farm to see alligators and not nesting birds. Good call. There were very few people at the rookery. Here's what you see as you approach the end of the boardwalk (and there are nesting birds all the way to this end):

On the way to the end of the boardwalk, I spotted these tricolored herons. There are actually three of them here. Hmm, wonder how that works out?

Later I spotted this snowy egret preening its beautiful feathers.

The Farm's website schedule had indicated that normally there were a lot of chicks in the nests at this time; however, there were only two chicks that had hatched, and they were both beneath their parents, so I didn't get photos of them. This was still mating and nest-building time for most of the egrets and wood storks. I watched this egret leave its nest to find a stick, and then return with it:

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Here are two egrets on their way back to their respective nests:

And the snowy egrets! Here's one thing--they were making a sound unlike I have ever heard before. I can't describe it, and I can't find it on the web to link to it for you. Some people said it was like "gobbling," but that's not quite it. It was the strangest sound, made me smile every time I heard it. Undescribable. I will be going back there in a few weeks and will take the sound recorder, but I suspect that by that time they will have moved on past needing that call. I wish I could compare it to something, but I can't.

Snowies are my favorite egrets, and there were so many more of them than there were last year when I was here in March. They have accepted that having people a few feet away is the trade-off for a safe nesting place, but I don't think they are completely happy with this arrangement. We photographers were very happy with it.

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The roseate spoonbills were still very near the boardwalk area, which was wonderful! They were much more colorful this time than they were last month when I photographed them.

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And the woodstorks! They were still busy nest-building as well, and could be seen flying hither and thither, and then returning (sometimes) with sticks.

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Not sure about this group, maybe they were the assigned guards for the rest...

I took this photo as an egret flew directly overhead. A bit cut-off, but I like the perspective.

Here are some other egret images I got:

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I completely missed the tricolored herons last time I was here, but there were many of them in the trees this time. This one was sporting a spiked look:

I got this one as I was heading out, not sure what the wing is protecting or doing like that, but it stayed like this a long time.

And now for the reason I already have reservations to return soon. I didn't see the two chicks that were in nests, but I saw chicks-to-be in several nests:

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I hope to time it right to see the babies from those eggs!

This was the Alligator Farm so I feel compelled to include a photo of an alligator. This one is an albino, a living gator that they have under the shelter when you first enter the animal area. How weird is this?

I certainly hope to get out paddling before my next trip to St. Augustine, but will also be posting photos from that, which I hope will include some young birds in the nests!

Stand by.

The Snowies are Back!

2010-04-04T15:18:00.002-04:00

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that, but the really great
make you feel that you, too, can become great.

~Mark Twain

What a joy to get to the Wacissa on Friday and see so many snowy egrets! The little blue herons are there, as were a few green herons that escaped the camera lens, and of course the moorhens and some coots. I haven't seen any limpkins yet this year, or tricolored herons. There were several white ibis perched in high tree branches.

This short post is dedicated to the snowy egrets.

This one was using its wings to try to fool its underwater prey into thinking they were in a safe, shaded spot.

Wings up, it moved away from me,

and settled in some surface greenery a short distance away.

This one flew by and landed just ahead of me.

It then watched me drift by.

And our last snowy was one that was perched on a log at the river's edge.

It was a great day to go paddling, warm with a calm wind that later blew upstream, making the second part of my trip an easy one (my arm muscles need to get back into paddling shape after being away from it for so long!).

If any of my experts in songbird identification are reading this, perhaps you could hop over to this post on the camping blog and help me out with a couple of birds that visited my site recently and that I cannot name. Thanks!

The next two weeks will be partly taken up with more camping (sans kayak), but as camping season winds down due to heat and bugs, paddling season will rev up, and this blog will come back to life again! Stand by.

Finally Paddling Again!

2010-03-25T13:42:00.003-04:00

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is.
And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't
quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly
makes your heart ache, you want it so!

~Mark Twain

Back to the Wacissa, at long last! After, that is, giving the kayak a quick wash (our volunteer rooster has taken to standing on the bow from time to time), as well as the trailer, and switching out the camping stuff I have been keeping in the car with paddling stuff.

When I got to the river, there was a huge group from the Sierra Club who were waiting for their guide before starting a one-way float to Goose Pasture. I noticed that the water level at the launching spots was higher than I have ever seen it.

So off I went. There were no birds in any part of the channel leading from the head spring, which was very strange. In fact, I had gone nearly a mile before seeing any birds other than many little blue herons and some moorhens. This pair of blue-winged teals flew from downstream and landed near the edge as I went by.

I paddled into Blue Spring. It was an overcast day, and between the high water and the lack of sun, the spring was not only not blue, but you couldn't see into it. I was sorry that the Sierra Club missed seeing it as it should be. They had caught up to me and were going into the inlet as I was coming out.

And then back to the main river. This guy was probably waiting for the sun to pop out:

I continued downstream, still baffled by the lack of birds. Then one possible reason occurred to me. The water level was so high that it was much deeper than usual at the typical edge of the river, and in fact the water extended far into the woods. I think it was too deep for the birds to fish in their usual spots along the shore. Possibly they were out of sight in the woods, at the new edge of the water.

After drifting downstream a couple of miles, I turned around and started back up. As I approached the Blue Spring inlet, I passed a woman in a kayak who had been peering around through binoculars. I asked her if she had seen anything interesting. She said there was a night heron in the channel leading to the spring, but she was looking for limpkins. I said I didn't believe there were any limpkins around, since they are fairly vocal and I hadn't heard any. But maybe they were just being quiet...Anyway, I paddled back toward the spring, looking for that night heron.

Found it!

There were a few turtles here and there on logs.

As I got close to the boat ramp I spotted an egret across the river so I paddled over to that side (near the far side of Duck Island).

When I talk to people about photographing wildlife (or just about anything), I always suggest that they be aware of their background and, if it is busy or cluttered, try to take the photo from an angle that eliminates the clutter. Here, for example, is a photo with a too-cluttered background!

(I was so glad to get an egret photo that I can't resist posting it...under the guise of a photography tip...)

The egret left as the current took me too close.

As long as I was over on that side, now about across from the head spring area, I decided to paddle upstream a little farther. I was pleasantly surprised to find this barred owl in a tree overhead.

It flew to a tree a short distance upstream so I followed it and got a few more photos.

And then it was time to head for home. I'd like to get back to the river again this week; next week will be largely taken up with another camping trip. I hope that I am wrong about the reason for the lack of birds, since I don't think the river level is going to drop any time soon.

My friend Sandra commented on this post shortly after it went up, asking about a photo of our volunteer rooster (showed up one day over a year ago and decided to stay, runs down the driveway to greet us whenever we come home...) who has taken over my kayak lately. Well, he's a bird, he spends time on my kayak...seems like an ok fit for this blog! So here is Rex (whole name Rex Goliath):

I'll let you know when I get back out. Stand by.

The Rookery in St. Augustine--Chapter 1

2010-03-04T14:37:00.002-05:00

Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house
as warm as it was in the summer,
when they complained about the heat.

~Author Unknown

I visited the rookery at the back of the Alligator Farm last year and had a wonderful time watching the egrets and wood storks building their nests and preparing to fill them. I had hoped to get back after the eggs had hatched, but the weather turned wretched. Not only did it keep me from going back, but it created a tragedy at the rookery--days on end of rain took its toll on the young birds; they couldn't get dry and most of them died. I'm hoping this year will be better. So I got an early start with the first trip.

There were only a few egrets on a few nests.

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This egret was fishing in the pond below the nesting area (the one filled with gators).

There were a surprising number of adult night herons, as well as juveniles.

The biggest thrill was the roseate spoonbills. Last time I was here, they stayed far to the back, hidden by the tree branches. This time there were three of them close to the walkway. These two were staying close together.

The third left them and flew across the water to a lower branch, making a graceful landing.

Almost settled...

Wants to know what I am looking at!

These were a much paler pink than I usually encounter when I see them in Cedar Key. Still, very striking.

I am planning to get back again toward the end of the month to see how things are progressing, and hopefully at least a couple of times in April and in May. Our unseasonably cold weather continues, but perhaps that is less of a threat to the birds than endless rain. Time will tell.

Still far too cold to paddle (we get a rare good day now and then....and they are always days that I have dentist appointments or other plans....). Eventually things will return to normal and this will go back to being a paddling blog! Stand by.

Not Paddling at Hagan's Cove

2010-02-26T18:54:00.002-05:00

I dream of wayward gulls and all landless lovers,
rare moments of winter sun, peace, privacy, for everyone.

~William Clair

I believe that if I did not have my new little camper to get out and about in, this winter weather would have driven me batty long ago. Paddling seems like a thing of the past, and I see no opportunities in the near future. So this blog is temporarily wandering off on tangents, but only away from the kayak paddle, not birds.

I didn't get out camping this week, so I decided to take a ride out to Hagan's Cove. It was cold out, even in terms of Florida wimpishness. I was the only one there. I had taken a sandwich to have for lunch. I parked facing out of the boat ramp in the area you get to before the main picnic part. There I was, munching away at my sandwich, hoping an egret would come by. I saw a flock of birds coming toward me from far away. Too many to be egrets, too many and too big to be gulls. For a while I just sat and watched them approach, then decided to get the binoculars out of the little compartment in the car. Hmmm, black at the end of the wings. They could be ibis, which might make a good photo if they come closer.

They approached in a line, which is unusual for ibis, it seems they usually clump more. All of a sudden this seemed interesting, so I put down the sandwich and grabbed the camera and got out of the car. Look at that--white pelicans! This is fewer than half of them in that line:

I was lucky; they kept getting closer.

This was so exciting!--these are not that common around here, and it's very special to see them. I watched as they flew by and then headed over the trees to parts unknown.

I hung around the cove for a while, just enjoying the scenery. And then I drove out slowly over the mile of dirt road to the main highway. I spotted something brown and furry over to the side of the road and stopped the car. There were two raccoons there--I haven't seen a raccoon for a long time! I couldn't take the picture through the windshield, too much glare. So I got out of the car, hoping for the best. This one stopped to look at me standing by my car.

The trick to seeing wildlife here is to go very slowly and be observant. This egret was fishing in the grass by the road.

On the other side and a little further on I spotted this one on a branch, sporting some impressive breeding plumage.

That was all for this day as far as bird spotting. Nice to get out and see them. I have high hopes for some more photos coming up soon, which, though it won't be on a paddling trip, will be posted here if they turn out ok. Stand by.

Not Paddling at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge (again)

2010-01-25T11:38:00.002-05:00

Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow.
~Proverb

Yes, another non-paddling post! This would have been a fine paddling day but I need to replace the electrical connection on the kayak trailer before I use it again (involving a long drive to civilization to find such an exotic item); therefore, I decided to take a drive out to the refuge to see what I could see.

There were ducks of various kinds. Lots and lots of ducks. This bufflehead was very striking in the blue water, and swimming alone.

I walked around the inland pond near the lighthouse. This widgeon was in with a few coots.

Then I came to a larger gathering of ducks.

And then, at the first bend in the trail as it circles the pond, I came to a very large gathering of mostly coots, with others mixed in.

I continued walking along the trail between the pond and the channel that leads to the boat ramp. When I got about halfway along it, I saw a large bird swooping over the grasses at the far side. That is the side next to the park road. The large bird was an eagle. I was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time, whereas some lucky person walking on the road had a wonderful view.

I watched the eagle as it hovered over the grass and dove in, repeating this process several times.

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It then circled over the water.

I walked a little farther and then turned to see if the eagle was still in the area looking for lunch. I saw it coming toward me, carrying what I assumed was a fish that it had plucked from the pond. It flew nearly directly overhead and I took a number of photos of it. After it had gone, I reviewed the photos in the camera's LCD screen. Hmmm...the eagle had been successful indeed....unfortunately it was not a fish it had been going after, but rather one of the hundreds of coots in the pond. While I got a vivid photo of it in flight with its catch, it's not a photo I want to post here. Funny how I would have been fine if the eagle was returning to its nest to feed on a fish but I'm not fine when it is a duck....

So I walked on.

A few ducks flew overhead.

Then a few more.

Then a lot more.

I reached the park road and began walking along it back to the parking lot. This egret was perched near the water on the other side from the pond.

I got back to my car and began slowly driving out of the refuge. There was a guy taking photos of something at a little grassy picnic spot near one of the many small ponds along the road. Of course I stopped to see what had interested him. Turned out that a gator was sunning itself in the grass near the water.

The guy (David, I believe he said his name was) asked if I had gotten the photo I wanted, since he wanted to get closer. I said great! I'll get him getting you! And he went in for a closer photo. I thought it might be better to just invest in a bigger lens...

Then a woman (Priscilla) showed up, and there were three of us and the gator. She set up her tripod and we talked while she took a few photos. Then David decided he wanted to get even closer. I think at this point the gator was feeling seriously outnumbered by annoying humans and it dove into the water. We talked for a while more, and Priscilla left. The gator swam out and then back, and then got out of the water again and lay on the grass right at the edge. When I left, David was going in for more photos of it. I guess we would have heard by now if he didn't survive the second session.

I made one more stop on my way out, unable to resist this great blue heron standing in the sun.

I'm off on a camping (but not paddling) trip tomorrow and so won't be paddling this week. Hopefully I can get my replacement part for the trailer soon and get back out next week. Stand by.

Tuesday on the Wacissa

2010-01-20T13:27:00.002-05:00

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

~Albert Einstein

How wonderful to have another warm day to get out paddling on my favorite river!

I had the boat in the water around noon, under bright sunlight and a clear blue sky. Incredibly, the water level had risen higher yet from where it was last time I was there; it extended even farther into the woods on either side. Certainly better than having it be low, even if it does give the birds a place to hide. Nonetheless, there were a few here and there on the main part of the river.

The first one I saw was the beautiful egret standing in the middle of the river just soaking up the warmth of the sun.

I saw several common egrets and many ibis. This adult ibis flew by as I was drifting downstream.

A little farther along, a juvenile glided past me and joined several others at the side of the river.

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The oddest thing happened. As I was drifting downstream, I thought I heard music, perhaps from a banjo (but not in a creepy Deliverance way...). The only possible source was two kayaks parked at the side of the river a long distance ahead; too far to tell through binoculars if someone in one of them was playing an instrument. As I got closer, it sounded more like a ukelele. It seemed that the young guy in one kayak was playing it, while the other tapped lightly on his boat to keep the rhythm. Here's the odd thing: It was downright eerie how perfectly appropriate those simple chords sounded on the river. Sound travels so remarkably far over water that if I hadn't spotted the kayaks, it would be impossible to determine the source of the music, it just seemed to be in the air. I'm normally a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to any manmade sounds interfering with the natural peace and quiet of the river, but I was actually sorry when he quit playing.

The knocking sounds of busy woodpeckers were nearly constant during my entire paddling trip. These are very elusive and difficult-to-locate birds, though. I saw this one appear on a tree near the river's edge so I paddled over to see if it would stay in sight, which it did, but only briefly.

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Speaking of elusive, green herons have become few and far between for me on this river, but on this trip I saw two. This one posed by a log.

Just past Cassidy Spring I saw something very exciting. An egret was standing by the side of the river; the exciting part was that it was sporting breeding plumage! When I went back over all the egret photos I took on this day, I noticed that several of the egrets show the very beginning of a green tinge near the nares, another sign that it is breeding season. This means that a trip to the rookery in St. Augustine isn't far off in my future.

As often happens, the last photo of the day was an egret in flight.

The weather person is predicting a return to chilly (for us) days ahead, so I may be back to doing more camping than paddling for a while. I'm looking forward to being able to do both on the same trip...

Stand by.

On the Water Again....

2010-01-01T14:05:00.002-05:00

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Ah, finally! The weather cooperated and there was only a minor glitch at home with the endless kitchen counter/sink project, so I dusted off the kayak, topped off the air in the trailer tires, and headed to the Wacissa.

There were not many others at the river; two canoes, a kayak, and a fishing boat were the only other vessels on the water. Unfortunately, as often happens this time of year, the birds were also scarce.

Egrets usually look very large and imposing when they stand in the shallows at the river's edge. This one, flying by me as I drifted downstream, seems dwarfed by the large cypress and hanging Spanish moss.

That same egret circled around behind me and went back downstream, landing nearby in a patch of surface greenery.

I continued on to Blue Spring. The water level is remarkably high now, no doubt the result of our recent rainfall. I noticed this when I launched, but didn't realize the extent of it until I was in the Blue Spring inlet. I think it is conservative to estimate the rise at 6 to 8 inches. The water at the spring itself was dark, not blue but not particularly murky. Very odd.

As I was leaving the spring, I was watching the shoreline to the right, hoping to spot a raccoon. What I did see was something that was motionless and was either a juvenile night heron or part of a tree stump. Turned out to be a well-camouflaged heron, sound asleep. I took two photos; the shutter sound must have alerted it to my presence and it opened its eyes. So I took a third photo of it and then left it in peace.

I continued drifting downstream, listening to the hawks screeching overhead and the belted kingfishers chipping from the trees. I spotted yet another egret ahead. My first thought was that I had enough egret photos, but I decided to take this one anyway. This is such a typical sight on this river no matter what the time of year. The surface leaves, the grassy tussocks, the cypress trees along the bank, the flat, still water.

The bird left, probably in search of solitude.

I turned around and let the breeze carry me slowly back upstream. I like to paddle close to the shoreline, since that gives you a chance, particularly at this time of year, to peer into the woods (while still having all of the river to your other side). I was moving very slowly along the east bank past the Blue Spring inlet when I saw a lot of bird activity in the trees over the water. The first birds that caught my eye were two pileated woodpeckers, their red, white, and black coloring standing out vividly. There was another bird moving about in the green leaves of a berry bush, and some smaller birds flitting through the branches. I watched the pileated woodpeckers and moved in to try to get some photos of them. In a moment, though, those woodpeckers were forgotten when I caught a brief glimpse of the bird in the berry bush. What was that? I had never seen a bird like that before. I wedged the bow of the boat into some surface growth and kept the camera focused on the bits and pieces of the bird that occasionally popped out amongst the leaves and branches. I kept taking pictures but could not get one of the bird in its entirety since the bush was so thick and it was staying well within in. It was an absolutely stunning bird. When I got home, I looked it up and discovered that it was a northern flicker. This is apparently a fairly common bird to see, but not to me! So that was fun. I got this picture of its dotted chest through an opening in the branches:

Later it popped up at the top of the bush and I got this:

I really like this bird; it may be my new favorite non-wader. It's one of those creatures that looks like it was made by a committee.

It eventually flew off and so I continued upstream to the boat ramp. As I approached the head spring area, this egret flew by and I couldn't resist getting just one more photo of a white bird.

Paddling trips are few and far between, as you have noticed. For now, camping is taking the place of paddling most weeks--hopefully soon the two can be done together. Predictions for next week have the overnight lows in the mid-twenties and daytime highs in the mid-forties, so paddling is definitely on hold until that cold front passes.

Stand by.

Still not paddling!

2009-12-29T12:11:00.002-05:00

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.

~Edith Sitwell

I came so close to getting out paddling today! Within 15 minutes of leaving DH to finish putting in the new kitchen counter tops and sink and faucets. And then.... the new counter top back lip is lower than the last one, requiring more tiles for the splash guard behind the sink, the purchase of which must be done by me so that we don't end up with Finding Nemo tiles or whatever else was the first thing DH came to (explaining upon arriving home that "a tile is tile, isn't it?"). So that's an hour trip to the nearest Lowe's, shopping, hour trip home, apply tiles...and there goes my paddling trip on this first sunny, non-windy, acceptably chilly (50 degrees) day we have had for weeks.

Ah well.

Meanwhile, it's not that I have been completely idle. While it may be too cold, rainy, or windy to paddle, it has been just fine for camping, and I have been getting out often. My last trip included photos of the type usually posted here, and I even considered double-posting them. But no need, I'm going padding today! Or not.

If you have the time, head over to the recent post in Camping Tales to see the latest birds. Maybe I can get out paddling tomorrow...

Stand by.

Mid-November on the Wacissa

2009-11-21T12:56:00.003-05:00

Even if you're on the right track,
you'll get run over if you just sit there.

~Will Rogers

After a few weeks of a lot of camping, I am home for a spell, and so it was time to return to the Wacissa. As often happens this time of year, the birds are few and far between, but the river itself is still a joy to experience. This was a warm day with a calm wind. When I arrived at the river I was the only one in the parking area; later a power boat passed me, and later still a woman in a canoe went by. Very peaceful paddling.

When I launched, I saw the great blue heron that is often near the boat ramp fly downriver. And so I wasn't watching for him as I started drifting downstream. And then all of a sudden he was right next to me, looking as regal and yet prehistoric as always.

I miss all the snowy egrets that line the upper banks other times of year. I paddled into Blue Spring to see what I might find in there. A juvenile little blue heron was fishing in surface greenery. I was going to pass by without lifting the camera, but it was so unconcerned with my presence that I changed my mind. I didn't have to take the photo, it gave it to me.

I was thrilled to see a raccoon walking along the river's edge--it has been a long time since I have seen one in there, no doubt due in part to the gator that took up residence at the spring for so long. The raccoon was well hidden behind tree branches and I couldn't get a picture of it--but I did stop and watch it for a long time.

The entire time that I was drifting downstream and then later paddling upstream I was accompanied by belted kingfishers swooping across the river from side to side, chittering away. These are the most frustrating birds to try to photograph, even though they are almost always right near by (as any "yakographer" will confirm!). During my upstream return to the boat ramp, one of them landed and perched at the end of a branch ahead of me. I got less-than-ideal photos of it, but I tend to think that any recognizable images of these birds are worthy of posting!

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As I drifted closer, hoping for more, it left. It had already lingered in one place much longer than they usually do.

I had gotten a late start and it gets dark earlier these days. I took a very typical photo of an egret flying by, one that I might not normally include since it is so typical. However, I think that this one has a very late-November-afternoon look to it and so it belongs in this post.

Unusually few images for a paddling trip that lasted several hours, but that's the way it goes sometimes, particularly as we approach winter.

I look forward to getting back out soon. Stand by.

Not Paddling at St. George Island

2009-11-14T13:34:00.010-05:00

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles; and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea

~E. E. Cummings

I camped at the state park last week with a friend. I have been to St. George often, but not for a long time; I had forgotten how much I liked it there. So I made reservations to return to camp for a couple of nights this week. My timing was fortunate--they had evacuated the campground the night before I arrived as a precaution against tropical storm Ida. Ida had passed by the time I got there. I didn't paddle, but I am posting the photos here since they include birds that are less common in this blog, as well as some photos with nary a bird in them. And I have to make up for lost time in posting over the summer. We'd best get started, there are a lot of photos.

The sky was still dramatically dark and stormy when I arrived, though the sun was working at peeking through here and there. The beach was darker than it had been last week, with vertical stripes of rain showing in the distance. A lone great blue heron was standing in the surf.

I walked slowly closer, hoping to get another picture of him. Herons show up a lot in this blog...but rarely with surf around them... As I got closer, the sun came through a hole in the clouds.

I moved away from the water and planned to pass him at a distance I hoped would not alarm him. That didn't work. So I took some photos of him as he flew by over the sea oats (no doubt headed to one of the freshwater ponds near the campground).

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I walked along the water for a while. A pair of pelicans approached from ahead of me.

I watched as they came closer and flew by me.

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Here's one of them as it flew by:

The wind was blowing strongly, sending up plumes of water above each breaking wave. A larger group of pelicans flew past, just ahead of a wave.

After a while I walked back to the campground.

The next morning brought a return to sunshine and blue sky. I took my chair down to the beach to just sit and enjoy the day. A sandpiper made its way through the little tidal pools and puddles in front of me. These birds are just too cute.

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I keep the camera in a bag on the beach when I am not using it, having already experienced a problem with sand getting on the sensor (previous camera). So it was in the bag on the ground next to my chair when I saw a really large splash in the water not too far from shore. Too big to be a diving pelican. I watched and saw a dolphin leap out of the water, its body completely in air, Sea World-style. Before it had hit the water, I had the camera out of the bag. I was lifting it and turning it on during its third jump. Just one more...just one more... But no such luck, it was done jumping. I kept the camera out just in case, and in a few minutes saw a pod of dolphins swim by. None of them did any jumping, but I had to document their presence anyway.

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Some time later I picked up the chair and camera bag and headed back to the campground. On the way I saw the heron again, this time next to one of the ponds.

I also saw the bufflehead that hung out at one of the freshwater ponds, this time on blue water reflecting the sky.

Before I left for home the next day, I decided to take another walk on the beach. The first thing I saw was a large group of pelicans just hanging out at the shoreline.

There was no way to get by them without scaring them off, so I turned around and went the other way. This pelican appeared overhead. I love it when they are about to dive; their webbed feet look somehow comical to me.

Last week there were a lot of jellyfish along the beach, as is fairly typical. This week, possibly as a result of Ida, I saw a lot of starfish washed up.

As I was strolling along, something moving across the sand caught my eye. A crab was scuttering toward the water. These guys are so funny. When they see you, they turn to face you and hunker down and freeze in place. Makes for easy photography.

I stood there for a long time and apparently seemed less threatening. The crab moved slowly away from me, but I swear those eyes swiveled around so as to keep tabs on me.

It may not have felt completely secure about turning its back on me; it decided to scuttle sideways away from me.

I left it alone and moved on.

And that was the end of this camping trip. I included info on the campground in a post last week in the Camping Tales blog (which is another reason this post is here instead of there). I have plans to camp again elsewhere this coming week, this time hopefully with paddling included. Or I will get back to my regular river. Either way, stand by.

Remembering How to Paddle...

2009-10-30T11:42:00.003-04:00

I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me...

~Steve Miller

This has definitely been the longest interval between paddling trips for me for years, for a couple of reasons. I will spare you my whining about our endless summer heat. This was also the time for my North Carolina (non-paddling) trip, so that kept me away for a week.

Despite the weather, I took advantage of yesterday being rain-free, if hot, and headed to the Wacissa. In my absence they have applied some paving compound to portions of the parking lot, which will eventually harden and be very convenient. It was nice to see that. Otherwise, the only cars were three with kayak racks on top. A good sign!

A less favorable sign was the lack of flashes of white along the top edges of the river, as seen from the ramp. Where are the egrets? I saw fewer on this trip than I have for a long time.

It was great to be back in the boat, and I still remembered how to paddle it. I drifted down to Blue Spring, which was bright blue, clear, and very peaceful. When I got there, three paddlers were exiting out the back way. I paddled around the spring and then headed back to the river. This little bird (I can never recall what these are--some kind of flycatcher?) was perched on a tree limb in the channel leading out.

They are so small and cute.

Eventually I caught up to the paddlers that had been exiting the spring and drifted a medium distance behind them. They were unusually quiet as they moved downriver (no nonstop chatter), which was fantastic. After awhile I came to this juvenile ibis perched on a tree branch above me. His body feathers are starting to get their adult white coloring.

There was a similar juvenile on a lower branch. As I got closer, they flew together a short way downstream, where I caught up with them.

They were very close to an adult ibis, which may have been one of their parents.

I turned around shortly after passing them.

There are yellow wildflowers lining the river on both sides. When the sun shines on them, they seem to be lit from within. Very nice effect.

There had been an egret standing in one place for a long time--I spotted him across the river when I was photographing the ibises. He stayed standing as I approached him. Maybe he was meeting an egret friend there and was waiting patiently.

I decided to work my way over to the other side of him. I gave him a wide berth as I did so, but I guess he started to wonder what I was up to. Or maybe he just got tired of waiting.

And so I paddled back upstream toward the boat ramp. When I was in the top section, which has a lot of surface growth on it now, I saw a sign that winter may actually get here this year--the lesser yellowlegs are back on the Wacissa.

As I was approaching Duck Island, which is nearly across from the boat ramp, I saw the shadow of a large flying bird cross the tree tops just ahead of me. I looked up to see what it was. Imagine my surprise!

The eagle continue to circle right above me and fairly low. I took many photos of it, needless to say.

It swooped lower with each spiral and I wondered if it was going to dive for something. I had just enough time to back off on the camera zoom and find it again in the viewfinder to get one photo as it splashed down and then lifted off with its prey.

Now that's a fine ending for a paddling trip!

The forecast promises cooler weather next week. I hope to not have such a long time between trips any time soon. Stand by.

Back to Lake Seminole From Three Rivers State Park

2009-10-02T14:26:00.002-04:00

Travel only with thy equals or thy betters;
if there are none, travel alone.

~The Dhammapada

I was amazed to see a sudden drop in the forecast of overnight temperatures, and so of course I immediately made plans to return to camping, which I have missed. There has been a change in my camping dynamic. I was a tenter for many years but decided to upgrade to a camper. I always enjoyed the coziness of my tent and felt no need for much more space, so I went with a small 13' Scamp. Having a door that closes (with a latch, not a zipper) and a sink and a stove (and lights!) seems like the height of luxury and suits me just fine. However, this created a problem with the kayak on those camping trips that also include paddling. I did not relish the idea of having to wrestle my boat on top of my (tall) Xterra by myself (particularly in the event of a strong wind). The logical solution was to purchase a boat that would fit inside the Xterra, and so that's what I did. I ended up with a 10-foot-long, bathtub-wide Santee 100. This worked out extremely well, although I can't recommend a 10' boat to anyone not faced with serious transport issues. Here's the new gear at the campsite (this is Florida; of course I got the optional screen door for the camper!):

It was too windy to paddle the first day, so I spent that time reading and relaxing. The next day I was able to get out paddling and was out for over 3 hours. I have missed paddling on this lake, though wildlife is usually pretty scarce. I was fairly lucky on this day.

My first bird sighting was an egret, standing in the sunshine.

The birds on this lake are very skittish around paddlers. That one took off right after I got the above photo.

And off he goes.

This anhinga was drying its wings as I approached, but folded them in while I drifted by.

Great blue herons can be very difficult to see when they stand still in front of a gray tree trunk. Time after time I passed close by one and did not see it until it flew off in front of me. I was finally able to get a photo of one of them as it soared by.

I love to watch egrets land. They are so graceful for such large birds with such a wide wingspan. This one flew past me and then landed on the walkway next to the public boat ramp (not the one I launched from, in the campground). The approach:

Landing gear down...

And touch down...

There's a little inlet next to the campground, and coots and moorhens hang out there (their calls are wonderful and eerie in the dead of night). As I was crossing it on my way back to the site, I saw a coot to my right. I had a feeling that it was going to make a mad dash for the safety of the inlet to my left and so I had the camera ready when it did.

Running hard:

It decides that ought to be far enough and puts on the brakes.

And back in the water...

Later that day I hiked for about an hour and then had dinner. After dinner, as the sun was getting lower in the sky, I walked down to the lake and took a few photos.

This one was taken from the boat ramp, which was directly in front of my campsite (#8), so this was basically my view while I was there:

About 20 minutes later I got this one from the same spot, but looking to the right at a larger area of lake:

I have a long list of campgrounds I hope to visit this season, many of which include new paddling spots for me. Hopefully our lower temperatures will hold. Stand by.

The Egrets -- A Non-Paddling Post

2009-09-27T13:54:00.021-04:00

Walking through puddles is my favorite metaphor for life.

~Jessi Lane Adams

I know it's been too long between posts when people start asking if I have fallen victim to a camera-shy gator or some such. I haven't been paddling for a long time because I have finally surrendered to the weather; while it is cooler on the river than anywhere else, the process of getting to the river is a draining, dehydrating process. So I have declared defeat for now.

But it's time to shake the blog awake and dip into unposted photos that have been clamoring for attention. I've decided to dedicate this non-paddling post to the egrets.

I took this one a while ago on the Wacissa. This snowy egret stood out like a beacon against the shadowy and disordered backdrop. It looks almost like a painting (with a somewhat cluttered background).

Meanwhile, this snowy egret in the sun was simplicity itself.

I often get flight photos when birds leave as I approach. Sometimes I see them coming as they are on their way downstream and can take them on the wing.

Same bird, a few moments later:

I don't recall when I took this photo of a snowy fishing for food, but it appears to be late in the day when the sun was low.

I love it when egrets look straight at me. They have such impressive profiles, but when they stand at look right at you, their heads look so small on their large bodies!

In contrast to the greens in the above photo, I liked the more muted tones of this image of an egret in flight. This was taken at the wildlife refuge last fall.

And those are the white birds!

I hope that the weather will break soon so that I can resume my regular paddling trips. I miss being on the water. Stand by.

Hanging with the Alligators on the Wakulla

2009-09-09T12:21:00.002-04:00

Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is
everywhere and the circumference nowhere.

~Blaise Pascal

I haven't been to the Wakulla for quite a while so it was time to return. I have always liked this river; I wish I lived closer to it.

This was a hot day (summer is still in full swing here in Florida!) and the gators were out and about. This one kept pace with me as I paddled upstream.

This fat gator was enjoying the sun on a log.

And then there was this one, peering at me through the leaves. Big tough guy...with a dainty little damselfly sitting on his head.

One major difference between this river and the Wacissa, as I have mentioned before, is that when you go to the Wacissa, it is a given that you will see a variety of birds. It's not a certainty at all on the Wakulla. I paddled nearly 2 miles upstream before I saw the first one, a cute little grebe.

But the Wakulla has something the Wacissa doesn't: manatees. The current was very strong on this day, which made it a challenge to watch them without either drifting on top of them or away from them. This youngster was staying close to its mother.

I was surprised to see a tricolored heron, a bird I rarely see on this river. And a very unskittish one. I parked in the surface vegetation to halt the flow of the current against the boat and watched it for a while. It was hopping from spot to spot in search of food.

And then posed nicely for me. (I smile as I write that since, in fact, as I was taking the picture, someone passed me in a fishing boat and hollered out "He's posing nicely for you!")

I turned around before getting to the top bridge; a bit too much current to keep paddling against. After turning I was moved at a good clip back downstream. I saw a great blue heron long before I got to it, giving me time to find a place to pull over and stop to get some photos. This was an unusually striking bird.

While I was sitting watching it, it dipped its head in the water and then fluffed itself up.

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I continued my drift downstream.

Cormorants are so common on our waterways that, as with adult little blue herons, I rarely photograph them. But they actually are cute birds. This one had been bathing noisily before I got to it, at which time it was drying in the sun.

And doing a little preening.

As any bird photographer will attest to, one of the most difficult birds to photograph is the belted kingfisher. Sure, they will land in easy reach of almost any lens....but they never sit still for more than about one second, and then they are off, swooping away, making a laughing, chipping sound. I had several of them swirling around me on this trip, but I didn't bother raising the camera. Until, that is, this one landed on a light post on a dock close to the ramp. I never expected it to linger, but I couldn't resist trying for a photo.

It flew from there to a tree a little farther downstream. I kept the camera up and turned on. Too bad its beak is obscured by the branch...

And that had me back at the ramp. It was a good day! I'll get out again soon. Stand by.

And Back To Paddling...

2009-09-05T21:30:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow is open, right now it seems to be more
Than enough to just be here today.

~John Denver

As predicted, the weather was good for paddling so I returned to the Wacissa. Only a couple of cars in the parking lot, and I had the river nearly to myself for the three hours I was out. Doesn't get more peaceful than that!

The first photo I got today was a group image, taken shortly after leaving the boat ramp. Turtles, female wood ducks, and a limpkin at the top (which is not, despite appearances, standing on the wood duck's head).

I watched the limpkin for a while--they are not as plentiful on the river these days. It went back into the woods and then peeked out at me.

I drifted downstream and came to a man in a boat who was gathering seaweed (in small amounts, not like a harvester). We talked as I drifted toward him. I happened to glance over to the right and saw that I was passing very close to a green heron, usually a bird I have to actively seek out!

I went my usual distance and turned around. I would have gone farther, but the sky was starting to show signs of becoming overcast, which is never a good thing if you are miles downstream of the ramp (it never turned into rain, though). So I turned around at my recently-typical place and paddled slowly upstream. I came to a great blue heron and was getting ready to take a photo when it decided to leave. I was able to get a few pictures as it flew past me and downstream.

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As I was about to leave that spot, I saw a snowy egret approaching. I got this of its landing:

As soon as it touched down, it saw me, hopped a few times, and then decided to go to more private fishing spots.

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And those weren't the only birds I frightened off from that vantage point. Number three showed up before I could get a paddle in the water. An osprey was flying in from the right.

It put on the brakes to land in a branch nearly in front of me (though well above my head).

But before it landed, it saw me and bypassed the branch and flew on downriver. I hesitated to leave that spot--who knows what will show up next?

On my way back upstream I passed another grouping, this one a juvenile little blue heron and a young ibis.

I continued upstream. Just past the entrance to Blue Spring, I saw a young night heron sitting on a branch (there are many of these juveniles on the river these days). This one was very busy scratching itself and did not see me as I parked in the vegetation right in front of it. Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Uh oh, it spots me sitting there.

What to do?

Hmm, I missed a spot.

Are you still here?

I finally left it to scratch in peace. Near the boat ramp I came to an adult yellow crowned night heron, so how could I not include it?

I'm looking forward to my next trip. Stand by.

Not Paddling at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge

2009-09-03T22:36:00.003-04:00

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable,
butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. And everyone deserves a little sunshine.

~Jeffrey Glassberg

This was a nice day, but a bit windy for paddling so I headed out to the wildlife refuge to see what I could see. Given that I usually see birds there, the typical subjects in this blog, I am posting this trip here, even though it didn't involve any paddling.

And the birds were there! I was amazed at how many egrets were gathered together in close proximity--what a joy for someone who loves them as much as I do!

Close to that group, I spotted a large flock of wood storks, which started walking away as I approached. The breeze was blowing the topknot of that one at the back.

On my way back to my car after taking those, I saw another group of egrets. They looked somewhat ethereal in the water.

I drove to the lighthouse, which is (of course) on the Gulf at the end of the road. There was only one other car there, and nobody walking the trail around the pond. I soon found out why--the biting sand flies were fierce! Fortunately, I carry repellent in my car, so after dousing myself with it, I was able to walk around the pond.

This gull was soaring overhead, looking for lunch in the water.

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This is a stopping place for monarch butterflies as they migrate to Mexico. The Monarch Festival, which marks the peak of the local migration, is in October. I am not completely up on my butterfly identification, but perhaps some of these were early (or, perhaps they are not monarchs....). I couldn't resist taking a lot of pictures of them.

This next one has the added feature of two "love bugs" below the butterfly. These bugs arrive in massive numbers twice a year and are the bane of windshields everywhere (and conversely).

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What's this guy doing here?

These ibises were walking along the edge of the water, in impressive formation.

When I got halfway around the pond, across from the lighthouse, I took this view of it.

As I was finishing my walk, this osprey flew by overhead.

I got back in the car and headed back toward the entrance. I came to another group of egrets (or the same one, perhaps they had moved). It's very, very rare for me to see even two egrets close together unless it is mating time, much less such a crowd. These three were standing peaceably together.

Near those three, I saw a great blue heron standing next to a snowy egret. A large egret was standing out of the picture to the left.

I moved a few steps to the side to take another picture of the heron and snowy and noticed yet another egret coming in for a landing. The larger egret that had been standing nearby did not like this.

It lunged at the interloper.

And off it went.

Notice how in all those photos, the snowy does not move an inch, it stands like a statue!

I saw a tricolored heron in a small pond nearby, fishing in amongst the reeds. This one seemed well suited for black and white.

It was a great day to be at the refuge!

It seems that the weather might stay agreeable enough for a paddling trip tomorrow...we shall see. Stand by.

A Great Day for Paddling

2009-08-25T15:18:00.003-04:00

Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent
if no birds sang there except those that sang best.

~Henry Van Dyke

We have had a few days of lower humidity lately and it has been a joy to be outside! Our puppy can now be left at large in the house instead of in his pen, making me feel less guilty for leaving him. So off I went back to the Wacissa.

My first bird of the day was the great blue heron that hangs out near the boat ramp. This time it was doing a passable imitation of a swan...

Shortly after seeing him, I passed a green heron in an open area of surface greenery. This one's coloration was unusually subdued; I'm not sure if that is an indication of gender or age, or maybe just genetics.

Last time I was on this river I saw many, many female wood ducks (but no males). I spotted what I assumed was two more females at the edge of the river. However, when I had the photos in the computer and could take a closer look, they look more like males that don't have all of their adult coloring yet. The females don't have the red on the beak.

One of them turned to look at me as I passed.

Several of the birds that I saw were busy preening. This juvenile ibis was in a tree and hard at it,

while this tricolored heron was making himself presentable on the river.

I was thrilled later to see a limpkin....who was also preening.

That one stopped long enough to pose for me.

A friend of mine is coming down from Indiana in November to do some paddling and camping with me. Paddlers in Indiana never have to consider alligators when they cross surface growth in their boats or when they pull up to the shore to get out and stretch. Hopefully the gators will be staying warm off the water when she is here.... And speaking of gators, I think this is the same one that is in the previous post, on the same log.

I went as far as my usual warm-weather turning-around spot, around two miles downstream. There was little wind and the current was slow, so paddling back upstream was easy, as was stopping to take photos. This female woody was posing nicely on a stump protruding from the water.

I came to several all-white juvenile little blue herons on this trip. This one was very tolerant of my presence, even when I got quite close.

Shortly after I took that, but before I had left the area, it took off and flew a few feet in front of me. I managed to get a photo of the landing.

I saw many juvenile night herons on this trip, both in trees and flying by. Or fishing at the water level.

This female woody and her brood were in the same general area as the ones in the previous post, so it may be the same family. This time they were swimming, though.

When she saw me getting closer, she drew them together and headed for the safety of the shoreline (I'm harmless! Really!).

After passing Blue Spring, I came to a more typically bright-colored green heron fishing from a branch over the water.

It saw me and moved to a higher branch.

When I was almost back to the boat ramp I saw the resident great blue heron again. This time sticking its neck out....

I was out almost four hours and it was the most pleasant paddling trip of the summer so far. I hope to repeat it soon. Stand by.

Rain-free on the Wacissa

2009-08-19T14:19:00.002-04:00

I would not exchange my leisure hours
for all the wealth in the world.

~Comte de Mirabeau

I got an earlier start than usual this time, though the rain chance was predicted to be only 20%. I had been rained on within an hour of launching on my last two paddling trips. This one was much better! (The heavy downpour didn't begin until I pulled into our carport upon arriving home...that's more like it!)

The water level is very low right now, barely ankle-deep for some distance from the boat ramp.

This night heron was well-hidden in low branches of a tree near the ramp--I almost didn't see it.

I drifted slowly downstream. I spotted an egret on the west side of the river so I crossed over to see if I could get a photo of it. As I got closer, I noticed that it had something in its beak. It appeared to be a small salamander. Yum.

This was near where I got the great blue heron photos on my previous trip, and it was there once again this time.

In fact, it was standing in that same spot three hours later when I passed it going back upstream.

While I was taking the photos of the egret with its catch, two canoes passed me with very loud paddlers in them. I decided to wait until they were farther downstream to continue. They ended up going into Blue Spring, so I passed it by this time.

Turtles on this river are normally very shy, much more so than those on the Wakulla. These stayed on their perch while I went by, though.

When I got to the little dock just past Blue Spring, I found a juvenile night heron drying its wings on it.

It folded them in right after I took that photo but stayed put. I continued drifting downstream. As usual, there were many snowy egrets fishing in the surface vegetation on both sides. This one was flitting around from spot to spot, only going a few feet with each little flight.

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I moved on and left it alone to its flitting. There were a lot of female wood ducks on the water on this day. I was lucky to pass this female, sitting with its little ones:

The tricolored herons were also out, and of course I can't resist getting pictures of them when they stand there and pose so nicely for me as I drift by...

This wood duck was swimming all by herself in the middle of the river. I decided to process this as a black-and-white--seemed somehow appropriate for it.

In contrast to that one, a little later I came to these three woodies perched together on a log in front of a reedy tussock. I like this image because it so well represents the look of this river on a sunny day.

This black crowned night heron was very intent on something it saw in the water and ignored me as I sat there taking several photos of it.

Similarly, this juvenile night heron never even looked up at me as I passed by, just kept its eyes on its prey.

I turned around after a couple of hours and headed back upstream at a slow pace. I was pleasantly surprised to see this ibis perched on a weathered stump at the edge of the water--these are somewhat scarce this time of year.

I have posted several images here over the past few months of juvenile little blue herons getting their adult coloration. They start out white and slowly turn to the mature blue-gray color. The photos I have posted have shown them with just the earliest dark feathers--this one depicts the other end of the process. Only a little of the white color remains here:

I came to a couple of juvenile purple gallinules on a small vegetation island in the middle of the river. As happened last time I encountered these, they were not shy at all.

More woodies were swimming together along the river's edge.

It's always fun to find different species of birds hanging out together, like this ibis and snowy egret. If they were comparing beak lengths, the ibis wins.

As I was approaching Duck Island, which is near the boat ramp, I saw this little gator half-hidden as it soaked up the sunshine.

And then I was at the boat ramp. I'm guessing that school must be back in session, since the crowd that is usually on the grass and in the water on a sunny, warm day like this was absent. That makes it a lot easier to get out of the boat and get it to the car....

It was so great to have so much time on the water with no threat from the sky. Hurricane season is upon us and so paddle trip planning is a day-to-day exercise, but hopefully I will be able to get back out again soon. Stand by.

August Paddling

2009-08-08T21:22:00.003-04:00

I'm singing in the rain,
Just singing in the rain;
What a wonderful feeling,
I'm happy again.

~Arthur Freed

I rarely go to the Wacissa on Saturdays, but puppy times call for puppy measures. On Saturdays DH can stay with Sawyer, the new puppy, so he doesn't have to be penned while we are both away. So off I went.

I left home under blue skies with a few white puffy clouds. I arrived at the river 35 minutes later under a sky totally obscured by slate-gray clouds. The rain started after slightly less than an hour on the water...but! This was not a thunderstorm, this was a summer shower. Paddling under lightning is scary; paddling in a silent summer shower is wonderful. I haven't felt that cool (weather-wise) for a long time. It only lasted about 10 minutes, if that, and the sun poked through the clouds for a while after the rain stopped. More threatening skies were visible to the south, and so I did not get much past Blue Spring yet again, and my paddling time was only 2 hours. But it was a great 2 hours!

The snowy egrets are still plentiful near the boat ramp. This one posed nicely for me as I passed by.

I drifted downstream on the left side of the river. Soon, though, I spotted a great blue heron on the other side and so I paddled over that way. There was a nice group over there--the heron and a juvenile little blue heron and a snowy egret. The great blue heron caught my attention first.

The young little blue heron (they are white as juveniles and get their darker feathers as they mature) was walking in the water behind the great blue heron.

There was a snowy egret at the end of the log that the great blue was on. While I was focusing the camera on that one to get a photo, I noticed another snowy coming in from the right and I turned to watch it approach. It seemed very upset at the presence of the first, and swooped in, scaring my subject away and staying quite puffed up about it. I sat there taking a lot of photos as it kept its crest extended while claiming that spot.

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When it settled down, I continued on downstream. Along with the snowies, there are a lot of tricolored herons on the river now. I post many photos of them here, but I can't resist taking more when I see them.

A great egret was fishing on the right side of the river.

It left as I approached,

and soared away.

I turned around right after that and headed back upstream.

I came to what I think was that same great blue heron (he was a big guy), though in a different spot. This time he was preening. I stopped to watch.

This was a very impressive bird.

Nearby was another snowy, in a sort of odd pose.

I left them and continued upstream. Thunder had started to rumble and the dark clouds were nudging aside clearer sky so it was time to get back to the boat ramp.

I had missed several juvenile night herons when they flew out of the trees before I had spotted them. This one was down near the water and held very still as I went by.

I was approaching another snowy that was fishing in some surface greenery. I decided I had enough snowy images for the day and so I was not going to take the camera out for this one. But it sat there so placidly as I got closer and closer that I had to take its picture.

After taking that, I continued passing it slowly. It never flew away.

As I got closer to the ramp, I finally (finally!) saw a family of common moorhens--two adults and several little fuzzy babies. I had been afraid I would miss them entirely this year.

And that was it for this trip. Paddling in August in Florida is similar to paddling in January in Ohio--the weather just isn't conducive to such an activity. In our case, we have a strong chance of thunderstorms every day (and they can come up fast),and it's also just so hot now. So bear with me if this blog does not get updated as regularly during this month and the first part of September. It's temporary. And I will be back out. Stand by.

Short But Sweet Time On The Water

2009-07-27T17:17:00.002-04:00

When you realize how perfect everything is,
you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.

~Buddha

Things are finally getting back on an even keel, so to speak, and the new puppy does not object too much to being penned for a short time. So I was ready to get back to the Wacissa!

It turned out to be a very short trip, though. Gray storm clouds were mixed in with white clouds on the way to the river, and when I launched, the downstream sky did not look too bright and cheery. Thunder started booming after less than an hour and so I had to turn around and paddle quickly back to the ramp.

But! That short time was fantastic (I have missed paddling) and I got several images to show you.

The tricolored herons are everywhere now, and so the first photo was of this one, which watched me float by behind it.

As always, there are lots of snowy egrets scattered here and there, and it wasn't long before I was pointing the camera at one.

As I drifted downstream, I spotted this bird and at first wasn't sure what I was seeing. It turned out to be a juvenile night heron. I think the reason it was puzzling was that I so rarely see these guys on the move--they are always just perched on a branch, statue-like. This one was fishing.

A snowy egret was using the wing-spread method of fishing in the surface growth at the opening to Cassidy Spring. I parked and watched it and got several photos.

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This yellow crowned night heron was watching all this from a limb nearby.

The first rumble of thunder came up at this point. It was distant, but where there's thunder, there's lightning, so I knew I wasn't even going to make it to Blue Spring. I was going to turn around then and there, but spotted what looked like a green heron in some branches just ahead. So I paddled to it.

It sat there preening for a while.

I couldn't stay any longer; the sky was darkening and the thunder was louder. So I headed back upstream, along with the other boaters.

I could hear an air boat approaching from behind me. I find these boats to be a nuisance on this river in every sense of the word except one. While it is nuisance-y that they invariably startle the birds and disrupt their nesting and feeding environment....this behavior does offer a small benefit to the photographer. You can be completely certain that when an air boat passes a bird, the bird will fly. Since you can hear an air boat coming from a mile away (and there are always birds on the river), a photographer in a kayak has plenty of time to prepare for the photo you are certain to get. Time to adjust the exposure if you want to get that egret when it takes off, or time to set the zoom amount if you want the heron. You have time to find someplace to park so that you won't be moving when you are trying to get the photo(s). No need to sit for a long time waiting for a bird to decide to fly away. And so I was able to get a long series of this snowy egret fleeing from the cacophony of noise when it arrived.

A short trip today, and it seems the rain will be hanging around for the remainder of the week, but hope springs eternal that I'll get back out soon. Stand by.

Another Non-Paddling Post...

2009-07-17T14:54:00.002-04:00

You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you,
they will be there long before any of us.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

There have been a few reasons that I have not been able to get to the water lately. As usual, weather concerns. In addition, we had a dog-related tragedy here, which was followed by the acquisition of a new puppy. I'm not a fan of tossing a puppy in a crate for hours at a time, as would be necessary for a paddling trip, so for the time being I am staying home and enjoying some quality bonding time with the new family member. Meanwhile, this blog is once again in danger of growing toxic mold from lack of activity. So it is time to reach into the bag o' unposted photos and let them see the light of day.

If I were out on the river now, I would likely be seeing some juvenile purple gallinules, as it is about time for them to be present and maturing. Sort of like this one from last year:

I took so many photos when I made my trip to the rookery last spring (I had plans to return last week but the dog crisis took precedence so I did not make it back) that they will be fodder for these non-paddling posts for a long time to come. I was there during breeding season, which is why the nares (area in front of the eye) on this egret is bright green--part of their breeding display.

This snowy egret was also taken at the rookery:

I was lucky enough to see baby wood ducks on my last few paddling trips. This photo did not make the cut to those posts.

On one trip on the Wacissa several months ago, I was surprised to see a wood stork in the trees (not as surprised as when the pelican showed up, but still surprised). Here's another photo from that trip:

I have had this image of a great blue heron taking off from the water for a long time (it actually predates my present camera). I'm not sure if I like the bird or the water color better...

And speaking of great blue herons, one time I came back from the Wacissa pleased with this photo of the one that hangs around the boat ramp. Well, until I discovered that it was remarkably similar to a photo I had included in the previous (at that time) post. Different day, different photo, but they looked the same. So I tucked it away to include at a later time....like now.

And finally, another snowy egret, this one from the Wacissa.

I miss paddling, but just don't want to abandon this puppy to a lengthy stay alone in a pen just yet. But I will get out again as soon as I can! Stand by.

Two Trips in One Post

2009-07-05T14:01:00.003-04:00

It's time to start living the life you've imagined.

~Henry James

As I may have mentioned in the previous post, DH was on vacation this past week. We went paddling to the Wakulla on Wednesday; however, with our busy week of doing this, that, and the other thing, I had no time to process the photos. And then we went paddling on the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers yesterday. So I am combining the two trips into one post. The Wakulla is a wonderful river but lacks the wildlife of the Wacissa, and the Suwannee and Withlacoochee have even less, so there are not many photos (but there's a video!).

The turtles on the Wakulla are far more complacent than those on the Wacissa. These guys just sit there and watch you go by, unless you get very close.

There are usually more gators to be seen on this river (which is interesting since people swim in all sections of this river, unlike the Wacissa where the swimming is limited to the spring areas), but we only saw a couple, and those only because we were looking for them. They were well camouflaged and small.

We didn't paddle all the way to the top bridge but only a little more than halfway. On the way back downstream we saw this cormorant that had caught a fish that was proving to be a challenge for it, size-wise.

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Cormorants were the only birds we saw on this trip. This one let us pass by behind it fairly closely.

We saw many manatees, including a baby one. The reflections on the water make photos problematic. I had my underwater camera, which is difficult to use from the kayak since there is no way to see what the lens is pointing at. The water was murky on that day. Nonetheless, I have a very short (murky) video of some manatees that we spent some time with. In the first very short section you may be able to make out the baby manatee swimming above an adult. Also note the white scars on the back of the large one--that's what happens when people in power boats don't bother to slow down in areas known to contain manatees. Sorry about the muffled talking--I didn't think the microphone would pick that up!

So that was the Wakulla trip. Despite the lack of birds, I enjoy that river and plan to get back there again soon.

Yesterday we decided to go to Suwannee River State Park with the kayaks and paddle the rivers. This park has a boat ramp that puts you in the Suwannee. If you paddle to the left from the ramp, you soon reach the confluence of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers. We prefer the Withlachoochee--it's a beautiful green color (the Suwannee is tea-colored due to the tannins in the water) and very clear. So we headed up that way.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you are very familiar with the shoreline of the Wacissa, my usual destination. The edge of the river water is lost in vegetation, and in fact often extends, swamp-like, far into the woods at the shoreline. The edges are lined with leafy greenery. The Withlacoochee is very different! It is lined with limestone rocks in front of, in most places, towering high banks. There is no surface vegetation whatsoever in the part near where the rivers meet (making for even less wildlife than the Wakulla!). It's more stark, but no less beautiful for it.

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If one needs to answer the call of nature while paddling the Wacissa, and to nearly the same extent on the Wakulla, one is basically out of luck. The shoreline is not conducive to getting out of the boat. This is one area where the Withlacoochee has a great advantage. And not just in terms of getting out of the boat due to necessity but for quick dips in the river to cool off!

Since we were there on July 4th, we came to several large groups of people enjoying the river water at areas of wide sandy edges. We found a deserted spot at our turnaround point. Submerging in that cool water felt wonderful!

I hope to get back to the Wacissa again this coming week--I miss my birds! Stand by.

The Coolest Place to Be

2009-06-25T11:26:00.002-04:00

Our bodies are molded rivers.

~Novalis

It really does seem 10 degrees cooler on the water, particularly when you have a light breeze wafting across the 73-degree surface. Clearly I am not the only paddler to have discovered this; there were several others on the Wacissa.

As I was drifting downstream, I saw this well-camouflaged young night heron. If I had not been looking for such things along the river's edge, it never would have caught my eye.

This was a day to just drift with the gentle current rather than make the effort to paddle (at least during the downstream part...). What a great way to spend a morning.

This snowy egret was sitting on a jagged stump as I floated by.

I guess it didn't like the look or sound of the camera (or me), since it decided to leave.

And off it went downriver.

The gators were also out enjoying the sunshine--most of the ones I saw were small. Must be the most recent batch.

I saw a young ibis perched along the side of the river. I assumed it was alone; I didn't see any others. But when I drifted on over to see if I could get a picture of it, several more flew out from the nearby trees. This one stayed where it was, though.

I turned around after a couple of hours of meandering downstream. There was little wind and the current never picked up, so it was an easy, slow paddle back upstream. I spotted a female wood duck with babies swimming along the edge. When she saw me, she stopped, which caused the babies to all sort of mill around, not sure why they were stopped. Several looked over at me, but didn't seem particularly alarmed. I took the picture and moved on so they could continue on their own little meander.

At the time I took that photo of the woodie babies, I was paddling between the river's edge and a line of reedy tussocks, with the main part of the river on the other side of the reeds. Immediately after leaving the woodies, I saw the resident pelican coming swooping downstream only inches from the water. Not much I could do about the reeds between us, so this photo has a somewhat you-are-there quality (meaning that it is technically not very good, but is very real and of the moment):

There are always many, many little blue herons on this river. I rarely photograph them; I don't find them all that interesting in the adult stage. But this one kept fishing even when I was within a few feet of it, so I couldn't resist.

And speaking of little blue herons, I did see this juvenile. Its feathers are in the process of changing from the white color they start out with to the dark adult coloring.

They look striking when they fly and the new color pattern shows up on their wings.

I missed a photo of a green heron because I was too slow to get the camera up and ready. After it flew away, I continued paddling upstream and within minutes saw a tricolored heron. I've gotten a lot of tricolored heron images lately and so I decided to just pass by and enjoy watching it without photographing it. But something didn't look quite right about it--the neck was too short. I kept staring at it as I drifted closer and closer. It's a good thing no other humans were nearby to hear me laughing at myself. I had been sitting there doing nothing as I got closer and closer to another green heron--the bird I had been looking for and had already let get away once. Sheesh.

The entire time I was on the water, I was hearing prothonotary warblers calling. These are such vivid yellow birds, but yet are very difficult to spot in the greens and yellows of the shoreline vegetation (unlike, say, male cardinals). I stopped several times to see if I could find the source of the calls, but after a few minutes it just seemed futile. As I approached the Blue Spring inlet on my way upstream, I could hear two, or maybe even three, warblers in the area near the entrance to the inlet. It's nice and shady there and so I pulled over and got out of the current and just sat for a while trying to find them. Until they found me. Perhaps they felt a kinship with my bright yellow boat... For whatever reason, they flitted around me. These birds are peculiarly and remarkably difficult to photograph (at least I find them so)--the sunlight bounces off of those bright yellow feathers and they end up looking like little balls of glowing yellow light. Out of many images that I captured of them, these two were the only ones I kept:

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It was a great day on the river and no doubt the most comfortable place to be outside.

DH is on vacation this coming week and I don't know if paddling is in the cards or not--I think we have more things planned than we will have time to do. I'll get back out soon, though. Stand by.

Heat Index? What Heat Index?

2009-06-17T14:56:00.004-04:00

I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral
of the summer. My bank of wild grass is majestic and
full of music. It is a fire that solitude presses against my lips.

~Violette Leduc

On my way to the river I heard the weather guy on the radio warn about the "dangerous" heat index predicted for this day--from 105 to 107 degrees. La di da, la di da. And yes, it's true that it is not even officially summer yet.

I planned on a short paddling trip, needless to say. As expected, there were only two other cars in the parking area.

As I drifted downstream, I saw wisps of steam rising from the river here and there. Not surprising--this river is a constant 73 or so degrees, in contrast with the air, which was even by then (mid morning) over 90 degrees. But the real show was at Blue Spring. Here's what I saw as I paddled through the inlet toward the spring.

As I got closer, I saw that the swim floats were shrouded in the mist.

It looked so magical that I stayed for a while taking pictures. I liked the view of this half-submerged branch emerging from the haze.

But then it was time to move on. The mist was dissipating as I left--I must have gotten there just in time to see the last of it.

Once again the tricolored herons were out and about. This one had been busy plunging into the water after tasty morsels.

This, of course, led (as shown previously) to the need to fluff.

I was once again trying to limit my photos of white birds, but when this snowy egret stayed calm and still as I drifted close by it, I couldn't resist a closeup.

I spotted a great blue heron coming in for a landing to the left.

This one was also very still for me (I think they just overestimate their camouflage). This was a day for getting closeup photos of heads and necks!

This egret was straight ahead of me as I drifted downstream, so of course I could not resist lifting the camera.

It decided it was time to go elsewhere right about then...

I turned around after drifting only a little more than a mile. As I was paddling slowly upstream, I was thinking about how odd it was that I had yet to see any green herons--surely by now they had returned to the river. Less than thirty seconds after having that thought, I spotted a familiar shape in the leaves of an island to my right. Was it? Yes! Unfortunately, it spotted me at about the same time. I got this right before it took off. Shy little guys.

Another tricolored heron totally ignored me as I paddled by.

As I approached the launch area after passing Duck Island, I started to prepare the camera for leaving--reversing the lens hood and replacing the lens cap. I almost never see any birds to photograph that close to the ramp. But wouldn't you know, on this day a yellow crowned night heron was preening off to the side. So I took off the lens cap and put on the hood and drifted over that way. It seemed totally unaware of me.

I actually sat there for a fairly long time before it looked up and saw me.

So I left it to its preening and finished paddling.

In many ways the river is the best place to be on these hot days. Sitting so close to the cool water seems to counter the air temperature, at least a little. Of course hat/shirt-dipping helps cool you down a lot. And the river, as long as you don't get too close to the shore, is nearly bug-free, unlike my yard. Hopefully I'll get back there soon. Stand by.

Herons on the Wacissa

2009-06-09T14:46:00.004-04:00

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone

you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.

~Mark Twain

This was the day to see herons--great blue herons, tricolored herons, little blue herons, night herons...they were all out and about! This great blue heron flew by as I drifted downstream from the boat ramp.

I followed it with the camera as it landed on the jagged top of an old tree stump that protruded from the water.

This was an unusually large and very impressive bird.

As I approached the only dock in this part of the river, I saw another great blue heron standing on it, this one facing away from the river drying its wings.

This snowy egret was sitting in the leaves of a vegetation island, looking very regal.

There was a little blue heron to the left of the snowy as I took the above photo. I sat for a spell with the camera on the snowy, wondering what it was going to do next. I pressed the shutter just as the heron decided to leave; the camera is very quick to focus and zeroed in on the heron as it passed between me and the egret, producing a somewhat you-are-there moment, if not the photo I had intended.

I saw three different wood duck families, the mother always in front with the babies following single-file behind her. These were swimming alongside the river's edge.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I had not seen any yellow crowned night herons yet. Well, I more than made up for that lack on this trip. They were everywhere. This one posed for me as I drifted by.

I turned around after a couple of hours of drifting downstream. There was very little breeze and the current was light, making the upstream paddle an easy one. This great blue heron seemed to think it was well camouflaged in some reeds. It held stock-still as I got closer and closer, and was still there as I was leaving it.

An air boat tore through the peaceful silence on its way downstream, sending birds scattering in all directions. This one flew over me as it tried to escape the roar of the engine.

Meanwhile, I watched a gator glide silently through the water.

This was a great day for seeing tricolored herons. This one had been fishing and fluffed its feathers as I passed by.

A little while later I saw another. I find that these birds look the most primitive of the smaller shorebirds, with their long pointed beaks and serpentine necks.

This snowy egret came in for a landing on some surface growth

and proceeded to do some fishing.

I paddled into Blue Spring on my way upstream--there were neither people nor birds in the inlet channel or the spring itself....strange to have it so empty. I didn't linger there long.

I couldn't resist getting one more snowy egret photo before arriving back at the launch area.

These are hot days, with the temps going well into the 90's, and this river is an ideal place to spend several hours. It's nearly bug-free (the yellow flies will find you, though, if you linger too close to the wooded edge--one got into my cockpit and managed to bite me on the bottom of my (bare) foot right at the arch....a terrible place for such a bite...), and the water is wonderfully cool. And it's just so pretty there that you forget how hot the air is. A great way to spend a summer day.

I hope to get out again soon. Stand by.

Good Day Sunshine....

2009-06-02T17:47:00.006-04:00

If I had a tale that I could tell you,
I'd tell a tale sure to make you smile.
If I had a wish that I could wish for you,
I'd make a wish for sunshine all the while.

~John Denver

What a great day to be on the water! I was up and out of the house and on my way much earlier than usual, eager to get back to the river.

As I was drifting downstream after leaving the boat ramp, I saw many snowy egrets lining the channel. I thought I have so many photos of egrets, and have posted so many, I think today I will not take any photos of white birds. I'm only taking non-white birds today (and wondered if I would end up with any images...). Just after passing Duck Island, which is nearly opposite the launch area, I saw a bird splashing ahead of me. I could see that it had brown wings, so I assumed it was an enthusiastically fishing limpkin. A non-white bird!

Well, I wanted to post somewhat different photos this time. I hit the jackpot on this trip; here's a bird that has never been posted in a Wacissa trip post since this blog was started in 2005:

Yes... a brown pelican. On the spring-fed Wacissa River. It was staying on the water (rather than looking for fish from the air); it would see a fish (why search from overhead when the water is crystal clear?) and with great flapping and splashing, it would plunge its head in after it. Needless to say, I sat there for quite some time photographing it.

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I finally continued on downstream. I decided to go into Cassidy Spring to check out the possibility of getting out for a swim (didn't; too buggy in there). As I turned the bend to enter the spring area, I looked up and saw this night heron about four feet directly above me, just watching me go by while it sat there drying its wings. I slowly paddled away and turned around to get a picture of it.

It was a nearly windless day and I drifted slowly downstream. A very large group of paddlers went into Blue Spring so I passed it by. About a mile downstream of the spring I saw this female wood duck leading her chicks around. She saw me coming and headed for the greenery along the edge of the river. I was able to get a photo just before they vanished into it.

A little while later I saw this pair.

I turned around after a couple of miles and slowly paddled back upstream, stopping at one point to have the lunch I had brought (I had skipped breakfast altogether in order to get to the river sooner).

On my way upstream, a tricolored heron flew past and settled on some surface vegetation ahead of me and across the river. I paddled over to get a few photos. It ignored me as I approached and continued fishing. In fact, it ignored me until I brought the camera up and pointed it--must be camera-shy. Off it went.

It didn't go far, though. It settled on the next patch of seaweed. These birds have such interesting coloring, and I love the long wispy reddish feathers on their backs.

The pelican was still there when I got back to Duck Island. I don't know exactly how far it is to the nearest saltwater from the Wacissa as the pelican flies (so to speak), but it seems like it is a fair distance. I wonder how long it will stay on the river.

Regular readers of this blog most likely didn't believe me for a second when I said I was not going to photograph my beloved egrets. I mean, really.

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The rain predictions are down for this whole week, so I hope to get back out again soon. Stand by.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

2009-05-29T15:42:00.004-04:00

Into each life some rain must fall.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We have had rain every day for over two weeks now. That so interferes with paddling! This blog has been stuck for so long that I am starting to get emails asking if I am okay. So! Time for another non-paddling post with photos that have yet to see the light of day.

I have several from my trip to the bird rookery in St. Augustine that were not posted with the rest from that trip. This egret (in breeding mode, since I was there at the height of breeding season) was busy finding sticks to put in its nest.

Nearby, this snowy egret was taking a break from nest-building.

I haven't yet seen any night herons on the Wacissa this year (they have probably returned to the river, I just haven't seen them!). This lone yellow crowned night heron was dozing under a tree branch at the rookery while the egrets flew around above him.

I had hoped to get back to the rookery to photograph the various chicks (mostly egrets and wood storks) that are now in the nests. I cancelled the trip due to the weather, and then heard some sad news about the rookery. It seems that while egret chicks can withstand a day or two of rain, this long period of daily downpours has caused a significant loss in the chick population. They get chilled with no chance of drying off, and the parents don't leave the nests to get food. Such a sad situation. Many of the smaller species (tricolors and green herons) have not hatched yet, so if this rain stops before they emerge, they will likely be ok.

And now back to the Wacissa. This tall thin great blue heron was standing on a vegetation island about 2 miles downstream last fall.

Last time I was on the river I saw little blue herons but very few juveniles. I guess the young ones that populated the river all winter have finally gotten their adult coloring! Here's one of the juveniles that flew by early in the spring.

The little yellowlegs are almost all gone now--so it's time for one last photo of them till they come back!

I recall that on a trip to the Wacissa early last fall I came upon two ibis in the greenery near the launch area. They aren't well camouflaged!

Today was to be the first of a few rain-free days. It's raining as I write this, so I don't have high hopes for the near future as far as paddling. I'll keep you posted. Stand by.

Perfect Paddling Day on the Wacissa

2009-05-11T21:44:00.006-04:00

In summer, the song sings itself.

~William Carlos Williams

It may be only mid-May, but it's summer here! What a great warm sunny day to get out to the river!

There was a remarkably small great blue heron near the boat ramp--I actually thought it was a tricolored heron until I got right next to it. There's nothing here to give you perspective, but this was a very little one:

It sat there as I drifted past so I took one more of its noble head.

After going only a short distance, I saw a swallow-tail kite flying over head, looking for lunch in the water. They are beautiful birds, they soar endlessly. I took many photos of this one.

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And the snowies were out and about again! I saw this one fishing on a vegetation island in the river.

It was doing that wing-spreading thing to lure fish to the shade it created.

And it spots something underwater and goes for it!

But....no luck that time.

I paddled on. I spotted this gator enjoying the sunshine. The reflection is so strange in this photo, the longer I looked at it, the less sense it made.

There was a bit of a downstream wind blowing and so I turned around at about the 2-mile point. On my way back upstream, I saw this egret on a leafy island.

It left as I paddled by.

This snowy egret had a very impressive topknot going for it, blowing in the wind.

The yellow water lilies are blooming here and there. This one came out looking like a painting.

It was a wonderful, warm day on the river. With luck this is the beginning of more frequent paddling trips--perhaps we are finally past the rainy and fiercely windy days.

A big smile of welcome to anyone who has come to this blog via Artful Blogging magazine. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you will come back often.

Also--Dog River Clearwater Revival, the only grassroots organization in Mobile, Alabama that is concerned with the water quality of Dog River (love that name!), is having a canoe/kayak fundraiser event on Saturday, May 16th. This is a great cause--if you live in the area or will be nearby this weekend, this sounds like a must-do. For more info, go here and check out the DRC April 09 News link.

I will get back out on the water soon. Stand by.

Short Weekend Paddle

2009-05-04T13:28:00.002-04:00

Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We're still a bit windy but it had been so long since I had been on the river (having spent some time in NC--those photos are here) that I just had to take a quick trip.

There are still more egrets than any other bird on the river (which is fine with me, though I will welcome the return of the other summer residents). Interestingly, this one still had the green nares of breeding season. I watched it fly overhead from the left bank of the river

to a tree on the right.

Juvenile ibis show up here and there along the edges.

I didn't go far, only a short distance past Blue Spring. I was very glad to see otters playing along the shoreline!

I have only seen a wood stork once on this river. Lately they have been showing up in several new places, and today was no exception. I almost missed this one, perched high in a tree and watching me.

As I mentioned, I was not out long at all. This has been an odd spring, with the paddling trips few and far between, mostly due to wind.

On the way back to the boat ramp, I saw this osprey, which is most likely the one that I had been hearing peeping for most of my trip.

I hope to get out for a longer paddle very soon. Stand by.

A Welcome Snowy Day!

2009-04-17T16:06:00.003-04:00

Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, again, snowy egrets, not the cold stuff. It's been so long since I've seen them in numbers on the Wacissa that I tended on this trip to keep taking photos of them. See, to me, they were all different--here's one by the spring, here's one by the big tree, here's one in the grass.....but of course in the computer, they tend to look alike. Guess you'll have to bear with me on this post!

This beauty was one of many in that first stretch of river after launching (how wonderful to have that not be barren any more!).

They are still fairly timid and that one showed me its tail feathers when I approached.

I drifted on toward Blue Spring and turned at the inlet. A short distance away was this one, who watched me carefully.

It was much less timid than the others and turned to show me a regal profile as I paddled by.

The spring is still completely brown and murky. And the resident gator is still there, enjoying his time on the swim raft, just smiling away.

I came to this snowy as it fished on one of the vegetation islands in the middle of the river.

I parked nearby and waited for a while. As I was approaching it, it was doing that wingspread method of fishing, and I wanted to get a picture of it doing that. It quit, however. I sat for a while and watched it poke its beak down here and there into the surface. And then it decided to go somewhere more private.

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The wind came up a bit and it was blowing downstream so I decided to turn around after about 2 miles. An osprey flew by from behind me, carrying a fish. It was too far away when I finally got the camera. It landed in a tree and so I paddled over that way. You can barely make out the fish in its left foot--wish I had gotten it flying by!

I saw perhaps three large egrets the whole time I was out. This one still had the green breeding-mode color at its eyes.

On the way upstream I noticed a moorhen on one of the little leafy islands and suspected that it might make a run for it to get to the river's edge. Sure enough, it did.

This juvenile little blue heron is getting some of its darker adult coloration.

Apparently camera-shy, it left.

I went back into Blue Spring on my way back upstream. This little blue heron (which is what the juvenile in the photos above will ultimately look like) was perched along the edge.

I took more snowy pictures as I paddled back to the ramp. This one was sharing a log with a large turtle.

There are a lot of dragonflies swooping around over the water. I did not notice until I got home and saw the picture enlarged that two of them had ended up in this image!

And another "snowy takes off" photo--

I also saw a few more tricolored herons (when will the green herons return, I wonder?). This one was near the boat ramp.

What a great day to be on the river!

I have a trip to North Carolina coming up next week; I am not sure if I will be getting back out again before then. I'll let you know when I do. Stand by.

Saturday on the Wacissa

2009-04-05T16:02:00.003-04:00

I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs
because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it.

~Author Unknown

The weather took an unexpected turn for the better, so DH and I loaded up the boats and headed to the Wacissa yesterday.

I was amazed at how few cars there were in the parking lot--after our recent cold snaps and the monsoon, I thought more people would be at the river on such a sunny and warm day. The recent rains not only raised the water level but cleared the surface, and so much more of the river was accessible than it was a month ago. We went there knowing that Saturdays draw the air boats like dusk draws mosquitoes, but some things can't be helped. The peaceful silence was ripped to shreds about every 15 minutes but in the quiet times, it was a great day to be on the water.

What a joy to see the tricolored herons back!

And the snowy egrets!

We drifted downstream into either a light breeze or no wind at all.

The great egrets and snowy egrets were hanging out together near Cassidy Spring. We saw a great egret come in for a landing near two snowies....and then there were three...

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This snowy, part of that group, looks like it's thinking about going somewhere less crowded.

The cormorants were busy swimming around. They are not the most graceful when they take off from the water.

And it has liftoff!

This snowy (I kept photographing them....just so glad to see them on the river again!) was fishing in some surface greenery when we paddled by.

Until it decided to move on. I don't know where they have been, but maybe there were few paddlers nearby; they seemed more skittish than usual.

We returned to the boat ramp and paddled around the far side of Duck Island (which has not been accessible for a long time!). These three yellowlegs were lined up in a row.

Just as we were clearing the end of the island, I saw another tricolored heron perched high in a tree.

We weren't out as long as usual, but it was still fun, and what a joy to see the missing birds reappearing.

I have had to postpone my Cedar Key trip for weather reasons.....I'm kind of disappointed about that. Meanwhile, I couldn't resist the quote for this post; next month I begin teaching photography classes at the local community college. I expect to magically overcome my fear of public speaking by that time....

I'll be back when there are more photos to share! Stand by.

One From the Wakulla, Five From the Refuge

2009-03-31T15:09:00.003-04:00

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

~John Masefield

Ah, Florida....where the wind comes sweeping down the plain... Paddling days are back to being few and far between. I did get out on the Wakulla River since I returned from St. Augustine, but I only came home with one image I liked, so I did not post that trip. The ducks that have been shown here before, the ones that live at that large house on the right just upstream of the boat ramp, were out and about in the water.

Otherwise it was largely uneventful on the river. I did not see any manatees or any gators, and very few birds.

Yesterday was a beautiful if gusty day and so I headed out to the wildlife refuge to see what I could see. There were a lot of people there for a Monday!

And lots of birds; many egrets and several great blue herons. I passed this one on my way toward the lighthouse.

I walked along the trail by water. Several people were at the jetty at the end, two of them casting nets into the water. (I later encountered another guy doing the same thing closer to the boat ramp area--he said he was going after mullet.) I decided to process this one as a black-and-white image.

This little sandpiper was walking along the edge of the water near the jetty.

I decided to walk the Cedar Point trail, which runs between the boat ramp channel and open wetlands. I have often seen large wading birds near the trail on the wetlands side, but not on this day. When I got to the end, I sat on the bench for a while and just enjoyed the view of the water. I glanced over at the jetty area, which is directly across the channel from the bench, and saw this girl playing on the rocks.

I finished the walk around that center pond and then drove slowly out. Another great blue heron (or the same one?) was standing very still in the grass near the road.

We have lots of rain (and more wind) in the forecast for the remainder of the week so it doesn't look like I will get back out in the kayak any time soon. I have some tentative plans to get back to Cedar Key soon and hopefully will get in some paddling there. Stand by.

Bird Rookery in St. Augustine --Part II

2009-03-18T13:39:00.003-04:00

The richness I achieve comes from nature,
the source of my inspiration.

~Claude Monet

And here we are in Part II of the bird rookery photos!

First back to the egrets and their nest-building, which involved a lot of flying back and forth to find twigs and then bringing those twigs to their mates, waiting patiently in the nest.

There were various degrees of over-achievers. This one, who found a really big stick for the nest,

and then there was one that found an even bigger stick. Unfortunately, it dropped it in the water. When the stick hit the water, a gator swam over to investigate, leaving the egret perched in a tree, waiting for a second chance at it. Which it got.

Making progress....

And then it dropped it. And left it in the water. Good call.

Then there were the less ambitious. I'm not sure if you can even make out the tiny bit of material in this one's beak. I call this one Honey, I'm Home.

Once the nests were built, it was time to work on filling them.

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The not-yet-paired continued to work at attracting a significant other.

On both days that I was at the zoo, there were roseate spoonbills hunkered down in trees just beyond the water and behind the trees that the storks and egrets were occupying. Too far and too leaf-covered to photograph. And then on Sunday one of them came down to the water.

More snowy egrets showed up on Sunday.

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The odd thing about this rookery is that while you are standing on this wooden boardwalk marveling at the birds, many, many gators are swimming around about four feet below where you stand. I couldn't help but wonder, if only fleetingly, how often they perform maintenance on the underwater sections of the boardwalk and check the integrity of the railings. The gators are quiet and there are so many of them that after a while at the place you sort of get used to them and it's easy to forget what they are. Before I left, I turned to take a photo of some people on the boardwalk, with the gators gathered beneath them.

On my way back to the car I finally took the time to look at a few of the other exhibits. You can't go anywhere without seeing the gators, so of course I got a few photos of them.

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I'm not sure exactly what these are, but they are huge.

They have a lot of exotic birds, including parrots, African crested cranes, gigantic vultures, and this fella.

And that's it for the photos from this trip. Back to paddling now. I'm still waiting for our regular birds to return to the river.

Stand by.

Bird Rookery in St. Augustine --Part I

2009-03-16T16:05:00.004-04:00

Beauty is not caused.
It is.

~Emily Dickinson

I finally (finally) got to the rookery at the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine (Florida). It was worth the wait. Within the first thirty minutes of standing on the boardwalk watching the egrets (and wood storks) fly from the nests they were building with their mates, and then fly back with sticks and twigs to add to those nests, I had over 200 photos in the camera. I pared those down, then culled out some more, made some tough choices, and ended up with about 40 to show you. That's way too many for one post, so I am going to put half up today and half up later (when I finish processing them...it takes a while...). While this was not a paddling trip, I am posting in this blog because the subject matter fits!

There's not a lot of story to go with these. The place is sheer heaven for an egret fan like myself. I was there on a Saturday and went back on Sunday, but it wasn't as crowded as I had anticipated. I suspect it might get more so when the baby birds appear in the nests (and you can bet I will be front and center photographing them!).

I have always thought that (as often happens in nature) only the males got the flashy long feathers and bright green nares (area in front of the eye) during breeding season. Evidently I was mistaken! There were a few egrets that did not have the long feathers on their backs, but perhaps they were just a bit young or something. In almost every case, both egrets in a nesting pair had the breeding plumage and coloring.

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They were very busy building their nests! One bird would stay with the nest while the other would fly off over a wooded area near the rookery and find twigs or branches, which they would carry back. Almost without fail, their return with the stick or twig would be met with great uproar, which looked a lot like disapproval from where I stood. ("You call this nest material? Who built your last nest?")

But sometimes it was more of a cooperative process.

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And after a long day of construction, it was time to rest.

There were some unpaired egrets, either content to be so,

or else eager to attract a mate. Lots of showing off of plumage, and posturing.

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I only saw one snowy egret on Saturday. It looked like it was having a decidedly bad hair day, due to the wind doing more than ruffling its feathers:

I rarely get to photograph egrets in flight from a standing position, but I got several photos as they returned with nesting material.

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The egrets share the rookery with wood storks (more of them will appear in Part II).

The remainder of the photos from this batch are random ones taken as I watched the birds.

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I'll be back with the next batch when I get them processed! Stand by.

It's a Paddling Frenzy!

2009-03-12T18:00:00.004-04:00

Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment.

~Ellis Peters

Two paddling trips in three days? Now that's more like it! This time I met Mike at the boat ramp at the Wacissa. It was an even better day than Tuesday--no wind at all until the very end of the paddle. We encountered several other paddlers on the river.

I was absolutely thrilled when we spotted a great blue heron a couple of miles downstream. When we could first approach it, it was in the reeds at the side of the river.

We watched it fly from there to a nearby tree, where it perched in the bare branches for a while. We paddled over to that area and parked nearby, both of us photographing it.

After a short time, I think it became a tad uncomfortable with us just sitting there below it, and so it decided to leave.

Lift off...

Departing the tree...

Getting coordinated...

And off he goes.

We extricated ourselves from the tussocks and continued upstream (this was after we had turned around). An egret was fishing in the reeds and so we paddled over that way. It left before I could get the camera focused on it, but I kept it in the viewfinder until it landed. The last post had an egret taking off...this one has one landing.

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I caught up to Mike, who looks here like he might have spotted a gator along the shoreline.

(Speaking of gators, the one usually on the swim raft at Blue Spring was not there when we were.)

A juvenile little blue heron was perched on a tree branch. I wasn't going to take the picture, but it just sat there posing as we approached (clearly a Wacissa bird!) so I couldn't resist.

We got back to the boat ramp and loaded the boats. I was about to leave for home when I saw Jim coming in with some boats loaded on his trailer, so I stayed to talk to him. He had Bjorn, the Amazing Diving Dog, with him. Jim takes a stick up the ladder to the diving board, followed by Bjorn. When the stick is thrown, Bjorn goes sailing off after it.

You can see the diving board on the right. Here's a closer view of a very happy dog--

And down he goes. You can see where the stick landed....he didn't quite get that distance on this particular dive...

Another great day on the river. I hope spring is here to stay.

Stand by.

Perfect Paddling Day!

2009-03-11T11:43:00.003-04:00

Science has never drummed up quite as effective
a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day.

~W. Earl Hall

Finally! A perfect day to be on the river! Warm and sunny. When I launched, there was not even a breeze. An hour or so later, the breeze started. Two hours into it brought the usual wind, but that was about when I turned around so it blew me nicely upstream. Absolutely ideal. I went as far as Cedar Island this time (saw a bald eagle swooping over the water ahead of me near the island but it was gone when I got to where it had been)--I haven't been that far downstream since sometime early last fall!

Seems to be a bit early for the birds, though. There was a medium-sized flock of widgeons, birds that I have never seen on this river, though they are on the Wakulla at this time of year. They are very timid and flew off long before I reached them.

I went into Blue Spring, of course, which was clear and a bright turquoise color. The small resident gator was at his usual spot enjoying the sunshine.

I'm pretty sure I saw the same three large egrets over the 4+ hours I was on the water (also--yay!--a snowy egret). I think these egrets were visiting from elsewhere--they were easily startled, unlike those normally encountered on this river (the Wacissa). This one flew off before I could get a photo of it standing still.

And off he goes.

I've been told several times what these flowers are and I never remember the name when I see them. Regardless, they are pretty, and a sure sign of spring.

Here's another of the three egrets. I've cropped this closely so you can see the vivid green of his nares, the part in front of the eye. Along with the long wispy feathers, this is part of the breeding display. I didn't enhance this color when I processed the image--it really is that bright!

He flew across the river and so I followed. I parked in the reeds nearby. He was in shadows and I sat contemplating how difficult it would be to adjust the exposure for a white bird dappled with shadows. Just as I was deciding to continue on my merry way and leave him in peace (until the next time he landed near me), he stuck his head into the sunshine.

There's that green color again!

Can't wait to get back out again.Stand by.

Not Paddling at the Wildlife Refuge

2009-03-09T17:44:00.002-04:00

In wilderness is the preservation of the world.

~Thoreau

It seems likely that I will get out paddling this week; but after the false start I had on Friday, when I drove the boat all the way to the Wacissa only to decide that it was simply too windy to consider getting on the water, I have decided to update this blog with photos taken when DH and I went to the wildlife refuge on Sunday. We need to get some new photos up here!

It was a beautiful day--warm and sunny. The parking lot at the lighthouse was overflowing with cars--seems other people had the same idea....

We decided to first walk along the path that circles the inner pond there. Many scaups were hanging out in the water.

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And what a complete joy to see tricolored herons again!

As we were walking along next to the narrow channel that leads from the boat ramp to the Gulf, there was loud splashing in the water. We looked around but could not find the source. And then we saw this:

A dolphin! I took over a dozen photos of it as it swam but not one shows much except the fin.

So what it appeared to be doing, and it did it repeatedly while we watched, was that it would go to the shallower water near the edge and create a great splashing, stirring up the water, and with it any fish that happened to be in the vinicity. The success of this method can be seen in the photos...

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Nice trick!

There are always a lot of songbirds in the small trees and shrubs along this part of the path. I am including these photos (and for that matter every photo of a small bird that appears here in the future) in memory of Gene Maudlin. He liked the little birds. RIP, Hoss. And here's some little ones for you.

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The gators were out in numbers! I guess they also were enjoying the warm sunshine.

We finished circling the pond and wandered down to the beach area on the other side of the lighthouse. There was a woman walking on the beach. I call this photo Alone, but not Lonely.

After that we headed back out, making one quick stop at Headquarters Pond, where I saw this snowy egret getting blown a bit in the breeze.

It was great to be taking pictures again...it has been awhile since the camera was pointed at an egret! Hopefully I will get back out paddling again soon....maybe even tomorrow (hope springs eternal). Stand by.

Camera Talk

2009-03-01T14:14:00.002-05:00

Every moment of the year
has its own beauty.

~Emerson

It's still not paddling weather here! As I write this, in mid-afternoon, it's 42 degrees with a wind speed of 26 mph. Downright balmy for some northern states, but a bit nippy for Florida.

If I don't get out in the kayak soon, squirrels will take up residence in it.

But the blog languishes, and so I am here for a non-paddling post to talk about cameras. Or, to be more precise, about one camera in particular.

I use a Nikon D300 when out in the boat and on vacation and for other major events. However, it's heavy and bulky, and I like to keep a non-DSLR handy in the house for snapshots of the cats and dogs, as well as for use as a lightweight camera to take on day hikes and so on. I was using a small compact digital camera but it really hasn't been up to snuff for me, so I went looking around for an economical replacement.

I have had a lot of digital point-and-shoot cameras over the years. I've had cameras by Sony, Olympus, Canon, and Fuji. Obviously I am not filled with brand loyalty--I shop for cameras based on my needs and on reviews, both professional and consumer. I have noticed a lot of good reviews popping up here and there, online and in print photography magazines, about the Panasonic Lumix line. So I looked into those cameras. The G1, which is a new form of non-DSLR camera that functions like a DSLR and which is highly reviewed, was much too pricey for the fun camera I wanted. So I dropped down to the DMC-FZ28, which can be bought online for about $300 (and perhaps in stores for that or less). The reviews were favorable and it is loaded with nice features. I ordered one. It arrived a few days ago.

This is a really nice camera! It has actually far exceeded my expectations.

The camera is phenomenally lightweight. In fact, it comes with a shoulder strap that seems to be overkill for it; I found a much narrower strap I had from some previous camera that is far more suitable. It comes with a hood adapter that acts as a lens hood unless the lens is at full zoom--but no worries, it also comes with a large lens hood as well. My only complaint about the camera is that this large lens hood attaches in a really rinky way and kept coming loose, so I ultimately removed it altogether. And speaking of the zoom function, it's nothing short of amazing--18x! And that's optical zoom. Oddly, it has a digital zoom feature, which pretty much everyone has figured out by now should be turned off immediately and never used--most of the newer digital cameras don't even offer it. But here's the other side of the zoom function: when the camera is in wide angle mode (no zoom at all), it is very wide angle. I think I actually said "whoa" out loud the first time I looked through the viewfinder. So--great for scenics but with a powerful zoom. Weighs nothing. The menu is fairly minimal and the manual is comprehensive. Oh, and get this: you can shoot in RAW format with this camera. Unfortunately it is not in a form that Adobe Camera Raw for Photoshop CS3 can read--but it does come with a RAW editor. I didn't install it since I do all my editing in Photoshop (I won't be shooting in RAW with this camera). You can shoot in Fine JPG, Standard JPG, RAW, or RAW+JPG. Changing the exposure on-the-fly is simple. Autofocus is very good, though a bit slow (there is a manual focus option as well). It has a 10mp CCD. Rechargeable battery, and it uses an SD memory card.

I haven't had a chance to play with it since I haven't been out and about much since I got it. So today I decided to take it with me while I ran a few errands in a nearby town. This town has a little lake (more like a big pond) in the middle. Sometimes this pond is filled with all manner of water birds, sometimes there is not even one.

I was fairly lucky this time. The usual ducks were there.

Since this post is mostly about this camera, I have done very little processing to these photos to enhance them, to demonstrate the quality (shot in Fine JPG).

Here is an image of the lake/pond shoreline, which shows the wide-angle capability when there is no zoom.

There was a cormorant perched on an odd metal box poking out of the water (probably some sort of monitoring equipment).

I drove to the other side of the lake/pond. It was getting very windy out. I was amazed to see some wood ducks in the water. Here's another indicator of the autofocus ability of this camera--it's usually very difficult for almost any camera to find focus when there is water--the water doesn't reflect the light beam properly, it tends to absorb it. So the camera struggles to get a lock on the the surface, which throws everything off. And having the water moving as the wind kicked up waves should have made this photo almost impossible.

I'm very impressed with this little camera. If you have an older digital camera and you want to upgrade but don't want to go as far as a DSLR, this would be a great choice. If you want to get a capable camera for a family member who has shown an interest in photography, this would be a great choice. Or if, like me, you want a simple point-and-shoot camera to grab and go when you don't need the big-boy DSLR, this would be a great choice.

It's hard to believe, given the conditions outside today, but it is actually supposed to warm up considerably by later in the week....maybe there's a paddling trip in my future after all. Stand by.

Tricolored Herons

2009-02-19T14:13:00.003-05:00

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind
than to be hopelessly in love with spring.

~George Santayana

We are close to our best paddling season...but not quite there yet. To alleviate the cabin fever syndrome that had begun to set in, I recently took a short trip to Panama City (photos are posted on the Photo Miscellanea blog), but without the kayak. Given that it looks like it will be several days until the next possible paddling day, it is once again time to reach into the unposted-photos bag and pull out a few that are ready to see the light of day.

One of the birds I have missed the most on the river this winter is the tricolored heron. So I have decided to devote this post to photos I have taken of them over the past year. They are truly fantastic birds. Though smaller than the great blue herons, they look equally prehistoric. Their coloring is fantastic.

The photos don't require any explanations or captions. They were all taken on the Wacissa. And so without further ado, I give you.....The Tricolored Heron (imagine fanfare here):

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I eagerly await the arrival of these beautiful birds back on the river! In the meantime, I'll let you know when I get back out in the kayak. Stand by.

Thinking Spring

2009-02-10T11:28:00.002-05:00

Keep your face always toward the sunshine
-and shadows will fall behind you.

~Walt Whitman

What a gorgeous day! Warm weather at last! I headed out to the Wacissa, as usual.

We still have at least a few more weeks until the birds return in any number. It's still so odd to see so few on the river, but some of them call it home year-round.

I followed an egret for a while downstream. It would fly just a bit ahead of me and land in the grasses, and then fly a bit farther ahead as I approached. This made for a lot of landing and taking-off photos!

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At one point it let me pass it, and then came from behind and flew by.

The small gator was back at Blue Spring. There was a guy at the spring who had come to dive it, but he decided otherwise when he saw the gator...

I saw the large flock of ibis that were depicted in the previous post. And, as always lately, small groups of juveniles feeding on the little vegetation islands scattered throughout the river.

While I was parked in more vegetation photographing those ibis, who were to my right, I saw a yellowlegs coming in for a landing on my left.

I moved on past them, paddling back upstream at this point. I saw a most welcome river resident swimming along the edge.

Only one this time, no other otters were with him (her?).

A juvenile little blue heron was swooping around ahead of me, flitting from island to island.

It settled on one nearby so I stopped to watch it. It faced me and fluffed its feathers.

In an earlier post I was wondering why the juvenile little blue herons on this river have stayed white for so long. Perhaps their color change is dictated in some way by climate? At any rate, when this one turned to the side, I saw that it was showing signs of some color change!

I left it alone and continued upstream. This egret was perched in the middle of the river--it looks like it is squawking but in fact had apparently just eaten something a bit larger than it could easily swallow; mouth open, it repeatedly stretched its neck to try to get whatever it had eaten down. It flew away after I took this and I noticed it continued this behavior for a while.

I can't wait for the green herons and tricolored herons to return, and the wood ducks to emerge from the woods. But for now I am very grateful for nice weather! Hopefully the paddling trips will be more frequent. Stand by.

February

2009-02-06T14:27:00.002-05:00

In the depths of winter I finally learned
there was in me an invincible summer.

~Albert Camus

Last night the predicted low temperature in a town in Minnesota was to be 27 degrees. Last night in north Florida our low temperature was 17 degrees.

Needless to say, it has been less than ideal paddling weather. I did get out a while back on a warmer day. I didn't get many photos and so I did not post that trip. However, I've decided to post it now, since it's been a while since I have updated this blog!

The first bird spotted was an osprey, in a very popular tree (for birds) near the boat ramp. I have seen many osprey perched there, as well as a juvenile bald eagle recently.

I drifted downstream into only a light breeze. Again there were very few snowy egrets but several juvenile little blue herons (and still none showing signs of adult coloring...). This one came in for a landing on a branch nearby.

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As I mentioned, I didn't get many photos; another problem was that most of the photos I did get were of the same thing. There was a very large flock of ibis, a mix of adults and juveniles, that was swooping around from tree to tree. It was very impressive to see, and I was just snapping away at them. While swooping around, they landed in a tree near me, but shortly after flew from that. Here is a sampling of the many images I came home with.

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As always, the yellowlegs were out and about. This one flew by in front of me.

It was a short trip that yielded only a few photos, but it was wonderfully quiet on the river. The small gator was at Blue Spring; still no sign of the big one.

It appears that warmer weather may be returning (at least warmer than in Minnesota) soon, and so perhaps I can get back out. I hope so, I am getting just a touch of cabin fever here...

Stand by.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

2009-01-23T18:30:00.000-05:00

Today was good.
Today was fun.
Tomorrow is another one.

~Dr. Seuss

Finally a warm day for a paddle! When I got to the Wacissa there was a strong upstream wind, but it was not a chilly wind and so I didn't mind that at all. How great to be back on the water! Mine was the only car in the parking lot when I arrived and for much of the day I had the river to myself.

The path leading from the head spring is getting quite narrow, with surface growth closing in on both sides. There was a snowy egret fishing in the vegetation.

And a little farther along I saw the great blue heron that is always near the boat ramp. It left as I approached.

(Didn't quite get all of the feet in that one! It's a long bird when it stretches out in flight!)

I paddled on to Blue Spring. I haven't see the large gator that was often on the swim raft for a while now, but this is the third trip in a row on which I spotted this little one (probably not even 4 feet long). It was pretty well covered with green stuff from the surface, and just watched me paddle by.

On the way out of the spring inlet, I saw an egret standing at the edge. It also watched me drift by.

You can see in the photo how their eyes are on a little bit of a slant to face downward into the water (or bushes). They look so odd when they look right at you.

It left shortly after I took that photo and as I was drifting closer.

The little yellowlegs are still here and can be seen in groups all along the river. Very common sight right now.

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I passed a juvenile little blue heron. Two things have struck me as odd this year. First, we have been seeing these juveniles for months and in some numbers. It seems that in the past there have been seasons for seeing juveniles, and then you don't see them any more. But lately there are always juveniles on this river. The other odd thing is that although I often see several of these on every trip, I have yet to see any in the process of changing to their adult coloration, as I have in other years. Why are there so many young ones for so long a period of time, and why aren't there any maturing ones? This one seemed to have just a touch of the adult coloration on the tips of its wings.

I watched him (her?) for a while, hoping to get a photo of a successful catch. I don't think he liked me being quite so close and flew to a nearby patch of surface vegetation.

So, having nothing else to do, I drifted a few feet and continued watching him. He did the wing-spread thing that they do to try to lure fish to the shade created by their wings.

After a bit he must have gotten tired of having me watch his every move so he flew by me heading upstream.

At about this time I noticed a slightly smoky smell in the air. I continued downstream into the wind. After about 10 more minutes, the air got more smoky and occasionally a bit of ash would blow by. I decided it wasn't going to get any better downstream, so I turned around and let the wind take me back upstream.

Usually when I take photos of flying egrets, they are over the water, or heading out toward the water. I saw this one flying through the woods next to me (how very bird-like of it!).

It landed with a very impressive show of wings (behind me...wish I could have gotten a photo of it!). I saw breeding plumage blowing in the wind and so I turned around to see if I could get some pictures of it. It sat nicely for one photo.

After I took that, it hopped over to a nearby low bush, so I followed it and took more pictures.

I love these birds to begin with, but when they get that plumage, they are so impressive! Just gorgeous. I don't think it was that crazy about my being parked in the horticulture for so long directly facing it.

It took off somewhat unexpectedly and flew right by me.

I continued upstream. The air was getting very smoky now, with more ash drifting by.

There are several juvenile ibis on the river these days, including this one that passed by on its way downstream.

These two yellowlegs were standing side-by-side and so I stopped to photograph them.

There were two paddlers heading downstream toward me and it occurred to me that if they startled these two little birds, I might be able to get a good picture of them either taking off or flying. That didn't work out, but I did chat for a while with the other paddlers. They were from Panama City and eager to see Blue Spring for the first time. By this time it was very smoky in the downstream direction but very clear and sunny upstream. I mentioned the smoke. They said they had passed a large prescribed burn on a nearby road on their way to the river, which explained that. We talked a while and then they continued downstream and I continued back toward the boat ramp.

Now it was very smoky, and the smoke had caught up to me in the wind and was ahead of me upstream. I turned around to see what the river looked like behind me. Very eerie, with the sun filtered through all the smoke.

The wind was still pushing me upstream so I took advantage of not having to use the paddle; I decided that there would be no more photos today so I might as well take off the lens hood, replace the lens cap, and get ready to get out of the boat. I was approaching the island across from the boat ramp. The great blue heron was still there and flew through the smoke ahead of me. Might as well take one more photo, even if it's through smoke!

Kind of a shame to have the day cut short because of the smoke, but the wind probably would have prevented a long paddle anyway. It was great to get back to the birds! It looks like our weather may stay mild for a few more days, hopefully I can get back out on a clear day. Stand by.

Winter Discontent

2009-01-19T13:33:00.002-05:00

Cold! If the thermometer had been
an inch longer, we'd have frozen to death.

~Mark Twain

Winter has finally come to north Florida. The new leaves that came out on our banana trees during our recent warm spell did not survive the recent overnight hard freezes. And it's way too cold for wimpy me to get out paddling these days! How fortunate for this blog that I always come home with so many more photos than I post, leaving me images to display when I don't have any new ones.

On a very recent trip, a flock of ibis flew overhead as I drifted downstream.

And speaking of flying birds, there are always extra photos of egrets gliding by the kayak.

Sometime around the middle of last year I took several photos of a juvenile night heron as I followed it downstream. This one wasn't posted when I wrote about that trip. I wonder where this bird is now?

I miss the many snowy egrets that line the upper portion of the Wacissa all summer. This one passed by the boat in a hurry to get somewhere.

In the summer when I am not seeing as many birds as I would like and my shutter finger gets twitchy, I resort to taking photos of moorhens, since there are always moorhens. In the winter, it's yellowlegs. Here's one of many that had not appeared here yet.

Finally, this was the third of a set of images I got of this juvenile little blue heron that flew right toward me one day. A slightly different perspective.

I doubt I will get out on the water this week, but every day brings spring closer. Perhaps we will have another warm spell soon. Stand by.

Lake Talquin

2009-01-09T16:18:00.002-05:00

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore...
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

~W. B. Yeats

I had to be in Tallahassee fairly early this morning so I decided to take the kayak along and, a bit nippy though it was, spend a short time on Lake Talquin. I haven't been there for a while.

I frightened a pair of scaups as I came around an outcropping of land and they flew off.

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The wind was still and the water was calm, but the air was a little colder than I (a Florida wimp) like it. This egret also looked a bit chilled, as it stood with one leg lifted into its chest to warm it.

I saw an osprey soaring overhead and watched it to see where it would land. This is a lot easier to do now that there are fewer leaves on the trees! I spotted it and paddled over. It seemed to be intent enough at watching the water that it did not mind my presence below it.

The great blue herons on this lake are very timid; I saw a few but they flew off before I could get any photos of them. The egrets are not quite as shy. This one fussed at me from a dock.

This was one of those mornings when it seemed odder to not see wildlife in the woods than it would have been to see some, whether a deer or a raccoon. With the leaves gone and much of the growth on the forest floor gone for the winter, the shoreline looks serene.

I didn't stay long; the air wasn't warming up fast enough. Still, it was a fun little outing.

I'll get back out again when it warms up just a tad. Stand by.

Egrets...I've Had A Few...

2008-12-31T12:40:00.003-05:00

Silence is the true friend that never betrays.

~Confucius

We continue to have surprisingly good weather, and so off I went to the Wacissa, my favorite place to be on such days. There were many other paddlers on the river.

There are more egrets there than any other bird, and it's wonderful to see them getting their breeding plumage now.

I saw a small gator at Blue Spring, but no sign of the large one that has been spending time on the swim rafts. The turtles were out enjoying the sunshine as well.

I happened to glance up while drifting downstream and saw this hawk at the top of a tree--what a great view there must be from up there!

I went downstream about as far as the Calico boat ramp before turning around. On my way back upstream I saw this egret fishing from some surface growth in the middle of the river.

Shortly after I took that picture, it flew off, passing by the kayak as it went. I couldn't pick a favorite photo from the series, so I am including several:

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It's got a twig or something stuck to its foot. I assume it got rid of it eventually...

I went back into Blue Spring on my way back to the boat ramp. There were no birds (or raccoons--where the heck are those guys?) in there. An egret was perched on the tree that stretches over the inlet just at the point where it joins the main river. It didn't see me coming as I was leaving the inlet and so I picked up the camera to get a photo.....and realized I would be facing almost directly into the sun. This is not usually the approved lighting condition....but sometimes I like the effect, so I took it anyway.

In fact, another into-the-sun-egret photo op presented itself shortly after that, so I took that one, too.

As I got close to the boat ramp, I saw the great blue heron that hangs out there. Hmm, maybe I can get another photo or two before heading home...

It took off as I approached

and flew in front of me and then downriver.

I miss the assorted birds that are off spending winter elsewhere, but even so, this is a fantastic river to spend time on. I have no doubt I will be back out soon. Stand by.

Piney Z Lake, Finally!

2008-12-28T12:02:00.004-05:00

There is no secret to balance.
You just have to feel the waves.

~Frank Herbert

I have been talking about paddling this lake for a very, very long time. DH and I decided that since the boats were still loaded from the recent Wacissa trip, we would finally get to Piney Z Lake. When we left home, there were clouds in the sky and a very light and intermittent breeze.

One of the things that has kept me from paddling here alone is the long (and to my mind, totally unnecessary, but maybe there is reasoning going on that I don't understand) distance that you have to haul your boat from the parking lot to the ramp. There is a (locked) gate across an opening wide enough for a car, and the entire length of the path from the parking area to the ramp could be driven. It crosses a walking trail, but cars approaching could be easily seen by walkers, and signage could be put up on all sides. It's a long way to carry a boat before your paddling trip....and seems many times longer after it. They have erected paddling trail signs and offer maps, but this aspect makes it very paddler-unfriendly, at least to solo women paddlers of, shall we say, more advanced age than college students. Perhaps there is some concern about the integrity of the "fishing finger" on which the ramp is located as far as supporting vehicle weight--allowing vehicles acess to at least the start of the finger would be of great benefit since it would eliminate the incline from the parking lot (again, fun to climb lugging your boat after a day of paddling...).

While this was actually taken at the end of the paddling trip, here's a photo of the ramp from the lake (with DH and his kayak already on shore).

The parking lot is to the left, up the hill.

So off we went. There is an island across from the ramp and so we decided to explore that. We have often spotted gators and many egrets hanging out along the edge--but always through binoculars from the ramp area. This rather large guy was enjoying the warm day.

At one point the lake was nearly mirror-smooth. We saw a lot of anhingas. This one was perched on a platform on which we have previously seen osprey nests.

There are several fishing fingers on this side of the lake. Some people were fishing off of one of them as we went by. The breeze picked up a bit. We decided to head to the causeway that separates Piney Z Lake from Lake Lafayette.

This great blue heron was standing on one of the vacant fishing fingers as we went by.

As we appraoched the causeway, the breeze turned into wind and the water became quite choppy. Hmm, seemed like a good time to turn around, which would also put the wind at our backs. We were alongside an extremely long land extension and intended to cross over, hoping that the wind would be less along the banks of the lake. There are many spots, marked by high pilings, through which you can cross. As we approached one, DH spotted an alligator on the grass on the spit of land, which then slid into the water. He's not comfortable around gators and didn't want to cross anywhere near that one, so we continued on. We did finally cross, but the wind was no better on the other side. I was in my short Manitou since the new long one was mounted on the trailer (which we were not using for transport); it was easier before our Wacissa trip to just toss the short one into the pickup bed with his boat than take the new one off the trailer. It's a perfect boat for calm water...less than ideal for that kind of chop! I was bobbing around like a cork. The wind was too strong to hear each other so we just gestured that we would follow the shoreline back to the ramp. The waves were literally breaking over the bow of my kayak. It occurred to me that this was one of those things that would be great fun...once back on land safely and with my camera intact!

As I suspected would happen, the wind almost totally died down as we got closer to the ramp, the water calmed to mere ripples. ARGH. I really, really like this lake and had hoped to spend a lot more time exploring it than we had, and in a more relaxed manner. DH decided to head back to the ramp; I decided to take another turn around the island across from it. I just wasn't ready to leave yet, now that conditions were good again. I looked across the water and saw this egret flying by.

And then back to the ramp (which was when I took the first photo in this post). I was right--once off the water, I realized that it had been fun, and very exhilerating. Not conditions I want to encounter often, though....

Despite the problem with access, I will be going back to this lake many more times. We didn't see any wood storks, but during much of it, they could have flown right by and we wouldn't see them since we were concentrating on paddling through the waves. We missed a huge section of shoreline since we cut the trip short. There were more photos to be taken but even if I had wanted to risk lifting the camera, it would have been difficult to stay focused on anything. We barely scratched the surface of what the lake has to offer a paddler. I can't wait to try it on a calmer day.

Stand by.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T19:13:00.003-05:00

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more."

~ Dr. Seuss

When it's 75 degrees on Christmas, it seems better to go out paddling than to sit around the hearth. So off DH and I went, to the Wacissa, of course.

One of the first birds of the day was a little cardinal--I'm not up on my juvenile cardinals but this one seems sort of puffy and young-looking. At any rate, the color was right for today!

You know I'm going to post an egret photo, so we will get to that right away. The nares (part around the eye) is turning green, a sign that it is in breeding mode.

The great blue heron that is often found near the boat ramp was in the same general area again today, also with some impressive chest feathers.

As we progressed downstream we spotted a large bird up in a tree. It turned out to be a juvenile eagle. We looked everywhere for an adult, but had no luck finding one.

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We drifted down a little past the house on the right. The cormorant that is often perched on the branch sticking out of the water was there again. I have the hardest time getting a still photo of a cormorant, but I did get some of this one as it left the branch. They look extremely ungainly when they take off, with much splashing and repeated hops across the water.

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We went into Blue Spring twice on this trip--the gator that is usually on the swim raft was nowhere to be seen. Neither were the birds that were there on my last trip. They're off with their families today, I guess...

On the way back to the boat ramp we passed a grebe. These little ones are just plain cute! This one had been diving and was fluffing a bit to dry off.

It was a nice paddling trip. We saw quite a few other paddlers on the river. Aside from one air boat, it was very peaceful and a fine way to spend some of Christmas day. I hope you all had a great holiday. If our warm weather continues, we'll get out again soon. Stand by.

No Grip of Cold Here....

2008-12-17T22:05:00.002-05:00

The great egret is nature's haiku. There's poetry in its plumage,
which is white as a full moon and, in breeding season, sticks out
here and there like a pillow that's been through
one too many pillow fights.

~Unknown

Headlines on the CNN news site claim that winter grips the country. We were 75 degrees yesterday and so I decided to head to the Wacissa.

I was the only car in the parking lot when I got there, the only one when I left. One air boat passed me after about 2 hours on the water, and otherwise I had the river to myself. What a wonderful day.

I paddled into Blue Spring, of course. The gator is back and was sunning on one of the two swim rafts, which on this day were butted up against each other. An egret was on the other one.

I sat there for a while watching them. The egret left and a juvenile little blue heron flew in to land on the raft. This was how they were when I left:

As I was paddling out of the spring inlet, I saw this ibis off to the side.

I drifted on downstream. There were many, many lesser yellow legs on the river, as always this time of year.

These two seem to be conversing about how close that kayak is getting to them, and should they leave?

Here and there you can see bright red flowers poking out of the green leaves along the river's edge--showing some seasonal colors!

Those ducks are still there, and I followed them upstream after turning around.

Well, that is, until they left in a flurry of wings and water.

I think I might have spotted that diving egret pictured in the previous post, although this time it was perched on a log at the edge of the river, looking quite normal.

The giveaway was when it literally pounced on something underwater, again doing a dive, if not as impressive as from the air. Must have been the same one. This juvenile little blue heron was nearby and watched me approach.

As I was paddling/drifting upstream (I had a perfect upstream breeze moving me along), a great egret soared by me on the right, circled around, and glided back downstream. Thanks!

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As I got near the spring inlet on my way back upstream, I came to a juvenile ibis fishing on a vegetation island. The upstream breeze blew me close to it, and yet it seemed unconcerned, allowing me a chance to get a closeup as I moved by.

I was close to the boat ramp and considering putting the camera away in preparation for getting out and loading up to go home. But wait, what is that? Can it be? It's been a long, long time since a male wood duck appeared here, but here was this guy all by himself over to the right.

They just don't look real, do they? So many colors, and such interesting feather patterns.

A great paddling day. Warm weather is forecast for this whole week (get down here if you can!) and so I hope to get out again. Stand by.

The Egret Who Would Be An Osprey

2008-12-05T20:38:00.005-05:00

The bird thinks it a favor to give the fish a lift in the air.

~Rabindranath Tagore

We'll get to the egret in a moment. As mentioned in the previous post, I found myself with a free warm sunny afternoon yesterday to spend paddling, so I headed out with the new kayak to the Wacissa (of course). There was a bit of a wind, but all the better to see how well the skeg works.

Although I took this one after the paddling trip, I am going to start with a photo of the new kayak loaded on the trailer behind the car. The only other vehicle when I got to the parking lot and when I left was a truck and trailer, no doubt belonging to the seaweed harvesters I passed on the river. It's not that I'm that huge a fan of yellow (except in kitchens), it just worked out that way...

When I arrived at the head spring, there was a large group of ibis, both adult and juvenile, hanging out at the launch area. I knew I was going to cause them to leave once I took my boat down, so I walked over with the camera before unloading the kayak. One juvenile was having a good time bathing in the shallow water while the others just hung out.

It took a while with its bath (must have been a female).

As expected, they scattered as I approached with the kayak.

I was so happy to see the three otters near the top of the river.

So off I went, on a more casual paddle than the first one with the boat. I like it a lot, and again recommend it.

I paddled into Blue Spring, which was as beautiful and peaceful as always. Since the water level is so high, I decided to take the back way out to the river. It was nice in there, but the only wildlife I spotted was a couple of squirrels. I came out of the calm and back into the wind and continued downstream.

An anhinga was perched in a tree at the edge of the water. I haven't posted a photo of one of these for a while so I decided to include this one.

The wind got a bit stronger and so I turned around after a couple of miles of meandering. I spotted these ducks. While they look a lot like female wood ducks in this photo, they were actually larger than typical female woodies, so I am not sure what they are.

So then there I was paddling upstream. The wind was behind me so it was as much a drift as a paddle. I saw an egret flying toward me from upstream and so, just in case it actually continued flying toward me, I set the camera exposure and let myself drift to a stop in some surface greenery.

I have never seen an egret behave like this, and I have been paddling and observing egrets for a fairly long time. It must have been raised by an osprey, or perhaps a pelican. It hovered above the water (that's odd right there) and would then dive straight down into it--pretty much exactly like an osprey (or even more like a pelican). My camera can take about 6 frames per second, so I sat there and let it click away. I think I came home with about 30 photos of this bird, at least. Here we go--this was the first pass that I photographed. It starts out with hovering:

and then does a dive like I have never seen before from an egret:

That's not into some vegetation island or high bottom--that's slap into the river! So I waited, and here is the second pass, starting with the hover:

and then the dive,

followed by the lift from the water:

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At the risk of being redundant, I have never seen an egret dive for food like that. When I got home I looked in all my bird books for any reference to egrets feeding in this manner, and every one says that egrets "slowly stalk their food" in the shallows, or on land. This was just plain weird. I actually witnessed three hovers and dives before it flew off to the side of the river.

I followed it over, just to see if maybe it would change into another bird or perhaps speak to me... No such luck, it just stood at the edge.

I paddled on, feeling I had definitely seen something unusual. Returning to normalcy, this juvenile little blue heron was fishing in some surface greenery.

I paddled and drifted upstream. I decided not to go into Blue Spring again, but I did paddle over to the the inlet entrance since this young ibis was perched alone on the tree branch that extends over the river. It was uncommonly tolerant of my presence and let me take several photos from close by.

A great paddling day all around--wonderful weather, wildlife, new boat, and a very strange performance by an egret. That was yesterday....today it drizzled rain all day. Not sure when the next paddling day will be.

Stand by.

Debut of a New Kayak!

2008-12-04T09:59:00.002-05:00

Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun
and the rain to make its colors appear.

~Unknown

I have found myself often missing having a skeg. My beloved Mystic has a skeg, but a few months ago I switched to a wider boat, the Manitou 13 by Necky, to accommodate a larger camera and lens (I was getting crowded out of the narrow Mystic!). That Manitou 13 has no rudder or skeg, and I noticed this lack when I encountered wind on the water. I also wanted a slightly longer boat. After my usual intensive research, I came up with a logical replacement--the Manitou 14, a little over a foot longer and with a skeg, but otherwise essentially the same boat. I was happy to discover that Wilderness Way had a new one in stock in my color choice, which this time around was yellow. I went on Tuesday to get it.

I drive nearly right by the Wacissa on my way home from the shop, so, even though it was quite late in the day to be launching, I just had to try out the new boat! I was the only person in the parking lot as I unloaded. A local resident who is often at the headspring drove by. "You're just leaving now?" he asked me. It was a short paddling trip!

The boat is fantastic and just what I was looking for--in fact, it seems like a perfect combination of the Mystic and the Manitou 13, with the best of both boats.

I decided to drift down to Blue Spring and then turn around. This eastern phoebe was perched on a branch at the inlet entrance.

I was so sure I would finally see a raccoon at the water's edge somewhere near the spring, but no such luck. As I returned to the river, I decided to extend my paddle just down to that dwelling south of the spring. Who knows when I will be able to get back out, and I had a new kayak!

Some of the reviews of this boat report that it is sluggish in turning. I did not find that to be the case at all when I did finally turn around.

A whole flock (?) of juvenile ibis flew overhead as I paddled back upstream.

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As usual, the belted kingfishes were swooping over the river and chattering away. I saw where one stopped to perch in a tree and headed toward it. Amazingly, it actually held still long enough for me to get a photo. It's been quite a while since any of these have appeared here.

This egret was leaning far over in search of food, and stayed in this position for a very long time.

At this point I really had to get going or I would be driving home in the dark. The boat moves nimbly through the water and so I was soon approaching the boat ramp. There were two limpkins feeding there, so of course I had to pause to take some more photos... (I do have my priorities...).

I had planned to take a photo of the boat loaded on the trailer behind the car, with the river in the background, before I left. However, due to our having had a lot of rain over the Thanksgiving weekend, the river water is higher than I have seen it for a long time. Whenever it rises like this, there is a lot of little teeny tiny green leafy things along the edge of the launch area (not at the concrete ramp). So when the boat was loaded on the trailer and ready for its closeup, the hull was covered with plant debris....and not looking all that new and special. I didn't have time to linger to clean it off for a photo, so that will have to wait for another time; maybe next trip, which could be soon. Our new puppy's vet appointment for vaccinations that was scheduled for today was cancelled this morning because the vet is ill; this leaves me with an unexpectedly free sunny afternoon. If it will just warm up a little...

Stand by.

Wacissa Sunday

2008-11-24T11:17:00.002-05:00

Just living is not enough...
One must have sunshine, freedom,
and a little flower.

~Hans Christian Anderson

It's rare for me to paddle on weekends, particularly on this river, since weekends are when all the air boats come out. However, this is the time of year that the weather dictates the paddling days. As it turned out, aside from one air boat, the only people on the river were paddlers, and there were several of them. It turned out to be a perfect day to be on the water.

The river is still fairly bird-free, though--in fact, even the yellowlegs were missing this time. The great blue heron that is always by the boat ramp was nowhere to be seen. No green herons, no tricolored herons, no snowy egrets or night herons. But the sun was warm and there was only a slight breeze, which made up for the lack of feathers and beaks.

When the air boat roared by, it flushed out a lot of birds from the shoreline, including this egret that flew by my kayak.

I met Tommy right before pulling into the Blue Spring inlet--he's another Manitou owner and was also out enjoying the river on this uncommonly warm day. We paddled and chatted for a while. There were two people (also paddlers) on one of the swim rafts at the spring who were soaking up the sun and having lunch. Tommy decided to do the same, and I continued on downstream.

The current was slow. This would have been a good day to circle the island, but I had gotten a late start and of course we lose our light early these days, so I turned around after about two miles. Two juvenile ibis flew in and settled in some yellow flowers along the edge of the river. I paddled over to get some photos of them.

Those yellow flowers border a large section of river and add some bright color to the scenery.

Apparently tipping your head is useful when hunting for food that is beneath the surface.

And it worked! Lunch time for everyone!

Paddling back upstream, I spotted this egret in a sunny patch of leaves at the shoreline.

Looks regal, doesn't it? It did; until it somewhat ruined the effect by peering over at me...

Aside from one little blue heron and a juvenile little blue heron, that was it for the bird sightings. It's odd having the river be so nearly devoid of wildlife, but it was still wonderfully peaceful and I'm glad I went.

I have been spending time on what I consider to be one of the best (and free) photography websites out there. It's called Photo Camel (not sure why...) and can be found here. The forums are extremely active and cover all areas of photography, including equipment and post-processing. It's a great place to post your photos, either just to show people or to get critiques, and to ask any questions you may have. There are fun contests and challenges (if you like manipulating photos, try the Speed Challenge). Of the three photography sites that I visit regularly, I find this one to be by far the most fun and congenial. Photographers of all skill levels hang out there, and there's no attitude about it, as you may encounter elsewhere. If you like photography on any level (there's even a cell-phone photos forum!), I recommend taking a gander at the site and maybe posting a photo or two. You can maintain your own gallery there, but your photos will get more attention if you post them directly in the related forum.

Looks like we have more cold weather on the way. I'll be back here when I get out there again. Stand by.

Meet the Birds

2008-11-21T14:10:00.003-05:00

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member -
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! -
November!

~Thomas Hood

Brr! I'm going along with the no warmth or healthful ease! Once again weather is keeping me off the water, but once again I worry about the blog becoming stagnant. Instead of just posting photos that were passed over in their respective post, I am going to accompany those photos with some bird info. Shall we begin?

Let's start with one of my favorites, the Snowy Egret.

The snowy egret is about two feet in length and has a wingspan of about three feet. Males and females look alike. It eats shrimp, minnows and other small fish, crustaceans, and frogs. It often feeds in groups. The male selects a breeding area, and both the male and female build the nest; the male collects the materials and the female does the constructing. The nest is made of reeds and twigs and is placed in a bush or on the ground. The female lays three to five eggs and both parents share incubation duties. The eggs hatch in about three weeks. Both parents care for the chicks and feed them regurgitated food. The chicks fledge when they are about a month old.

And then there are the herons, including the Great Blue Heron.

The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America. It stands three to four feet tall and has a wingspan of almost six feet (!). There is an all white version, the great white heron, that can be found in southern Florida. The great blue heron fishes for food during the day and at night. It stands in the water and waits for prey, such as frogs and fish, to pass by and grabs them with its long bill. It also eats salamanders, lizards, snakes, shrimps, crabs, crayfish, dragonflies, grasshoppers, aquatic insects, and occasionally birds and small mammals such as mice. The female great blue heron lays three to seven eggs on a shallow platform made of sticks and twigs and lined with soft material. The nest is usually in a tall tree, but it may be built in the reeds or on a cliff edge. The eggs hatch in about a month and the chicks fledge when they are about two months old. Great blue herons nest in colonies. They usually nest in the same spot from year-to-year and may even use the same nest.

Tricolored Herons:

The tricolored heron is about 22 inches in length and has a wingspan of about three feet. Males and females look alike. The nesting territory is selected by the male. The female lays three to four eggs on a nest of sticks placed on a bed of reeds or in a tree. Both the male and female build the nest and incubate the eggs. The chicks hatch in about three weeks. Both parents care for the chicks and feed them regurgitated food. The chicks fledge in a little over a month. The tricolored heron is also known as the Louisiana heron. It sometimes wades in deep water when looking for food and all that can be seen of it above the water is its body.

Yellow-Crowned Night Herons:

The yellow-crowned night heron is a short, stocky wading bird about 24 inches in length with a wingspan of a little under four feet. In breeding season it has a yellow plume of feathers on its head. Males and females look alike. Immature yellow-crowned night herons are a mottled grayish-brown. The yellow-crowned night heron forages for food both in the day and at night. Most of the yellow-crowned night heron's diet is made up of crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish, although it sometimes eats fish, eels, mussels, frogs, tadpoles, aquatic insects, snails, and small snakes. The female lays three to five eggs on a nest of sticks placed in a tree or sometimes on the ground. Both the male and female build the nest and incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch in about three weeks; both parents care for the chicks and feed them regurgitated food. The chicks fledge when they are about 25 days old. The yellow-crowned night heron is more solitary than other herons and prefers to nest separately from other birds.

And last but far from least, my photo subject of choice, the Great Egret. I took this photo during breeding season.

The great egret is a little over three feet tall with a wingspan of almost five feet. When the great egret is in breeding plumage, it has long lacy, delicate plumes on its back that curl over its tail. Males and females look alike, but the males are a little larger. The great egret is also known as the American Egret and the Common Egret. The great egret feeds alone in shallow water. It stalks prey like frogs, crayfish, snakes, snails and fish. When it spots its prey, it pulls its head and long neck back and then quickly stabs at the prey. On land it sometimes stalks small mammals like moles and mice. The great egret usually feeds in the early morning and evening hours. The male great egret chooses the nesting site and builds a nest platform of sticks and twigs in a tree or bush before he selects a mate. Occasionally, the great egret will build its nest on dry ground near a marsh. The female great egret lays three to five pale green-blue eggs. The eggs take about three to four weeks to incubate; both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. The chicks fledge in about six weeks. If the nest is on the ground, the chicks will walk around the nest before they fledge. Both the male and female aggressively defend the nesting territory. Great egrets nest in colonies, often with herons and ibis. In the early 20th century, the long feathers of the great egret were used on ladies hats. The species was almost hunted into extinction.

So there's a little background on a few of the birds pictured here in my regular posts. I miss them and eagerly await the next warm day so I can get back out on the river. Stand by.

Mid-Migration at the Wacissa

2008-11-08T21:27:00.002-05:00

Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.

~James Allen

Another wonderful fall day to paddle. This particular day was a tad prior to my writing this, given that my ISP has been a dead zone for almost a week as a result of a network "upgrade." It's surprising how much we have come to rely on the internet and how inconvenient it is when it is unavailable for a relatively extended period of time. But tonight I can connect, so let me tell you about my last paddling trip.

There aren't many people on the river these days, which makes these outings peacefully sublime. The top of the river, however, is curiously bird-free right now. Of course the resident great blue heron is there, and since the photos of him have cycled off the front page now, I can feature him again!

He left shortly after that. What an impressive wingspan they have!

I headed into Blue Spring, as always. This juvenile little blue heron, still sporting white feathers, was fishing in a strip of sunlight.

I didn't see the resident gator while there. Back out on the main river, I was again struck by the lack of birds. However! The yellowlegs are back in numbers now and a welcome sight.

I didn't stay out long on this day. On the way back upstream I spotted an eastern phoebe--another bird that is welcome back on this river!

This is Florida, and so there is not much fall color to be seen. But this cypress tree sported some colorful leaves near its base--sort of a complement to the photo posted on this blog a few months ago of a green sprout making its way up from the base of the huge cypress tree trunk.

I had gotten a very late start on this trip and was heading back to the ramp much later than usual. A wee bit past Duck Island, near the ramp, I came to a group of ibises looking for a meal. I took a lot of photos of them as they were lit from behind by the setting sun.

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Here's another one coming in for a landing:

Touch down!!!

I lingered there for a while watching them. As I left, I got this final photo of an ibis coming in to join the rest. Technically a flawed photo on several levels, but yet one that conveys so well the feeling of the last moments on the river as the sun dipped lower in the sky.

I am looking forward to future trips to the river when we will start to see migrating birds, particularly my favorites, the mergansers.

Stand by.