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Paddling Journal February 2006 The outage is on the radar - last chance to paddle freely for a while. Trips this month: 10
2/6/06
We have loved Cumberland Island since we moved here 20 years ago and after our first trip to the Greyfield Inn 17 years ago we have always wanted to find a way to paddle across. After many conversations with boaters and reading accounts on the internet from other paddlers I realized that it was not a journey to be undertaken without a lot of planning. Today, with an incoming morning tide and little wind in the forecast until later in the day I decided to give it a try. The new ramp that I investigated a week ago just south of Ft. Clinch State Park gave me a reliable put-in within a relatively short distance of the island so I headed that way and reached the park just as the sun rose. The sun was still beneath the trees at the state park as I set out. I had to wait for a barge to pass by before I crossed the channel to the Tiger Islands on the opposite side of the Amelia River. I decided to cross over to investigate those islands as I headed toward Cumberland Sound so that I could get a ways into the sound before deciding if I wanted to make the crossing. I found the currents to be a bit tricky - going one way close to the shore and then the opposite in the dredged channel but since it was close to slack tide they were manageable. An Osprey was sitting in a tree on the island while a Great Blue stood on the beach below but they both flew off before I got close. I skirted the Tiger Islands as I headed north and found lots of places that would be good to camp except for the noise coming from the Smurfit plant across the way. I reached the point where the islands begin to bend to the west and the St. Mary's River enters the sound. As I was about to consider crossing over a lone Dolphin surfaced quite near me so I paused to shoot him for a while. I was opposite an area on Cumberland just north of where the beach bends around from the sound and heads down the channel toward the ocean and about a mile south of the huge marsh that comprises most of the south end of the island. There was a nice beach and a large grove of pine trees there that looked like a good place to take a break.
As I made the crossing I expected to have to negotiate some strong and tricky currents since this was the confluence of several major streams but, surprisingly. I was able to head almost directly across and made the journey in about 30 minutes. I called Hope to let her know that I had achieved my goal and then set out to explore the area. I hiked around the bend and toward the ocean but had my way blocked by a marshy area just opposite the fort. I headed back to the pine grove and hiked around the interior where there were several marked trails and some evidence of camping. After eating breakfast I hiked north toward the marsh and a creek I had seen on my maps called "Beach Creek" that intersects the marsh and runs up directly under the Dungeness Mansion ruins. As I approached a stand of trees near the creek I saw a large white head peering out at me from the top of a pine. As soon as he saw me stop he took off and flew around me before heading toward the ocean. I had no sooner started to walk again when I looked back at the same tree and saw a huge dark shape in a branch beneath where the eagle had been. Again, as soon as we made eye contact, the second eagle took off - this time flying directly up the St. Mary's River. I also saw several fresh piles of dung on the beach along with hoof prints indicating that some of the wild horses that live on Cumberland Island were nearby. I looked around the area near the entrance to the creek and then decided to walk back to my boat and explore the creek. The water in the sound meanwhile had turned to pure glass as there was not a breath of wind stirring. It was so still that my heavy fleece was now hot so before I took off I shed it and stowed my spray skirt as well.
I paddled into Beach Creek not expecting to be able to go very far since the tide had just turned to come in. What I found surprised me - the first half mile or so was tree lined with several nice places to get out and explore or camp. It then wound it's way north toward Dungeness and soon I could see the red chimney and one wall of the ruins. I explored a couple of small streams that looked as though they went through but at this tide they dead ended. I paddled up to the edge of the Dungeness property where there is a private dock and one of the few private homes nearby. After about two hours of exploring I headed back toward the sound. I had noticed a breeze picking up while I was in the marsh so I wasn't too surprised to see the waters of the sounds glittering like jewels in the bright winter sun but the glassy water I had left a couple of hours earlier was now close to a maelstrom - at least close to shore. As I began to paddle south along the shore I looked up at the pine tree where the Eagles had been and sure enough, one of them had returned. He had his back to me so I was able to get close to him and shoot while I fought the waves. Finally, he flew off which was just as well since I was getting soaked by the waves crashing into my boat in the shallows. I got out near where I had beached earlier and surveyed the situation in front of me with a lot of apprehension. As far as I could see were white caps and close to shore they were quite large. I considered going back across to Tiger Island hoping that I might find calm waters there but I was afraid that it would be just as bad and twice as long as my other option which was to paddle into the channel and make the crossing as close to Ft. Clinch as possible. This didn't seem like much better of a plan since I was heading directly into the south wind but I figured that once I got close to Ft. Clinch that the land would shield me and at least I would be at right angles to the waves.
I considered other options as well including spending the night in the woods, paddling down to Sea Camp and asking the Rangers for shelter or letting the tide carry me in to St. Mary's and calling Hope to pick me up. Finally, I donned my PFD and set out from the beach as close to the SW point of Cumberland as I could. Since I have to put my spray skirt on while in the water I was unable to do so but I wore it like a dress which kept some of the water off of me. Since I was in my Montour and not the Poke Boat I was able to cut through the waves instead of hopping them. I was able to keep a slow, steady stroke and I could use reference points to verify that I was making progress. I was still kind of upset with myself about getting myself in yet another difficult situation and not at all sure how this was going to end up when something happened that changed my perspective and calmed my mind. A pair of Dolphins suddenly surfaced together not more than 10 feet from my boat. One appeared to be smaller than the other and they were surfacing so close to each other that they were touching. They were so close to me that I could actually see them beneath the surface as they swam along beside me and each time they surface and blew I would talk to them. My focus completely shifted to them and I began slowing down so that I wouldn't get ahead of them. They stayed with me for about five minutes, surfacing every few seconds and blowing while I yelled "hey guys - where you going?" Finally, I saw them heading in a new direction - out to sea and I re-focused on my paddling. It was then that I realized that the situation I was in had changed somewhat. I was now in the much deeper water of the channel and the water, although rough, was not nearly as rough as close into shore where the wind was piling it up. I know that there are accounts of Dolphins acting as angels to sailors and I don't want to go that far but the sight and sound of Dolphins has always been special to me and on this occasion especially they calmed me until I was in a better situation. I continued my slow progress across the channel. Once I got close to Ft. Clinch it actually got a little rougher which was probably due to the shallow water and incoming current. As I was about to head to the beach next to the ramp a huge offshore fishing boat came roaring in off the ocean and cut in front of me as he headed toward the marina downtown. He was a good quarter mile away but I saw another large boat close to shore nearly disappear as his wake went by and so I knew that something would be coming my way. A few seconds later a series of three or four foot swells came rolling toward me and so I set my boat to ride it out. That wouldn't have been a problem except that the wind driven waves were coming at a right angle to it and so they rode the swell along with me causing me to be hit broadside by them as I tried to stay perpendicular to the wake. No mishap, however, and since I was already soaked it didn't matter. At that point I was happy to be close to home and the rest of the trip was easy. A nice adventure and I can knock another one off my list. I think I will likely add this to my list of trips that I will do on a semi-regular basis. See the pictures from this trip
2/8/06
It was cold and breezy this afternoon but the tides were right and the house was empty so I headed to Hannah and began paddling toward the ICW. A strong breeze was at my back and pushed me easily against the last of the incoming tide. I decided to do a counterclockwise circuit and headed directly toward the Kingfish Park. Along the way I happened to look down and saw something furry swimming beside me. I briefly thought it was an otter but the shaggy fur gave it away as a raccoon. We played hide and seek in the grass before he gave me the slip. He looked pretty ridiculous peering up at me with his fur wet. I continued on the the ICW where several dozen Snowy Egrets were gathered on the shell bank with their pin feathers blowing wildly in the breeze. I was about to cross over when I heard someone hailing me. I turned and saw that it was coming from an old sail boat heading north. The skipper - an old gentleman who looked as disheveled as his boat was asking me if it was deep enough to anchor for the night in Hannah Mills next to the old marina. I told him I was sure it was and he thanked me. He was towing an inflatable boat which was occupied by an old sheep dog who looked as if he belonged in the group. Clearly if this pair were snowbirds they were on the lower end of the economic scale but they looked like they were enjoying their life on the water and we parted company after commenting on the beauty of the evening. I went behind the islands on the eastern bank of the waterway so that I would come out behind the island at Shad Creek. I wanted to check to be sure the barge was still there so that I could go ahead and report it. Nothing has changed I am sorry to say. I did spot an Osprey sitting on the nest atop the channel tower so it looks like activity is beginning there again in spite of the tragedy that occurred there last summer. I crossed back over and started to re-enter Hannah when I spotted another Osprey sitting on a tree over the water and I was able to get a few shots of him in the waning light. Almost as soon as I reached the old cedar the sun was down beneath the horizon so the rest of my trip was in the gathering dusk. By the time I reached my truck the western sky was a faint orange while the eastern sky behind me was varying shades of purple broken up by a bright winter half moon well into the sky. The light has increased dramatically in the last month but I am almost going to miss the winter with it's pure, clean evening skies. See the pictures from this trip
2/10/06
The winds were supposed to be calm this afternoon but as I left the plant I could see the plumes of the cooling towers bent to the west and so I knew that was not the case but it was still a stellar winter afternoon in NE Florida so off I went. I put in at the Cedar Point location on Heckscher Dr. thinking that I would paddle up to the confluence point and enjoy the sunset. A nearly full moon had risen about 45 minutes earlier and was sitting well above the horizon in a pure blue eastern sky. The sun was still a good hour and a half away from setting and therefore was still bright but I could tell by the richness of the colors on the waters and grass that the light was changing. I made my way around the point without seeing much and headed toward the place where Cedar diverges and heads to Clapboard, Hannah and north under it's own name - what I call the confluence point. At the entrance to the area that heads north are a couple of small old oyster bed islands and I could see a lone, large white bird sitting on one. As I got closer I could see that it was a White Pelican hanging on to the very last remnants of one of the little islands. It's unusual to see these majestic birds alone but I have seen it occasionally. I thought at first that he was doing what most birds do - standing on one leg (why use two when one will do?) but after looking at my photo later I realized that he had only one leg. Maybe this is why he was alone - who knows? This location has some very odd currents and I was able to situate myself in an eddy near where he was sitting and observe him for a few minutes before he flew away. He flew in a semi circle and landed just a few yards away and began swimming. I didn't feel too bad about scaring him from his roost since it was about to disappear anyway. I paddled on up to the sea daisy island at the confluence point and circumnavigated it. I didn't expect to find anyone there since this is the time of the evening when it seems all the birds in the marsh are in transit and I indeed I could see the streams of dozens of herons and Ibis over my head heading toward the setting sun. I was about to head back when I heard the crashing sound of large birds landing in the water. I looked behind me to see the last of what was a line of about 20 White Pelicans disappear beneath the grass on the other side of the sea daisy island. I paddled quietly over to investigate and found the group playing follow the leader behind a male who was already starting to get the breeding hump on his beak. The White Pelicans get these grotesque looking deformities on the tops of their beaks during breeding season which they lose soon after. I'm not sure if this was the only male in the group and this was his "harem" but they all seem to be following him. I paddled around them shooting them as the now setting sun turned their white feathers pink and their huge yellow beaks orange. They calmly kept their eye on me - tilting their heads back so that their beaks would be out of the water as they turned to watch me. They changed direction as I circled them and I managed to get a few shots with the setting sun behind them and them decided to leave them in peace. By now the sun was nearly on the horizon and I still had the rest of my journey to make back but this is a journey I normally make without fear of boats so it was a peaceful trip back in the encroaching darkness. See the pictures from this trip
2/12/06
A saner person would have stayed home on a day like today but my sanity - or lack of it has already been established. All last week I had been watching the waxing moon rising in the afternoon and I knew that today it would rise full about 20 minutes before the sun was to set enabling me to have enough light to shoot it rising over the marsh in the evening light. The wind was supposed to die down by the afternoon so I figured that it wouldn't be quite as frigid as it had been all day. Ha! Well, anyway - I decided to go back to Cedar Point since that would allow me an open view to both horizons and there would be enough water to paddle in a couple of hours after low tide at 3 pm. Just barely as it turned out and it took me forever to make progress in the six inches of water against a 15 mph SW wind. Eight of my ten fingers voted that we turn back and end this madness (my thumbs were too cold to vote) but I pressed on until I finally reached the first bend where a mass of Snowy Egrets and Little Blues were huddled out of the wind. They spooked early so I followed them down a little stream at the base of the dredge spoil until the oyster beds stopped me. Just ahead I spotted a Raccoon crossing the muddy creek and a few seconds later he crossed again closer to me. He stopped at the edge of the grass and appeared to be eating an oyster and I watched him unseen. I had half a mind to stay put where I was since the dredge spoil blocked most of the wind but I decided to press on northward so that I could have a good view of both horizons. As I was about halfway up the northern run before it heads west toward the confluence point I spotted another Raccoon sitting on an oyster bed but as soon as he saw me he scampered into the grass. At this point I began to see what I have been noticing all winter - the mass evening migration of Herons, Egrets and Ibis only tonight they seemed to be all traveling the same narrow path between two grass islands. I paddled over and situated my boat between some oyster beds and began shooting them as they flew by a few yards away. They all seemed to be flying much lower than usual probably due to the windy conditions. I would see them coming from the northeast just above the top of the grass and often they would swoop in low over the water occasionally veering off to the grass bank opposite me which soon became littered with white dots. This was a good spot for me to shoot both horizons so I stayed and shot literally hundreds of birds as they flew by - their feathers glowing in the orange light from the setting sun. They were contrasting beautifully with the dark bands of clouds and multicolored grasses of the marsh. By now it was apparent that the moon was going to be a no show since the clouds were gathering solid on that end of the sky so I concentrated on the Herons and the western sky where the sun was flitting in and out of the clouds. Finally, the sun set and I began to make my way back to my truck scaring off the Herons who had gathered nearby. As I rounded the bend and began heading north I saw the moon finally peek out from behind the clouds - a little late but still nice to see. My hands were happy that we were heading back to the warm truck and so was I. Maybe next full moon. See the pictures from this trip
2/15/06
It's been a frigid week so far - by far the coldest of the year but today things warmed up into the 60's and there were bright blue skies after work do I headed to Alimacani to put-in on Ft. George River at dead low tide. I decided to paddle into Huegenot Park and into the basin my kids used to call the Pony Pool. The park was almost completely deserted and I thought at low tide it would mean lots of birdlife in the shallows but for the most park the large birds were probably off in places that offered more protection from the wind. I saw a lot of small types of Sandpipers and plovers skittering up and down the beach at the water's edge and in the evening light I got some good shots. There was a large flock of Ruddy Turnstones gathered in a group - the largest gathering of this type of bird that I have seen and I shot them for a while. I skirted the beach along the basin and then started heading back toward the bridge. The sun was on the horizon as I began to paddle directly into it. I saw a medium sized heron on the beach and as I approached I could tell that it was a lone Reddish Egret. Unlike in the summer and fall his neck feathers were barely a reddish tint but his eyes and beak gave him away. A pleasant evening out. See the pictures from this trip
2/17/06
Hope and I are spending the weekend in Fernandina Beach - it's become kind of an annual pre-outage thing that we do. Since I broke the ice on the Cumberland Island trip a couple of weeks ago I was hoping the weather would work out for me to take Hope along. After the coldest week of the year with two or three days in a row of sub freezing temperatures, the latter part of the week turned beautiful with temps in the mid 70's. We had an appointment early in the morning and finally got going from the ramp at 10:00 am. I decided that we should stay close to Ft. Clinch and make the crossing at the closest point. There was a tug boat coming out from the port who was apparently going out to meet a container ship that we could see at the mouth of the river. We made sure that we stayed well away from them as well as the other boat traffic which was heavy on such a glorious day. About a dozen boats were anchored in the middle of the river between the two dredged channels that head north and south. When we reached this area we were greeted by some rather large swells that were rolling in off the ocean but the water was so glassy it was fun to ride over these was we rode the last of the incoming tide. The trip over was easy and we were at the same location where I stopped a couple of weeks ago within an hour of setting out and we explored the area a little before setting our hammocks up under a sprawling cedar tree. As were walking around the trail that goes through the woods a large hawk flew up in a tree and perched above us. I didn't have my camera with me but it looked like it might be a Red Tailed Hawk. After a while we hiked down to Beach Creek hoping that the Eagles would be in their perch but they weren't so we headed back and ate lunch out on the beach. After vegging out in our hammocks for an hour or so we decided to pack up and paddle around the point toward the beach past the marshy area opposite the fort. We beached our boats and began walking toward the jetties at the south end of the beach. Along the way we spotted about six of the wild horses that live on Cumberland grazing in the mudflats behind the dunes. We continued our hike until we reached the jetties and then returned to our boats. As we got close to the boats we saw what appeared to be a group of people out on the beach we had left earlier. As we got close, we realized that it was another group of wild horses including a mother and her youngster who was galloping around on the beach. The water had left our boats high and dry so we had to carry them a distance and then launch from the mud which was unpleasant. My plan was to go more or less straight across which would have put us west of the point on the Ft. Clinch side but I knew that the outgoing tide would want to carry us out so we should angle ourselves west. As soon as we got away from the shore, however, huge swells - much large than before - began rolling in off the ocean and Hope was afraid to be caught sideways by them. Heading into them meant that we were paddling with the current and as we crossed we wound up well east of the point - almost directly underneath the fort itself. To add to the situation - there was a large Coast Guard cutter coming in and at first I wasn't sure which direction he was going. If south we were directly in his path and since the current directly beneath the fort was unmanageable we desperately needed to get back out into the middle of the channel so that we could make progress. It was soon apparent that he was headed to Kings Bay Sub Base so we headed away from the shore. Of course there we were back in the swells but at least they were at our backs and we could "ride" them in and they actually helped us overcome the current. We made slow but steady progress and managed to get around the point and back to the ramp without much further mishap. The tide was nearly all the way out and we had a muddy trek back to the truck but we made it and Hope said that she actually enjoyed the ride back - except for the part where she thought we were going to be swept out to sea. That's my girl! See the pictures from this trip
2/21/06
I awoke to a foggy day and so decided to head out to Simpson Creek to ride the end of the outgoing tide to the sound. The put-in was muddy and slick but I managed to get in the water without mishap a few minutes after sunrise at 7:15. Not that it mattered since the fog was so thick that there was no way I could tell when it actually ascended above the tree-line. Just a short distance from the ramp I came upon a Great Blue Heron who was standing on the banks. Amazingly, he didn't react as I floated by shooting him and didn't move for a few more minutes as I sat just downstream of him watching and taking pictures. As I headed toward the sound the sight of a Clapper Rail in one of the many feeder streams attracted me and so I explored it a little ways. When I returned to the main channel I got temporarily disoriented and paddled the wrong direction for few minutes before I realized my mistake. The fog was so thick that I had no points of reference to go by and I couldn't even tell where the sun was.
I righted myself and soon was paddling under Half Moon Bluff. A Great Blue few out from the trees on the bluff and as I passed under where he had been sitting I could see two more in the trees. One of them had his back to me and appeared to sleeping but he woke up when the other finally spooked and flew off. Once I reached the sound I decided to head south toward Little Talbot and explore the area where the sound comes around the back side of the beach. There were lots of Red Breasted Mergansers in the sound who unlike their smaller cousins were brave enough to let me follow them as they swam around the bay.
From there I headed toward Big Talbot skirting the oyster beds that lay north of the mouth of the creek. There was a nice variety of birds there including Oyster Catchers and Turnstones. A pair of White Egrets were chasing each other round and round just above one of the tidal pools and this went on for nearly 10 minutes non-stop. Whether these were male or female it was obviously a pre-mating activity that was going on. I finally made it to the lone tree that I have been setting my hammock up on lately that lays south of Black Rock Point and proceeded to do a little vegging out. By now the sun was well up in the sky and the fog burned off in a matter of minutes which made the day quite warm. I was tempted to spend the rest of the day in the warm sun but after an hour or so I decided to catch the incoming tide back. The wind had kicked up a bit and the tide was just past mid-tide so there were some small swells rolling in from the ocean between the gap where Bird Island and Little Talbot separate. I decided to explore one of the creeks that goes into the marsh at where Big Talbot bends to the west. I had not been up that particular stream in almost six years and it was kind of nice to explore it again. The tide was nearly peaked out when I entered Simpsons again and it exposed me to the breeze but I still made easy progress. Just past the bluffs I decided to explore another side stream and I was surprised to find that it ran all the way along the edge of Big Talbot until I was just shy of the boat ramp cutting of a lot of the bends in the route. I realized that in the past I really haven't explored the smaller streams of the Simpsons Creek route and some of them look very promising on Terraserver so I will have to check into them another time. I passed two kayakers as I approached the ramp and another who was unloading as I was packing up so I guess I wasn't the only one who thought today was a good day to be on the water. See the pictures from this trip
2/24/06
It was a slow day on the water......but I'll get to that later. I started my night shift a couple of days ago and our outage begins tonight at midnight so I decided to go out for a quickie in Browns Creek. There was a stiff breeze coming out of the northeast and it was pretty rough crossing the channel over to the big island. There was an Osprey who had some beautiful light colored feathers on his back and I enjoyed watching him for a while. I paddled over to the run-off pond and sat at the mouth for a few minutes and watched a Red Tailed Hawk fly overhead but it was far too shallow to enter so I decided to make my way back the truck. There were some herons out feeding in the shallows but nothing worked out to get any shots. I was crossing the channel and heading for the bridge when I saw a boat coming toward me. I was in the middle of the roughest part of the creek and so I hurried to get out of his way but for some reason he kept coming right at me. I continued on until I thought I was out of his way when I heard someone hollering at me and I turned to see a Florida Wildlife Enforcement boat with three officers on board. The guy in charge called me over and asked where my life jacket was and of course I had forgotten to bring it along - something I rarely forget but since this was going to be a "quickie" I had neglected to bring it. I told him that I was actually unaware that PFD's were a requirement on canoes and kayaks since they are basically unregistered and unregulated boats. He told me they were and proceeded to asked me if I had a horn or whistle. I guess the look on my face (like - "are you F$cking crazy?") told him the answer to that one. At this point I was of course wondering why and the hell this guy had chosen to ruin my otherwise enjoyable day on the water by hassling me and was starting to get pretty pissed. After some more questioning he asked if I had my driver's license and I about lost it. "Now I'm required to have a driver's license to go paddling?" I'm thinking. I told him I did but it was under the bow of my boat and it was going to be very difficult to get to since we were stopped in the roughest part of the creek and being buffeted by 15 mph winds and choppy waters as we were being swept out toward the river but he insisted that he needed it since he was going to write me a citation for the lack of PFD and a warning for the lack of a whistle. Long story short - the asshole wrote me up and wished me a "good day" with my wallet soon to be $68 lighter. He left in search of other victims but the only other boater in the water nearby had seen the situation developing and had pulled anchor and sped home. He was probably figuring the same thing I was - no one would think of hassling us on a day like today in what is essentially our backyard. Now, I am generally a pretty conservative law abiding citizen and I firmly believe in safety regulations when they are reasonable but part of the reason I no longer power boat is because I wanted to get away from regs and potential hassles that come with power boats. I was completely unaware that any of these laws applied to unpowered boat and after checking around it appears that I am not the only one. My question is this - if kayaks are unregistered and unregulated by the state - how is anyone supposed to know that this equipment is a requirement? I could rant and rave (and I probably will) but it was clear that this asshole HAD to write someone a citation today and since I was one of the few people out on the water I was the unlucky bastard. If I had brought my PFD he would have cited me for the lack of a whistle. If I had a whistle and PFD he would have cited me for being too ugly or too fat or too tall. I'll get over it but this is not the first time I have had run-ins with the "pretend cops" that are the members of Florida's Environmental and Wildlife departments. It's sad that they would hassle someone in a kayak who probably does more to make their jobs easier than most people out on the water. But from talking to my fishermen and power boater co-workers I guess I should count myself somewhat lucky because I have never heard a kind word from that group about the law enforcement officials on our waterways. They have been given a tiny bit of power and they have to wield it. See the pictures from this trip
2/27/06
Well, I've had a few days to calm down since my encounter with the "law" and I have been wanting to get back out there and get the bad taste out of my mouth. I got up this morning feeling a bit dragged out and had pretty much decided to wait until tomorrow to paddle but when I went out to the end of the driveway to get the paper I felt the warm sun on my face and saw the pure blue sky and the plumes from SJRPP going straight up and thought - "hey, this is why I volunteered for night shift!" So, I got a late start but managed to get in the water behind the Ribault Club at 11:30. It was mid-tide, outgoing which meant that the current was rushing by. I decided to investigate the yacht basin first and as I approached the large trees on the far end I could see that there were several Night Herons in the branches. As I floated in, an Osprey swooped in over the tops of the trees, hovered briefly and then landed on a tree nearby. He had a fresh caught needle fish in his claws which he proceeded to tear apart. I took some pictures of the Night Herons as I slowly made my way over to the Osprey. He flew off when I got too close but went to a perch just a few yards down the bank. When I approached him again he flew to the next perch and we repeated the dance another time before he finally got tired and took his fish to the opposite bank to eat in peace and I headed on out into the main channel. I struggled against the current but slowly made my way past the docks and then ducked into the little creek there. I paddled on around the bend and headed toward Point Isabella and then crossed over to the other side of the river and beached my boat at the island on the western bank of the mouth of Simpsons Creek. I set up my hammock and drank a beer. I walked down the beach toward Simpsons Creek where I spotted a Tri-Color and a Yellow Legs feeding in the shallows together. I waded close to them and then knelt in the water and shot them as they seemed to dance together in the shallows as they fed. I pushed off and was ready to make a beeline for my truck so that I could get ready for work but the sight of a Reddish Egret doing his comedy routine in the shallows caught my attention. I spent about 30 minutes sitting in the pool where he was feeding while he pretty much ignored me. He ran and pirouetted and comically splayed his legs and wings, occasionally plunging his head into the water. I could have sat there for hours watching him but I finally had to head back and get ready for work. See the pictures from this trip
2/28/06
Another glorious day so I headed back to Browns Creek - making damn sure this time that I stowed my PFD and whistle as I set out into the glassy water. It wasn't much of a trip. I took my usual route to the run off pond and then skirted the plant property hoping to see my pig family that lives in the woods there bit no sign nor sound. I saw lots of herons and a few Ospreys but shots were few and far between. I did see a Red Tailed Hawk and probably a Red Shouldered as well. It was a lot quieter and a lot more fun than the last time I was on Browns Creek. I said I was going to scale back this year but I have 20 trips already - a good bit ahead of my pace from the last couple of years. I can't help it - if the weather and tides are good - it's real hard to resist being on the water. See the pictures from this trip
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